Bridge 61 of the Union Canal has these faces carved into the structure – the laughing face faces east, towards Edinburgh, and the greeting on faces Falkirk.

Nobody seems to be quite sure why these faces are there, but the wonderful Canmore site (https://canmore.org.uk/site/46775/union-canal-bridge-no-61) gives a couple os possible reasons. They both seem to centre on the idea that the section to the east of the bridge was comparatively easy to build, and the contractor involved made a considerable profit. West of the bridge, however, plans had to be changed to accommodate the wishes of the Forbes family. Rather than being out in the open, the canal had to go through a tunnel – the costs of that ultimately bankrupting the contractor involved.

Being from Glasgow, I have a different interpretation. As you head towards Edinburgh, you see the greetin’ face looking down at you. Whereas, when you are heading west towards Glasgow, you see the happy, smiling face welcoming you!