Geo-Trips :: Walking the Union Canal between Falkirk and the Falkirk Wheel

Falkirk

A walk from Falkirk Upper Station, Sat, 5 Oct 2013 by Anne Burgess

preceding legThis trip is part of a series.

This was the final stretch of the canal towpath. Having got as far as the station on the previous trip, I returned to complete the last few miles of the walk along the canal towpath. I finished at the Falkirk Wheel and caught a bus back to my starting point. After that I drove to a couple of other places locally.

Click the blue circles to see a photograph taken from that spot and read further information about the location. The blue lines indicate the direction of view. There is also a slideshow of this trip. ( )

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NS9179 : Westquarter Burn by Anne Burgess
Westquarter Burn
The burn flows through what was once the grounds of Westquarter House, the seat of... more

NS9178 : Westquarter School by Anne Burgess
Westquarter School
The Art Deco building on the north side of Westquarter Avenue is still in use as a school.

NS9178 : Westquarter Doocot by Anne Burgess
Westquarter Doocot
The doocot is thought to date from the 18th century, incorporating a [[[3697338]]]... more

NS9178 : Heraldic Panel by Anne Burgess
Heraldic Panel
The panel bears the date 1647, and is built into the front of the doocot at... more

NS8678 : Monument to the Battle of Falkirk by Anne Burgess
Monument to the Battle of Falkirk
There were two Battles of Falkirk, one in 1298 and one in 1746. The monument... more

NS8678 : Plaque by Anne Burgess
Plaque
The plaque on the [[[3697370]]] isn't all that easy to read, but it says,... more

NS8879 : House in Drossie Road by Anne Burgess
House in Drossie Road
This house is rather startling among the douce bungalows of Drossie Road, but is... more

NS8879 : Union Canal Gates by Anne Burgess
Union Canal Gates
Gates at intervals discourage anything larger than a bicycle from using the towpath.

NS8879 : Union Canal by Anne Burgess
Union Canal
This is one of the places where the canal widens significantly. There is no... more

NS8779 : Bridge 62 by Anne Burgess
Bridge 62
In the heyday of the canal, this bridge provided access to and from coal pits and... more

NS8779 : The View East from Bridge 62 by Anne Burgess
The View East from Bridge 62
Looking towards Falkirk and the canal tunnel, with a glimpse of high-rise flats at... more

NS8779 : Looking West from Bridge 62 by Anne Burgess
Looking West from Bridge 62
Bridge 62 was the most westerly overbridge on the original canal. The boat is the... more

NS8779 : Bridge 62 at Bantaskine by Anne Burgess
Bridge 62 at Bantaskine
Looking back at the last of the original overbridges on the canal.

NS8779 : The Seagull Trust by Anne Burgess
The Seagull Trust
The Falkirk branch of the Seagull Trust, founded in 1982, exists to offer free... more

NS8779 : Family Outing by Anne Burgess
Family Outing
The small boy was proving rather reluctant to go one at this point, and his... more

NS8779 : Narrowboat at Bantaskine by Anne Burgess
Narrowboat at Bantaskine
Just about every crew who passed me made a comment along the lines of 'this is the... more

NS8779 : Heading East by Anne Burgess
Heading East
The narrowboat 'Peccadillo' is making her way east towards Falkirk and ultimately... more

NS8679 : Canal Junction by Anne Burgess
Canal Junction
This was the point where boats travelling to the Forth and Clyde Canal originally... more

NS8679 : Canal Gates by Anne Burgess
Canal Gates
This is the reciprocal view of [[[3697520]]]. I wasn't quite quick enough to catch... more

NS8679 : Surrounded by Litter by Anne Burgess
Surrounded by Litter
Benches are not plentiful along this end of the canal, and when you see the mess... more

NS8679 : The Very End of the Canal by Anne Burgess
The Very End of the Canal
That is, the very end of the original canal was where the car is passing by. There... more

NS8679 : Canal Junction by Anne Burgess
Canal Junction
The original canal ended on the left here, at [[[3697554]]], but an extension was... more

NS8679 : New Aqueduct by Anne Burgess
New Aqueduct
This new aqueduct was required over Greenbank Road in order to extend the Union... more

NS8679 : New Aqueduct and Basin by Anne Burgess
New Aqueduct and Basin
One of the advantages of this new aqueduct is that the towpath is smooth, not... more

NS8679 : Union Canal near Tamfourhill by Anne Burgess
Union Canal near Tamfourhill
The vegetation has colonised the sides of the new stretch of canal with such... more

NS8679 : Basin and New Aqueduct by Anne Burgess
Basin and New Aqueduct
I was interested to observe a gentle eddy in the widest part of the canal here,... more

NS8679 : Long Shadows by the Canal by Anne Burgess
Long Shadows by the Canal
Low autumn sun casts long shadows across the canal towpath near Tamfourhill.

NS8679 : Union Canal Towpath by Anne Burgess
Union Canal Towpath
In the distance there is just a glimpse of the [[[3697570]]].

NS8679 : Narrowboat near Tamfourhill by Anne Burgess
Narrowboat near Tamfourhill
Narrowboat 'Yasmin' making her way east from the locks above the Falkirk Wheel.

NS8679 : Narrowboat in the Sunshine by Anne Burgess
Narrowboat in the Sunshine
Just as 'Yasmin' passed me on her way east, the sun came out. The one drawback of... more

NS8679 : Evening Light on the Union Canal by Anne Burgess
Evening Light on the Union Canal
Long autumn shadows and a louring sky make for interesting light on the Union... more

NS8679 : Tamfourhill by Anne Burgess
Tamfourhill
These modern houses are close to the site of Tamfourhill, which, apparently... more

NS8679 : Train at Tamfourhill by Anne Burgess
Train at Tamfourhill
One drawback about living in the houses at Tamfourhill is that they are very close... more

NS8579 : Cottage and Communications Mast by Anne Burgess
Cottage and Communications Mast
The Union Canal extension has made a detour to the south round this cottage and... more

NS8579 : Canal Basin by Anne Burgess
Canal Basin
The canal widens to a basin here. In the background are houses in Kilbrennan Drive... more

NS8579 : Approaching Narrowboat by Anne Burgess
Approaching Narrowboat
Saturday is the day when people set out on their canal cruise by narrowboat, and... more

NS8579 : Narrowboat Making Way by Anne Burgess
Narrowboat Making Way
The narrowboat has successfully negotiated the bridge and is setting off on its... more

NS8579 : These things are hard to steer! by Anne Burgess
These things are hard to steer!
It's not all that easy to make a boat as long as this go exactly where you want it... more

NS8579 : The Newest Bridge by Anne Burgess
The Newest Bridge
This is the only bridge over the Union Canal extension, and the last bridge as you... more

NS8579 : Landing Stage by Anne Burgess
Landing Stage
As well as being a handy mooring, the pontoon allows boats to wait before... more

NS8579 : Opening the Lock Gate by Anne Burgess
Opening the Lock Gate
The Union Canal descends here via a double lock to the level of the top of the... more

NS8579 : The Upper Lock by Anne Burgess
The Upper Lock
The gates between the lower and upper lock have been opened to allow the boat... more

NS8579 : In the Upper Lock by Anne Burgess
In the Upper Lock
The narrowboat has moved from the lower into the upper lock, and the helm is... more

NS8579 : Closing the Lock Gate by Anne Burgess
Closing the Lock Gate
The boat is safely inside the upper lock, so the lock-keeper is closing the gates... more

NS8579 : Filling the Upper Lock by Anne Burgess
Filling the Upper Lock
The intermediate gates are almost closed, and the lock-keepers are offering advice... more

NS8579 : Leaving the Lock by Anne Burgess
Leaving the Lock
The upper lock has filled, and the boat has risen to the level of the canal. The... more

NS8579 : Leaving the Locks by Anne Burgess
Leaving the Locks
The narrowboat, having negotiated the locks, sets off for her cruise along the canal.

NS8579 : The Lower Lock by Anne Burgess
The Lower Lock
The lower of the two locks that raise boats from the level of the top of the... more

NS8579 : Canal Signpost by Anne Burgess
Canal Signpost
The right-hand finger shows that it's 33 miles to Edinburgh, and I have now walked... more

NS8579 : Santa's Grotto by Anne Burgess
Santa's Grotto
The sign on the door informs those who are interested that Santa will be back this... more

NS8579 : South Portal of Roughcastle Tunnel by Anne Burgess
South Portal of Roughcastle Tunnel
The tunnel takes the canal extension under the railway line and the Antonine Wall.... more

NS8579 : Traffic Lights with a difference. by Anne Burgess
Traffic Lights with a difference.
This is the sign in [[[3699011]]]. It makes sense, but doesn't quite work the same... more

NS8579 : Roughcastle Tunnel by Anne Burgess
Roughcastle Tunnel
Inside the tunnel, looking towards the northern exit.

NS8579 : North Portal of Roughcastle Tunnel by Anne Burgess
North Portal of Roughcastle Tunnel
Emerging from the tunnel into the light, with the hoops over the approach to the... more

NS8580 : Falkirk Wheel Aqueduct by Anne Burgess
Falkirk Wheel Aqueduct
The hoops are part of the superstructure of the aqueduct leading to the upper... more

NS8580 : Falkirk Wheel by Anne Burgess
Falkirk Wheel
On the left are the supports for the aqueduct at the top level, and the curved... more

NS8580 : The Falkirk Wheel by Anne Burgess
The Falkirk Wheel
The Wheel in motion. Each of the circular ends carries a gondola full of water on... more

NS8580 : Falkirk Wheel by Anne Burgess
Falkirk Wheel
The Wheel, bathed by the last rays of the sun and reflected in the calm water of... more

NS8580 : Opening the Lock Gates by Anne Burgess
Opening the Lock Gates
Two lock-keepers opening the upper gates of the exit lock to allow a late arriving... more

NS8580 : Canalside Houses by Anne Burgess
Canalside Houses
Evening light on houses in Ochiltree Terrace, on the far side of the Forth and... more

All images © Anne Burgess and available under a Creative Commons licence external link.

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