Next time you’re tempted to bypass Falkirk, take the time to discover a town rich with history, charm and hidden gems
Falkirk is the ultimate hidden in plain sight Scottish town. Thousands of us whizz past on the train every day barely giving it a thought, let alone considering a break there.
That amazes me, as the town is home to not one, but two global tourist icons, a flurry of other attractions and the surrounding area offers a rich bounty of cultural treasures that weave into one of the most colourful histories of any Scottish town.
I dive deep straight into that heritage at Callendar House, a French chateau influenced dame that reclines in the bucolic surrounds of Callendar Park, flanked by the Antonine Wall to the north; the Union Canal to the south.
The museum bursts with the stories of the Romans. Mary Queen of Scots and Bonnie Prince Charlie both stayed at the house, William Wallace fought his last battle in Falkirk and in the Industrial Revolution Falkirk forged the world’s largest foundry, the Carron Ironworks.
It’s no wonder the producers of Outlander came to film in Callendar House. This is no dull museum, with an audio visual display bringing the history of the startling Georgian Kitchen alive and regularly rotating temporary exhibitions, plus seasonal events.
They’re looking at opening up the vast cellar for events this year, too, and one of Scotland’s more challenging park runs tackles the park. I won’t forget ‘Heartbreak Hill’ in a hurry, nor a lunch in the excellent tearoom after.
Callendar House also houses the archives of Falkirk and the surrounding area. I thoroughly recommend booking a free appointment. Let them know your areas of interest and they will haul out documents, maps and charts in a gorgeous old library that looks the part.
One nugget I take away is that Burke and Hare worked on building the Union Canal here. I left too vowing to come back and learn more about the days when Bo’ness was a massively busy port trading all over Europe.
I learn, too, about regeneration in the town, with the centrepiece Falkirk Town Hall, a whopping multi-million pound project that has already seen an old shopping centre carbuncle demolished. A state-of-the-art theatre, events and arts space is set to rise from the ashes with a projected completion date of 2028.
This could really give the centre a boost in the way the V&A has done for Dundee. For now I thoroughly recommend booking a visit to Falkirk Steeple to rise through history for a view.
While we wait for Falkirk Town Hall, Falkirk already boasts the remarkably reborn Rosebank Distillery, ‘Best Regeneration Project’ in the 2024 Herald Property Awards. The ‘King of the Lowlands’ was mothballed in 1993, but production has restarted under Ian Macleod Distillers and July 19 sees their first malt. I sampled it at just over two years and this triple-distillery wonder (which uses 100% Alloa malted barley) is already worthy of the Rosebank legacy, a spirit-first fruity delight.
The award-winning project and visitor centre is unmissable and integral to the Falkirk story, sitting right on the Forth and Clyde Canal. I recommend the £49 tour as it includes a dram of the 31-year-old, which retails at £1,800 a bottle. It has been a tough few years for Scottish single malts so the return of this famous dram is being celebrated well beyond Falkirk.
Falkirk’s strength in depth is such that I’m not even going to write about the Falkirk Wheel here and the Segway Centre and boat tours on site, nor the Roman complex at Rough Castle, nor the John Muir Way or the award-winning network of walking trails. And we won’t have time to visit Falkirk Trinity Church, with its William Wallace connections.
That strength in depth ripples out around the Falkirk Council area. I head this time to Bo’ness to take in the Forth views. I’m not here for the Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway, nor the Bo’ness Motor Museum. Instead it’s a screening of I Swear at The Hippodrome. The movie proves a good choice as the cinema stars in the film and their Kieran Ferguson makes a cameo.
Scotland’s oldest continuously running cinema is an art deco joy from 1912 that oozes old world character. It’s still a comfortable cinema too with an impressive sound system and picture quality. A highlight of their calendar is an internationally renowned annual silent film festival and they have silent movie days outwith that.
My last stop helps tie all the strains of Falkirk together. The Kelpies is a symbol of the history and dynamism of Falkirk. I learn more about the world’s largest equestrian sculptures, which dominate the old canal, on a guided tour that swirls right inside and illuminates their story, design and construction.
The Kelpies are not a full stop in ever-changing Falkirk though. Surrounding Helix Park and the Kelpies keep that dynamism going – the latest project is a deeply impressive one. The Kelpies Experience is run by Scottish Canals in conjunction with Zone Events. It’s a wildly fun 25m aerial climb that sweeps you right up inside the Kelpies, climbing all the way – safely harnessed in – right into the horse’s mouth for an epic view of the Falkirk area, before abseiling back down.
They offer day and night aerial climb experiences at the Kelpies, which this year also hosts gigs by the likes of Madness and Faithless. The sheer excitement of climbing high into one of the world’s most famous modern sculptures is another strong string to Falkirk’s impressive iron bow.
The next time you’re whizzing by on the train pause a minute, take a good look out over this seriously underrated town and remember the treasures that lie in and around one of Scotland’s most thrillingly historic hubs.
Bed down in Falkirk
Premier Inn Falkirk Centre
This is the place to stay for whisky aficionados as it’s housed in a solid old whisky warehouse overlooking the brilliant Rosebank Distillery. Enjoy a dram as a nightcap, dream of whisky and then ease next door the following day for a whisky tasting. The Centre overlooks the Forth & Clyde Canal.
The Graeme Hotel
A small hotel in the centre in a grand stone building, the Graeme is handy for wandering to all the sights. It has a restaurant and bar too.
Macdonald Inchyra Hotel & Spa
There are great deals online at this bolthole on the edge of Falkirk. Can-do staff and a leisure centre with a pool make this a great base. If you’ve more time, indulge in a ELEMIS or Ishga spa treatment. Proper cooked breakfasts really set you up for the day.
Foodie Falkirk
Callendar House
This leather wallpaper-clad joy has to be one of Scotland’s most charming tearooms. Recline on the second floor of this palatial house, peering out over the grounds. Homemade soups, sandwiches and baking is on offer. They also do afternoon teas in another similarly high-ceilinged room. A tea menu includes Japanese green tea with cherry that tastes like a Bakewell tart in a very good way.
The Scottish Steakhouse
This does exactly what it says on the tin with a swathe of perfectly cooked steak options – the highlight is a large sirloin for two. It’s not just a steakhouse – it has an eclectic menu that covers all the classics like fish and chips and even a brace of Indian starters and curries.
Kelpies Visitor Centre
Few cafes in Scotland boast a view as dramatic as this welcoming oasis, which peers right over the hulking presence of Duke and Baron and also to their smaller siblings outside that Andy Scott built as design models. Expect hot food (the pork and haggis sausage roll is a winner), sandwiches, cakes and traybakes.
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