Kelpies and Falkirk Wheel - Half Day Tour from Glasgow

Leaving George Street at 09.00 your guide will entertain you with stories about Glasgow and give you the history and background to the two amazing sights you will see today. The first stop of the tour will be at The Kelpies. These stunning 30m high sculptures of two horse heads, stand guard over the entrance to the Forth and Clyde Canal. Designed by Scottish sculptor Andy Scott, and each constructed using over 300 tons of steel, these amazing structures hark back to the history and heritage of working horses pulling barges on the canal. They are also a stunning example of modern design and engineering skill. We will take a short walk through the Helix Park to appreciate the impressive beauty of the Kelpies up close – don’t forget your camera!
From here it is a short drive to the Falkirk Wheel. This unique engineering feat was designed and built to celebrate the millennium and to restore the link between two of Scotland’s major canals. The result of this ambitious plan is the world’s only rotating boat lift, raising boats the 24m height difference between the two canals. Amazingly it only uses the same amount of energy as an ordinary household kettle. The project has been an important part of the regeneration of the area and attracts thousands of visitors every year. The final design is claimed to have been inspired by a Celtic double headed spear, a vast turning propeller of a Clydebank built ship, the ribcage of a whale and the spine of a fish – you can decide what you think! On our short visit there will not be time to take a trip on the boat lift itself but on most occasions you will be able to watch it in operation – a truly impressive sight.
You will have time to see the exhibition and visitor centre before heading back to Glasgow for 13.00