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The Falkirk Wheel

scottishcanals.co.uk

41–50 of 79 posts

Re: The Falkirk Wheel

#41
post #26

I am exactly the type of nerd that is super excited about this kind of engineering, to the point where I visited a couple years ago and rode a boat on the wheel when I happened to be in Scotland. I mentioned having gone to a local in Edinburgh and got a very confused "why would you ever go to Falkirk?" It's a pretty easy half-day trip out of Edinburgh or Glasgow, and I recommend it if you have the time. One fun thing…

> why would you ever go to Falkirk?

Callendar House, Falkirk Wheel, the Kelpies...

Also not far from Culross or Stirling, which also work as a nice day out.

Re: The Falkirk Wheel

#42
My Italian grandparents operated a fish, chips and ice cream joint in Falkirk called the York Cafe.

It has nothing to do with the article but this is the first time I can remember Falkirk being discussed on HN!

Re: The Falkirk Wheel

#43

Even though it solves a very specific problem, I'm surprised this kind of boat lift hasn't been replicated elsewhere. Even just the self-balancing properties of it. Even if just for novelty purposes.

i believe the self-balancing properties are a core aspect of any (boat) lift, whether rotating or not.

Re: The Falkirk Wheel

#44
post #26

I am exactly the type of nerd that is super excited about this kind of engineering, to the point where I visited a couple years ago and rode a boat on the wheel when I happened to be in Scotland. I mentioned having gone to a local in Edinburgh and got a very confused "why would you ever go to Falkirk?" It's a pretty easy half-day trip out of Edinburgh or Glasgow, and I recommend it if you have the time. One fun thing…

> why would you ever go to Falkirk? Callendar House, Falkirk Wheel, the Kelpies... Also not far from Culross or Stirling, which also work as a nice day out.

whispers Stirling castle is better than Edinburgh castle

Re: The Falkirk Wheel

#45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> why would you ever go to Falkirk? Callendar House, Falkirk Wheel, the Kelpies... Also not far from Culross or Stirling, which also work as a nice day out.

whispers Stirling castle is better than Edinburgh castle

Why whisper? Everyone knows Stirling castle is better.

Re: The Falkirk Wheel

#46
post #26

I am exactly the type of nerd that is super excited about this kind of engineering, to the point where I visited a couple years ago and rode a boat on the wheel when I happened to be in Scotland. I mentioned having gone to a local in Edinburgh and got a very confused "why would you ever go to Falkirk?" It's a pretty easy half-day trip out of Edinburgh or Glasgow, and I recommend it if you have the time. One fun thing…

Some friends and I used to cycle to it from Kirkintilloch, after fuelling up in the Brexitspoons on the high street, and then a quick pitstop to take on another pint or so of fuel at Auchenstarry because it's a hell of a long run to the next town (Bonnybridge, Banknock being a bit out of the way).

Ahahah "Brexitspoons". Never heard it before but it's brilliant!

Re: The Falkirk Wheel

#47
post #38

The Falkirk Wheel is cool and a fun trip, along with the nearby Kelpies, which were much more striking in person than I'd anticipated. The wheel is a one-of-a-kind, but there are other ways of avoiding having a ladder of flood locks, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boat_lift I really liked this one in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peterborough_Lift_Lock Built as a real working lift l…

Yes, the Kelpies are suprisingly striking. I went along thinking they'd be a modestly interesting thing to see but the scale and sculpture work makes them a real "Wow" moment when you see them up close.

Re: The Falkirk Wheel

#48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have walked across it on the John Muir Way which is highly recommended. I actually didn't really remember what Hadrian's wall was. We always learnt it was to "keep out the Scots", but in fact it represented the Northernmost border of the Roman empire. I had no idea about the Antonine wall, nor that they got that far north.

Picts not Scots. The Scots are descended from an Irish Gaelic (Celtic) tribe who migrated from Ireland to Scotland in the 5th Century [0] (when all three of Britain's countries were created, it was a fascinating century). The Romans were there before then, and left before then. The walls they built were to keep the Picts out (though this gets fuzzy - the line between "Pict" and "Briton" isn't as clear as conventional…

Just to be clear, "Scots" means current denizens of modern Scotland, who are mostly descended from a mixture of Picts and Gaels. It's not the case that the 5th century "Scoti" wiped out everyone else and they're now the only modern "Scots". The Picts and Gaels eventually united under Kenneth MacAlpin as the Kingdom of Alba... which did not include Strathclyde and the Lothians as Scotland has today.

Also to be clear to anyone else reading, "Britons" is referring to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_Britons rather than all citizens of modern Britain. These people were predominantly in Strathclyde and Cumbria. I'm not sure how many of them were around in Roman times to be kept out.

As you say, the Romans departure from north Britain predates "Scotland". They fought with many different tribes north of Hadrian's Wall and the Antonine Wall. From Ptolemy, we have some of the names they gave these tribes: Taexali, Vacomagi, Caledonii, ... We don't know if the tribes call themselves that. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotland_during_the_Roman_Empi... -> https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Britain.north.people... which is based on a 1467 map, which itself is based on Ptolemy's writing.

There was a Roman campaign into northern territories led by Agricola. We know via Tacitus that he (claims to have) soundly defeated "Caledonians" in "Mons Graupius" in 83 AD, which we suspect is one of the Grampian Mountains but we don't know for sure. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Mons_Graupius -> https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Agricola.Campaigns.8...

Re: The Falkirk Wheel

#49

My Italian grandparents operated a fish, chips and ice cream joint in Falkirk called the York Cafe. It has nothing to do with the article but this is the first time I can remember Falkirk being discussed on HN!

oh! and this is the first time I can remember someone discussing York Cafe on HN!

Re: The Falkirk Wheel

#50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Picts not Scots. The Scots are descended from an Irish Gaelic (Celtic) tribe who migrated from Ireland to Scotland in the 5th Century [0] (when all three of Britain's countries were created, it was a fascinating century). The Romans were there before then, and left before then. The walls they built were to keep the Picts out (though this gets fuzzy - the line between "Pict" and "Briton" isn't as clear as conventional…

Just to be clear, "Scots" means current denizens of modern Scotland, who are mostly descended from a mixture of Picts and Gaels. It's not the case that the 5th century "Scoti" wiped out everyone else and they're now the only modern "Scots". The Picts and Gaels eventually united under Kenneth MacAlpin as the Kingdom of Alba... which did not include Strathclyde and the Lothians as Scotland has today. Also to be clear t…

And for those wondering how different the inhabitants north of the wall were to the rest of the inhabitants of isles at the time.

"Our findings support a prevailing view that the Picts descended from Iron Age groups in Britain and Ireland." - https://theconversation.com/dna-study-sheds-light-on-scotlan...

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