Clydesdales

Most Americans are familiar with these magnificent horses from the incredibly sentimental ads that Budweiser uses to make us cry every Christmas and Super Bowl.

The friendly nature of these giant creatures is no accident. In the 1820s Scotsmen cross bred powerful Flemish stallions with local mares to create a workhorse that is powerful, even tempered and docile enough to work in close proximity with men. They were quickly put to use pulling boats and barges along the canals and rivers of Scotland.

It’s no wonder the shape-shifting Kelpies that live below the surface of these waterways chose the Clydesdale as the form they would take when they came ashore. These mythical creatures wait patiently on the banks for unsuspecting passersby who are drawn to their kind eyes and magnificent countenance. Innocent people would reach out and touch them, only to be trapped and pulled below to a watery grave.

Kelpies

Andy Scott With Duke & Baron      © Jim Stewart

By the end of the 20th century the canals and waterways around the once vibrant industrial Falkirk region were silted up, filled with refuge and unused.

At the beginning of the restoration project, named the Helix, sculptor Andy Scott was brought in to help. He imagined that Clydesdales would be the perfect image to bridge the divide between the  areas industrial past and it’s mythological folklore. He chose the Clydesdales Duke and Baron as his models.

Duke is “Kelpie Head Down”

Baron is called “Kelpie Head Up”.

The Kelpies in Helix Park

Looking Up Inside Duke at Falkirk, Scotland

These amazing sculptures have completely revitalized the Falkirk area. The first year alone drawing a million tourists.