Where human ingenuity conquers nature

The Falkirk Wheel has held a fascination for me since the first I had heard about it - which was when the contract had been awarded for its construction. As we are in Glasgow, and Falkirk is a short 36 miles away we just had to visit it.

This engineering marvel has managed to accomplish the means to transport boats down 115 feet (35 m) from one water source (the Forth & Clyde Canal) with another (the Union Canal) in a matter of minutes.

In times passed, this took a journey of almost a full day and through a series of 11 locks. Today, boats sail into a basin within the wheel and once secure, it takes a mere 5 minutes to transfer them to the other canal. The wheel takes almost no power (8 electric jugs per half turn - one transfer) for up to 8 boats at a time and more importantly displaces no water from the system, doing away with the need for multiple holding ponds and pumping systems.

I could go on and on and on - but I know most people are not that interested! So, if you are, following the link above!

Following this visit we returned to the hotel in Glasgow. We have been moved into a suite as we had booked, only to find that it is as tired as everything else in the hotel. Still, it is cheap and being right on the bus route into the City, very convenient, so we are not complaining. I veg out almost finishing the book I am reading The Shadow of the Wind (Carlos Ruiz Zafón) and Michael catches up on his emails and Fartbook!

I am too full after a huge cooked breakfast and a large hot chocolate at the Wheel to bother with eating dinner, although Michael takes a walk into Rutherglen over the hill before returning for Vegetable Broth and Cheese and Spinach lasagne downstairs. Soup was nice he says!

Daylight saving starts here tonight, so no matter what time we hit the sack, we will be deprived an hour, so goodnight all!