Scottish town with one-of-a-kind water attraction that people say is like a theme park ride

AN UNUSUAL h2o attraction successful the UK has been likened to a taxable parkland thrust by visitors - and it's the lone 1 of its benignant successful the world.

The Falkirk Wheel is simply a rotating vessel assistance that carries barges and boats betwixt the Forth and Clyde Canal and the Union Canal.

Located successful Falkirk, Scotland, it is the lone 1 of its benignant successful the world, making it a tourist attraction successful its ain right.

After archetypal opening successful 2002, it has go 1 of Scotland's busiest tourer attractions, with 500,000 visitors each year.

Travel website Secret Scotland described it arsenic an "exceptional" illustration of engineering, writing: "The Falkirk Wheel vessel assistance is an exceptional feat of modern engineering that connects the Forth & Clyde and Union Canals."

Meanwhile, Scottish Canals described the Union Canal arsenic "a way to remember" connected their website.

They added: "From the iconic Falkirk Wheel to the historical bosom of Scotland's superior city, observe vessel trips, inspiring trails and astonishing heritage."

The rotating instrumentality takes astir 5 minutes to assistance boats from 1 canal onto the other.

Barges tin beryllium hired and taken down some canals, with Edinburgh at the extremity of 1 and Glasgow astatine the extremity of the other.

Although visitors won't request to prosecute a barge to springiness the Falkirk Wheel a go, with tours onboard 2 boats from the Scottish Canals Trust are besides successful operation.

The Original Tour lasts 50 minutes and includes 2 turns connected the Falkirk Wheel.

Visitors volition depart from the Falkirk Wheel Basin wherever they'll participate the little gondola of the instrumentality earlier sailing done the sky to articulation the Union Canal 35 metres supra the basin.

Boat tours volition past proceed on the aqueduct, heading done Roughcastle Tunnel earlier reaching the rima of the Union Canal wherever boats volition crook backmost to the start.

Tours past 50 minutes, with tickets costing £17.40 for a full-paying big and £9.60 for children.

The Falkirk Wheel has been praised by visitors connected TripAdvisor, with a 4.5/5 prima standing from implicit 4,000 reviews.

One idiosyncratic wrote: "The country has been turned into a children's taxable parkland ride".

While a 3rd idiosyncratic wrote: "It's much similar a theme parkland attraction than a vessel lift".

There are plentifulness of different attractions astatine the Falkirk Wheel, including a splash portion with a immense chromatic representation and mini canal fastener gates.

A fleet of small paddle boats lets younger visitors acquisition the h2o successful the boating pond.

Older children tin instrumentality to the h2o connected bumper boats, each of which travel equipped with a squirt gun.

Other activities see paddle boarding and h2o zorbing and canoeing connected the h2o trail.

Nearby, there's besides Helix Park wherever a immense acceptable of 2 Kelpie statues tin beryllium found.

Kelpies are mythical shape-shifting equine spirits that were said to resistance humans to their deaths successful the water.

The statues were designed by Andy Scott, and they're the largest equine statues successful the world.

Spanning much than 350 hectares, determination are plentifulness of other features inside the huge park, including an escapade portion and splash play country for kids, with fountains spraying from the crushed and immense climbing structures.

Meanwhile walking and cycling routes "meander done lush greenery and enchanting woodlands" according to the park's website.

The paths successful and astir the parkland link 16 communities via 26 kilometres worthy of trail, each of which tin beryllium explored.

Entry to Helix Park is free, making it perfect for families.

Meanwhile, Dundee has been named Scotland's astir underrated city acknowledgment to its ties to the Beano and the Dandy.

And we've precocious revealed our favourite spots for a September break.