Ardkinglas Woodland Garden

 

After our early dinner at Loch Fyne my mum suggested we walked it off at Ardkinglas Woodland Garden which was only a shot distance around the Loch. The gardens are open until dusk with an honesty box and when we went we were the only ones there. We picked up a trail leaflet and headed off into woodland with its very tall trees. For scale my son is 6ft (183cm):

The leaflet had numbers on it so that we could find out about the trees and other things scattered in the gardens such as this lovely sculpture:

One of the highlights was the poetry contained in this gazebo:

A day in Inverary

 

On one, luckily sunny, day on our break we had decided to drive up to Inverary in Argyll & Bute. This involved driving most of the way up the edge of Loch Lomond before wiggling through the mountains for a pause at the Rest and be Thankful:

We certainly were very thankful for the rest and a coffee with a view back the way we had come. I can't imagine what it was like in the days before the combustion engine on the original military road, you can see it wiggling below the modern one:

The name dates back to 1748 when a stone was erected by the engineers who constructed it:

Cycle ride to Luss, Loch Lomond

For a slightly more active day we took a 3 generation bike ride on the West Lomond cycle path. This runs from Balloch to Tarbet but we joined it just outside the town where the old main road ran alongside the estate. At first it was a road but soon became just for bikes and pedestrians:

The route did some times run right alongside the A82, which luckily wasn't too busy. The route was pretty undulating but fairly well maintained (some of the bushes could have done with a trim!). It was nicest when it was a dedicated path: 

After about 7 miles we dropped back down to the side of the Loch and had to cycle on the road which would take us into Luss:

The Kelpies

After our trip to the Falkirk Wheel we got back in the car and drove the short distance to visit The Kelpies. They are the world's largest equine sculptures and a popular destination for photographers:

Key facts

• Each structure contains approximately 18,000 individual pieces
• There is over 1.5 miles of steel in each structure
• They each weigh over 300 tonnes and sit on 1,200 tonne foundations
• Each structure has 464 steel plates

The Kelpies were built in just 90 days (to view the video of their construction click here)

With the continuing rain we drove as close as possible and parked in the Helix. We walked along the canal and the size of the Kelpies soon became apparent:

They really are incredible pieces of art and engineering when seen close up:

The weather, plus no open cafe due to COVID-19, meant we didn't linger. I would love to go back and see them when they are floodlit at night.

5 tips for the Falkirk Wheel

The Falkirk Wheel is a unique piece of engineering as it is the only rotating boat lift (of its kind) in the world. The Wheel opened in 2002 to connect the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal. It lifts boats up 24 metres and then locks allow the last 11 metres to be covered:

With the current pandemic there are more restrictions so here are my top tips:

1. You must book online in advance as boats are running at 1/3 capacity.
2. Choose a dry day when possible as there is a lot to explore on the site, plus the boat windows won't steam up as much!
3. Food is limited so bring snacks.
4. Bikes could be useful to get you to the Kelpies 4 miles away.
5. Take your parking ticket to the centre to pay (£3) before returning to the car.

Our drive to the wheel was just over an hour so we allowed time to get a coffee before our trip. This meant that we also got to watch the previous trip boat go up and down on the wheel. To keep everyone safe boarding procedures meant that we had to go on as our group and then get seated spread across the cabin. They had also turned off the air system which normally keeps the windows clear:

We were aboard the Archimedes, named after the man whose discovery enables the wheel to function. The boat sailed into the cradle and then slowly rotated to the top:

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The cradle docks onto the top of the structure and then a gate drops to allow water to flow between canal and cradle.  Then the boat sails over the elevated section of the canal:

A tunnel has been carefully dug through the hillside. Above it are roman remains from the Antonine Wall and below it are old mine workings. We passed through and then turned before reaching the locks to head back down:

The boat then reversed its ride by going back down to the lower canal basin. We then walked around to get another look at the wheel and canal:

My mum and I walked along a bit further to try to get to the roman fort and parts of the Antonine Wall but got too wet so headed back to the car. It turned out we had got really close... oh well next time! This is a taste of the video footage I took (hard to film in the condensation coated cabin):

After our visit we drove off to see the Kelpies..