Visitors

The Falkirk area is one of considerable charm and delightful contrasts where a fascinating past meets a dynamic future.

Watch a short tour of the Falkirk area below (Flash Player required):

Footage courtesy of VisitScotland. Used with permission. A higher-quality, DVD version of this short film can be purchased from local tourist information centres.

The Falkirk Wheel

Things you might not know about the Falkirk Wheel:
* It only takes the power of six toasters to rotate
* It can lift loads of 600 tonnes (300 at each end)  that's the approximate weight of 100 adult African elephants
* The structure is 35m high  the equivalent of eight double decker buses
There is no doubt that the Falkirk Wheel has really put Falkirk on the
tourist map, with 400,000 visitors a year. The world's first and only
rotating boat lift links the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal,
making it once again possible to travel from Bowling in the west of
Scotland to Edinburgh, in the east without using their vehicles,
alleviating the risks of vehicular accidents which, aside from causing a
dent on your car insurance, of course can be life-threatening.  The
ambitious Millennium project to reopen the canal provided an opportunity
for an inspired piece of engineering that reopened canals in spectacular
fashion.

For details visit www.thefalkirkwheel.co.uk or telephone 08700 500 208 

Callendar House

Things you might not know about Callendar House:
* Mary Queen of Scots and Bonnie Prince Charlie stayed there.
* The name Callendar comes from the de Kalynter family who are thought to have had a house on the site as far back as the 11th century

Callendar House is one of Scotland's finest baronial mansions ?with a setting to match. Situated in Callendar Park, an extensive area with woodlands, formal gardens and a boating lake, the house and park are just minutes from Falkirk's High Street.
The house itself bears witness to more than 600 years of Scottish history. Costumed interpreters are available to recreate the daily routines of the past and there is an authentic Georgian working kitchen. Have a chat with the cook  - if you're lucky she may even let you try one of the recipes she's busy preparing.
In the former stable block you'll also find the rather lovely Stables Tearoom, complete with Georgian garden, and a stunning contemporary art gallery, The Park Gallery.
For details visit www.falkirkonline.net

Bo'ness and Kinneil Railway and Birkhill Cavern

Things you might not know about the railway:
* James Watt, inventor of the steam train, spent a lot of time in Bo'ness. He conducted experiments in a cottage in the grounds of Kinneil House
* The station building was originally at Wormit, the train shed is from Haymarket and the signal box from Garnqueen South Junction

Relive the romantic days of steam on a seven mile round trip to Birkhill where you can join a fascinating tour of the Fireclay mine. Here, you can see 300 million year old fossils as you discover all about fireclay. Experienced tour guides meet you from the train at Birkhill Station and take you down into the beautiful Avon Gorge before entering into the caverns. Tours take approximately one hour and start from Birkhill Station on the arrival of each train (except the last service each day). It is open daily throughout summer months but in October it is only open at weekends, so check the website to make sure you are not disappointed.
For details visit www.srps.org.uk

Kinneil Museum and Estate

Kinneil Museum located in Kinneil House houses the exhibition, "2,000 Years of History". Here you can learn all about the estate and those associated with it such as Antoninus Pius, St Serf, Mary Queeen of Scots and James Watt. Around the estate are several other sites of interest including a Roman Fortlet site, a medieval village, Kinneil House, James Watt's cottage and the local sites of the Antonine Wall

There are many other attractions in the district including the Antonine Wall, Dunmore Pineapple, Blackness Castle, Barbara Davidson Pottery and Bo'ness Motor Museum.

Visit www.falkirkonline.net for details.