Good Crieff

We had a free day in Crieff, so decided a little drive to see some local sights was in order. This is Leven House B&B in Crieff where we are staying.

Sir William Wallace (think the Braveheart movie) is a Scottish hero who led the fight for independence against English rule in the late 13th century. The imposing Gothic style National Wallace monument in Stirling towers 67 metres, and houses a Hall of Heroes as well as artefacts such as the sword reputedly used by William Wallace himself. 

Nearby Stirling Castle has played a central role in Scottish history, serving as a royal residence, military fortress and symbol of national pride. The site probably had fortifications dating back over 3,000 years and has changed hands many times between Scottish and English forces. Mary, Queen of Scots and James V among others were crowned here.

We then headed off to Falkirk to see the Kelpies and the Falkirk Wheel. The beautiful Kelpies sculptures stand 30 metres tall and honour the role heavy horses such as Clydesdales played in the nation's past, including as tow horses along the canals, so it's appropriate they are placed in this lovely park beside the canal in Falkirk. The name 'Kelpies' is a nod to the mythical Celtic water creatures said to inhabit the lochs and waterways of Scotland.

The Falkirk wheel itself is an amazing feat of engineering and is the only fully rotating boat lift in the world. It replaced eleven locks, raises boats by an incredible 24 metres and uses just 1.5kWh per rotation. This is equivalent to the power needed to boil eight household kettles. When you see it, it's hard to believe someone even imagining something like this, let alone designing and building it. Boats travel along the raised canal, when they reach the wheel, it rotates down and deposits them 24 metres below, into the area at the bottom where you can see boats moored. So basically, it has two 'buckets' and when one is down, the other is up.