We head over to Scotland for a week of narrow boating with Looper friends on historic canals, which includes experiencing the engineering marvel Falkirk Wheel.
NEW FEATURE
Adding a video summary of our travel adventures. This is for those who prefer to watch instead of reading — or perhaps do both — what I write. (Looking at you, nieces and nephews who have told me they don’t have time to read.)
***Credit must go to my fellow travelers for some of the pictures in this blog. Unfortunately, I can’t remember which ones those are, so I’ll just have to say Thank You for sharing your trip photos. ***
When a group of Looper friends asked us last winter if we would like to join them on a Fall trip on narrow boats in Scotland, it took us all of two minutes to commit. This has been near the top of our ‘wanna do’ list ever since we started thinking about what life might look like post-boat.
Edinburgh, Scotland
Sept 9-11, 2026
Flying from Norfolk via Boston, we arrivied in Edinburgh with the sunrise. Dropping our bags off at the hotel, we headed out to explore and stay awake.
Edinburgh Castle is the city centerpiece, perched high up on an old volcano where it is visible from just about anywhere in the city. Everything within a mile radius is touristy – the Royal Mile between the Castle and Holyrood, museums, historical sites, shopping, kitschy souvenirs, and restaurants. There’s lots of hills and stairs, as well as curving cobblestoned streets and dead ends. By 10 am, there were dozens of walking tour groups all along the Royal Mile, while double decker buses circled around the outskirts.
We use Atlas Obscura, one of my favorite travel apps, to find popular things like the iconic Greyfriar Bobby statue, honoring the loyal dog who waited at his deceased masters grave for 14 years in the mid-19th century. (Which turned out to be a little bit of truth greatly inflated to successfully draw tourists.) Lesser known was Brodie’s Close — an alleyway where Deacon William Brodie lived, leader of the community by day, nefarious criminal by night, and reportedly the inspiration for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. There were quirky art installations, remnants of medieval life, and placards marking events in the Edinburgh witch hunts. More mainstream were churches and cathedrals, unicorn statues (Scottish National mascot), bagpipe buskers, and kirkyards. Monuments were abundant – many of which had orange traffic cones on their heads per what we saw when the ‘Scottish Army’ invaded Boston during the World Cup.
All the wandering kept us busy until it was time to meet up with all our friends at the Sheep Heid (pronounced Heed) Inn for dinner, est.1360. Their other claim to fame — and why it was chosen for our group rendezvous– is you can play skittles. This does NOT involve brightly colored candy, but rather is a traditional Scottish pub game akin to bowling. A human is stationed down the lane to put the ball on the return track and reset the pins by hand, all the while keeping an eye out for a ball hurtling down the lane before they’re back in the corner. What could possibly go wrong? But it was fun entertainment, and no boomers were injured in the festivities. Great kickoff to our week-long adventure together.
Day 2 in Edinburgh started with an Edinburgh Castle tour. The recorded audio guide was so full of the recitation of dates and Kings and Queens with the same name covering its 1500 year history that my American brain was quickly overwhelmed. The funny tidbit that did stick with me is that no Royal has actually stayed there since 1633. In fact, in 1617 the locals spent a year and lots of money renovating the whole castle for a stay by King James I, but he didn’t like what they had done with the place so left after the lavish dinner they threw him. How rude…
Next up was the much better Royal Yacht Brittania tour, perhaps because it was more contemporary and recognizable. This audio tour featured anecdotes of the Royals and crew members that really gave you a feel for what life was like onboard this beautiful vessel. One favorite was about Wombat Tennis in the Officers Lounge. A stuffed toy wombat was tossed up into the rotating ceiling fan, and then volleyed back and forth with tennis racquets as the fan sent it off in random directions. Kinda sounds like fun.
On the short tram ride back from the Brittania, a large group of visiting high school students crammed into the car at one stop, sports teams from Argentina. The couple we were with soon had them talking about soccer and baseball and Messi and the next thing we knew they were belting out the Argentina National Anthem while people stood with their hats off (including Dave and Mark). When they got to their stop, Mark gave one of the kids the Red Sox ball cap off his head, probably to become a prized possession with a story of a crazy American on a train in Scotland to go with it.
Back at the hotel that night, we accepted a contract on the house in Norfolk. Hold that thought – we’ll come back to it.
Narrow Boats
On to the featured event – narrow boating!
Exactly what, you might ask, is a narrow boat? They are 7’ wide ‘houseboats,’ ranging between 45-65’ long. Originally built in England, Scotland, and Wales in the 18th century to move commercial goods, the canals and their system of locks were relatively narrow themselves, and thus the 7’ beam. They subsequently evolved from horse drawn along tow paths to steam engines and then diesel and gas. Rendered obsolete with the advent of the railroad, their use flat-out stopped for commercial purposes and the canals abandoned. In the mid-20th century, some visionaries realized their tourism potential, and the narrow boat travel industry was born. Thanks to social media, their appeal as a source of ‘adventure’ and unique travel has blossomed.
The boats look like the narrow boats of yore on the outside but a Winnebago on the inside. There’s no electronics or radios for navigation – it’s all old-fashioned visual. The driver steers from the stern with rudder and tiller and a throttle, standing the whole time to see over the cabin. It’s noisy in the cockpit with the diesel engine underfoot. With no outside decks on which to walk, communication between cockpit and bow relies on 1) everyone being good at charades, or 2) running through the narrow passageways of the interior through the length of the boat. With a top speed of 3-4 mph, it’s a leisurely cruise with great viewing of the scenery.
The Falkirk Wheel & Union Canal
We would be cruising down and back on the Union Canal, 30 miles each way between Falkirk and Edinburgh. A highlight was to be the Falkirk Wheel.
The original 1822 version had a flight of 11 locks near Falkirk to take it up/down 115’ to join the Forth & Clyde Canal. Left to decay in the 1960s, the Canal underwent restoration in the 1990s for recreational use. But rebuilding all the locks was going to be a real bugger. So some ingenious engineers came up with the Falkirk Wheel, opening in 2002. Two chambers for boats are 180° apart on a central pivot point, one at the top where the Union Canal starts/ends and the other directly below in the basin connecting the two canals. The whole thing rotates like a two-car ferris wheel and moves boats 85’ vertically in 20 min, replacing 9 locks and almost a full day of travel.
Falkirk to Edinburgh and Back
Sept 12-19
(My) Dave and I were on the 62’ boat Scotch Mist with (Other) Dave and Sonia, while each of the other couples were on their own boat; four boats total in our flotilla, ranging from 47’ to 62’ long. The rest of the group had narrow boated together before, so we didn’t really do any of the planning and just followed their experienced lead, making it pretty darn easy on our end. After check-in to our respective boats and the orientation, our flotilla headed for the nearby Falkirk Wheel with excited anticipation. Heavy cross winds that day made it challenging to get into the Wheel bay. But soon, three of us were snugly tied together and the ride up began. It really was a cool ride with incredible views up to the top (check out the time lapse video below).
After the first short tunnel, there were two locks of the traditional type. Only one boat at a time could fit, and they were just long enough for our 62’. Sonia and I were up at the bow and The Captains Dave in the cockpit. We’re yelling and wildly gesticulating for The Dave’s to slow down/reverse while the lock staff above are telling them to keep going forward. That was when we found out why these boats are made of steel. The sound of breaking glass following the Thud! of steel against cement was a couple wine glasses falling to their demise from the open shelf in the galley. After locking up about 15’ feet, we immediately entered the second lock with no further loss of barware. (We would later find out the breaking of drinkware is expected and good luck — a nice way to say it’s a design flaw.)
That had been a challenging first mile when still getting a feel for how the boat maneuvers, but then the gates opened onto the peace and calm of the Union canal. Going through the longer Falkirk Canal Tunnel, we spotted rubber duckies, toy giraffes, and other objects high up on the tunnel ledge; a little surprised we didn’t see any miniature orange traffic cones. We emerged into lush marsh grasses, overhanging trees, and the occasional gray heron as we made our way in the late afternoon to our first stop of Redding.
Overnight mooring is in designated areas where the canal widens a bit so that boats can park parallel to the canal. Most of the time there are iron rings to loop a line through or cleats. If neither of those are present, you pound the provided couple of heavy metal stakes into the ground and attach your line. It was a late dinner at the local pub, followed by a walk up to the nearby Tesco for groceries for the week.
We quickly fell into a daily routine: Leisurely wakeup, morning coffee and breakfast, depart around 10 as a group, arrive at our next stop in early-afternoon, explore a bit, then dinner as a group at a local restaurant or pub. In fact, the trip had been described to us as a giant pub crawl by boat. Dave and I both discovered how good pot pies can be with their flaky puff pastry, having been previously tainted by the bland frozen variety with the soggy crust in the little pie tin from our youth.
The second day, My Dave took the helm and was a natural. He said it was like driving a submarine when it’s on the surface. I drove for an hour or so one day and it requires attention and using your body weight against the tiller so your arm doesn’t get too tired. He taught me that you’re really driving only the stern; you get your nose where you want it, then the rudder control swings the stern around to join it. Kind of like those really long fire trucks with a driver in the front and another guy controlling the rear end. Except there’s no one steering the front and it’s all you.
The Union Canal has 62 very picturesque and individually unique old stone bridges. The openings are a little wider than a single boat; we may or may not have bumped our way along the side of a few of them as we passed through. Most of the way was lush banks, but there was also the occasional home with gardens of blooming begonias and hydrangeas. We passed farmland with scattered giant stacks of hay bales. A couple times we came across grazing sheep right at the water’s edge, and could see old stone castles in the distance in a couple spots when the thick growth parted. The old tow path has been paved the entire 30 miles of the canal, and many locals biked or jogged past (as in faster than us, which was a little weird). Lots of dog walking was happening, and more than one friendly canine looked to be contemplating jumping onto the boat to join us.
There were also several narrow aqueducts traversing high above rivers, ravines, and even a multilane highway . We would hop out and walk alongside taking pictures. Linlithgow was our second stop, a busy town with ruins of the medieval castle where Mary Queen of Scots was born, manicured gardens in full bloom, and for Trekkies a placard identifying it as the future birthplace of Scotty in 2222. Ratho was next, not so much a town as a bedroom community with a canal side stop in the shadow of a Michelin-star restaurant ,where we enjoyed a terrific dinner. From there the scenery became progressively more urban as we neared Edinburgh.
Harrison Park West on the outskirts of historic downtown Edinburgh was our last eastbound stop, as well as our turnaround spot. But how exactly do you do that when you’re in a 62’ boat on a canal that is typically only about 30’ wide along most of it? Well, there are a few designated spots along the 30 mi where the canal wall forms a ‘V.’ You put your bow against the wall into the ‘V,’ power forward and kick the tiller all the way over to pivot the stern. Perhaps not particularly elegant, but effective and another advantage of a steel boat.
It took about 2 hours with people helping man each boat as one at a time each continued down the ½ mi or so to the turnaround and back to mooring spot next to an athletic field and modern apartment buildings; it was reminiscent of the group efforts that happened so often while on The Loop. Then it was off to a fantastic Italian restaurant where the waitstaff joked and ribbed us like it was a family Thanksgiving dinner.
Despite returning the way we came, things always look different headed the opposite direction and new things notiuced. We passed back through the urban outskirts of Edinburgh and into the ‘countryside.’ Besides gray herons, there were lots of swan families along the entire route with the snowy white adults and dull gray adolescent offspring. We passed through Ratho and continued to Winchburg for the night, where there was an actual free marina for narrow boats. We were the lead boat, with the other three behind us delayed a couple hours when one of them had to pull off with an engine problem to await the rental company’s mechanic, who quickly fixed the problem, while the other two hung out for moral support. Dinner included a round of darts at a traditional pub for iconic Scottish entertainment.
It was windy as we passed back through Linlithgow with the castle ruins and church steeple visible from the canal. I sat in the bow entertaining myself and others using ChatGPT to make superhero characters of everyone. Our incredible luck with the weather ran out as we approached Redding in pouring rain. Everyone scrambled along the wall helping to get tied up, and of course as soon as we all were secured the rain stopped.
That evening, Dave and I signed a contract on a house in Minnesota. Hold that thought, too.
From Redding we returned through the tunnels, locks, and the Falkirk Wheel again. We had to turn the boats in early the next morning, which really meant we had to arrive the afternoon before. It was a short distance to the big tunnel with its hodge-podge of ledge items, and then the two locks. Going down in a lock is always easier than up, and fortunately the Gods of Glassware did not demand a sacrifice on our return trip. Our second trip on the Falkirk Wheel was just as amazing as the first but with a different spectacular view over the countryside.
We had to pass the boat rental dock and go down a bit to get to our second turnaround spot, utilizing the same technique of nosing into the V and pivoting, before tying up for the final time at the charter company dock. We had decided earlier in the week that our final dinner would be everyone bringing over whatever food they had left on their boat. We all crammed into our boat – since it was the biggest – and had a lovely final meal together that really was the perfect way to end the trip.
At dusk, we took a cab the short distance to The Kelpies, a 110’ foot metal sculpture of two horses. Acting as a gateway over the Forth & Clyde Canal, they were unveiled in 2014 and honor the workhorses that played such a vital role in Scottish industry and agriculture over the centuries. I was more impressed than I thought I would be – they’re beautiful! Afterwards I read that a ‘Kelpie’ is a malevolent Scottish mythical water spirit that lures children in to drown them. So kind of a creepy name when you think about it.
Return Home
Sept 19-20
The Band broke up when one couple left early Saturday morning for an early flight home. The rest of us crammed into cabs for the ride to a hotel near the airport, where everyone seemed a bit subdued with the seeming denouement of the vacation. We were all happy to chill out at the hotel until our respective flights the next day. But the mischievous travel sprites were not quite done with us, with flight delays and cancellations, rerouting, and even one couple getting delayed when their train from the airport stopped on the tracks for a period in DC. For our part, Dave and I had our flight out of Edinburgh delayed enough that we missed our connection in Boston, then were rerouted to late night flight to JFK and then to Norfolk. We were texting to track everyone’s foibles and see who was the last one home. Arriving home in Norfolk after midnight, I think we might have been the rotten egg…
Final Thoughts
The locals all along the canal were very friendly and stopped to chat, frequently as they were out walking their dogs. The Scots love their dogs, and dogs are allowed just about everywhere. We enjoyed getting our dog fix, and they were happy to see every human they met.
Boats break, as any cruiser and/or Looper knows, and narrow boats are no different. Besides the one episode mentioned above, we had a couple more incidents requiring a call or visit from the charter company maintenance team. And they were terrific, driving out to wherever we were to take care of the problem or talking the captain through what to do. Simple systems fortunately mean relatively quick and easy fixes. And the best part? It ultimately was someone else’s problem.
Now that we’re ‘experienced’ narrow boaters, we would definitely like to do it again. Next time will be in England, where you operate your own locks and there are more villages and stops along a looping route. The friends we were with here in Scotland did this trip as a group a few years ago and highly recommend it.
About those held thoughts...
Yes, we’re moving back to Minnesota.
Who knew that the fastest way to sell your house and buy another is go cruising on another continent? It was a sudden decision and then things happened fast. But that’s a story worthy of its own blog. Suffice it to say that this one was actually completed from our new home in Stillwater.
Pops’ Stats Corner*
- No of Days cruising: 7
- Water Miles Traveled (statute): 60
- Locks: 6
- Falkirk Wheel rides: 2
- Pot pies consumed: 4
- Glassware sacrificed: 2
*Pops is the family’s affectionate name for Dave’s dad. He had a mind for sports statistics, earning him the nickname Numbers from the coaches of several Stillwater teams with whom he worked. This regular section of the blog is in his honor, because it’s the kind of thing he would love.
Congrats on successfully combining cruising and househunting! Beautiful photos and did check out the video
Congratulations on your new home! I’ve loved following along on your narrow boat trip. It’s definitely on my wish list! Can’t wait for the details on the move!