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Featured operators.

Book with Confidence. Bonded by the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) and by the Civil Aviation Authority's Air Travel Organisers Licensing (ATOL) scheme, you can look forward to your next adventure with the peace of mind that your money is financially protected in the event of unforeseen circumstances. Check our ABTA membership

For your financial protection and to reassure you of our operating standard we are full members of CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association), ABTA (The Association of British Travel Agents) and act as agents for ATOL holders. Please be aware that GoCruise & Travel are acting solely as your booking agent, subject to which all bookings are accepted.

Any travel or destination is copyright of its respective owners. Fred. Olsen Travel trading as GoCruise & Travel are not responsible for 3rd party content. Destination and travel advice is subject to change and inaccuracies.

© Copyright 2024 GoCruise & Travel and Fred. Olsen Travel

Registered in England and Wales No. 02287241. 2nd Floor, 36 Broadway, London, SW1H 0BH

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The Falkirk Wheel Cruise

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The Falkirk Wheel Cruise Enjoy the best of both attractions

• Joint Tickets

So enjoy the best of both worlds with the flexibility of a Forth Boat Tours Falkirk Wheel Cruise around the Firth Of Forth.  Take in views of the Three Bridges on your Forth Boat Tours cruise and travel on the Falkirk Wheel itself (the world’s first and only rotating boat lift) with an Original Tour ticket.

The trips can be flexibly taken the same day or on separate days (subject to availability).

Booking Your Cruise Ticket

FORTH BOAT TOURS CRUISE

Purchase your voucher now.

To book your cruise select the Three Bridges Cruise from our cruise list and use your voucher code at the check out

Daily sailings from 11am 1 April to 31 October.

Booking your Falkirk Wheel Ticket

Enjoy the full experience of The Falkirk Wheel during this 60 minute journey, as you sail through the sky to join the Union Canal 35m above. After smoothly moving along the aqueduct and through the Roughcastle tunnel to the beginning of the Union Canal, you will then descend to the start point, returning you to our Visitor Centre.

To book your journey on The Falkirk Wheel Original Tour, please email [email protected] to pre-book your date and time. Quote your voucher code. Exchange your voucher for your tour ticket at The Falkirk Wheel ticket office on the day of your choice

Please note that travel between venues is not included

Make a day of it! – View all

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Hawes Pier South Queensferry, EH30 9TB OR Port Edgar Marina South Queensferry, EH30 9SQ

Please check our timetable to confirm departure point

Est: 1978 Royal Patron HRH The Princess Royal

Seagull Trust Cruises

Free Canal Cruising in Scotland for People with Special Needs

Falkirk Branch

Where We are:

Just off Gartcows Road under the railway bridge in Bantaskine Park, Falkirk. Boathouse/ Reception Centre, South Bantaskine Estate, Falkirk. Satnav FK1 5EF

We are reached by a tarred road, suitable for mini buses, which leads from Gartcows Road, under the railway bridge then up and over the Canal to a spacious car park.

Our Cruises:

The Branch Centre was designed and built to incorporate all of the Seagull Trusts needs and it was opened in 1992. It has a lounge for guests and two spacious toilets equipped for people with special needs. The Centre is on two levels – on the car park level there is an entrance foyer, a furnished lounge with full height windows overlooking the dockside where guests can relax before boarding one of the Seagull boats, and a fully equipped kitchen. From this level a stairway and hydraulically operated wheelchair lift lead down to the dockside where, by means of a gently sloping ramp, our guests can board the canal boat.

Cruise 1: Short Cruise from Boathouse (FK1 5EF) to Greenbank and back to Boathouse takes 1 hour.

Cruise 2: Tunnel Cruise from Boathouse (FK1 5EF) through tunnel and back to Boathouse takes 2 hours.

Cruise 3: Day canal cruise from Boathouse (FK1 5EF) to Lathallan and back to Boathouse takes 5 hours.

Cruise 4: Wheel Cruise from Boathouse (FK1 5EF) to Falkirk Wheel (FK1 4RS) One way only takes 2 hours.

Cruise 5: Wheel Cruise from Falkirk Wheel (FK1 4RS) to Boathouse. (FK1 5EF) One way only takes 2 hours.

Cruise 6: Wheel Cruise from Boathouse (FK1 5EF) to Falkirk Wheel and return to Boathouse takes 5 hours.

Cruise 4 is only a morning cruise and Cruise 5 is only an afternoon cruise. Group organisers have to arrange their own transport for dropping off and picking up their groups.

Santa Cruises:

Late November until first week of December (Weather Permitting). During the cruise Santa makes an appearance with his sack of gifts.

We have two Cruise boats at Falkirk, Govan Seagull and Barr Seagull. Both are fully accessible with lifts to accommodate those with mobility problems or in wheelchairs. Each has a wheelchair friendly toilet and a galley. Tea, coffee and biscuits are provided.

More detailed information can be viewed in the file documents below. If required these documents can also be downloaded but please be aware that when using mobile devices to download and edit documents, you may require a suitable app to be installed.

Branch files

Falkirk Branch booking form

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The Falkirk Wheel

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The world's one and only rotating boat lift. A marvel of engineering and Scottish Canals' flagship destination, The Falkirk Wheel. Connecting the Forth & Clyde Canal with the Union Canal in a half-turn that takes only five minutes!

Book a boat trip

Enjoy the full experience of the recently upgraded Falkirk Wheel by sailing through the sky on our 60-minute boat trip! Click to find out more!

See all activities

Take a look at all the things you can do at The Falkirk Wheel

Further information

Opening hours.

The Falkirk Wheel turns periodically throughout the day, all year long.

* 60 years+, students and Blue Light card holders. Tickets are required for every passenger boarding a boat trip.

About The Falkirk Wheel

The world’s only rotating boat lift, The Falkirk Wheel links the Forth & Clyde Canal to the Union Canal 35 metres above, allowing vessels to sail through the sky thanks to a unique fusion of art and engineering – and the same power it would take to boil eight kettles.

Transforming the contaminated site of a former tar works, The Falkirk Wheel opened in 2002 and replaced a flight of 11 locks that once stepped the Union Canal down to the level of the Forth & Clyde, more than 100 feet below. Whereas weary travellers once had a day’s heavy work opening and closing 44 lock gates to complete the journey between the two canals, The Falkirk Wheel allows vessels to transit between the two waterways in just a few minutes.

Now one of Scotland’s busiest tourist attractions, The Falkirk Wheel attracts around 500,000 visitors each year. The Wheel has transformed Falkirk into a key tourism destination, with visitors traveling from all over the world to marvel at the working sculpture which combines modern engineering and technology with ancient principles set out by Archimedes more than 2000 years ago.

When one of the structure’s gondolas is lowered, the opposite one rises, keeping the vast, 1800 tonne boat lift in perfect balance as it carries canal barges 35 metres into the air in a matter of minutes. Incredibly, the structure uses just 1.5kWh for each rotation.

Motorhomes at The Falkirk Wheel

Plan your overnight stay at the world's only rotating boat lift and experience the spectacle of The Wheel's light show at night.

Staying with us

Host an event

We have three commercial spaces available to hire for meetings and events. You could even hire the entire Visitor Centre!

Click here to learn more

Sustainability spotlight

Solar Power

In May 2023 our solar panels provided us with 9% of the energy we used - a whopping 3,743 kWh!

Green Tourism

We're proud to have been awarded the Gold standard in Green Tourism.

Sustainability

We're working hard to bring the choice of as many eco-friendly, sustainable and locally-sourced products to our gift shop as we can.

Useful information

Frequently asked questions about visiting The Falkirk Wheel.

Accessibility

Level access.

• There is level access the full the way around our main site and inside the Visitor Centre from our drop-off area, which also has a limited number of blue badge parking spaces.
• We have one disabled toilet facility inside the Visitor Centre, located next to the gift shop desk. Please ask one of our staff if you have difficulty finding anything.

The Falkirk Wheel site is fully accessible for visitors with mobility problems and is wheelchair friendly. We have limited Blue Badge parking spaces directly outside the Visitor Centre.

Facilities on-site can be used with ease, and a wheelchair or mobility scooter can also be taken onboard the boat trip (please mention this when booking so we can reduce capacity slightly on-board to allow for a chair).

Boat trip tickets for disabled customers are £14.50, however if accompanied by a carer then the carer goes free. We have concession rates for our young at heart visitors, so boat trip tickets for over 60s are £12.80.

Do I need to pre-book a boat trip?

While we regularly have ticket availability on the day, we strongly recommend booking any tickets in advance to avoid disappointment. We welcome a lot of touring coach parties who regularly fill up our boat trips - our boats only have limited capacity, and we've only got the one Wheel!

Dogs are allowed on-site and in our Visitor Centre, but should be kept on leads at all times. Dogs are allowed to sit at the high tables, but for hygiene reasons only assistance dogs are permitted in the café. We have water bowls for dogs at various points around the site.

Well behaved pooches are permitted onboard our boat trips, however the experience can be quite overwhelming for those of a nervous disposition, so we advise only confident (and continent) doggies board.

What times are the boat trips?

During the summer we usually operate a 10-boat schedule daily, with departures at*:

You can view available slots on our departures schedule by clicking here .

* Due to operational demands it may be necessary for us to reduce our boat schedule at short notice.

Missing booking confirmations

If you have booked one of our boat trips but are missing your email confirmation please check your spam/junk folders. If you still can't find your confirmation please email the team at [email protected] .

How long does the boat trip take?

Our boat trips take approximately 1 hour, depending on traffic on the waterways.

Food, drink and gift shop

Our cafe and gift shop are always open during opening hours.

We also have a number of food outlets that are open during the summer months* that serve everything from ice cream and pizzas to chilli chips and hot dogs, as well as our famous mac 'n' cheese, toasties and seasonal food offerings.

* Subject to availability.

The Falkirk Wheel has a visitor centre that provides information about the history, operation, and significance of the wheel. 

The Falkirk Wheel offers three spaces for venue hire – Blueprint Room , Wheel Room , Visitor Centre .

How do I book a free carer's ticket?

There is an option to select a carer's ticket when booking here . Please bring proof of your carer status to present on arrival.

Can I book by phone?

We're unable to accept any bookings by telephone. You can book activities and boat trips online by clicking here , or by purchasing on the day (subject to availability).

Can I cancel or amend my boat trip booking?

We are unable to accept any cancellations or amendments to pre-booked boat trips 48 hours before the scheduled time of departure. Our team will endeavour to make amendments to bookings outwith the 48-hour period, however we cannot guarantee any requested changes. Cancellations before 48-hours will be refunded in full.

To make an amendment or cancel your boat trip please email [email protected] with your booking details.

Booking with an ASVA pass

We always look to welcome our ASVA partners whenever we can. If you're in possession of an ASVA pass please email [email protected] to reserve a booking. Valid ASVA passes must be presented upon arrival, 

Do you sell gift vouchers?

Gift vouchers can only currently be purchased in-person from our Visitor Centre and can be redeemed for boat trips only.

How do I book a group on a boat trip?

Groups of more than 15 are entitled to a discounted group rate. Please email [email protected] to enquire.

What happens if I miss my boat trip?

We always recommend being in the Visitor Centre at least 10 minutes before your scheduled time of departure. If for any reason you are late for your booking our team may look to rebook you on a later sailing, however if there is no availability we are unable to refund any missed bookings.

Is motorhome parking availabile?

Yes! We love having our motorhoming friends over to stay. Overnight parking is subject to availability and is £15 per vehicle, per night. We have an elsan point as well as toilets, showers and washing and drying facilities.

Access to these additional facilities can be secured with a refundable £20 cash deposit.

Please check in at the Visitor Centre during opening times upon arrival if you're wishing to stay at The Falkirk Wheel.

0300 373 0868

The Falkirk Wheel Lime Road Falkirk FK1 4RS

[email protected]

 Welcome to ScottishCarScene.com  The Home of Scottish Motoring 

ScottishCarScene

Falkirk cruise, scotland's longest running, monthly cruise.

Falkirk Cruise has been a tradition for enthusiasts for a very long time, even before the days of the retail park and The Wheel carpark, the monthly meet was on the go.

Now, we can't actually put a date on when Falkirk Cruise was originally created, but what we do know is car enthusiasts have been gathering in the area from before the Calendar Square was built, that project being started in 1989. 

'The good old days' most enthusiasts in the area refer to, is the late 90's to late 00's. This is referred to as the 'Max Power' era by todays enthusiasts. During the 2000's Falkirk Cruise had it's own website, sponsors and it even had magazine features from Fast Car and Fast N Modified. Falkirk Cruise was a pretty big deal. - So what happened in the more recent years? Has much really changed, or is it a case of looking back through rose tinted glasses?

Falkirk Cruise 2004, Image courtesy of ScotCruise.

We spent countless hours trawling through the internet to find photos of Falkirk Cruise not only to give us some media for writing this article, but also to give some of the younger team members at Scottish Car Scene an insight as to what the cruise scene was like in the early 2000's. 

The earliest media we could find was from 2004, mad bodykits and flip paint were all the rage back then, some would say that's when people properly modified their cars. 

The modified examples of cars definitely stood out, it was a competition of who could have the maddest paint, the biggest sound system and the most sought after accessories. 

We did notice a few things when looking through the countless photos from through the years, this made us draw a few comparisons between the 'scene' then and the 'scene' today. 

The first thing we noticed whilst looking back through the years was the fact that whilst the very highly modified cars stood out from the crowd, arguably more than they do today, there was still a large amount of standard looking cars there. Sometimes people like to claim that 'back in the day' the carparks were just full of modified cars, this simply isn't true. 

Regardless of how modified the cars looked, the carpark was still full of like -minded enthusiasts. I will say though, I'd love to see more of the high quality 'Max Power' era cars come back out of the woodwork, the level of work and detail that went into some of them is truly amazing. Regardless, of taste, the level of uniqueness is unmatched today. 

It wouldn't be a 2000's cruise without some Frenchies 

was it all mental

 bodykits  and paint.

Not everything that was highly modified had to have a mad bodykit and sparkly paint. There was also a huge 'tuner' scene back then. These cars were built for two purposes, going fast and looking good whilst doing it, the modern car scene seems more akin to this. 

There were some very fast performance cars during the late 90's and 2000's, some of which didn't look too far from stock to the untrained eye. It wasn't until you opened the bonnet you realized these cars were far from factory.

Sadly, many of the original cars are now gone, either written off, sold never to be seen again or scrapped. But every so often one will show up to an event. When one of these gems turns up they still command the same level of attention they did during the Max Power era. 

Some of the cars spotted at Falkirk Cruise throughout the years have an absolutely amazing back-story, this particular Peugeot 309, spotted at Falkirk Cruise in 2007 had a huge following for many years.

Built by Peugeot Ecosse in Bo'ness, the car was originally red, then it was painted Green when Ecosse added the very distinct BMW M3 Arches and E36 taillights to it, along with a fully forged engine, 306 GTI6 gearbox and many more mods.

After reading the Max Power features we believe  the car was originally built sometime between 1998-1999 (Featured in Max Power March 1999), the car was then rebuilt by Ecosse around 2000-2001 (featured in Max Power June 2001).

At some point between 2001 and 2007 it was repainted silver, and then had the white E36 tail lights swapped for a standard set of E36 lenses.

Amazingly, after we posted on Scottish Car Scene asking where this car is now, a comment from the Max Power Memories page showed up confirming that it is indeed still alive!

The 309 is parked on the current owners driveway, and from the photo we looked at, it would appear the car looks pretty much in the same condition as it was in 2007, when it attended Falkirk Cruise. 

To some, it may be sad that the old days are gone. Others they may be happy to see a new generation bringing new styles and enthusiasm about cars and car events.

Many people moved on with life, I reckon som may still have an ex showcar or Falkirk Cruise original they wish they never sold, scrapped or parked on a drive never to see the road again. 

I often wonder how many more old showcars are laying in garages, driveways or gardens across the country awaiting the day they can show up to Falkirk Cruise once again.

With a lot of the Max Power era cars it could be very difficult to get big power out of them without doing full engine builds or engine swaps. 

These are changed days now, when you can plug a computer in to some cars and get 500+ Horsepower with a good map and a few supporting mods.

How does the modern

Cruise compare.

The modern Falkirk Cruise may contain less fiberglass bodykits and lack 'the circuit' - the one mile lap round the town.

Don't let the nostalgia fool you into thinking the atmosphere or quality of the meet is gone, we've been working hard at Scottish Car Scene to bring some positives back to Falkirk Cruise, especially after the negative press it has received in more recent years. 

We're not going to say it's perfect, in-fact it's far from it, but as a monthly meet that's been held in the same place on the First Thursday of the Month (F.T.O.M) for nearly 20 years - it's held up pretty well. Falkirk Cruise is a staple of Scottish motoring culture.

We always get a good variety of classic, retro, modified & exotic cars along to Falkirk Cruise. You get a fair insight into the fashions & trends of Scottish cruising culture.

If you're looking for a good place to catch up with old car mates, Falkirk Cruise is the place. 

Falkirk Cruise - May 2021 was absolutely wild.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this was the first cruise of the year. I think this helped add to the atmosphere because people haven't been allowed to gather and socialise.  

It does amaze me sometimes that the cruise has managed to remain in the wheel carpark for nearly 20 years. It hasn't been without it's challenges, especially in recent years, - complaints of the noise and mess around the area most nights of the week was a contributing factor to the council imposing a 'no entry between 9pm & 6am' rule on the carpark, limiting the hours of use.

We believe the local area benefits from the cruise being there, with the sheer number of visitors that attend, use the local services, petrol stations, shops and the takeaways that line Camelon Main Street. People, business and trade are coming to Falkirk, spending money and boosting the local economy. 

The first cruise of 2021 was an absolute banger, here's to many more throughout the years. 

(Updated) Falkirk Cruise -  a new chapter

Falkirk Cruise - July 2021 was the beginning of a new chapter for the cruise. After nearly 20 years of Falkirk Cruise using the wheel carpark, it was time to move to a new location.

Our team weighed up the options of where to move the cruise to, taking into account the size of the meet and also trying to minimalize the negative impacts on the surrounding community we decided to move the meet to West Mains Industrial estate, the former home of #Scene & Speedy Thursdays.

We originally had to make the decision to move the cruise to the industrial estate due to the wheel carpark being used for road resurfacing works by the local council, however since the cruise has been moved it is now at the largest size it's been since the retail park days. Using the industrial estate allows more cars in as the wheel carpark was very restrictive. 

Here's to more mad times in the industrial estate.

Falkirk Cruise 

First Thursday Of every Month.

West Mains Industrial estate.

Written and edited by Paul Young June 2021

(Updated January.2022).

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Falkirk Wheel Boat Trip and Historic Stirling Panoramic (GR11)

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Activity Level & Duration

Experience Type

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Falkirk Wheel & Stirling

South Queensferry (Edinburgh), Scotland, United Kingdom

Activity Level

Excursion Type

Wheelchair Accessible

Starting At

Minimum Age

Information Not Currently Available

Approximately 6 Hours

Meals Included

Meals not included

In the 1700s, a staircase of eleven locks connected the Forth & Clyde Canal to the Union Canal, but those locks were closed a century ago. As part of a Millennium initiative to encourage waterway usage, the Falkirk Wheel was designed and constructed to replace those locks, providing a 21st-century solution to relink the canals. The Wheel is a truly unique and awesome spectacle -- Scotland's most exciting example of modern engineering. More than just the world's first rotating boat elevator, the Falkirk Wheel is also a symbol heralding the dawn of Britain's new Canal Age. Its role may be simple, but its shape is far from conventional -- it is an eye-catching, working sculpture.

Embark a barge-style canal boat to experience a journey through a tunnel that cuts across a spectacular aqueduct and underneath the Roman Antonine Wall built in AD142. Upon your return, the canal seems to simply drop off the end, but in fact, your boat is gently lowered to the next level by the Falkirk Wheel. Boat elevators are nothing new -- the last one made in Britain was built in 1875. A rotating boat elevator, however, is totally unique, and the result is both awe-inspiring and beautiful.

Back on dry land, reboard the motorcoach and continue the short distance to Stirling . You will have free time here in the town to spend sightseeing, shopping or visiting the castle of great renown (at your own expense).

Tour sequence may vary.