The Helix‐Home of the Kelpies: Celtic Water Horses to Guard the Canal Each of the Kelpies stand 98 feet tall and weigh approximately 31 tons. The designer, Andy Scott, was selected by the Scottish Canals to reflect the lineage of heavy working horses during the 18th and 19 centuries that were used in industry to pull the wagons, ploughs and barges with coal, iron ore and goods that were used between Glasgow and Edinburgh on the canals. "The artistic intent (of the Kelpies) is built around a contemporary sculptural monument. Water‐borne, towering gateways into The Helix, the Forth & Clyde canal and Scotland, translating the legacy of the area into proud equine guardians." Andy Scott, Sculptor <thehelix.co.uk> The concept started in 2006 on paper. Construction began in late 2013. A one‐kilometer extension of the Forth and Clyde Canal was completed in April 2014 to the Kelpies Hub. On July 8, 2015, HRH Princess Anne officially opened the 875 acre (350 hectare) Kelpies Park called the Helix (a three‐dimensional space) in Falkirk, Scotland. Kelpies overview, courtesy Scottish Canals: < scottishcanals.co.uk It took 3,285 days (9 years) to develop and build the Kelpies. World's longest horse statues. Equivalent to 6 1/2 double‐ decker buses. Each Kelpie weighs the equivalent of 300 Clydesdale horses. The cost of horses and the canal was approximately $54 million. It took 90 days to assemble the Kelpies using ten workers. 990 stainless steel panels were used attached to steel frames. The Kelpies rest on a concrete pad that is 131 feet deep to bedrock. Each Kelpie has more than 18,000 individual components. What is a Kelpie? According to Yahoo Answers: "The Kelpie is a malevolent water spirit of Scottish legend, usually having the shape of a horse and rejoicing in or causing drownings. [Probably of Celtic origin Akin to Scottish Gaelic colpach, heifer.] For some unknown reason Kelpies are also known as helpers of millers as they will keep a mill wheel going through the night." Sources: Tour with guides, "The Falkirk Wheel" Haywood Associates, Scottish Canals, Copyright 2012, http://www.visitfalkirk.com/, https://www.visitscotland.com, http://www.thehelix.co.uk/things‐to‐do/the‐kelpies/history#.XS0uKI9KiBY, , https://www.scottishcanals.co.uk/destinations/the‐kelpies/the‐story‐of‐the‐kelpies/, https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AwrEZ7buNS1dPRMAvAAPxQt.;_ylu=X3oDMTByMjB0aG5zBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlY wNzYw‐‐?qid=20100812115559AANX5qL and https://www.merriam‐webster.com/dictionary/helix. acuri.net John R. Vincenti The Kelpies .