Falkirk Wheel 10

Wheel 10 is set to be one of the largest, most exciting and colourful events on the Lowland canals since they reopened a decade ago.

A spectacular flotilla of 60 vessels, including the oldest passenger boat in Scotland, Ratho Princess (1923) and White Wing from the Scottish Fisheries Museum, stand at the heart of the Wheel 10 celebrations, which mark ten years since the opening of The Falkirk Wheel and the reopening of the Forth & Clyde and Union canals connected by it.

As well as the flotilla, the event is jam-packed with things to see and try on land and water and a fantastic programme of music, theatre and dance.

For the more daring, there’s the chance to abseil off the 35-metre high Falkirk Wheel (book in advance online).

Water-based activities include canoeing, ‘waterwalkerz’ and ‘rollers’, fishing taster sessions, model boat displays, a visit from ‘HMS Invincible’, a raft race and safety rescue demonstrations.

The canal societies, charities and social enterprises engaging people with the canals year-round are operating boat trips along the Forth & Clyde Canal and the ever-popular boat trips on the Wheel run throughout the day.

On land, there are guided walks and cycling taster sessions and a number of the vessels in the flotilla will be open to view. Others become intimate performance areas for storytelling or musical sets.

Added to this, there are unicycle displays, nine vintage fire engines to explore, the Antonine Guard to watch, ballet and theatre performances, a comedy slot laid on by the forthcoming Funny in Falkirk Festival, storytellers, book readings and facepainting.

Comperes for the day, the ever lively Radio Forth and Clyde, introduce the performance programme, which runs throughout the day and features a host of local and national bands and musicians.

Organised by the Lowland Canals Volunteer Group and Scottish Canals, Wheel 10 will be one of the best days out this summer. Get the date in your diary now!

Text supplied by third party.