Next stop on our motorhome tour of Scotland is Falkirk, to see the giant horse statues known as the Kelpies. And what a beautiful and impressive sight they are! Standing 30m tall, they tower over the many visitors from far and wide who rock up every day to see them.
The Kelpies can be found alongside the Forth and Clyde Canal, which for many years was key to Scotland’s industrial revolution. Joining the River Clyde with the Firth of Forth, it was in its day the main route by which goods could be transported from Glasgow on the west coast to Grangemouth on the east coast, and from there on to new markets in the Baltic and Russia. Strong, heavy set horses, known as kelpies were central to the operation. Led along the canal towpath by hand, they would haul the goods-laden boats behind them, making their way towards the coastal ports.
The Canal fell into disuse in the 1930s and was shut in the 1960s, rendered obsolete by the newer forms of transport of road and rail. However, in 2001 it was reopened, and is now mainly for leisure and recreational use, with new businesses and hospitality outlets popping up in its vicinity. The creation of artist Andy Scott, the Kelpies followed in 2013.
Another impressive sight is the Falkirk Wheel, an engineering wonder that opened in 2001, connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal, even though the canals are on completely different levels.
It does this by picking up a boat from the lower canal (the Forth and Clyde) and rotating 180 degrees to release it on to the upper canal (the Union). In this way, it enables uninterrupted travel by water from Glasgow to Edinburgh.
The Wheel is also now a major tourist attraction for the area. Together, it’s all a great example of technology, art and culture driving economic regeneration in a post-industrial landscape.
We returned after dark to see the Kelpies illuminated. We weren’t disappointed.
The coloured lights are constantly changing, and the horses are visible from miles around.
Foody highlight on this part of our trip was the Selkirk Bannock. I have featured this before on A Different Kitchen, when it was given to us as a gift from a friend who had visited the Scottish Borders area, from whence it comes (read much more about this traditional Scottish delicacy on my original post here). I have been looking out for it as I was keen to taste some while away on this trip – on its home turf, so to speak.
A rich tea loaf, packed with fruit, I had it served here toasted with melting butter and jam, alongside a pot of tea. Perfect for elevenses or a refined afternoon tea. Delicious!
Continuing the recent chain of Scottish bands featured on the ADK Playlist, here is a great track by Glasgow’s Simple Minds, that might just also have been inspired by the historic local setting of the Forth and Clyde Canal. This is Waterfront.
A Different Kitchen 