Edinburgh, Scotland: The Kelpies

It has long been said that in the rivers, streams and lochs of Scotland there lurked evil spirits - spirits that would sometimes take the form of a magnificent horse.

These creatures would wait patiently for weary travellers to pass by, and those travellers would become their prey.  Any poor soul who climbed upon the back of one of these spirits would find themselves bound to the creature, unable to escape, as it galloped back into the depths of the water from whence it came…

Soon after my arrival in Edinburgh I went on a day trip to Loch Katrine. I had a hideous cold at the time, and spent most of the journey there and back passed out against the window of a bus.

On the way back to Edinburgh, I awoke to find myself looking at two enormous horse heads. They were gone as quickly as they appeared, and I was left feeling quite confused (and not altogether sure that I hadn’t imagined them).

When I was next at dinner with my lovely adoptive family, I asked if it were possible that there were two huge, metal horse heads along the motorway between Edinburgh and Stirling. It was on that night that I was introduced to kelpies.

Kelpies have appeared in Scottish folklore many times throughout history, and there are some fantastic stories about them in books and online. Scots are wonderful storytellers, I have found that reading those stories is a fantastic way to explore Scottish history and culture.

But back to those giant horses by the side of the M9…

Photo by Gus

The Kelpies at Falkirk are the largest equine sculptures in the world. They were, amazingly, erected in just 90 days in 2013. The Kelpies stand at 30 metres, weigh 300 tonnes each, and are made up of 990 unique steel plates.

They are magnificent. I cannot at the moment think of any sculpture or structure that I have been so in awe of. The Kelpies are so unique, with both of the sculptures displaying different personalities depending on which angle you look at them from.

Gus, Milly and I took a wee road trip to Falkirk to see The Kelpies, and arrived just as the sun was setting. Though they are beautiful to gaze upon in daylight, they are also well worth a visit at night. The sculptures are lit from within, with the colour of the light changing from night to night. On this particular evening, The Kelpies were lit with an appropriately demonic red.

Photo by Gus

To give you an idea of scale, here are some shots with Milly and Gus in them. Sadly, my phone camera cannot do The Kelpies justice - one of these days I'll have a real job and I'll be able to afford a proper camera!

As these beauties can be seen from the M9, they are super easy to visit from either Edinburgh or Glasgow. It shouldn’t take you more than 45 minutes from either city – and they are definitely worth the drive.

Photo by Gus

So next time you’re on your way to The Highlands, doing a quick run between Scotland’s two biggest cities, or just have an afternoon to spare – consider a trip to Falkirk and prepare to be amazed.

As always, dear readers, thank you for your time. And remember not to approach any untended horses on your Scottish adventures – it may be the last thing you ever do!