Forth and Clyde Canal

canal, Scotland, United Kingdom

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July 23, 2026

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Falkirk Wheel Falkirk Wheel (2002), a rotating boat lift that connects the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal, near Falkirk, Scot.

The Forth and Clyde Canal was a waterway in Scotland that connected the Firth of Forth to the Firth of Clyde. Completed in 1790, it was once of significant economic importance but is now disused. The canal passed through Kirkintilloch, a town that also has a history linked to the Roman Antonine Wall. While the Forth and Clyde Canal is no longer in use, Scotland also features the Caledonian Canal, which runs across the Great Glen and connects the North Sea to the Atlantic Ocean, though it too is now primarily used by smaller vessels.123

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John Smeaton
Smeaton also constructed the Forth and Clyde Canal in Scotland, which opened a waterway between the Atlantic and the North Sea; built bridges at Perth, Banff, and Coldstream, Scot.; and completed the harbour at Ramsgate, Kent.
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Smeaton also constructed the Forth and Clyde Canal in Scotland, which opened a waterway between the Atlantic and the North Sea; built bridges at Perth, Banff, and Coldstream, Scot.; and completed the harbour at Ramsgate, Kent.
Read More