About an hour outside of Edinburgh lies Falkirk, an unassuming town that quietly holds one of the biggest monuments of Scotland’s mythological history in the country. Two enormous horse-heads tower 100ft above Helix Park in an impressive display of modern engineering.
Created in 2014 by Andy Scott , the Kelpies of Falkirk are an honorary symbol of Scotland’s horse-powered past. The heavy horse, or draught horse, was a crucial part of Scottish industry and economy particularly in the port industry of Falkirk.
But the Kelpies have an even deeper and more serious connection to Scotland’s past than just their industrial heritage.
A kelpie is a malevolent water spirit from Scottish folklore. Depending on the story, these shape-shifting beings could appear either as a horse who would drag curious children down into the river using their magically adhesive coat before eating them, or as a beautiful stranger hoping to lure people to their deaths. They might also attack travellers by the river, using incredible strength to crush them to death.
Kelpies are also said to have power over the water, summoning floods to drag unlucky travellers into the depths of the river.
In a way, kelpies can be seen as the personification of the dangerous oceans that surround Scotland. With such a rough climate, ancient Scots might have blamed kelpies for the terrible winds, floods, and dangerous conditions they experienced. Later, the stories might have become warnings to children about any horses, rivers, or strangers they might come across.
The Kelpies of Falkirk are a beautiful and impressive sculpture cementing ancient Scottish folklore into modern times. People from all over the UK and sighseers from abroad stop at Falkirk amidst their travels to visit the Kelpies and learn about the monument’s mythological ties to the past.
The Kelpies are free to visit but their are private tours that take you into the sculptures themselves to truly appreciate the craftsmanship. The visitor centre and gift shop has collectibles and plenty of information about the sculptures themselves – mythological and otherwise.
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