A Scottish Legend: Kelpies – Mythological Water Horse Creatures
Story and Photos by Katie McLellan – WanderMoore Travel Writer Editing by Sara Moore and Amber Ballard
The Kelpies, located in Falkirk, are massive sculptures of the mythological Kelpies. Created by Scotland’s famous sculptor Andy Scott, they tower a colossal 30 meters above the Forth and Clyde Canal. Check out Katie’s experience visiting this amazing site below:
I love tourist attractions – castles, distillery’s, monuments, famous boats, anything that I can climb, play with, explore and learn. I love it all! It could be my degree in tourism, or it could be because it’s all just a great fun day out! Over the last year, driving to and from my grandparents in Falkirk, I have driven past the Kelpies sculptures many times. They are magnificent, magical looking sculptures that take over the sky. I have wanted to see them up close and personal for a while. It was a nice day (by Scottish standards) and I was driving home, so this was the perfect time to visit.
The Myth: Kelpies
The Kelpie is a mythological creature that is a shape-shifting water horse that haunts the rivers, ponds and lakes of Scotland. The creature could take many forms and had an insatiable appetite for humans. Its most common guise was that of a beautiful tame horse standing by the riverside. This would have been a tempting ride for a weary traveler. Anybody foolish enough to mount the horse – perhaps a stranger unaware of the local traditions – would find themselves in dire peril. The horse would rear and charge headlong into the deepest part of the water, submerging the travelers to a watery grave.
The Kelpie will normally take the form of a man to lure a young woman to become his wife. So the legend says, the woman notices that this man is a Kelpie and removes his silver necklace which keeps him man, and once removed he turns back into a Kelpie, she takes the Kelpie to see a wise old man, who tells her to return the silver necklace. Once again transformed into the handsome young man she had first met, the wise man asks the Kelpie whether, if given the choice, it would choose to be a Kelpie or a mortal. The Kelpie in turn asks the girl whether, if he were a man, she would agree to be his wife. She confirms that she would, after which the Kelpie chooses to become a mortal man, and the pair are married. More info on the myth of the Kelpie’s HERE!
Why the Myth?
There are many reasons for the myth of the Kelpies. First, was to tell stories of the malevolent water spirits to children to try and keep them away from perilous areas of water. Second, was to warn adolescent women to be wary of attractive young strangers. The stories were also used to enforce moral standards, as they implied that the creatures took retribution for bad behavior. Also, the intervention of demons and spirits was a way to rationalize the drowning of children and adults who had accidentally fallen into the deep, fast flowing water.
Scotland is known for having many myths that bring hundreds of thousands of tourists to the country every year. The Loch Ness Monster being the most famous, down to the Picts (stone circles) that are scattered over the country side, and many more! I am glad I got to see the Kelpies sculptures in person. It will be my last Scottish tourist attraction for a while, as I continue to travel the world.
Love and Peace ,
Kaytee xoxo
www.Adventuresofaredhead.wordpress.com Insta@kayteemarie26
Additional Info:
Walking tours are offered daily and take about 30 minutes. The cost is 7.50 Euros for adults and children are FREE. There is also a visitors center and a little cafe, and they hold various events throughout the year!
Address: The Kelpies, The Helix, Falkirk, FK2 7ZT
Phone: 01324 590600
Website: TheHelix.co.uk/Kelpies-tour
Check out more WanderMoore blog posts about Scotland HERE!
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About the Author
Hi my name is Sara and I am the creator of WanderMoore! 🙂 I started WanderMoore in early 2020 after leaving a full-time job in the Communications/Marketing field to stay home and raise my kiddos, Mila and Liam. I wanted something fun to work on in my free time and WanderMoore has become one of my biggest passions! Thank you for reading my post! I can't wait to share more of my travel adventures with you 🙂
Super insightful and interesting post about a mysterious and interesting creature. Well written too! 🙂
This is so interesting! I love sculptures too! I also love findibn graffiti! It’s super fun. I’ll be sure not to climb the kelpie!! Haha
Wow, I’ve never even heard of this before! Interesting read!
Ok, this is pretty cool! I’ve never heard of this place before but I love that it has a whole mythical story behind it!
I love the Kelpies! I used to live in Edinburgh, and it was one of my favourite places to take visitors. Aren’t they magnificent?!
I love reading about mythology, I’ve been to Scotland once as a kid. I’ve love to back just to visit that place, the statues are very impressive!
That’s so interesting to know! And it looks so huge and stunning! Wish to see it in real life one day