Grangemouth can be explored through its waterways, a park with a war memorial and a striking sculpture ensemble. The Forth & Clyde Canal, Zetland Park and The Kelpies each highlight different aspects of the area’s history; The Helix adds green space, trails and a lagoon. You can plan your visit around canal history, remembrance and parkland.

Canal history and trails

The Forth & Clyde Canal runs from the River Carron in Grangemouth to Bowling on the River Clyde. This places Grangemouth along the waterway’s longer route. The Charlotte Dundas Trail commemorates Charlotte Dundas and her creator, William Symington. It is paved and fully accessible. The extended Charlotte Dundas Trail continues along the Rope Walk to Dalgrain Road and is 350 m longer.

The illuminated canal towpath is used by walkers, runners and cyclists. The trail commemorates Charlotte Dundas and William Symington; walkers, runners and cyclists use the illuminated towpath. This brings together two distinct perspectives: the historical tribute and the canal path as a route for visitors.

The Kelpies and The Helix

The Kelpies are a pair of 30-metre-high horse-head sculptures in Helix Park, between Falkirk and Grangemouth. They commemorate the working horses that once pulled barges along Scotland’s canals and worked in the area’s fields. This interpretation connects water transport with the former work carried out on the land, giving the sculptures a link to the region’s working history.

The Helix is a public park between Falkirk and Grangemouth. It covers 350 hectares of green space, as well as many kilometres of safe, family-friendly cycling and walking trails. A large lagoon is designated for watersports and wildlife watching. The Helix offers more than the horse-head sculptures: trails, water activities and nature watching complement the Kelpies’ historical connection with other interests.

Zetland Park: a gift and a place of remembrance

In 1880, the Earl of Zetland (Shetland) gifted Zetland Park to the people of Grangemouth. The Zetland Park War Memorial is a cenotaph designed by Sir John Burnet in 1923; Burnet was an architect for the Imperial War Graves Commission. A cenotaph is a symbolic tomb that describes the memorial’s form.

The dates mark two separate events: the park’s gift in 1880 and the war memorial’s design in 1923. This distinguishes the park’s origins from the later design of the place of remembrance. Burnet’s role as an architect for the Imperial War Graves Commission also provides context about the designer. Visitors to the park will therefore find not only the story of its gift, but also a memorial whose form and date of creation offer a distinct historical focus.

Getting to Grangemouth Sports Complex

Falkirk Grahamston is the nearest railway station to Grangemouth Sports Complex. Regular trains run from there to Stirling, Glasgow and Edinburgh. If the Sports Complex is part of your plans, check the timetable for your travel date so you can plan your journey.

Discover more destinations: Falkirk, Larbert, Bo'ness, Maddiston, Camelon, Polmont, Denny, Slamannan.

Return to the main travel overview: Falkirk.