Newsletter - Links - Advertise - Contact Us - Privacy
 

World’s largest horse sculptures unveiled

November 27 2013

World’s largest horse sculptures unveiled
Construction work on a pair of giant figurative horse’s heads has been completed today as the latest phase of Falkirk’s Helix project rakes shape.

The £5m sculpture is the centrepiece of a £43m master plan for 350 hectares of land between Falkirk and Grangemouth; which is intended to transform the area into a major tourism destination and, at 600 tonnes and 30m tall, the artwork is now a prominent feature from the M9 motorway.

Sculptor Andy Scott, who designed the piece in homage to the horses which once pulled barges along the neighbouring Forth & Clyde canal, commented: “I have always been fascinated with horses and the heavy horse was at one time the driving force in industry until after the Industrial revolution. There is an ancient and almost primal link between man and horse and The Kelpies you see here today are an outstanding exemplar of art and engineering coming together to deliver something really special for the people of Falkirk and Scotland.”

Councillor Adrian Mahoney, Falkirk Council’s spokesperson for culture, leisure and tourism, added: “This has been a dramatic year for the overall project, with the Helix Park and its lagoon being unveiled to the public.  Contractors have also moulded great new access routes and paths to ensure the site is easily accessible from neighbouring communities.”
 
Built by SH Structures the Kelpies will be officially opened to the public by summer 2014.

Photography by bermrunner

3 Comments

Ian Nairn Jr
#1 Posted by Ian Nairn Jr on 28 Nov 2013 at 09:07 AM
Delightful and genuinely awe-inspiring - my only concern would be an increase in accidents on this stretch of the motorway as drivers become captivated by these two figures. I certainly was.

Public art can fail to impress even on a large scale (for example the awful Stoneymollan Roundabout at Balloch) but this is just beautiful. Well done to all.
The Bairn
#2 Posted by The Bairn on 28 Nov 2013 at 14:36 PM
Scandalous waste of public money!!
£25 million does not buy much theses days does it? Will they airbrush out the original 'public art' electricity pylons from the tourist brochures? Would have been more cost effective to paint them gold leaf...
The Bairn
#3 Posted by The Bairn on 28 Nov 2013 at 23:39 PM
Missed a trick for maximum publicity I reckon.
They should have invited Willie Carson and AP McCoy on to Question Time tonight...

Post your comments

 

All comments are pre-moderated and
must obey our house rules.

 

Back to November 2013

Search News
Subscribe to Urban Realm Magazine
Features & Reports
For more information from the industry visit our Features & Reports section.