The Falkirk Wheel

I AM afraid that I totally disagree with Geoff Low (Hope for the Future). The iconic Falkirk Wheel is a novel and functional engineering solution to the age old problem of getting boats from one level to another, writes Orph Mable.

It is water efficient in that it utilises or loses very little water, unlike a succession of locks that it was built to replace.

Tourist revenue

It has brought a large amount of regular tourist revenue to support the canal and the surrounding area, which is not the most affluent area of Scotland. Whilst Scotland can only boast a couple of canals, they are well managed and improving all the time. In part this is due to the regular income and interest generated by the Falkirk Wheel

At the time it was built, money was not as tight as it is today, and I can only applaud the far-sightedness of the British Waterways management of the day. In years to come it will symbolise British ingenuity of the time at it's best. The Falkirk Wheel will sit alongside the likes of The Eiffel Tower, Tower Bridge and The Statue of Liberty, as an engineering symbol of the location where they are to be found.