The Falkirk Wheel to the Kelpies

This is officially one of of Britain's 100 Favourite walks, and with good reason – not because of the landscape it passes through but due to its beginning and end points, each of which are stunning and represent Scotland's industrial past, but which are also very much of the present. You start your walk at the Falkirk Wheel – an immense rotating lift that connects boats to the Union Canal – and then follow a path through the outskirts of Falkirk on a new stretch of water, the Queen Elizabeth II Canal, which forms the eastern gateway to the Forth & Clyde Canal and was officially opened in 2017. It's a nice walk, no question, but the most impressive modern attraction is yet to come – The Kelpies, situated in the Helix park: nothing less than a 30-metre-high sculpture of two horses' heads that weigh 300 tonnes apiece and are the largest equine structures in the world. Why are they here? Sculpted by 2013 by the US-based Scottish artist Andy Scott, these magnificent statues celebrate the role of horses in Scotland's industrial heritage. There's a visitor centre open all year, and you can go inside and inspect their inner steel structure. Or just sit down, eat a picnic and marvel at them before exploring the numerous attractions on offer in the rest of Helix Park, from cycle trails to boating on the lake.