How is it possible to transport a huge boat from one water level to another much higher one? Scotland has the answer; a gigantic wheel that lifts boats. We are talking about the famous Falkirk Wheel that is an engineering landmark for Scotland.
It opened in 2002 and is connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal. It has such an elegant structure which works in a way that the boat is first placed inside on one of the ring gears; then it rotates 180 degrees to lift up the boat. It has two ring gears, so there is always one empty ready to take in new boats.
It has an overall diameter of 35 metres (115 ft) and its design is inspired by a Celtic double-headed axe. It works on the Archimedes principle of displacement which means that the volume of the boat sailing into the ring will be a proportional mass of water so the final combination balances the original total volume, no wonder it’s a great landmark and something Scotland is proud of.
