The Falkirk Wheel

We just got back from visiting the Falkirk Wheel (and a few other sights to the west of Edinburgh) with some family members who are visiting. I was blown away by the wheel, which we saw, as you can see on the left, on a beautiful blustery but bright day. I'd read about it, and even seen pictures, but nothing could prepare me for the scale and impressive nature of this unique boat lift, which replaces 11 locks between the Forth/Clyde canal and the Union canal which took half a day to navigate, with a fifteen minute trip through the air. The engineering is impressive, but I'm not necessarily the person to appreciate that. However, the linking of the engineering to a clean and simple aesthetic design is what really strikes the eye. Also, where a short aqueduct has been built out into the air to carry the Union canal, the simplicity of a concrete structure has been combined with semi-circles of concrete which in turn reflect the circles which hold the bits of canal level as they sweep through the sky.

Anyway, anything I can say does not give a full verbal impression of the visual experience. I can only call upon everyone who hasn't done yet to go visit it!

Please...