3 Day Explorer Itinerary

Falkirk Wheel

Falkirk Adult £9.95 / Child (5-15 yrs) £6.95

Scotland's most exciting example of 21st century engineering, The Falkirk Wheel is the World's only rotating boat lift - lifting boats 115 ft which links the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal.

Designed to replace a series of lock gates built in the 19th century The Wheel is the showpiece of the Millennium Link project where coast-to-coast navigation of the canals has been re-established for the first time in over 40 years. This fabulous journey was showcased on the very popular TV series Great Canal Journeys, with Timothy West and Prunella Scales.

The star of many a You Tube video – watch the rotating lift in action.

A short walk from The Falkirk Wheel, you can visit Rough Castle Roman Fort, on the Antonine Wall – one of the best preserved sections of this UNESCO World Heritage site.

The Falkirk Wheel is only a short ten minute drive or bus trip from the historic Falkirk Town Centre where you will find a great range of independent retailers, shopping centres and a fine selection of cafes and restaurants.

As featured in:

As featured in Series 2 of Channel 4’s Great Canal Journey saw Timothy West and Prunella Scales embark on a spectacular canal journey across Britain and abroad.

Getting There

Callendar House

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The Kelpies

Falkirk Free to view, Tours from £7.50 (adult)

The Kelpies, two giant horses’ heads, tower a colossal 30 metres above the Forth and Clyde Canal. The centrepiece of The Helix park, Falkirk, they have transformed the area into a five-star tourist destination and form a dramatic gateway to the canal entrance on the East Coast of Scotland. Created by Scotland's leading sculptor Andy Scott, The Kelpies are a monument to horse powered heritage across Central Scotland.

Kelpies are mythical water horses and their tales feature in the Diana Gabaldon book, Outlander.

Come and see the world's largest equine sculptures up close - and join one of the tours , the pinnacle of which lets you go inside to marvel at the complexity and the engineering which created these fantastic pieces of art.

As featured in:

As featured in Series 2 of Channel 4’s Great Canal Journey saw Timothy West and Prunella Scales embark on a spectacular canal journey across Britain and abroad.

Getting There

Trinity Church

Leave The Kelpies and follow signs for Falkirk Town Centre.
As above
Frequent buses operate between The Kelpies and Falkirk Town Centre. The journey takes roughly 20 minutes.

Trinity Church

Falkirk Free

This historic church in Falkirk town centre, known as the Faw Kirk, contains important historical memorials from the era of William Wallace, the Battle of Falkirk 1298 and the second Battle of Falkirk in 1746. It is the last resting place of Sir John De Graeme, William Wallace’s finest knight and right hand man. He was killed in action during the Battle of Falkirk on July 22nd, 1298.

As featured in:

Given its history, it is fitting that its connection to the world of film was in Braveheart in 1995.

Getting There

Muiravonside Country Park

A roughly 20 minute drive
As above
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Muiravonside Country Park

Falkirk Free

Nestled between Falkirk and Linlithgow, the setting lends itself particularly to historic films, as there is a perfect balance of open landscape and indigenous trees.

Muiravonside Country Park offers panoramic views, a spectacular river gorge and several relics of industrial archaeology, linked by a network of paths through a diverse ground flora.

As featured in:

Outlander- The Battle of Prestonpans in S2 and North Carolina in S5

The Outlaw King – Selkirk Forest

Kinneil House and Estate

Bo'ness Free

A wonderful traditional 17th century frontage, Kinneil was home to the 16th and 17th century Earls of Arran, the powerful Hamilton Family. Saved from demolition, in the 1930’s, it is now managed by Historic Environment Scotland and The Friends of Kinneil. You can visit the interior on a certain days throughout the year (keep checking the website for details). The Estate also boasts part of The Antonine Wall, (a UNESCO World Heritage site) the remains of a 12th century church and the cottage where James Watt developed his steam engine.

As featured in:

Antiques Road Trip

Getting There

Bo’ness Motor Museum

Leave Kinneil House and take Dean Road, followed by Harbour Road.
As above.
Walk to Dean Road, take service 2 to Bo’ness (20 stops). Alternatively, it is a 40 minute walk.

Bo’ness Motor Museum

Bo'ness Adults £6.95 / Children £5.00

You will find a fantastic collection of classic cars, including world famous TV and Movie cars and props from James Bond, Harry Potter, the 51st state and much more.

A private collection of over 25 vehicles, including the Lotus Esprit SI from 'The Spy Who Loved Me', the BMW 750 from 'Tomorrow Never Dies', Thunderbirds Hover Bike, The Harry Potter Car, and 'Tardis' props from Dr Who.

In 1999, Colin Anderson decided to display his own cars and James Bond (007) memorabilia from his considerable and growing collection. After much planning and renovation, the Bo'ness Motor Museum was officially opened at Easter 2004 by Caroline Munro and Shane Rimmer, 2 of the stars of the Bond film, "The Spy who Loved Me".

The venue is so much more than just a motor museum but includes a wide range of Bond memorabilia including cars, props and posters from many 007 films and TV, plus a comprehensive collection of transport memorabilia and a varied selection of artefacts from days gone by.

Getting There

Bo’ness Hippodrome

Approximately a 5 minute walk between sites
Approximately a 5 minute walk between sites
Approximately a 5 minute walk between sites

Bo’ness Hippodrome

Bo’ness Adult £7.20

A film tour would not be complete without a visit to Scotland’s oldest purpose-built cinema, the beautifully restored Hippodrome in Bo’ness

A stunning pre-art deco picture palace dating back to 1912, restored and operating once again as a cinema, with the latest projection and sound equipment, a friendly welcome, and screening the best major releases, independent films and classics

The home of the annual Hippodrome Festival of Silent Cinema in March each year.

Getting There

Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway and the Museum of Scottish Railways

Walk 5 minutes
Walk 5 minutes
Walk 5 minutes

Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway and the Museum of Scottish Railways

Bo'ness Prices vary, check website for details

Soak up the atmosphere of this heritage railway, take a step back in time and travel by steam train or enjoy afternoon tea on board. After you trip take time to explore Scotland's largest railway museum full of wonders – Become a signalman and pull the levers on the authentic signal lever frame and challenge your friends to work out how to operate the points. Get an insight into life aboard a travelling Post Office Coach by sorting the letters yourself and don’t miss the famous video of the Night Mail.

As featured in…

Season 1 of Outlander, we saw Claire and Frank say their goodbyes on the platform of Boness and Kinneil railway which was transformed into a war-time railway station.
The Railway has been used as a film location in a number of films and TV series including "The Railway Man", "39 Steps", and many more productions.

Getting There

Linlithgow Union Canal Society

Leave Bo’ness on Linlithgow Road.
30 Minutes.
30 Minutes.

Linlithgow Union Canal Society (LUCS)

Linlithgow Prices vary, check website for details

Our journey along the sites of the Union Canal concludes at the Linlithgow Canal Centre. LUCS was founded in 1975 to promote and encourage the restoration and use of The Union Canal, particularly around Linlithgow. Run entirely by volunteers, The Canal Centre is now a wonderful tranquil place to enjoy canal boat rides, walks, tea and cakes, or simply sit and enjoy the surroundings- which includes the very fine Ross Doocot in Learmonth Gardens.

As featured in…

Great Canal Journeys

Culross

Culross, Fife Adult £10.50 / Family £24.50

For the final day, venture across The Forth taking the longer route via the Clackmannanshire Bridge (as seen in the science fiction film Cloud Atlas) to the picturesque, historic Burgh of Culross in Fife.

Along the way you can take a detour to see The Dunmore Pineapple “ranked as the most bizarre building in Scotland”. Behind this amazing building you can see the rooftops of the ruins of Dunmore House which was used as the WW2 hospital where Claire was working. It is no longer safe to access the house, so you will have to use your imagination to remember back to the scenes of Claire in a very blood stained apron and a bottle of wine!

Arriving into Culross you will see a perfectly preserved example of a 17th century town, where you can picture Jamie & Claire wandering around the cobbled streets.

This is the setting for the fictional town of Cranesmuir, where Geillis Duncan lives. Many of the buildings feature in the show including the Mercat Cross and Claire’s herb garden is the beautiful stepped garden behind Culross Palace. The Season 2 episode “Vengeance is mine” was largely shot in Culross, and in Season 4 scenes featuring Laoghaire’s house were filmed here too.

You can have a leisurely lunch in the historic Red Lion Inn or one of the cafes in the town.

If you would like some fresh air, you can enjoy a walk on the Fife Coastal Path, or a more energetic hike up to the West Kirk (takes around 20mins), used as The Black Kirk in Outlander.

Getting There