E-bike cycling
E-bikes are a great way to explore Falkirk and beyond. They give as little or as much help as you need on your journey, making them great for those getting back in the saddle or new to exercise.
They are also a fun and convenient way to get around the area. Falkirk has an electric bike share scheme, called Forth Bike, which is available for anyone aged 16 and over. You can pick up an e-bike at any of the stations across the area and simply drop it off at the next nearest Forth Bike station when you are finished with it.
Day 1: Zetland Park
Start your visit to the area at Zetland Park, a beautiful Victorian park in Grangemouth that is popular with locals and visitors of all ages.The park also has a Bike Library offering free bike hire as well as an e-bike station making it a great starting point for a bike trip. Recently refurbished, Zetland Park now boasts a new play area, exciting new pump track, sensory garden, restored war memorial and riverside paths amongst other attractions. Look out for the replica of the Charlotte Dundas, the world’s first practical steamship, as the centrepiece of the new play area.
Distance: Zetland Park - The Kelpies: 15min/2.6miles
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Day 1: Helix Park & The Kelpies
Cycling to the nearby Helix Park takes roughly 15 minutes and takes you to one of the key attractions in the area. The Helix Park is an ecopark that features plenty for everyone to do, including a large Adventure Zone play area, a splash zone and lagoon with boat and peddalo hire, a great lawn and of course, the iconic Kelpies.
The Kelpies are the largest equine sculptures in the world and have become a must-see tourist attraction for visitors to Scotland. Standing 30 metres tall, these two majestic steel sculptures are a tribute to the working horses that pulled barges along Scotland's canals. In the Visitor Centre, you’ll find out more about these magnificent structures as well as the chance for children to recreate them in Lego. Stop for refreshments at the coffee shop to refuel before heading on your way again.
Distance: The Kelpies - River Carron/Grahamston Ironworks Gate: 13min/2.4miles
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Day 1: River Carron
Tucked away behind the Kelpies, you’ll find the Helix North path that takes you along the River Carron. The Carron was once home to the famous Carron Company. Established in 1759, it was one of the largest iron works in Europe and put the Falkirk area at the forefront of the Industrial Revolution in Britain. The river has given its name to the carronade, a type of naval cannon, a line of bathtubs, two warships, and even an island in the Southern Hemisphere.
Today, as you cycle along its banks, you’ll find remnants of Falkirk’s industrial heritage. Ride through the reclaimed woodlands of Cobblebrae and Abbotshaugh where you’ll find interactive art installations and sculptures celebrating the renewal of the community after the decline of heavy industry in the area. After a 15-minute ride, you’ll reach the impressive Grahamston Ironworks Gate, once the largest iron gate in the world.
Distance: River Carron/Grahamston Ironworks Gate - Larbert: 8min/1.8miles
Day 1: Larbert
As you carry on along the banks of the River Carron, you’ll reach the town of Larbert. It was also once a centre of heavy industry and is now a popular commuting town for people travelling in to work in the nearby cities of Glasgow, Edinburgh and Stirling. Today, you’ll find a beautiful nineteenth century parish church, plus numerous spots to enjoy local wildlife. This includes the Larbert Lido in Crownest Park.The Lido is a great place to spot wildlife and has interpretation boards describing the birds and other wildlife associated with the habitat. Larbert Woods near the Forth Valley Royal Hospital is another great place to spot wildlife, featuring a picturesque little loch. It is home to roe deer, squirrels, dragonflies and frogs. You’ll find E-bike stations in Larbert town centre, Stenhousemuir and at Forth Valley Royal Hospital.
Distance: Larbert - Skinflats: 42min/8miles
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Day 1: Skinflats
Finally, from Larbert, make your way back to the Helix Park or Zetland Park via an area called Skinflats. This area of land was reclaimed in the seventeenth century and is said to take its’ name from the Dutch engineers who worked on the project. Skinflats itself is a small village near to the River Carron and the point where it flows into the Firth of Forth. As well as an RSPB Nature Reserve, look out for the Powfoulis Manor Hotel, a traditional Scottish Baronial Manor House that is now a popular wedding venue. Enjoy the views of the Clackmannanshire Bridge and across to the Ochil Hills as you return to Grangemouth.
Distance: Skinflats - The Kelpies: 10min/1.5miles
Distance: The Kelpies - Dunmore Pineapple: 40min/7.8miles
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Day 2: Dunmore Pineapple
After renting your E-bike at the Helix Park, take a 40-minute cycle through the Skinflats area towards the town of Airth. Near the village, you’ll find the Dunmore Pineapple. It’s an elaborate and eccentric summer house built in the shape of a pineapple in the 18th century by Lord Dunmore. The Pineapple sits at the heart of a huge walled garden that is open to visitors. You can access the rest of the Dunmore Estate through an archway to the left of the building. Follow the tracks here past old farm buildings and the ruins of Dunmore Park House stately home and the sixteenth century Elphinstone Tower. Take a trip to the quaint village of Airth before passing Airth Castle. Once a medieval stronghold, the castle was extended and refurbished in Victorian times and is now a popular hotel and spa.
Distance: Dunmore Pineapple - Clackmannanshire Bridge: 25min/4.9miles
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Day 2: Clackmannanshire Bridge
From Airth Castle, follow the road before turning left towards the River Forth. Here you will find the Clackmannan bridge. With a large, wide path running alongside the road, it has plenty of space for cyclists. On a clear day, you’ll enjoy spectacular view all the way to the Wallace monument and craggy mountains of the Trossachs as well as the beautiful nearby Ochil Hills.
Distance: Clackmannanshire Bridge - Clackmannan: 16min/2.9miles
Day 3: Clackmannanshire
Hire an E-bike at the Helix Park and take a day trip to Clackmannanshire. Once you cross the Clackmannanshire Bridge, you’ve entered Clackmannanshire, otherwise known as the Wee County. The smallest county in Scotland has lots to offer and much of it can be covered in a day’s cycle.
Ride through the beautiful countryside and past an RSPB nature reserve until you reach Clackmannan. Make sure to visit the Clackmannan Tower there. It’s one of four surviving medieval towers that make up the Tower Trail in the county. From here, follow cycle route 76 to Alloa, where you’ll find a Forth Bike station. After exploring Alloa, take a 19 km traffic free loop to visit most of the great towns of Clackmannanshire. Join the Devon Way (National Cycle Route 768), an old waggonway that used to link the local coal mines of the area. Follow the route through Sauchie, Devonside and on to the Hillfoots Villages of Tillicoultry, Alva and Menstrie which sit at the base of the rugged Ochil Hills. At Tullibody, continue towards Alloa and come back the way you came, crossing over the Clackmannanshire Bridge and returning to the Kelpies.
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