Falkirk Sight Seeing - Falkirk Wheel and Kelpies

After Stirling we headed down to Falkirk.

The Falkirk wheel is the worlds first and only rotating boat lift.  It's 35 metres high and meant that the 2 canals that had been linked by 11 locks until 1933 were reunited again in 2002.

It only uses 1.5kWh of energy to turn, the same amount boiling 8 kettles.

And whilst it seems slow, it is considerably faster than locks which would take hours to get through.







We left there and went onto the beautiful Kelpies.

 They are huge

 and quiet beautiful

 They draw you in with wonder and awe






















But don't be fooled by their beauty.  It is a clever game, they draw you in to the loch from where they appear and they will take you back under the water and eat you.

They especially like children

A useful bit of folklore to keep children from playing near dangerous water maybe or a truth handed down from generation to generation until they are so rare (or so clever) they are no longer seen.

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The National Wallace Monument

 So unable to head up the second mountain as planned we headed down to Stirling to start some touristy sight seeing.

The National Wallace Memorial is there and well worth a visit.

It has recently been 'redone' and if you get the opportunity to go, do.  There is a lot of interactive learning right from the outset, the walk up to the memorial from the car park even has wooden statues to have some fun with.

 Each floor of the memorial has really interesting information about Scottish history and about William Wallace.

Having learnt nothing about Scottish history at school and only knowing that the Scots hate the English but no much about why, this was a real journey of discovery for me.

As usual the English were really crappy 'landlords' and that justified historical hatred hasn't had a chance to dissipate yet!

 William Wallace was a national hero and defeated the English at the battle of Stirling Bridge.

The famous Wallace sword dates from 1305 and has an interesting history.

 The telling of the story is done well.

 And because of the time it all happened there is little mention of women but they make up for this in the hall of heros.

There was a great quote in there which I loved but I have no idea now who said it as it is under the disk.  If you know please tell me in the comments.

From the roof top there were brilliant views of the battle site.
















I really liked it here and could have spent a lot more time but we had a lot to see so back to the car we headed.

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Commando Memorial

The Commando memorial is at Spean Bridge just outside of Fort William.

It was put here because it is on the route from Spean Bridge railway station to the former Commando Training Centre at Achnacarry Castle. Arriving prospective Commandos would disembark after a 14-hour journey, load their kit bags onto waiting trucks and then speed march the 7 miles to the training centre in full kit with weapon, weighing 36 pounds. Anyone not completing it within 60 minutes was immediately rejected.

There was an enormous downpour as we got there and we sat in the car waiting for it to pass over.  I was in a lot of pain and fairly glad for the stillness.  The weather seems to change rapidly around here and as quickly as the rain came in it was gone again.

It has a marvellous view of Ben Nevis.  The snow in the picture is not quite the top, which stayed firmly in the clouds.

There is also a lovely memorial garden with so many photos and mini memorials to fallen Commandos.  One man arrived on a motor bike as we were there clearly having travelled a very long way.  He placed a tribute in the garden and on the memorial itself and ask someone to take a photo of him doing it.  A promise he had made to someone kept.

Rainbows kept coming and going and there was a lady there with a very professional looking camera.  I pointed a rainbow out to her and asked if she'd seen it as I thought it would make a lovely photo.  "I'm here a lot" she said curtly.  I noticed later she looked rather upset in the memorial garden and I was sorry I had spoken to her and sorry for her.

 It was a moving place with stunning views in the distance.  It would be bleak in bad weather.  You can see why the area would be used for training.












And just before we left there was a brief break in the cloud to see (almost) the summit.  I'd been up there, I was rather proud.

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Steall Gorge, Waterfall and Beyond

So when I woke up the next day my back was in a bit of a state but I thought that walking might help it provided it was a gentle amble.

I ditched most of the weight out of my backpack and we set off.

To be immediately faced with a danger of death sign, but there was a chance of seeing a golden eagle so I pressed on.

 The path was hard going and a scramble in places over the waterfall and stepping stones

 But the views were good.

 The sheer scale of this is hard to describe but can you see the very tiny people in the foreground?

We carried on a way past the waterfall

Oxford University Officer training Corps built a bridge which I was very grateful for given my track record of river crossing with out a bridge!

We stopped about where you see the path run out on here, had a sandwich and walked back again.

And then drove into Fort William, went to a tat shop to buy the obligatory "I climbed Ben Nevis" fridge magnet and badge

Ate an evening meal.  People are so friendly around here, a man on the table next to me offered me some haggis off his plate to be sure I got a proper taste of Scotland!


And then my back gave up completely (not haggis associated!)

It really was a hobble back to the hotel and I was on all fours trying to undress and crawl into bed.

The next days planned mountain really wasn't going to happen.

We needed a plan B.

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BenNevis

 We set off about 10am






















The weather looked fine, so I started out just in a long sleeved t-shirt with a short sleeved one over the top.












The forecast for the summit was possible rain

There was a constant line of ants, many coming down already too.

Because of the 3 peaks challenge many climb at least one of the 3 peaks very early doors.

 But we just went slow and steady.

 It didn't feel like it took long to get to half way.   Although it felt a little strange, looking at a loch that looked like it should be at the bottom and it is in fact 1600 foot up.

Scouts sometimes carry a boat up here (in parts) assemble it and sail on this water.  There are frogs and newts in it.

 The views stayed good as we got higher but the path started to get more difficult.

We stopped for a sandwich ready for 'the last push'.  My walking partner has done this a lot of times, he's climbed every munro.  He said we stop and eat now and get coats on.  It's not going to be nice enough on the summit to want to eat up there.





And he was right, the hail started. Side ways in the face pain hail.  The snow fell and I left it too late to put proper gloves on, my hands were so cold I was struggling to do it and he had to pull them on for me!  My walking gloves are fab though within a minute of wearing them my hands were feeling good again and I could actually push my fingers into the finger holes properly!

 You wouldn't want to step off the path in the wrong direction.  Climbers come up this gully too - brave people!

And we were there, as were lots of others and we waited to have our picture taken!!!

We didn't stay there long, we set off to follow the line of ants back down again.

Which became more pleasant once we were out of the cloud and snow.

 I hate walking down hill.  I'm rubbish at it, my right knee hates it more than I do and on this sort of stone it's hard work.  I'm slow.  Lots and lots of people went past me but I plodded on.  I guess what you don't see is the people that are also my pace and there will also be lots of them plodding on too.

I slipped a couple of times, never at risk but enough to fall over twice, not dreadfully but down on my bottom and I think it was enough to jar my back.  24 hours later I had back pain I'd not experienced in years.

 I went up and I came down and that is a massive achievement, It took us 6 hours 15 minutes in total and it took me longer to come down than go up!!

I went straight in the shower without even sitting down first and then sat in the sun drying my hair at the foot of the highest mountain in the UK - 4,411 feet (1,345m)

I'm so proud of myself.  In 2011 I couldn't walk.  In the past 2 years I've climbed the 3 highest peaks in England, Wales and Scotland and run a half marathon.



 And I celebrated with (vegetarian) haggis

 and another walk (flatter but still about 3 miles, to loosen the muscles off apparently(!) I think I would have been happier just lying down)

I'm so grateful to my ever patient walking fellow who is prepared to put up with my nerves to see me through these challenges.


That'll do pig, that'll do.

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