The Kelpies of Falkirk, Scotland, are a sight to behold. Soaring 30 meters into the Scottish sky, rising from the banks of the Forth and Clyde Canal, the galvanized steel sculptures form a gateway between the Forth and Clyde canal and the newly built canal extension, part of The Helix, a new parkland project that connects 16 Falkirk Council communities.
Kelpies are shape-shifting mythological beasts that are said to inhabit Scottish bodies of water. The legend claims that the sleek water horses, possessing the strength 10 horses, appear on the waters edge and entice people to climb onto their back, before riding into the sea, drowning their victims. Other Scottish legends claim that kelpies transform into seductive men or women and lure transfixed people into dangerous waters. Kelpies have long been blamed for calamities involving water like boats capsizing and water mills seizing.
The modern, kelpie sculptures in Falkirk are a nod toward the myth, but they also symbolize the horse-powered heritage of Scotland and the transformation of Scotland's waterways into functional canals. Draft horses played such a huge part in the industry of Scotland, plowing fields, pulling coal wagons, etc.
The Kelpies are the work of sculptor Andy Scott. He created miniature versions the horses in his Glasgow studio. The sculptures were then scanned with lasers to ensure that the scale
and details would remain perfect in the larger scale sculptures. Andy Scott said that the completed works would be "Water-borne, towering gateways into the Helix, The Forth an Clyde Canal and Scotland, translating the legacy of the area into proud equine guardians".
The completed sculptures and visitor center are now one of the most popular tourist attractions in Scotland, with over 1 million visitors a year.
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