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Waterways

No visit to West Lothian would be complete without taking to the water on the Union Canal.

Just a short drive away, you can take a trip on an engineering and design wonder capable of lifting 600 tonnes of water over 35 metres in less than four minutes. The Falkirk Wheel - the stunning centrepiece of the £84.5 Millennium Link reconnecting the Union Canal with the Forth & Clyde Canal - really does have to be seen to be believed!

For a more traditional take on water travel, both the Linlithgow Canal Centre and Edinburgh Canal Centre, Ratho serve as the boarding points for a number of cruises: sightseeing, dinner, even murder mystery and seasonal Santa cruises!

Falkirk Wheel

The Falkirk Wheel boat lift is an exceptional feat of modern engineering and is already being recognised as an inspirational sculpture for the 21st Century. It is the worlds only rotating boat lift and connects the Union and Forth and Clyde canals.

The visitor centre is open and boat trips run daily all year round. (t) 08700 500 208.

Linlithgow Union Canal Society (LUCS) run boat trips every weekend from May until September to the Avon aqueduct. The annual Fun Day and Cardboard Boat race takes place Sunday 17th August 2008.

The canal museum and tearoom is open daily in July and August & weekends May to September. (t) 01506 671 215.

Check out the British Waterways Scotland website for details on cycling the canal towpath, angling or even hiring a boat to cruise the Scottish Canal Network. (t) 01324 671 217.

The Edinburgh Canal Centre at the Bridge Inn, Ratho runs a variety of dinner and tourist cruises. These range from 1 1/2 hour trips to West Lothian's Almond Aqueduct, the third longest in the UK, through dinner and disco cruises, to 4 day holiday cruises to Bowling Basin west of Glasgow. (t) 0131 333 1320.

Link to the Edinburgh Canal Centre website.

Linlithgow Tours offer a variety of options ranging from individual, personalised, one to one tours through to organised coach parties.

They offer a variety of tours including historical and walking tours of Linlithgow combined with a canal cruise and visit to the LUCS canal museum. (t) 07909 635 270 or 01506 671 111.