The Helix is a recently developed parkland between Falkirk and Grangemouth about ten miles north of Glasgow which also includes the eastern end of the Forth and Clyde Canal. The Forth and Clyde Canal was reopened as part of the Millennium Link project in 2001, and included the Falkirk Wheel, a 100 feet (30 m) revolving boat lift which connects it to the Union Canal. I will be blogging about that later.
The most visible feature of the development is the two unique equine structures known as The Kelpies. Each horse measures around 100 feet (30 m) in height and, due to the location of the place, they can't be seen until you are almost upon them which adds a real sense of anticipation. Construction of the 1,600-tonne foundations for the Kelpies began in early 2013. The steel structures for the Kelpies were fabricated at Sherburn-in-Elmet in North Yorkshire by SH Structures; delivery of the main steelwork began in March 2013. Each Kelpie weighs 300 tonnes, and once the structural steel framework was erected, they were clad in 990 uniquely shaped stainless steel plates, with construction completed in October 2013.
I had read about them, seen countless numbers of photos of them and they had been on my bucket list of things to visit for the past couple of years. So with a bag full of camera equipment and refreshments, I headed North.
To start off with, let me say The Kelpies are an absolutely awesome sight and I'm really glad I made the effort to go and see them but the drive was a round trip of about 250 miles which was rather tiring. Looking back, I would have been better off incorporating a visit to coincide with a trip to The Trossachs or The Highlands; maybe breaking my journey on the way back down.
As it was, I only spent half an hour or so looking at them and photographing them as there is very little else to do. There is the canal and its towpath which I could have walked along but the area isn't what you would call scenic and the M9 motorway runs right alongside the site so the noise is never very far away. I think they may be illuminated at night but wasn't sure if that was a permanent thing or just on special occasions. I should imagine that would be very spectacular.
Anyway I was able to see what I set out to see and managed to get back down to Cumbria before it got properly dark. Some hyped up places fail to live up to expectations but both The Kelpies and The Falkirk Wheel more impressive than I imagined and both will stay in my mind for a very long time to come.
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| The Forth and Clyde Canal |
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| The Kelpies |
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| The Kelpies |
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| The Kelpies |
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| The Kelpies |
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| The Kelpies |
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| The Kelpies |
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| The Kelpies |
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| The Kelpies |
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| The Kelpies |
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| The Kelpies |
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