Day 44 - Canals, Tunnels and Wheels

 

Starting out early from Beecraigs Country Park in light drizzle, I had covered a couple of miles downhill thinking how light my rucksack felt without my waterproofs in when I realised I had actually left both waterbottles behind. Turning back is never an option (particularly two miles uphill) and, given I was walking down a canal in an urban area, thought I would wait until I came across a cafe or a shop. It took just over 13 miles, by which time I was licking raindrops off my coat.

I was on the Union Canal for that first 13 miles. The canal opened in 1822 and joined Edinburgh to Glasgow via the Forth and Clyde Canal. It was really redundant by the 1840s when the railway was introduced but only closed to navigation in 1933. It reopened again in 2001, following National Lottery funding that included tarmacing the towpath, allowing it be used as a National Cycleway as well as a footpath. It also has the benefit of being completely flat with no locks, so I was able to make good progress.

Other than an aqueduct over the River Avon, it was a fairly featureless section through largely uninhabited fields. There was a cow stranded in mud on the opposite bank at one point (not much I could do) and a horse biting a shetland pony in a most unfriendly way (I shouted a bit to put it off) but most wildlife was sheltering from the rain and out of sight.

Approaching Falkirk, there is a 600 metre tunnel built purely to satisfy a wealthy landowner, who objected to being able to see something as offensive as a canal from his window. Some people... . The canal had extra significance today, as I had arranged to meet another former work colleague, Scott Stirling, who lives locally. At one time, Scott and I shared a magnificent job title - Regional Head of Operational Effectiveness, Scott for Scotland, me for North of England - although neither of us really understood what this entailed. In discussing the meet up, I only had an approximate distance for my walk and what time I would reach the tunnel, whilst Scott was walking from the opposite direction. That we met right in the middle of the tunnel was the most Operationally Effective we have ever been.

That tunnel and a more recently built one were both impressive: how would you even start a 630 metre tunnel in the 19th century, particularly with no high-vis jackets available? 

Falkirk is where the Union Canal meets the Forth and Clyde and used to feature a stair of 11 locks. When the canal reopened, funding extended to a unique boatlift, the Falkirk Wheel, which collects one boat from the bottom water and lifts it to the top (and vice-versa). Through a system of water replacement that involved Archimedes and some other technical jiggery-pokery beyond an ex-Regional Head of Operational Effectiveness, the boats are transferred using less energy than it takes to boil eight kettles of water.

The rain was still hammering down and we lunched in Scott's Vauxhall Astra, although I insisted he didn't switch the engine on to ensure no possible accusations of mechanical interference in my LEJOG mission could ensue. He then joined me in walking the next four or five miles before he had to turn back to the car park. My sore foot from yesterday never troubled me at all until the moment he left - funny how the mind works. 

Scott committed to send me a joke a day to keep my spirits up from the outset of the walk. A tyical example - 'the self-deprecation society is taking applications for new members. I've already put myself down.' Despite this, I still look forward to his daily message and it was great to see him turn out today in spite of the inclement conditions. 

The afternoon continued the theme of the morning with another long stretch of tarmacked canal path. By the time I was back in the van just south of Twechar by Kirkintilloch, I'd covered 26.6 miles in just over 9 hours. I'd stopped for lunch and at various other stages for 75 mins, so my average moving speed was 3.5mph. Although I was pretty tired, my feet held up well in my old boots and my waterproofs had managed to keep me dry despite a fairly persistent drenching.

It's another long one tomorrow - 13 miles on a disused railway line to Strathblane, where I finally join the West Highland Way and I then hope to progress a further 10 to 15 miles towards Loch Lomond.

The first tunnel - longer and older than the one at the top. I omitted to take a picture with Scott but technically he is in this one, just walking towards me. I think I can see a silhouette - or is it a ghostly apparation of one of the constructers...?

The Wheel in operation - boats are in the two 'circles' and the wheel slowly rotates to swap their positions.

Me, wet, at the aquaduct