Falkirk is a large town filled with interesting, historical, and exciting destinations for local and international visitors. Since it’s located between Edinburgh and Glasgow in the Forth Valley and close to the historic county of Stirling, you can pack many of the things to do in Falkirk into a day or two without needing to travel hundreds of miles.
There are 27 trains a day between the Falkirk and the greater Stirling region. Tickets are available online on the Cross Country Trains or The Train Line website. You can even take a steam train too!
Like in many of Scotland’s fine towns and villages, there are countless things to do in the Falkirk district, including visiting outstanding attractions, landmarks, and events. There are also plenty of brand and non-brand retail stores that sell clothing, homeware, and everything you can think of.
14 Things to do in Falkirk
There are so many fun things to do in Falkirk, which adds to the town’s popularity. There is also a visitor centre, the Scottish Segway Centre if you are looking for more information on the history of the Falkirk district and how to navigate the town or to book day trips and tour services.
Whether you want to experience Falkirk with your children or have a dating day with your loved one, based on your preferences, there is something for everyone out and about in the Falkirk area.
Oh, and don’t forget about the entire Falkirk town centre for shopping. When you get to the High Street in Falkirk between Glasgow and Edinburgh, you will find plenty of cafés, bistros, and restaurants to enjoy that sell a wide range of incredible food.
Other than shopping in the town centre High Street or visiting one of many beautiful parks, if you are in search of something fun to do, then look no further. Apart from local attractions in the Falkirk area, there are many more activities, including E-biking, sky-high trampolining, crazy golf playing Divergent games in escape rooms, and the FTH theatre to experience some drama.
To learn more about things to do in Falkirk, or for future day trip bookings in the Falkirk district and surrounding area, you can look for information on our website or visit the town centre website. If your ideal date is to visit Falkirk in October, just remember that it is a transitional month between a cool summer and a wet winter.
While some places, like castle ruins or speckled churches, don’t require a booking, places like the Callendar house do. Be sure to check whether bookings at any places that pique your interest, such as landmarks, outdoor attractions, or events, require bookings.
The Kelpies & The Helix
The Helix Park in the Falkirk area was designed as a project to improve connections between 16 communities within the Falkirk council in Scotland.
The Helix is home to the Kelpies—two mythical creatures that look like horses with their heads above the ground and light up at night. Standing 30 metres tall in Falkirk and each weighing over 300 tonnes, these are the world’s largest equine sculptures and one of the biggest tourist attractions within the Falkirk area.
The Kelpies cover more than 350 hectares of space between Falkirk district and Grangemouth. In the Helix, you will find the Plaza Cafe and its natural surroundings, including a woodland, lagoon, and wetlands. There is also an Adventure Zone play area for children, pathways that span over miles, and incredible scenery.
Falkirk Wheel and Antonine Wall
If you are looking for something different, then you can check out the Falkirk Wheel! Its the world’s first and only rotating boat lift and opened in 2002 with a plan to reintroduce canals in Central Scotland. In recent years, the Falkirk wheel has successfully connected the two canals for the first time since the 1930s and, by doing so, has also connected Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Here, you will also find the Antonine Wall in Tamfourhill, Central Scotland. It is a rotating boat that connects two scenic canals, the Forth and Clyde Canal and the Union Canal. This was done when a 21st-century landmark structure was built and was resurrected to reconnect the canals in the early 2000s – Definitely a must-see attraction when visiting the Falkirk district.
Falkirk Stadium
If you are a Scot, then you probably have a big interest in football. And, what better way to celebrate the incredible sport than at one of the most popular attractions in all of Falkirk? You can visit the Falkirk stadium, which was built in 2004 if you are looking to spend the day watching football and other events with friends and family.
The Falkirk stadium is the home ground of a few local clubs, such as the Scottish League One club Falkirk, East Stirlingshire, and the Lowland Football League. The Falkirk stadium is among some of the biggest landmarks in the town of Falkirk.
Callendar House
Have you ever heard about Callendar House? If you live in or visit Scotland, there’s no doubt that you have to take the opportunity to explore the history, especially the Falkirk area. As one of the many things to do in Falkirk, when you visit the Callendar House, you can expect a 6-century massive castle-looking house, the type you would think to find in a fairytale book.
The Callendar House’s location is on the grounds of Callendar Park in Falkirk, a mansion that has seen wars, an industrial revolution, and many rebellions. It has accommodated historical figures, with the most popular being Mary, Queen of Scots.
Visiting the Callendar House mansion, you can expect costume interpreters who bring some of Scotland’s history to life, listen to stories, and enjoy authentic Georgian food.
Callendar Estates
If you live in a city or bustling town, then you can escape from a scenic outdoor setting to a milk farm in the countryside, which is still located close to the Falkirk district town centre.
At Callendar Estate you can enjoy many outdoor activities, such as cycling, walking, riding, or even a Segway experience. There are many Falkirk tours to discover, all that is covered in grounds that carry a part of Scotland’s rich history in the United Kingdom.
You can plan a family-friendly outing to Callendar Estate in Falkirk, where you will also find a lovely café, milk barn, and indoor play area for children.
Xtreme Karting Falkirk
Looking for a fun activity? Whether you are an adult or are looking for something adventurous for the kids (between 10 – 15 years old), Xtreme Karting is perfect for you!
This is just one place in the Falkirk district where you can experience motorsport with friends or family. It is the very first karting centre in the Falkirk area, but also all of Scotland. It has a 5-star rating and is a thrilling yet safe activity for most of the family.
Apart from the 30,000 sq ft kart track in the Falkirk area, which features a bridge/ underpass section, sweeping corners, and hairpin bends, there is a designer lounge area that has large windows for you to view the track. You can also view it from the side of the track. Both of these areas are also equipped with race timing displays that allow you to keep up with the action as it happens in real time.
Muiravonside Country Park – Falkirk Council
This country park is set on the river banks of the Avon River in the Falkirk district in the UK and is one of the top attractions in Falkirk. The site has 70 hectares filled with picturesque gardens, woodlands, and parkland, all of which once formed the Muiravonside Estate. Major features on the parks’ grounds are also connected by a path network.
Exploring the woodlands in the Falkirk district, you can expect a big variety of trees, such as tall oak, hazel, ash, birch, and yew. There are also shrubs, including bluebell, primrose, cuckoo-pint, and dog’s mercury. Apart from the greenery, you can expect to see some of Scotland’s beloved birds, like the green woodpecker, nuthatch, and flycatcher.
Many people visit the park regularly to experience wide-open spaces and scenic walks. There is also a perfectly laid-out footpath that leads to the Union Canal.
Kinneil House and Estate
The Kinneil House offers visitors an intimate knowledge of over 2000 years of Scottish history, from the Romans up until the Industrial Revolution. As the seat of power for the prominent Hamilton family, the Kinneil Estate is synonymous with power and high status.
Taking a guided tour through the property sheds light on some pivotal moments in Scottish history, including when James Watts created the first version of the steam engine in the basement of the home! While guided tours are limited, wandering the 300-year-old furnishings of the House is one of the most popular experiences in Falkirk.
If you weren’t able to book a guided tour, don’t worry! You can visit the Kinneil Museum instead. Come and learn about the great outdoors of the Bo’ness area and the Kinneil Railway.
The Pineapple
The Pineapple, also known as the Dunmore Pineapple, is a very popular place to explore in England.
The property is historic and includes a mansion and two large gardens. The wall used for the garden’s surrounding area had a purpose from the 18th century to create a microclimate against the cold in the Falkirk district for planting fruit and vegetables.
Enjoy a walk or picnic with the family, with the biggest covering 6 acres. In the building, there is also a hot house in the wall built in 1761and you can expect a magnificent historical building with unique architectural styles.
Dollar Park
Dollar Park is a beautiful parkland in an area surrounding the Falkirk district in the United Kingdom with a lot of horticultural attractions and leisure activities.
Entering the north part of the park in Falkirk, you can expect to find active recreational activities, a tennis court, an 18-hole putting area, and a playground for kids. There are also pathways, a range of mature trees, and a sculpture of Sheila McKechnie, an OBE, Scottish trade unionist, housing campaigner, and consumer activist.
Dollar Park is ideal if you want to plan an educational visit and experience monthly market stalls and civil partnership ceremonies. The parks are also used for wedding services.
Tappoch Broch & Torwood Castle
If you are adventurous and seek mysterious land in Falkirk, there is a forest, Tappoch Broch, approximately 2 miles northeast of the town. Within the forest, you will find Torwood Castle, a ruined L-shaped castle from the 16th century.
Although the risk level of entering the Falkirk castle is considered low, the castle has been neglected for a very long time. The estimated year the castle was built in Falkirk is 1566, which we all know was a rather interesting time in the history of Scotland and contains fascinating Roman history.
Explore the John Muir Way
There’s no better way to explore Falkirk and Scotland than a hiking trip from west to east on the John Muir Way. This 134-mile-long hiking path snakes from Helensburgh on the western coast of Scotland to Dunbar on the eastern coast. Falkirk sits directly in the middle of the route, which means some of you may be reading this as you pass through (Hi, there!).
The Way has a range of great views that show off the Lowlands and Highlands of Scotland, as well as various cycling trails throughout (keep an eye out for information boards along the route that direct you).
The trail is not for the faint of heart and takes multiple day trips to complete, but it is one of the most fun Falkirk attractions. If you don’t want to commit to the full 134 miles, you can always take a shorter segment like Falkirk to Linlithgow (8.5 miles) or Kilsyth to Falkirk (13.8 miles) instead.
Falkirk Old Parish Speckled Church
In the Falkirk area, there is an old church known as the Old Parish Speckled Church or Falkirk Trinity Church, which is a congregation of the church of Scotland. History suggests that the church is one of the oldest landmarks in Falkirk, dating back as far as the 7th century.
Keeping some of its original charm and steeple, the church site was redone and rebuilt in the 19th century. Today, the church is recognized as a listed building in Falkirk. As it contains much of the Falkirk district’s history, the old church right in the centre of the town is certainly worth the visit.
Zetland Park
There are many exquisite parks in the Falkirk district, yet there’s something about Zetland Park that’s different. If you enjoy visiting parks around town, then Zetland Park is a must for the whole family.
Apart from being scenic, much like a green oasis, the park also has an interesting story behind it and was gifted to the people of Grangemouth in 1880 by the Earl of Zetland. Today, it is recognized as the perfect place for escaping the busy town or city life and is ideal if you want to take a stroll or have a picnic outdoors in nature.
Other Things To Do in Central & West Scotland
- Things to do in Balmaha
- Things to do in Biggar
- Things to do in Drymen
- Things to do in Dunblane
- Things to do in Grangemouth
- Things to do in Lochearnhead
- Things to do in Loch Lomond
- Things to do in Stirling
