Discover 11 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Falkirk (United Kingdom). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Falkirk Wheel, Callendar House, and Falkirk Stadium. Also, be sure to include The Kelpies in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Falkirk (Scotland).
Table of Contents
Falkirk Wheel
Rotating boat lift connecting 2 canals. The Falkirk Wheel is a rotating boat lift in Tamfourhill, Falkirk, in central Scotland, connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal. It reconnects the two canals for the first time since the 1930s. It opened in 2002 as part of the Millennium Link project.
The plan to regenerate central Scotland's canals and reconnect Glasgow with Edinburgh was led by British Waterways with support and funding from seven local authorities, the Scottish Enterprise Network, the European Regional Development Fund, and the Millennium Commission. Planners decided early on to create a dramatic 21st-century landmark structure to reconnect the canals, instead of simply recreating the historic lock flight.
The wheel raises boats by 24 metres (79 ft), but the Union Canal is still 11 metres (36 ft) higher than the aqueduct which meets the wheel. Boats must also pass through a pair of locks between the top of the wheel and the Union Canal. The Falkirk Wheel is the only rotating boat lift of its kind in the world, and one of two working boat lifts in the United Kingdom, the other being the Anderton Boat Lift.[1]
Address: Lime Road, FK1 4RS Falkirk
Callendar House
Mansion in Falkirk, Scotland. Callendar House is a mansion set within the grounds of Callendar Park in Falkirk, central Scotland. During the 19th century, it was redesigned and extended in the style of a French Renaissance château fused with elements of Scottish baronial architecture. However, the core of the building is a 14th-century tower house.
During its 600-year history, Callendar House has played host to many prominent historical figures, including Mary, Queen of Scots, Oliver Cromwell, Bonnie Prince Charlie and Queen Victoria. The current building is by far the most substantial historical building in the area, with a 300 ft (91 m) frontage. It is protected as a category A listed building, and the grounds are included in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland, the national listing of significant gardens.[2]
Address: Callendar Park, FK1 1YR Falkirk
Falkirk Stadium
Stadium in Grangemouth, Scotland. The Falkirk Stadium is a football stadium in Falkirk, central Scotland, which is the home ground of Scottish League One club Falkirk and Lowland Football League club East Stirlingshire. The stadium has a capacity of 7,937 and currently consists of three fully completed stands.
The stadium was opened in 2004 with the main stand completed. It became the home of Falkirk in the same year after the club ground shared Ochilview Park for the 2003–04 season whilst the stadium was being constructed. The north and south stands were built and opened in 2005 and 2009 respectively. East Stirlingshire have shared the ground since 2018, when they ended their own groundshare at Ochilview to return to Falkirk.[3]
Address: Falkirk Stadium 4 Stadium Way, FK2 9EE Falkirk
The Kelpies
Sculpture by Andy Scott. The Kelpies are 30-metre-high horse-head sculptures depicting kelpies, located between Falkirk and Grangemouth, standing next to a new extension to the Forth and Clyde Canal, and near River Carron, in The Helix, a new parkland project built to connect 16 communities in the Falkirk Council Area, Scotland. The sculptures were designed by sculptor Andy Scott and were completed in October 2013. The sculptures form a gateway at the eastern entrance to the Forth and Clyde canal, and the new canal extension built as part of The Helix land transformation project. The Kelpies are a monument to horse-powered heritage across Scotland.
The sculptures were opened to the public in April 2014. As part of the project, they will have their own visitor centre, and sit beside a newly developed canal turning pool and extension. This canal extension reconnects the Forth and Clyde Canal with the River Forth, and improves navigation between the East and West of Scotland.[4]
Address: Helix Park, FK2 7ZT Falkirk
Dunmore Pineapple
Folly in Scotland. The Dunmore Pineapple is a folly in Dunmore Park, near Airth in Stirlingshire, Scotland. It was ranked "as the most bizarre building in Scotland".[5]
Address: 1/2 mile northwest of Airth, FK1 5DT Falkirk
Rough Castle Fort
Rough Castle Fort is a Roman fort on the Antonine Wall roughly 2 kilometres south east of Bonnybridge near Tamfourhill in the Falkirk council area, Scotland. It is owned by the National Trust for Scotland.[6]
Falkirk Old Parish Church
Church in Falkirk, Scotland. Falkirk Old & St. Modan's Parish Church also known as "Falkirk Trinity Church" is a congregation of the Church of Scotland in Falkirk, central Scotland. The medieval Old Parish Church is located in the centre of Falkirk, and may have been founded as early as the 7th century. The church was largely rebuilt in the 19th century, though the 18th-century steeple was retained. The church building is protected as a category A listed building.[7]
Address: Manse Pl, FK1 1JN Falkirk
Almond Castle
Historical landmark in Scotland. Almond Castle is a ruined L-plan castle dating from the 15th century. It is located 3 miles west of Linlithgow, and north of the Union Canal, in Falkirk, Scotland. It was known as Haining Castle until the 17th century. The structure is unsound and is protected as a scheduled monument.[8]
Tappoch Broch
Historical place in Scotland. Tappoch Broch, better known as Torwood Broch, is an iron-age broch located in a remote spot in dense woodland near Falkirk, Scotland.[9]
Falkirk Steeple
Historical landmark in Falkirk, Scotland. The Falkirk Steeple is a landmark which dominates the skyline of Falkirk in central Scotland. The present structure on the High Street was built in 1814, and replaced an earlier steeple dating from the late 17th century, which itself replaced a still earlier structure. The Falkirk Steeple is protected as a category A listed building. A stylised image of the steeple appears on the crest of Falkirk Football Club.[10]
Address: Falkirk, 100 High St, Falkirk FK1 1NW
The Wine Library
Library
Address: 1 Princes St, FK1 1LS Falkirk