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Today is the end... the final day of this particular Scottish excursion. So I visited something I hadn't seen for 13 years, the amazing Falkirk Wheel.
After seeing farewell to my lovely Glaswegian host Elizabeth, I headed towards Falkirk. Opened in 2002 as part of the Millennium Link project, the Falkirk Wheel is the only rotating boat lift in the world. It lifts boats 24 metres from the Forth and Clyde Canal towards the Union Canal, or back down again. It's completion linked Glasgow and Edinburgh by canal again.
In the heyday of canals, these two used to be linked by a series of 11 locks which would take all day to navigate. By the 1930s, these had fallen into disuse and were dismantled in 1933. With the regeneration of canals and their popularity for leisure, it became necessary to link the two again.
The Wheel effectively replaced the first 9 locks, but two locks are used to complete the final 7 metres. The Wheel consists of two gondolas each of which can hold up to 4 canal boats. When at rest one gondola is at the bottom and there other at the top.
The Wheel makes use of Archimedes Principal that a floating object replaces the same weight of water, thereby the overall combined weight stays the same. So when a boat enters a gondola, it displaces its weight of water so that the gondola's weight remains the same, meaning that the two gondolas are still perfectly balanced. The Wheel then rotates so that the bottom gondola rises to the top while the other goes down to the bottom. The operation requires the equivalent amount of the power needed to boil 8 kettles.
For those visitors like me who don't have a boat, special tourist boats are laid on. So I boarded the appropriately named Antonine (the other boat has the moniker Archimedes) to experience going up the lift. Once at the top, we then chugged along the aqueduct and through the Rough Castle tunnel, which was also created as part of the project, to the bottom of the two locks that complete the link. Here, however, is where we turned around for the return journey.
As it was approaching midday, I popped into the Visitor Centre's cafe for a brunch.
So, why is the name Antonine appropriate? Well, from the Wheel Visitor Centre, it's a short walk to Rough Castle. This isn't an actual castle but is the remains of a Roman fort that was once one of many along the Antonine Wall. This wall is the lesser known, Northern cousin of Hadrian's Wall. Emporer Antonius Pius ordered the construction of the wall in AD 142, just 20 years after Hadrian's Wall began. It took 12 years to build but was abandoned only 8 years later. The wall spans 39 miles, was about 10 feet high and 16 feet wide.
It was constructed of earth and wood, so is not so well preserved as the stone Hadrian's Wall. However, there are several places where the wall can be viewed, and Rough Castle is one of them. Also visible are a series of defensive pits that would've held wooden stakes.
From the castle, I marched a short distance along the route of the Military Way, which rang alongside the wall. I then joined up with the Union Canal at the two locks seen on the boat trip. I followed the tow path through the tunnel and was in time to watch the tour boat descend on the lift.
I then drove about 4 miles up the road to Callendar House. In the grounds of Callendar Park can be seen more of the Antonine Wall. Inside the very impressive house itself was an interesting exhibition detailing the history of those that lived here.
In the 12th century, Thanes Hall (or House) was one of the seats of the Callendar family. In 1345 the Callendar land were granted to Sir William Livingston, I presume, who was married to Christian, one of the Callendar girls. He replaced the Hall with a town house which remains the basis for the current building.
Over the next 400 years, three Livingstons paired a prominent role in Scottish history, including:
- Regent of Scotland in the 1440s
- Guardian of Mary, Queen of Scots during her childhood
- The hosts of the signing of the marriage agreement between Queen Mary and the Dauphin
- Entrusted by King James VI and I with the upbringing of his daughter Princess Elizabeth
- Supported the Jacobite Rising of 1715
The latter was when it all started going wrong as their land were forfeited and purchased by the York Buildings Company, who leaded the house to Lady Anne Livingston. She provided hospitality to Bonnie Prince Charlie before his defeat at Culloden in 1746. Her husband was executed for treason but she was allowed to continue to occupy Callendar House, as was her son.
Then the company was forced to sell their assets and the house was purchased by William Forbes, a business man who had several contracts with the Royal Navy, in 1783. Him and his descendants made several alterations over the years of their ownership, resulting in the current grand house.
In 1963 the house was purchased by the council and had been in public hands since.
After popping into a local Tesco to get some shortbread and other Scottish goodies to take home, I started the journey south. I stopped at Tebay services for a lovely homemade Pork and Some Burger with Cheese and Crispy Bacon and Chips.
I arrived home about 11:15 having driven 370 miles during the day.
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