Millennium Canal Link

Nearly 200 years ago the two great rivers of Central Scotland, and the two cities beside them - Glasgow and Edinburgh, were joined together for navigation by the opening of the Forth and Clyde and Union Canals. The town of Falkirk stood right in the centre of this canal network, and took great commercial advantage of its prime location.

Through time, with the advent of rail transport and eventually the motor vehicle, the canal network was used less and less until in the 1970's when new motorways and trunk roads were being constructed, the canals were finally closed to navigation from coast to coast.

In one of the most ambitious projects to celebrate the new Millennium, British Waterways are leading a massive £78 million initiative to re-open the 68 mile canal link between the two cities to navigation again, with Falkirk of course, at its centre.

Instead of re-opening the series of eleven 19th Century locks that historically linked the two canals, a new wonder of the engineering world - the FALKIRK WHEEL will be built to lift or lower canal boats the 115 feet from one canal to the other.

The design of the £17 million Falkirk Wheel is unique, and it is hoped that it will rival the Empire State Building and the Sydney Opera Houise as an icon people will recognise throughout the world. When the Millennium Link project is complete in the summer of 2001, visitors from all over the world are expected to visit Falkirk to look at the Wheel.

Tourists will be able to take sightseeing boat trips along the Union Canal, sailing through the country's longest canal tunnel near Falkirk High Station, through a new tunnel that will be dug under the main railway line and the ancient Roman 'Antonine Wall' and on to a long clear tunnel aqueduct before being able to take a trip on the Falkirk Wheel itself. It is expected that one trip on the Wheel will take about 15 minutes.

The Falkirk Wheel will stand the height of eight double decker buses, be capable of lifting 600 tonnes (about the same as 100 adult African elephants), will be 115ft wide, 100ft long and will carry eight or more boats at a time.

Please keep an eye out on this website (the official site can be located by clicking here ) which will issue updates and photographs of the Falkirk Wheel during the construction period. The Wheel is due to open sometime in the summer of 2001. If you wish to visit Falkirk to see this fabulous new wonder of the world, please get in touch with the Falkirk Tourist Information by phone on +44 (0) 1324 620244 for details of the many wonderful hotels, B & B's and guest houses located in and around Falkirk.