Falkirk Wheel to undergo £1 million restoration
The only rotating boat lift in the world is to undergo a £1 million restoration.
The Falkirk Wheel - the only rotating boat lift in the world - is to undergo a £1 million restoration.
The investment comes after the attraction experienced its busiest year since opening in 2002.
More than 600,000 people visited the structure that lifts vessels from the Forth and Clyde Canal to the 115ft higher Union Canal last year.
It is the most popular tourist attraction in rural Scotland, with six million visitors passing through since its opening.
The wheel - which was voted one of the most important civil engineering projects of the last century by the International Federation of Consulting Engineers - will be refurbished inside and out'' alongside the visitor centre, trip boats, conference rooms and the activity hub.
The visitor magnet will remain open during the restoration period, which is estimated to be completed this summer.
Scottish Canals chief executive Steve Dunlop said: The Falkirk Wheel is the jewel in the crown of Scotland's canal network and the income it generates plays a vital role in safeguarding the rich heritage of the nation's 250-year-old waterways.
Even more than a decade since its opening, the chance to see this iconic feat of engineering in action is still drawing huge numbers of visitors, boosting the economy of the area and helping put Falkirk on tourists' 'to-see' lists the world over.''