Falkirk Wheel red illuminated arches, Falkirk, Scotland

Bridge to nowhere?

In the tranquility of twilight, this Scottish landmark could be mistaken for a finely designed infinity pool. True, oblivion looms at the far end of this elevated aqueduct, but thanks to some heavy-duty engineering, that 25-metre drop isn't the end of the waterway for the boats that pass here. Once vessels have lined up and are secured in the final section of the aqueduct, known as the Falkirk Wheel, water flow is cut off from the linked Union Canal. Then, held by support arms that extend from a 3.6-metre-thick axle, the whole section, like a Ferris wheel cabin that's also a bathtub, is rotated clockwise with the boats kept upright. This lowers traffic to the Forth and Clyde Canal far below, while an identical cabin on the opposite side rotates its own batch of boats to the upper level.