The Falkirk Wheel is to be the new face of the Bank of Scotland’s £50 note.

The announcement was made as the bank launched its first new complete series of notes since 1995. The notes, which celebrate some of Scotland’s major and most recognisable engineering achievements, will go into circulation in the autumn.

The Falkirk Wheel is the spectacular centrepiece of the £84.5m ‘Millennium Link', the UK’s largest canal restoration project, developed by British Waterways.

The wheel itself is a bridge connecting two canals - the Union Canal with the Forth and Clyde Canal - re-establishing east to west coast access for boats.

At each end of the 115-foot Wheel are caissons able to lift 300 tonnes of boat and water, with the trip between basin and aqueduct taking approximately 15 minutes.

A visitor centre with a glass frontage overlooks the Wheel and basin and a boardwalk gives visitors the opportunity to watch as the spectacular Wheel rotates.

Carole Keltie from Falkirk Wheel said: “We are delighted that the Bank of Scotland has recognised that The Falkirk Wheel is an engineering masterpiece and a true icon for Scotland by including an image of the world’s first and only rotating boat lift on the £50 note.”