SCOTLAND

The causeway runs at the foot of a row of concrete pylons on one side of the causeway, which were constructed as a submarine and surface shipping defence boom during the Second World War. and are one of the most striking sights in the area. At high tide the path is covered by several feet of seawater which cuts the island off from the mainland. Always check the tide timetables before crossing!

The inscription written here is engraved in granitunder the pen name Under the pen name Hugh MacDiarmid, Christopher Murray Grieve (1892-1978) The rose of all the world is not for me. I want for my part Only the little white rose of Scotland. That sharp and sweet - and breaks my heart. Written under the pen name Hugh MacDiarmid, Christopher Murray Grieve (1892-1978) wrote these poignant words

The Falkirk Wheel is a rotating boat lift, connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal. The lift, named after the nearby town of Falkirk in central Scotland, opened in 2002. It reconnects the two canals for the first time since the 1930s as part of the Millennium Link project. The plan to regenerate central Scotland's canals and reconnect Glasgow with Edinburgh was led by British Waterways with support and funding from seven local authorities, the Scottish Enterprise Network, the European Regional Development Fund, and the Millennium Commission. Planners decided early on to create a dramatic 21st-century landmark structure to reconnect the canals, instead of simply recreating the historic lock flight. The wheel raises boats by 24 metres (79 ft), but the Union Canal is still 11 metres (36 ft) higher than the aqueduct which meets the wheel. Boats must also pass through a pair of locks between the top of the wheel and the Union Canal. The Falkirk Wheel is the only rotating boat lift of its kind in the world, and one of two boat lifts in the United Kingdom, the other being the Anderton boat lift, which I have also visited.

The Kelpies are 30-metre high horse-head sculptures, standing next to a new extension to the Forth and Clyde Canal, and near River Carron, in The Helix, a new parkland project built to connect 16 communities in the Falkirk Council Area, Scotland. The sculptures were designed by sculptor Andy Scott and were completed in October 2013. Built of structural steel with a stainless steel cladding, The Kelpies weigh 300 tonnes each. Construction began in June 2013, and was complete by October 2013. However the process of fabricating the steel was several years in the making. SH Structures, of Yorkshire, carried out this fabrication and also managed the erection of the sculptures on site.

Construction video can be found here: www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Queensferr+crossing+you+tube&&view=detail&mid=45F9F5CB7A627992AFFB45F9F5CB7A627992AFFB&rvsmid=2F42583FFBA41DFA90A72F42583FFBA41DFA90A7&fsscr=-1650&FORM=VDMCNR Those with keen eyesight may be able to spot HMS Queen Elizabeth in Rosyth on the left hand edge of the photo.

Arbroath, settled in the 12th century, lies 15 miles to the north east of Dundee. The attractive historic working harbour remains in action today and long sandy beaches and stunning sandstone cliffs stretch out on either side of the town. A great are for walking. The town's most famous product is the Arbroath Smokie, (delicious), which was first created in the village of Auchmithie, just up the coast from here. This is a harbour inside the main harbour.

The Signal Tower is now a museum and was originally built in 1813 as a base of operations for the famous Bell Rock Lighthouse, the Signal Tower housed the families of the keepers stationed on the 'rock', along with the vital shore staff who ran the tender. The name Signal Tower comes from the ingenious signalling apparatus installed atop of the tower building that was used to communicate between the shore staff and the keepers of the lighthouse. An identical set of signalling apparatus is installed atop the lighthouse itself. Installed within the Signal Tower was a small observatory outfitted with a powerful telescope; it was through this telescope that the signalling apparatus on the lighthouse was monitored during the day. In an age before wireless communications, the ball system employed by the Bell Rock was seen as state of the art technology. At night, any fluctuation to the light would see the supply vessel set sail for the 'rock' to investigate.

It is definitely worth exploring the varied coastal scenery north of Arbroath on this excellent walk atop the sandstone cliffs.

The River Dee at Kirkcudbright is a tidal river. The water will reach the reed bed in the foreground at high tide

The bridge over the River Dee at Kirkcudbright was built in 1926 by the engineers Mouchel. It provided a direct route west out of the town, rather than having to head north via Tongland Bridge first. The bridge is a massive 5 span reinforced concrete structure, where each span is supported by tied arch trusses overhead. Below the spans the piers are paired and while only two stand in the river at low tide, at high tide all are partially submerged.

In 1569 the land and buildings of the Convent of Greyfriars were acquired by Sir Thomas MacLellan of Bombie, Provost of Kirkcudbright. He demolished the convent and used the stone to build what on its completion in 1582 was one of the grandest houses in Scotland.

Aberlady Bay , East Lothian has a number of remarkably little known historic wrecks including two midget submarines, Royal Naval X-craft. In 1946 two X-Ts were moored on the vast expanse of sand at Aberlady as targets for aircraft gunnery practice.