Falkirk is a town in Scotland located at the intersection of two canals, the Union Canal and the Forth and Clyde Canal. Its symbol is the Falkirk Wheel, built in 2001, a rotating elevator for transporting boats between different levels of canals.
In the Roman period, the Antonina Embankment ran through this area, with a fortification of turf and peat on a stone foundation. It was the first barrier for the Pict tribes living in the north of Scotland. On the site of what is today Falkirk there was a fort called Rough Castle. The elements of earth fortifications visible in the area have survived to this day. Antonin's Wall and its forts are inscribed on the UNESCO list as a joint entry with the Hadrian's Wall and Roman fortifications from Germany.
A big attraction of Falkirk is the Callendar House property located on the Antonina Embankment line with its surrounding gardens. It was owned by the Livingston family for nearly 600 years, and then passed into the hands of the Forbes family. It hosted, among others Mary, Queen of Scots, Oliver Cromwell or Queen Victoria. The castle owes its present appearance to the 19th century reconstruction, when it was given the features of a French castle from the Loire Valley. The interiors are very well preserved and open to the public, as is the romantic park around.
There are also quite a few remarkable modern facilities in Falkirk. The most important is the Falkirk Wheel - a modern lift for transporting boats between the Union and Forth and Clyde canals. Acting on the principle of a ferris wheel, it moves units over a 24-meter difference in height. Large areas on the outskirts are occupied by the modernly arranged Helix Park, the most famous element of which is the sculpture The Kelpies depicting two huge horse heads.
