Falkirk:
Glasgow, Edinburgh & Falkirk Wheel
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Boats
Available: All
boats start on Saturday
or Wednesday
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Black
Prince Holidays are now running from this new and
dramatic location.
Based at the Falkirk Wheel, one of the most stunning backdrops anywhere on the canals, we are ideally sited half way between Edinburgh and Glasgow.
The
Falkirk Wheel is 115 feet high - the equivalent height
of eight double decker buses. It is 115 feet wide and
100 feet long. The wheel will lift loads of 600 tonnes
(300 at each end) - the approximate weight of 81 adult
African elephants. The structure stands in a 330 feet
wide circular basin with moorings for over 20 boats.
Before redevelopment, the site was a deep open cast
pit left behind by mining, which ended in the early
1980s. Prior to that the site was the home of Scottish
Tar, producing various tar-related products. The total
project cost was approximately £17 million and
work took 22 months. The wheel is designed to last
for at least the next 120 years.
The
Falkirk WheelThe first wheel-based boat lift was proposed
by a German engineer at the beginning of the last century,
though it was never built. The Falkirk Wheel is the
world's first rotating boat lift and the first boat
lift to be built in Britain since the Anderton Boat
Lift in Cheshire, which dates from 1875
Click
here for Base Information
Click
here for Holiday & Forward Planning Information
Click
here for Falkirk Base Information (pdf file 655 Kb)
Click
here for Falkirk Routes Information (pdf file
579 Kb)
Suggested
Routes From Falkirk
1.
FALKIRK TO EDINBURGH & RETURN
66 Miles, 6 Locks, 1 Week Cruise, 3 hours per day (RED ROUTE)
Cruise
out of our base at Falkirk, through the Falkirk Wheel
,passing high above the town as you approach the Falkirk
lnterchange and head towards Edinburgh. Travel on the
lock free Union Canal, passing over the magnificent
Almond Aqueduct. Then on through the villages of Linlithgow
and Ratho, the home of the Edinburgh Canal Centre.
Then retrace your steps back to Falkirk, descending
the Wheel back to the start base.
2.
FALKIRK TO EDINBURGH & GLASGOW
136 Miles, 14 Locks, 1 Week Cruise, 6 hours per day (BLUE ROUTE)
Based
at the Falkirk Wheel, mid-way between Glasgow and Edinburgh,
our base provides the ideal start point to visit both
cities. Heading to Edinburgh, you go up through the
Wheel and travel on the lock free Union Canal, passing
over the magnificent Almond Aqueduct. Then on through
the villages of Linlithgow and Ratho, the home of the
Edinburgh Canal Centre. From Edinburgh, you then head
back towards Falkirk and Glasgow, descending the Wheel
and joining the Forth and Clyde with it's locks and
swing bridges. Travel through splendid scenery and
villages such as Auchinstarry and Kirkintillock, to
Cadder Village and on into Glasgow. Then retrace your
steps back to Falkirk.
Falkirk
provides countless places of interest to visit. Scotland's
Roman heritage is never far away as the Forth & Clyde
Canal carries the boats through splendid scenery to
Kirkintilloch, then on to Cadder Village and into Glasgow.
The arm to Port Dundas affords views over the city
and features many historic buildings, including some
of those designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh.
Falkirk
Base Information
| Hotels
/ Guest Houses |
Best
Western Park Lodge Hotel,
Camelon Riad, Falkirk, FK1 5RY
Telephone: 01324 628331
55 Rooms. No pets
www.bw-parkhotel.co.uk
Double / Single Rooms inc breakfast £65
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Ashbank
House, 105
Main Street, Redding, Falkirk.
FK2 9UQ.
Telephone: 01324 716649
www.bandbfalkirk.com
Price Guide: Double
room £56
per person / Single £40
per person (incl breakfast)
Oaklands, 32
Polmont Road, Laurieston, Near Falkirk. FK2
9QT.
Telephone: 01324 610671
www.oaklandsbedandbreakfast.co.uk
Price Guide: Double room £65 per person / Single £45
per person (incl breakfast)
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| Public
Transport |
Nearest
Railway Station: Falkirk High Station
or Falkirk Grahamston
www.nationalrail.co.uk Tel: 08457 484950
www.thetrainline.com Tel: 0871 244 1545
Nearest Airport: Edinburgh
Tel. 0131 333 1000
www.edinburghairport.com
(Frequent bus link to Edinburgh city centre)
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| Taxi
/ Minicabs |
Express
Taxis: Tel. 01324 622100 www.expresstaxis.net
Bruces Taxis: Tel. 01324 636000 www.brucetaxis.co.uk
Stenhouse Taxis: Tel. 01324 551161
Example Prices:
A taxi from Falkirk station to the base at Falkirk would be approx. £8.00
A taxi from Edinburgh Airport to the base at Falkirk would be approx. £38.00
A taxi from Glasgow Airport to the base at Falkirk would be approx. £45.00
A taxi from Prestwick Airport to the base at Falkirk would be approx. £80.00
(Prices courtesy of Express Taxis Subject to change)
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| Car
Hire |
Hertz Car Hire has depots throughout the UK (including main airports). We have an exclusive agreement with
Hertz who will provide reduced rates for all Black Prince customers. Drop-offs, collections and one-ways are
all available, allowing you to pick up a car at your arrival point and request a car to be waiting at the end of
your holiday for onward travel. To book your car visit www.hertz.co.uk or call 0870 844 4844 and quote CDP
694816
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| Rail |
| www.nationalrail.co.uk / www.qjump.co.uk / www.scotrail.co.uk
National Rail Enquiries: Telephone
: 08457 484950
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| By
Rail |
From
Glasgow or Edinburgh : Train to Falkirk High station
or Falkirk Grahamston station then taxi to
Falkirk Wheel reception. Prices vary depending on day of travel and if it is
a single or return journey etc.
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| How
To Find Us (By Road) |
| From
Edinburgh: Take the A8 for Glasgow and
the West. At Newbridge roundabout take the M9 West
for Stirling. Take the slip road off for Falkirk
(Junction 5). Signs on the M9 indicate you should
continue
straight ahead for the Falkirk Wheel, but if you
do not leave the motorway at junction 5 you will
end up
at the wrong car park. Once off at junction 5,
follow the signs for the Falkirk Wheel / Mariner
Centre,
which will take you past Falkirk Football stadium
and an ASDA distribution centre. This will eventually
bring you to the Rosebank Beefeater restaurant
at
the Forth and Clyde canal.
At
the roundabout take a
left and cross the canal (signposted for the
Falkirk Wheel Service and disabled entrance).
Immediately
across the canal at the mini roundabout turn
right. You will now be driving with the canal
on your
righthand side and can follow the yellow AA Falkirk
Wheel signs from here. At the second mini
roundabout you come to (with the Union Inn in
front of you), go left up the hill and then take
the first
right. At the next mini roundabout, turn right
to enter the Falkirk Wheel site, Park on the
right,
come
down the hill, walk through the reception, turn
right and our office is facing you.
Tesco, Asda, and Morrisons are all within a ten minute drive from the Falkirk Wheel. Alternatively,
shopping can be ordered on-line through the tesco website and delivered directly to the Falkirk base. You
will need to access the website, login on as info@capercailliecruisers.co.uk, using the password:
shopping. It will need to be paid for on your own card – just remember not to save the card details to the
account !
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Top of page
Holiday
Preparation & Forward Planning Information
About a week before your holiday starts
you should phone British Waterways to book your departure
day travel
movement if you plan to go west towards Glasgow and the Clyde
along the Forth and Clyde Canal. If you plan to go
east through through the Falkirk Wheel, along the Union Canal
and towards Edinburgh you do not need to book.
If
you are going west you need to book a time to have Bonnybridge
road lift bridge opened (British Waterways Tel: 0845
676 6000). Leave your telephone / mobile number if the
line is busy, as the BW staff person is probably already
on the
phone. Remember, after you have sorted yourself and your
luggage out on the boat, it will take us about 30 minutes
to go through the handover procedures and then 35 minutes
to travel west along the Forth and Clyde to Bonnybridge
road lift bridge where BW staff will be waiting to meet
you,
take you through the bridge and up through the four locks
that follow shortly after.It
is important to keep to the time you have booked, or
you may be delayed.
So
for example your timetable might be: Arrive at Falkirk
Wheel visitor centre car park 2.30pm. Load personal
gear onto boat. Boat show round 2.55pm. Book Bonnybridge
lift
bridge
passage for 4.00pm. Leave our base 3.25pm at
latest.
If
you are GOING
WEST on the Forth and Clyde
Canal, BW staff will see you through Bonnybridge road lift
bridge and locks 17 - 20. You are
then on the summit reach and there are no more locks between
here and Glasgow, but there
are two more bridges. If you want to celebrate the start
of your holiday with a restaurant meal, we would recommend
you moor on the towpath side immediately you come out of
lock 20. Glenskirlie House which won a Restaurant of
the Year award a few years back - is a 10-minute walk away
on the towpath side. Follow the road to the T-junction
and turn right there and about 100 yards along the restaurant
is on the left. Book well in advance 01324 840201 - to
eat in the restaurant.
Bar
meals are also available at lunchtime. If the weather
is warm, don t miss the garden
at the
rear. You can stay at lock 20 overnight if you wish.
At lock 20 let the BW staff know where you intend to
stop
for the
night, what time you plan to leave the following morning
and how far you intend to go that day. This will save
you a
phone call in the morning - but make sure you stick to
your departure time next day to get through those two
road bridges.
By
the way, you can travel from Falkirk to Glasgow in about
9 hours. (Glasgow to Bowling will take you a day). If
you plan to go into Glasgow, which is the place to stop
the
night, even if you are going down to Bowling the following
day,
you need to take the left fork when the canal splits.
This is Stockingfield Junction. You can moor at one of
two places The
first is at BW headquarters at Applecross Street. Your
BW key on the key ring will allow you to open the gate
surrounding the BW premises and get back in when you
return. It is a 15-minute walk across the canal down
into the
city centre.
There
is a watchman on duty throughout the night at Applecross
Street. The other alternative is
Spiers Wharf. To stop here you need to have phone BW
in advance,
as you come into Glasgow, on 0845 676 6000 to get the bascule
bridge at Applecross Street opened for you and you need
to be here by 5.00pm at the latest. Plenty mooring space at Spiers Wharf.
If you are GOING
EAST up through the Falkirk
Wheel and along the Union Canal towards Edinburgh, as soon
as your
showround has been completed we will place you in any queue
their might be for the Wheel. We will open the
pedestrian bridge for you and once you have passed through
this bridge, turn immediately into the lower lock, which
should be set for you. Have your mooring ropes (bow
and
stern) coiled in advance and pass the entire coils once
round the poles that run the entire depth of the lock
and
then once round the cleat on the front of the boat and
also
hold the stern in. This will allow you to hold your position
whilst the lock fills. When the lock has filled and the
gates
have been opened, the BW staff will tell you when to proceed
across and into the wheel gondola.
Even though the green traffic light is showing,
wait for their instruction. If there is a wind blowing,
usually from the
west, you need to make allowance for it when crossing the
wheel basin. Enter the gondola and both someone at the
bow and stern should go onto the walkway and tie off the
boat. Everyone should get back onto the boat whilst the
wheel turns. The thing of interest to watch for here is
over the stern as the baffles rise from the water, the
water is
drained from between them, and the securing bolts are withdrawn.
Then the wheel begins to turn. When you have
completed your cycle, your crew in the bow can watch the
same thing happening in reverse. BW staff will tell you
when to leave the gondola.
If
it is windy at the top, keep a reasonable amount of throttle
open so you are not pushed
into the leeward bank. Pass through the tunnel under
the Antonine Wall if you keep your eyes on one side of
the
boat and make sure you keep a roughly constant space
from the towpath, you will keep straight. If you look
to the
front of the boat, an optical illusion will suggest you
are not going straight. Once you leave the tunnel, turn
to the left
and into the first of two locks in series. Same procedure
as in the lower lock with only BW operating them. If
the lock
gates are not open, moor at the bollards on your left
until the lock has been emptied and the gates opened.
Once
you have cleared these locks you have no more obstacles
between
you and Edinburgh, which is 10 and a half hours
cruising away. However, you will pass through the Falkirk
Tunnel, which usually has a water spout coming through
the roof at the west end on the towpath
side. It is easily avoided. Best place to stop for your
first night is Linlithgow
(just
through the bridge at Manse Road basin, where the Linlithgow
Union Canal Society have their boats), which is three
hours from the locks. If you would like to have a bottle/s
of wine delivered to the boat when you arrive at the basin,
phone Linlithgow Wines (Tel: 01506 848821) after clearing
the locks, place your order and tell them you will be there
in three hours.
It
is only five minutes walk to the High Street in Linlithgow
and a good selection of restaurants
and take
aways. Again, if you would like to start your holiday
with a restaurant meal you might want to try Livingston's
in
the
High Street 2AA rosette award. But ring (Tel no.
01506 846565) and book several weeks in advance for Saturday
nights. If you want to stop earlier, the best thing
is
to go through the Falkirk Wheel and the two locks
above it and then moor up. You can then walk back to
your car
and have access to Falkirk.
If
you are cooking on board and don t want to travel very
far once you have cleared the top locks,
moor up in front of
the door into the Seagull Trust boathouse just before the
Falkirk Tunnel. This is a good spot if you have a dog,
as
there are acres of parkland right beside you. Not a good
place if you plan a long lie, as the Seagull Trust people
may
want to shift you about nine in the morning so they can
get their boat out.
Subsequent movements through the Falkirk Wheel -
If you are coming from the west along the Forth and Clyde
Canal, you should phone to book the Falkirk Wheel when
you pass under Bonnybridge road bridge. Similarly, if you
are coming from the east along the Union Canal, you should
phone the Falkirk Wheel when you have cleared the
Falkirk Tunnel and before the Seagull Trust boathouse.
Movement
on the Forth and Clyde Canal if coming through the wheel
off the Union Canal - advise British
Waterways (Tel: 0845 676 6000) the DAY BEFORE you
want to start moving west on the Forth and Clyde. Tell
them
the name of the boat, what time you will be at Bonnybridge
road bridge (or where you will be setting off from the
following morning and at what time) and how far you wish
to go that day. There is little point going east on the
Forth
and Clyde Canal from our base, other than down to lock
16 where there is a turning place and the Union Inn (good
spot for a meal in their conservatory restaurant (To
book tel: 01324 623578). From here it is just a series
of locks
down to the sea.
Hours
for Locks and Bridges Forth and Clyde Canal
8.30am 5.15pm (Mid June to end August 8.30am 7.15pm)
Falkirk Wheel hours and locks above and below
Apr 1 May 31 Mon Thu 9.00am 6.00pm; (7.00pm Fri/Sat/Sun)
June 1 - Sept. 2 9.00am 7.00pm
Sept 3 Oct 31 Mon Thu 9.00am 6.00pm; (7.00pm Fri/Sat/Sun)
Forward
Planning
MOBILE 'PHONE - Bring a mobile 'phone with
and a car cigar lighter type re-charger connection with
you if you
have them, to enable you to contact the Falkirk Wheel staff
to arrange passage through the
wheel and to contact other British Waterways staff if and
when required. If you do not have a
'phone, we can rent you one with re-charger at a small
charge.
Locks
and bridges on the Forth and Clyde Canal are also currently
operated by BW staff and
a 'phone will allow you to contact them and arrange passage
at your convenience. The
reason for this is that some of the lock gates are still
very stiff after having lain virtually unused
for over 30 years. BW staff welcome your assistance with
lock operation.
WHICH
DIRECTION - Decide which direction you wish to travel
first when you set out in your narrowboat
on
Saturday afternoon from our base at the Falkirk Wheel
- east through the Falkirk Wheel and
onto the lock free Union Canal towards Edinburgh, or
west along the Forth and Clyde Canal
towards Glasgow.
EAST
- You do not need to book passage through
the Falkirk Wheel. As soon as you are ready to
leave, we will put you in any queue there might be for
the Wheel. The wheel closes at 7.00pm
in June/July and August and from March to May and September
and October at 7.00pm on
Fri/Sat/Sun and 6.00pm Mon Thu.
WEST
- If you wish to go west on the Forth and Clyde Canal
first on your departure
Saturday, about a
week before your departure date you MUST 'phone British
Waterways on 0845 676 6000 and
tell them what time you intend to be at Bonnybridge lift
bridge. Allow 30 minutes to load your
luggage onto the boat and settle in. It will then take
us about 30 - 40 minutes to complete the
handover and 35 minutes for you to cruise from our base
to Bonnybridge. So allow 1 hour 45
minutes between arrival and bridge booking time.
BW
staff may ask to vary your time slightly depending on
other craft in transit.
Black
Prince Narrowboat Hire - Falkirk Base Information
