A state-of the-art boat lift
The world's only rotating boat lift is situated close to the town of Falkirk in Scotland. Here, the boats are not lifted from one canal level to another, Instead, they rotate as if they were on a Ferris wheel.
Ax or whale?
When they see the Falkirk Wheel, some visitors are reminded of a double-headed Celtic ax. Others compare the shape of the rotating boat lift with the skeleton of a whale or a giant cigar cutter. There are 40 boat lifts worldwide, but only the one in Falkirk moves boats in a circular manner. The whole procedure takes 15 minutes.
Hardly any water loss
During the lifting operation the lock gates close and the boats are lifted up or down in a semicircular motion. When they arrive at the desired level, the lock gates open up again. Each of the two lift basins contains 250,000 liters of water, but only 5 liters are lost during each maneuver.
The principle
The two lifts or gondolas are situated at both ends of a huge steel arm. They are 27 meters long and carry 300 tons. When the two gondolas on the bottom and on the top are filled with water, the Ferris wheel turns while the boats in the basins remain parallel to the ground because of the inertia of the water.
10 hydraulic motors
... ensure smooth synchronization. They hide inside the four-meter-thick rotational axis and transfer their power directly to the two protruding arms. With this mechanism, boats can overcome a difference in elevation of up to 35 meters.
Unsuitable for big ships
All in all, eight of the longboats developed for the use on British canals can be lifted and lowered in one go. These so-called narrowboats are up to 22 meters long, but only 2.2 meters wide. A shortcoming of the Falkirk Wheel is that it can only carry smaller vessels like these.
Waterway connecting the Atlantic with the North Sea
The Falkirk Wheel lies between Glasgow and Scotland's capital Edinburgh. In 1790, the Forth and Clyde Canal was completed, a 60-kilometer cross-country water passage connecting the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea with the North Seas, built at Scotland's narrowest point. There is a difference in elevation of 48 meters between the two ends, requiring the construction of numerous locks.
Revival for canals
Coal, textiles and metal products used to be transported on canals. With the dawn of the rail era, the canals became less important and many fell into disuse. But Britain's millennium projects revived and repaired parts of the old canal system. Replacing 11 locks, Falkirk Wheel is the masterpiece of this reconstruction.
Landmark of steel and water
Scottish Canals, the operator of the boat lift, wanted to create an architectural landmark. The money needed came from the European Union and the British Lottery Fund. When the Falkirk Wheel was opened, 30 million euros had been spent and 1,200 tons of steel had been used. And each year, more than 600,000 visitors come to see the world's one and only rotating boat lift in Scotland.