The Kelpies - as seen from the front

The Kelpies tower a colossal 30 metres above the intersection of the Forth & Clyde canal, the River Carron and the Forth, and form a dramatic gateway to the canal network. (The figure silhouetted against the white construction shed, in the centre right of the picture, gives an indication of scale).

Sculpted by Andy Scott, The Kelpies are a monument to horse powered heritage across Central Scotland.

Andy Scott has written: "During the conceptual stages, I visualised the Kelpies as monuments to the horse and a paean to the lost industries of the Falkirk area and of Scotland" says Andy.

"The original concept of mythical water horses [known as Kelpies in Scotland] was a valid starting point for the artistic development of the structures, but from the original sketches of 2006 I deliberately styled the sculptures as heavy horses. In early proposal documents I referred to Clydesdales, Shires and Percherons, of the fabled equus magnus of the northern countries. I wrote of working horses. Of their role in the progress of modern society, as the powerhouses of the early industrial revolution, the tractors of early agriculture and, of course, the first source of locomotion for barges on the Forth & Clyde canal, which The Kelpies will soon inhabit. …

"When you sail in from Europe or elsewhere in Britain, the first thing you will see will be these colossal horses' heads welcoming you to Scotland."


The Kelpies have been under construction for the last six months, and regular drivers on the M9 motorway (such as Rabbit's chief of staff) have been privileged to watch them gradually rise out of the ground in a feat of remarkable engineering ingenuity. We can't wait to see the construction finally finished.