Kelpies’ light show has crowd mesmerised

The stunning sculptures, designed by Glasgow artist Andy Scott, officially came to life with a spectacular light show on Thursday (repeated on Friday).

As darkness descended thousands of people of all ages made their way to the £43million Helix project, located between Falkirk and Grangemouth, to see the 30-metre tall stars of the show lit up in a myriad of colour against a backdrop of shooting flames.

The crowd stood mesmerised as the spectacular show, put together by France’s Groupe F, signalled the international unveiling of the iconic sculptures.

The two giant horses heads were inspired by the Clydesdale horses which for centuries pulled boats along the towpaths of the nearby Forth & Clyde Canal.

Official tours of The Kelpies begin on Monday, April 21.

The Helix has been developed in partnership with Falkirk Council and Scottish Canals. It has transformed 350 hectares of land between Falkirk and Grangemouth into parkland, lagoon and events area.

The project was kick-started by a £25million grant from The Big Lottery Fund in 2005.

Falkirk’s Provost Pat Reid said: “The Kelpies now stand as a great source of pride for young and old throughout our area and as a symbol of a new, progressive, modern place in which to live, play and work.”

Steve Dunlop, chief executive of Scottish Canals, said: “After all the hard work of the past eight years, I am absolutely delighted that we are celebrating this fantastic addition to Scotland’s international tourism offering.”

The Kelpies are expected to attract an additional 350,000 visitors to the area and bring £1.5million annually in tourism revenue.