Central Belt - The Kelpies

In Scottish folklore, the Kelpies were shape-changing water spirits that emerged from rivers and lakes, often taking the form of horses. This old name has been beautifully embodied in modern times in two stunning metal sculptures of horses' heads located at the end of the Forth and Clyde Canal. The sculptures are made of steel, are 30 metres high and are known as just "The Kelpies". They pay homage to the work horses that made the canals possible by pulling the barges in days gone by. Since the Kelpies were completed in 2014, they have quickly achieved iconic status and have no doubt worked their way into the hearts of everybody who has visited them. They are so full of character and movement and seem so incredibly alive. I made my first visit to the Kelpies a couple of weeks ago. I felt oddly emotional standing there gazing up at them, in the same way as I do when I gaze adoringly at the Forth Rail Bridge, another Scottish icon.  My friend Graham and I had cycled there from home in Portobello along the Union Canal and then the Forth and Clyde Canal. Here's a few pictures from our journey.

We cycled across the city on the Union Canal, mixing with the morning cycle-commuters on the tow-path until we were free of the city.

The canal crossed two tall aqueducts. Firstly at Slateford where we looked down on city traffic and then above the River Avon where we looked down on the foaming waters below.

The verges were lush with grasses and wildflowers on a hot summer's day. People were walking, cycling, drinking coffee in outdoor cafes and tending their barges.

The Falkirk Wheel, a very clever modern boat lift, joins the Union Canal with the Forth and Clyde Canal. Just before it, we passed through a long dark tunnel. In the minimal lighting you could just make out the giant gouges in the rock from making the tunnel and the drippy, slimy walls. It was like an early Star Trek set.

We cycled downhill now as we joined the Forth and Clyde Canal and cycled down to sea level towards the Carron Sea Lock that enables a watery connection between the east coast of Scotland and the west. There were many locks on this section as the canal dropped markedly.

A couple of miles later, we stopped dead in our tracks as we got our first sight of the Kelpies. How stunning they looked from here, sitting beautifully in their landscape with the Ochil Hills as backdrop.

But even that first view couldn't prepare us for the drama of getting up close. We stood below and gazed up at the beautifully sculpted heads, rising into the blue sky and reflecting back the sun.

The Kelpies face east. I don't know why that direction was chosen but I love the inscription on a wall behind them that reads ... "stretch up your long necks to face the sun".

Fact File

My route: Used the Union Canal towpath from Edinburgh city centre to its conclusion at the Falkirk Wheel. Nice cafes on the Union Canal at the Park Bistro, just before Linlithgow, and at the Bridge 49 Cafe, right on the canalside just after Linlithgow. At the Falkirk Wheel continued down the hill to join the Forth and Clyde Canal and turned right/east. From here it's about 4 miles down to the Kelpies. Of course, from Glasgow you could use the Forth and Clyde Canal all the way.