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Falkirk Wheel – The Kelpies loop from Bonnybridge

Routes

Bike touring routes & trails

Falkirk Wheel – The Kelpies loop from Bonnybridge

Easy

4.9

(7)

riders

Falkirk Wheel – The Kelpies loop from Bonnybridge

01:21

22.9km

80m

Cycling

Easy bike ride. Great for any fitness level. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: April 19, 2026

Tips

Cycling is not permitted along parts of this route

After 8.82 km for 107 m

After 14.7 km for 107 m

Waypoints

Start point

Bus stop

Get Directions

1.14 km

The Falkirk Wheel is the only rotating boat lift in the world. This feat of engineering stands at 115 feet (35 m) tall and, using the power of eight domestic kettles, transfers boats 79 feet (24 m) through the air between the Forth & Clyde Canal and the Union Canal. Boats must then ascend another 36 feet (11 m) through a pair of locks between the top of the wheel and the Union Canal. There is a visitor centre here with facilities and information on the Wheel.

Tip by

4.89 km

Falkirk Wheel and the Forth and Clyde Canal

Highlight (Segment) • Structure

The Forth and Clyde Canal is a canal opened in 1790, crossing central Scotland; it provided a route for the seagoing vessels of the day between the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Clyde at the narrowest part of the Scottish Lowlands. It is 35 miles (56 km) long and it runs from the River Carron at Grangemouth to the River Clyde at Bowling, and had an important basin at Port Dundas in Glasgow.

Successful in its day, it suffered as the seagoing vessels were built larger and could no longer pass through. The railway age further impaired the success of the canal, and in the 1930s decline had ended in dormancy. The final decision to close the canal in the mid 1960s was made due to maintenance costs of bridges crossing the canal exceeding the revenues it brought in. However, subsidies to the rail network were also a cause for its decline and the closure ended the movement of the east-coast Forth River fishing fleets across the country to fish the Irish Sea. The lack of political and financial foresight also removed a historical recreational waterway and potential future revenue generator to the town of Grangemouth. Unlike the majority of major canals the route through Grangemouth was drained and back filled to create a new carriageway for port traffic.

Tip by

10.6 km

Ladysmill Weir

Lake

11.5 km

The Kelpies Sculptures

Highlight • Monument

The Kelpies are 30-metre high horse-head sculptures, 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 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.

Tip by

11.6 km

The Kelpies

Highlight • Rest Area

Definitely worth to visit and see those massive horses. Very impressive.

Tip by

14.9 km

Forth and Clyde Canal Locks

Highlight (Segment) • Bridge

18.9 km

View of the Falkirk Wheel and Information Board

Highlight • Viewpoint

Not only you'll have an interesting view of the Falkirk Wheel from this highlight, you'll also be able to relax on a bench and/or have a look at a map of the surroundings, including various paths and landmarks.

Tip by

22.9 km

End point

Bus stop

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

18.9 km

2.53 km

658 m

624 m

167 m

< 100 m

Surfaces

21.3 km

922 m

226 m

213 m

169 m

139 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Weather

Friday 10 July

19°C

14°C

32 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 19.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

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Falkirk Wheel – The Kelpies loop from Bonnybridge

Canal Tunnel

Falkirk Wheel

Falkirk Wheel and the Forth and Clyde Canal

The Kelpies Sculptures

The Kelpies

Forth and Clyde Canal Locks

View of the Falkirk Wheel and Information Board

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