Day 74 - Linlithgow to Falkirk

Public transport is very good in this area and so The Walker demanded that I walk with him for the whole length of today’s walk to the Falkirk Wheel! There were apparently “unmissable “things to see along the canal – and as usual he was right!

We started off quite late as we had to send yesterday’s blog from Linlithgow; the campsite is situated in the middle of a forest, hence no internet. We hadn’t, however, reckoned with the fact that Linlithgow is commuter country for both Edinburgh and Glasgow, so the numerous car parks we had seen yesterday were full and it took us ages to park.

Fortunately, we didn’t have to go to the information centre for train times – as it was so late we started with refreshments and the barmaid at the Platform 3 pub was very friendly. She told us all about the hotel next door, the Star and Garter; how it burnt down earlier this year and then she provided us with train timetables. There was also a little train on the pelmet above the bar, which ran the whole length every 15 minutes.

The walk was really good; views of Grangemouth, the long, scary tunnel (I couldn’t see my feet, it was so dark) and finally the Falkirk Wheel – all were amazing.

Inside the Falkirk Canal Tunnel

From Bernie:

Today’s walk  13.4 miles     :     Cumulative  935.7 miles
 

Another day spent almost entirely on the Union Canal but with enough special bits to make me start thinking of juggling with the itinerary for the next couple of days.... after all, I do still have a little time in hand!

As the manager has noted, internet problems led to a late start &, wanting to reach Falkirk today, I didn’t have the opportunity to spend as much time as I would have liked exploring Linlithgow. However, we’re back here on the same campsite again so, perhaps tomorrow morning....!
 
First ‘special bit’ was the Avon aqueduct & only Telford’s Pontcysyllte is larger: 12 arches, 900’ long & 85’ high. Down the valley we could see the Avon viaduct (actually built by Telford, & a listed building!) that we travelled over by train on our way back to Linlithgow at the end of the day.

Avon Aqueduct

Telford's Avon Viaduct

Edinburgh’s ‘Innocent Railway’ Tunnel was impressive but the Falkirk Canal tunnel is longer, darker, scarier & much wetter! Gouged irregularly out of rock, stalactites hang from its roof &, for the walker, an uneven, cobbled & puddly path leads through the blackness. Thankfully, there’s a wooden rail which saved the manager & me on more than one occasion. The irony is that this 690 yard tunnel was completely unnecessary; the wealthy 18^th century industrialist, William Forbes, complained that he’d be able to see the canal from the house he’d just bought & he didn’t like it.......

Les about to emerge from yet another tunnel! This one is at the end of the Union Canal & was built as part of the Falkirk Wheel project - it was the first new canal tunnel to be built in Britain for over 100 years!

Highlight of the Day: the point at which the Union Canal joins the Forth & Clyde Canal – once a mind-boggling 112’ descent by a series of locks, now simply addressed by The Falkirk Wheel! A gently-rotating, balanced gondola system – from above the manager commented, ‘I thought it would be bigger,’ yet from below it is enormous & quite phenomenal!

On top of the Wheel!

I’m not ready to leave all of this just yet & may wander off up the Forth & Clyde tomorrow, towards the Firth of Forth, before resuming my journey westwards. (Sorry, Technical Team!)

The Falkirk Wheel

Beer of the Day: had a pint of ‘Bitter & Twisted’ from the Harviestoun Brewery at the ‘Platform 3’ pub in Linlithgow. Had this in bottles on a couple of occasions but I prefer the draught version. Pale with a strong, hoppy flavour but not dry like some similar ales – I like this. There was, naturally, some comment from the manager about my choice of beer which I, tactfully, chose to ignore.