Quite an amazing feat of engineering to learn about! I wish the barges had a clear top for the rainy days such as today. It was challenging to truly be able to experience the machinery at work while on the tour, but still interesting nonetheless to be elevated from ground level up to the next section of canal, and to view some of the locks. read more

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We watched a YouTube video about the Falkirk wheel before we left the US. When we realized we were going to be near it during our drive we just had to stop. It also has a small water park and a food truck on the property. read more

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For something literally made to be tourist attraction, it's still pretty cool with great views and fun engineering to experience. We wanted to stay near Edinburgh airport before flying home from Scotland and decided to stay in Falkirk to see the Kelpies and maybe do the Falkirk Wheel and I'm really glad we did. I had pretty low expectations for the Wheel since it's basically just a silly tourist attraction with no real other significance than that, but it was more fun than I expected. Boat rides are always fun (especially with kids) and when you combine that with a tunnel and essentially a huge Ferris wheel for the boat it gets better. The views from the top are also pretty impressive. If you try hard you can even see the Kelpies. Still, at the end of the day, it's basically a 45-minute ride for about 5 minutes of actually being on the wheel and there's a lot of basically propaganda and advertising for the the canals in Scotland as part of trying to get more tourists to use the canals, which keeps it form being 5-stars. read more

Let me admit up front that I was a fan before I got there. I learned about the Falkirk Wheel from friends in Scotland in 2019. And then I got shut in my house for years. So, when I had the chance to plan a trip for business [I meet up with IT consultants to drink beer and vendors pay for it. It's a great business model], I chose Edinburgh as my first stop and Glasgow as my second - because the Wheel is halfway between. A group of five of us took the train to Falkirk High station. We didn't have an actual plan for getting to the wheel, so we were looking at Uber, taxi, bus options. A local was passing by and we asked her the best way to go and she suggested we walk along the canal. It's just under two miles, but completely flat since it's along the canal. We had a great walk, spotting fish, baby ducks, all kinds of fun flowers, a canal tunnel, and birds. It was a delightful walk. Once we got to the Wheel, it was honestly breathtaking. The ride was fine. Seriously uneventful. But standing and looking up at the machinery was magnificent. The "experience" is to be present and behold the engineering brilliance. Oddly enough, the UK folks I told about the Wheel had never heard about it. Meanwhile, I'm like a kid because I've been looking forward to this for three years. As far as we could tell, the city of Falkirk has nothing to recommend it. We wandered around a bit and then hopped back on the train. If you're in the neighborhood, make the effort to see the Falkirk Wheel. Plan a few hours. And the walk from the train station wasn't bad at all. read more

Falkirk Wheel - Uh-mazing - Local Flavor Near Me - Falkirk, FAL

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This was an amazing feat of engineering to watch. My fella took me here on a chilly summer (oxymoron much?) afternoon. We watched as the wheel filled, the barge floating upward a bit, and then it began to turn. That was SO neat! We watched as it worked and changed the two boat's places, and then made our way down to the cafe/gift shop at the bottom of the hill. I was impressed with the amount of merchandise they had. It was pretty awesome. read more

Falkirk Wheel - Local Flavor Near Me - Falkirk, FAL

We were in the neighbourhood and decided to visit. What an absolutely amazing piece of engineering. To be in a boat lift is amazing in itself. To do it in such an elegant way is fabulous. With the boat trip this is an outstanding attraction that should be much better known. And that with a lovely visitor centre and restaurant. A must see! read more

We visited the Falkirk Wheel last year and decided a revisit, and boat trip, was needed on this visit to Scotland. For a very reasonable price a trip takes you around the wheel, along a stretch of canal, through a tunnel to the next locks. Then the return. The trip was narrated by a fantastic guy with a Glaswegian accent. Thank goodness unlike the average Glaswegians I have met in the past. This guy you could understand. LOL. Great hours trip, worth every penny. Thank you to the three guys. read more

What an engineering marvel! If you have the chance to go on a boat tour, don't hesitate. The wheel certainly reduces and even eliminates canal traffic. If you are in the Edinburgh area then go check this out! read more

Good food good views good bike trails it's the beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeest place to go on a sunny summer day

I had seen a show on the Travel Channel regarding this interesting wheel. There is nothing like this so when we had the chance to try this we jumped at the chance. The Falkirk Wheel is a rotating boat lift that move canal boats from one canal above to the canal below using gondolas the rotate up and down making sure that the weight in one gondola equals the other. It is based on the Archimedes Principle. (Look it up for more details.) It opened in 2002 and was part of Queen Elizabeth's Golden Jubilee celebrations. It is amazing to watch but more interesting to try it. We boarded a boat and moved into the gondola. It moves slowly around lifting us up to the canal above. We then did a short ride along the canal through a tunnel and back. We then went back into the gondola and rotated back down to the visitors center. Unfortunately it was a rainy day so couldn't get some good pictures. It is an awesome design and works so well. If you are ever in the Glasgow Scotland area check it out. read more

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I bought a book containing historic and recent photographs of Scotland. One of the most recent pictures showed the Falkirk Wheel. The accompanying article explained it was a rotating boat lift boasting "a masterpiece of Scottish engineering". The whole thing looked quite interesting. The Falkirk Wheel is based on the Archimedes' principle; floating objects displace their own weight in water so when a boat enters, the amount of water leaving the caisson weighs exactly the same as the boat. The Falkirk Wheel has two caissons which rotate like a big wheel. The weight of the two caissons is always exactly the same. The boat lift connects the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal. In former times there have been 11 locks so the lifting of a boat had taken almost a whole day. Thanks to the Falkirk Wheel, this is now done within five minutes. The boats are lifted 35 m up and down. The upper part of the construction looks like an old Roman aqueduct. An operator decides in which direction the wheel will turn. The Falkirk Wheel has been opened in 2002 by Queen Elizabeth II. You can join a boat trip on the wheel. We went on a ride starting at the bottom near the visitor centre. After a few minutes we reached the upper end of the wheel, went through the aqueduct and a short tunnel, then the boat turned around and we went down again. During the tour we were told a lot of interesting details on the wheel. After an hour the tour was over. There is a shop and a café in the visitor centre. Sitting at a table, you have a fantastic view on the wheel, it rotates just before your eyes. We recommend a boat trip on the Falkirk Wheel. read more

A modern engineering masterpiece, the Falkirk Wheel has turned out to be an unexpected tourist hit, with huge turnouts for the boat ride that takes you up on the wheel, through the Roughcastle tunnel to the basin at the end of the Union Canal and back down again - it's the exact antithesis of a thrill ride, but is strangely satisfying nonetheless, and the views over the Forth valley from the top are great. Advance booking for the boat trip is advisable as it gets pretty busy. It's popularity caught everyone by surprise, but now the visitor centre is up to speed it's a great place to spend a few hours if it's sunny - there's plenty to keep little ones amused (at least there looks like there is - I'm not talking from personal experience here you understand), and other than the boat ride there are some lovely walks up the hill to Roughcastle Roman fort, the best-preserved fort on the Antonine Wall, and I even saw a couple of folk on off-road Segways today, although I'm not sure where you rent those from. The visitor centre has some nice shop items ranging from craft jewellery to the obligatory Scottish scarves and tweed, through cuddly toy Highland cows, and a select assortment of Scotch whisky and Scottish gins. The cafe is not bad, although often very busy, and their home-made soup does them proud. If you're coming from the Glasgow side, the signs will decant you into the car parks on the wrong side of the canal, which is fine if you don't mind the short walk; as we had disabled father-in-law with us today we took the longer route into Falkirk and back out on the north side of the canal, which gives access to the disabled parking right outside the visitor centre. The wheel itself is such a beautiful thing to look at, especially the graceful manner in which it operates. Who says Scottish engineering skills aren't what they used to be? According to our tour guide on the boat, the engineer actually built an initial test model using his daughter's Lego! However he did it, the end result is a wonder of the modern world, and with the Wheel and the Kelpies, Falkirk has demonstrated how investing in these sort of projects can really generate income for the area. Our guide, who was a local man, said that before he got this job he would never have believed that you could use the words 'Falkirk' and 'tourist attraction' in the same sentence. Well, now you can. read more

The Wheel itself is stunning, it's mesmerising watching it in motion and doing it's thing. That's not in doubt... you do have this overwhelming feeling of "why?" though... as well as wondering if there's so much more that could be done to make the most of it. You can go and watch it without having to shell out on the boat journey, which does seem a tad overpriced for what seems to be like a quick up and down trip. The car park is a fair walk from the actual visitor centre, even the disabled parking, although there is a drop off point - if the weather is iffy, this could be a downside. Is it worth seeing? Definitely, it's a one of a kind engineering project... you just leave feeling there's so much more that could be/should be done with it. read more

Falkirk Wheel - Local Flavor Near Me - Falkirk, FAL

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Not a must see. The wheel is interesting to look at - it is quite the engineering feat! But the boat ride itself on the wheel and through part of the upper canal is long and boring at best. read more

Falkirk Wheel - Local Flavor Near Me - Falkirk, FAL

A very impressive piece of landmark engineering! Took a pit stop at the Falkirk Wheel to watch this huge structure in action. A fascinating piece of machinery taking boats from one section of the canal to the other. Well worth a pit stop! read more

Falkirk Wheel - Local Flavor Near Me - Falkirk, FAL

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Does anyone else remember the cheesy radio ads that where around when the wheel first opened? Ive always been intrigued about the wheel and when we we were up visiting the kelpies we decided to pop by. The road from the kelpies takes you straight to the wheel which is really handy. Its pretty impressive up close and if you really want to you can take a boat ride through it for £12.50. There is plenty of outdoor seating, a cafe and visitor centre with a wee hut that you cam hire segways from. It was really cool to see the wheel do a full turn especially in the sun. read more

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Took my boyfriend here for his birthday and had a great time! It was a bit chilly that morning, and actually getting there was a bit tricky for our tourist brains, but we took the train from Edinburgh and then found a taxi at the station to take us the rest of the way. Just learning about this feat of engineering is interesting in itself, but you can tell the staff enjoys showing off too. We went up in the canal and it was just incredible, "a boat in the sky". It's short, but honestly, long enough and like nothing we'd ever done before. The people in the gift shop were also very knowledgeable and kind, and a woman even got us another taxi to take us to our next destination! Great day out! read more

The Falkirk wheel is quite the feat of engineering. It really is very impressive. We just went and had a wander round about - we didn't go in it on a boat. The area itself is very impressively landscaped - like a giant grass bowl, and you can walk up onto the Union Canal. There seemed to be great activities for kids - there were various varieties of those hamster wheels on water type things, and play areas. There were hunners of kids running about having a brilliant time from the looks of things. There's a shop, which seems well stocked with nice items. One really strange thing though was that there didn't seem to be any information about the actual wheel - why it was built, how it was built etc. You could buy a book about it, which I wasn't about to do, but some wall information boards would definitely be a welcome addition. I'd go back here for a cycle - it's a nice area. No shade though. They need to build some shaded areas into the landscaping for all those blazing hot days we get. read more

Do you like to do things SLOWLY? Are you into LONG, SKINNY BOATS? Do you push up your glasses and chortle to your friends about how your tea kettle brewing three times is roughly equivalent to the amount of energy it takes to shift the wheel and its contents, which happen to be the weight of some-odd number of elephants? If so boys and girls, you should visit the Falkirk Wheel. I'll admit that when I took my friends to the Wheel it was mainly for my own benefit. Yes, I am a little bit nerdy. Yes, I watched a show on BBC featuring two elderly folk taking the slowest canal boat journey through the U.K. and Europe, ever (and enjoyed it!). Yes, I live nearby the Union Canal, which I love strolling alongside and ogling at all the boats and wondering when exactly I, too, will get to take a "Canal Boat Tea & Cake Tour." So... if any of these things sound ABSURDLY BORING to you, perhaps you should, I dunno, go skydiving or something. But if you, like me, find these things interesting, you should pop on 'round. By the time my friends and I made the trek to Falkirk and figured out our buses to the Wheel, we had unfortunately missed the last round of boats being taken round. Now that I think about it however, the fee of 12 pounds or so to sit on a very slowly rotating boat for around 45 minutes--well, one will never know if it was worth the price or not, will one? Despite that we did get to see the shifting wheel in action, and I was suitably impressed. It's truly a marvel of engineering. In all honestly I was surprised it was such a new creation, having assumed it was somehow magically engineered like the canals themselves long ago. Perhaps that dampened my enthusiasm fractionally, but not by much. Getting to see a canal boat deposited down and transferred through the locks made up for that, and fueled my desire to learn to pilot a canal boat myself and venture through France or something. If you're venturing with children, there is a bit of green space around to scope out, and more importantly some wee water gun shooty things along the water. I'm uncertain as to whether you can spray the bloody hell out of each other with them, but hey, there you are. There's also a smattering of sculptures here and there and some interactive museum-esque writings on the walls inside. But as far as the rest goes that seems to be about it--the remainder of the place seems to consist of a shop filled to the rafters with everything you could possibly stick a picture of the Wheel on, along with a small cafe (there is an ice cream stand outside, too!). It'd be nice if there was a little more "oomph" to make the Wheel really shine... like, why didn't they just put the Kelpies right behind it? Now that would've been a sight and a half! But as it is, it's a lovely sight to see and learn about. And it certainly looked lovely on that canal boat show that I watched on BBC. Oomph. :) read more

The Falkirk Wheel is quite an impressive sight. I don't need to tell you all about the engineering achievement side of things because it's plain enough to see. I want to tell you about the Falkirk Wheel as an attraction - more aptly, a family attraction. Stuck for something to do on a Sunday afternoon I suggested to my hubby that we take our son to the Falkirk Wheel. Walking by canals makes me incredibly nostalgic for a boating holiday I went on when I was younger and my fascination for those colourful long boats has never went away. I have previously been to the Falkirk Wheel just once on a late evening wander with my hubby and the bridge had already closed to go up to the wheel itself so I wasn't sure what to expect - I just wanted to get a little closer. There is a short walk from the free parking to the wheel itself. With toddler in tow you're looking at ten minutes max. I suggest strapping more investigative toddlers into their buggies until you get up to the wheel itself or you'll be doing a lot of lifting them away from the canal edge. Lesson learned. The wheel itself had short cues to go on the boat journey and we decided we wouldn't wait to go on the wheel. Everything is very slow and I think my little one is perhaps a couple of years too young to appreciate it in full. However, there are still loads of things to do. There were little teacups, peddleboats and trampolines for kids, segway tours for bigger kids and massive park at the top of a small hill with benches for grabbing a bite to eat. It'd be nice for a little picnic or there are a couple of street food style carts dotted about. While we were there the water park and the visitor centre were both undergoing refurbishment so I can't help but think that this has a lot of potential to become more. It's definitely a nice place to spend a half day with kids, but possibly 3/4 year olds and upwards. We had a lovely wander around though and I definitely plan on going back when the little man is older. I'll eventually get to go on the little boat journey on the wheel! read more

Ok, am I in bizarro world? Seriously, I have a Masters degree, and am bewildered at these reviews on yelp, but even more, at the people on this "cruise" taking pictures! What exactly were they taking pictures of? This attraction was painstakingly slow,and boring. I'm old...my time is precious, and wish I hadn't wasted it here. Take my advice, if you're interested in an engineering masterpiece, visit Disneyworld...there are many! As for Scotland, castles, highlands, and even the beautiful green, rolling hills are more worthwhile than this tourist trap. read more

This is a fun visit and ride, though of course very tame. It provides a chance to learn about and explore aspects of history and technology we take for granted. With a little physics added to the mix! One suggestion to the guides. It's nice to know that Her Majesty the Queen inaugurated the wheel. And worth mentioning she didn't actually take the ride. But extended discussion of and mockery of the idea that security considerations prevented her taking the ride show poor judgment. read more

We visited last weekend in the heaviest rain - if we hadn't been meeting our relatives we'd have postponed the visit. However, the weather scarcely mattered as it turned out! The trip on the Wheel was fantastic (totally enclosed of course so no one could get wet!) with a wonderful video display. Then there was the commentary inbetween by a very humorous man who knew his stuff inside out (as he should - he was the captain of the boat!) and made us all laugh too. Back down on the 'surface' in the shop there were many interesting souvenirs and other gifts of all prices. A model of the Wheel behind glass was very interesting. Even better was the little working model which the blind or visually impaired can hold - the 'real thing' is almost impossible to describe whereas the model gives an instant impression of the shape and design. (See my photo) Apparently they used to sell these models and with little barges attached too. Alas, they had sold out and weren't sure when others would be made. I hope they will stock them in future. The cafe is excellent and perfect for vegetarians, with a lot of choice. We were almost speechless when told that there were THREE different vegetarian soups on offer that day! There was a special offer of soup with a sandwich and I would recommend that as it was good value and delicious. The roasted vegetable panini were excellent as well. The staff were all pleasant and helpful (see two of them in my pic). The cafe is spacious with a marvellous view of the Wheel right next to the window. As for the toilets, well, I have to mention them (not that I usually do loo-reviews!) because they were among the best I've ever seen. They were so well looked after and clean, with flowers and nice soap - and even moisturiser provided!! I just had to take a few photos in there as well despite some odd looks. I just wish the car park wasn't so far from the building - we all got so wet afterwards! However, that won't stop me from giving 5 stars - a great place to visit altogether for a day out. read more

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I often take my 7year old daughter and 5 year old niece to the irn bru park at the falkirk wheel. We take a picnic (you can watch the wheel in action from the picnic benches) as i find the snack vans, situated right at the park are pretty expensive. There is also a great view of the wheel lit up at night from the wheelhouse restaurant. read more

For anybody in or around the Falkirk area,this is a MUST see attraction. Site entry and car parking are free and there is a regular bus service to and from Falkirk.The site comprises a visitor centre,gift shop,cafe,holiday hire offices,picnic area,childrens activities,woodland and canal walks,sculpture trail and of course the wheel itself.This is a unique piece of modern day engineering and is fascinating to watch when it starts moving.Boat trips using the wheel are available and are very popular so I would advise booking.Staff on the site are very polite and helpful and the boat crews are fountains of knowledge about the wheels construction,working and technical detail.It is possible to spend a whole day here just ambling about watching proceedings and if you bring your own picnic there is no need to spend anything.Would recommend a visit if only for a couple of hours. read more

Falkirk Wheel - Local Flavor Near Me - Falkirk, FAL

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This should certainly be on everyones Must See list. It is truly amazing. I am no engineer or canal buff but this is awesome. Built to commemorate the Millenium by linking the Forth & Clyde and Union canals it is the Worlds only structure of this kind. The rotating boat lift removes the need for many locks an covers a drop over 120ft. You can go on boat trip, around £8, which begins in the Lake on the lower level, then into the Wheel and up to the Union Canal. It takes about 30 mins. The views are stunning but listen to the noise this great Wheel makes as it takes you up.....there isn't any, IT IS SILENT. What an amazing piece of engineering. Boat trip times do seem to vary through the year so do check on their website. It also gets busy but you can book in advance. In the Visitor Centre, free entry, there is an interactive exhibition with really interesting facts & fugures, a Cafe which sells reasonably priced drinks & snacks and a Gift Shop with some unusual souvenirs & something to suit all pockets. Outside there is plenty of parking, picnic area, Adventure playground. snack kiosk, the Antonine Wall heritage site, Loads of walks & Cycle paths and an Educational Trail. All free. There is lots to do here and you are able to see it all without paying a penny, although the Boat Trip is worth while. There are cheap flights now from most airports so it is well worth making a long weekend break to see this. read more

Falkirk Wheel - Local Flavor Near Me - Falkirk, FAL

The Falkirk wheel is a must see for all visitors to Falkirk.They have various boat trips along the canals and through the wheel itself for a reasonable price. There is an information center with a mini display showing how the Wheel works and a gift shop selling mainly Scottish merchandises. There is a cafe inside which is slightly on the expensive side but there is a nice view and it's warm! There is a good kids play park which we often go to which has an irn bru theme and is popular with children. They have burger, coffee and ice cream vans which sell nice food but they are very expensive. read more

This review is not a description of this amazing engineering achievement; this has been done at length elsewhere. This short review is just my way of urging you to visit as early as possible. Take the family, or go on your own; there is so much to see that each person will find enough to interest them. If you can, take the boat ride because this is by far the best - in my opinion the ONLY way to really take in the awesome breadth of this monumental stucture. It has been described as iconic (yes!), innovative (definitely!!) and awe-inspiring (you will understand when you visit). And it's not just the Wheel; there are lots of smaller attractions to keep younger visitors occupied and stave off boredom. Watch man and nature work together in a truly magnificent location; you will never forget it. read more

Great food and the wheels were great must be 5 star 5was great and I'll be back on the wheel soon great day......‍

A great day out regardless of age. Good facilities for Children & food/drinks reasonably priced. Local or Tourist, Male or Female- enjoyment for all. read more

It is a very impressive piece of engineering but to call it "a great day out" is a bit of a stretch. I found it hard to spend more than an hour there. read more

Cool construction decent cafe but resturaunt is better

Although the Falkirk Wheel is kind of interesting, I don't think they have made the most of it. It only goes every 30 minutes. It is very expensive for a 5 minute boat ride. The visitors centre is tiny, with very little in it. The gift shop is good and has a lot of different things not just about the Falkirk Wheel. The cafe is pretty poor, the selection of things is basically a few sandwiches, you can't get a proper meal. read more

It was raining really hard when we visited, so we didn't get the full experience. It's an impressive feat of engineering. Honestly, if you don't have to drive more than ten minutes out of your way - see it. If not, skip it. read more

An absolute must see!!! A tribute to stainless steel, ingenuity, engineering and the power of five toasters. It is nothing short of amazing.

Its big and it will probably be very cold, its accross from a sprawling council estate, but its a great visit and great fun to go up and round in a barge. A good visit for all, some nice little exhibits and friendly staff - Go for it! read more

Nice modern looking open spaced cafe serving good coffee, tea and bakery little bit on the pricey side but arnt all tourist attractions pricey? read more

what a beautiful site. a must see one off for everyone. there is a huge car park at the tamfourhill end and also at the camelon end. they are both pay and display for 2 hours. they also have disabled parking spaces right at the main entrance. you have to walk right through the visitor centre to get in. the visitor centre is quite small. once you are through there, if you turn left this will take you to the cafe, shop and toilets. i have to point out, that the toilets are lovely and always clean. any time we have good weather though there is normally a wait to get into the toilet. if you turn right once out of the visitor centre then you can walk across to the picnic benches where there is a burger van costa coffee van and an ice-cream van. they also have a play park and trampolines. it is a great day out, but be sure to wrap up as it can be deceivingly cold. read more

I visited the Falkirk Wheel as part of a weekend away for my husband's birthday. We'd both been wanting to see it for a long time as we live near the canal in Edinburgh and had heard so much about the Wheel. Unfortunately the weather wasn't great and when we got to the Wheel it transpired that it was closed for its annual maintenance. However, the cafe and visitors centre were both still open and the Wheel is still impressive even when stopped (even more so in some ways as the basin had been drained). The staff were all very helpful, friendly and apologetic about the Wheel's state. The main downside to the day (apart from the weather) was that I had spent a long time on the Wheel's website finding out how to get there and what facilities there were, and nowhere on the website did it mention that it was in fact not running. It was worth a visit though, we'll just have to go again when it is actually running! read more

great I love it!