The NC500 in a VW T3 Campervan – Part 10 – Kelpies and Conspiracies.

Day 11 – Balfron to Seaton Sluice, via Falkirk and Rosslyn – 187 miles (300km)

Whilst a couple of days in the Airbnb was a nice treat and a nice rest for Bellamy, our trusty WV T3, we were looking forward to sleeping and eating in some cramped conditions again!

Today we would be leaving Scotland behind as we headed South towards home. Today, our goal was south of the border, near Newcastle-upon-Tyne, but we planned our route to take in a few more Scottish landmarks.

Our first stop was a local farm shop not far from the Airbnb where we stayed. In the Airbnb, we took a shine to a piece of art on the walk, and we found they were sold close by. So as another gift for ourselves, we purchased a Highland Cow wooden art creation, modelled here by Louise. Harry the Highland Coo, as he affectionately became known, still hangs proudly in our home today.

Falkirk Wheel and the Kelpies

Our next stop would be the Falkirk Wheel, a rotating boat wheel connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal. The wheel raises boats and the water surrounding it by 24 metres (79 ft). Our minds struggled to comprehend the 500 tonnes of water and boats the wheel carried on every revolution.

Then we drove a short drive to the magnificent Kelpies, two 30-metre-high horse-head steel sculptures which are amazing. The scale and detail were breathtaking.

Rosslyn Chapel

The Da Vinci Code book (and movie) ranks highly in Louise and my own top 10 favourites, and we had always wanted to visit Rosslyn Chapel. It didn’t disappoint. It was refreshing to find that rather than distance itself from the fiction of Dan Brown’s bestseller, it acknowledges its existence and weaves it into the already fabulous history of being built by Knights Templars. The detail carved into the church is truly breathtaking. Some carvings seemingly depict Mazie, which at that time was only found in the Americas. Yet Rosslyn chapel was built 50 years before Christopher Columbus. Did the Templars discover the Americas? It was a great place to visit if you love or loath the books.

St Mary’s Lighthouse – Seaton Sluice

Our campsite that evening overlooked St Mary’s Lighthouse, and I set my alarm for an early start in the hoping of capturing a nice sunrise photo. In the evening we explored the coastline for somewhere I might want to take photos in the morning and then to a local pub for some food. Falling asleep hearing the sea again reminded us of how great it was to be sleeping in the van again.