Dad and I had a wee trip to the rather splendid Falkirk Wheel at the weekend. Originally the Forth and Clyde and the Union Canals met here, linked by a series of eleven locks descending the slope. As the canals declined in the late 19th and early 20th century, the locks were finally demolished in the 1930s. As the canals were regenerated in the late 90s and early 2000s (both the waterways and the adjacent towpaths turned into walking and cycling networks), the Falkirk Wheel was created to reconnect these coast-to-coast canals once more. An elegant and practical piece of engineering, this rotating boat lift uses about as much energy as it takes to boil a kettle to lift and lower all that structure, water and boats. Beautiful piece of engineering, which I think can stand proudly with those magnificent 19th century engineering icons. I can imagine the ghost of Brunel looking at this and nodding in approval.

The low winter sun was good for light and for shadows: