SCOTT MASTERTON PHOTOGRAPHYThe Kelpies are 30-metre high horse-head sculptures, standing next to a new extension to the Forth and Clyde Canal, in The Helix, a new parkland project in Falkirk. Scotland.
The sculptures were designed by sculptor Andy Scott and opened to the public in 2014.
The Kelpies are a monument to horse powered heritage across Scotland. Kelpie, or water kelpie, is the Scots name given to a shape-shifting water spirit inhabiting the lochs and pools of Scotland. It has usually been described as appearing as a horse, but is able to adopt human form.
The mythological kelpie is usually described as a powerful and beautiful black horse inhabiting the deep pools of rivers and streams of Scotland, preying on any humans it encounters, taking their victims into the water, devouring them, and throwing the entrails to the water’s edge. According to sculptor Andy Scott, “The original concept of mythical water horses was a valid starting point for the artistic development of the structures.” He also said that he “took that concept and moved with it towards a more equine and contemporary response, shifting from any mythological references towards a socio-historical monument intended to celebrate the horse’s role in industry and agriculture as well as the obvious association with the canals as tow horses”.
