Kelpies to Falkirk Wheel (9 miles)
The Falkirk Wheel is the junction between the Forth & Clyde and Union Canals. The latter proceeds to Edinburgh while the former winds it's way to the sea lock at Helix Park and where the River Carron enters the Firth of Forth. We'll start at The Helix - home of the world-famous Kelpie sculptures. Free parking is available around half a mile from the giant horses or you can pay a few pounds to drive up to the visitors centre. The canal runs alongside the access road to both car parks. You may well have seen the Kelpies before. They were opened to the public in 2013 and have proved a tremendous success.
As with most canal walks, it's simply a case of following the towpath. There are occasional minor diversions but the vast majority of the route sticks rigidly to the waterway. A major advantage of this type of outing is that the terrain is flat tarmac, making it accessible for walkers of all abilities. A mixture of residential, industrial and semi-rural areas provide the backdrop. We pass a tidy little football ground, home of Camelon FC. After a total of four and a half miles, we reach the impressive Falkirk Wheel - an engineering marvel which commenced operations in 2002. It replaces a flight of 11 locks meaning boats can be raised or lowered within minutes instead of spending the better part of a day opening and closing sluice gates. A café and gift shop are on site.
