Ultimate Guide to visiting the Kelpies in 2023

Ultimate Guide to visiting the Kelpies in 2023

The town of Falkirk makes the perfect day trip if you are in Scotland visiting Edinburgh or Glasgow.

One of the town’s major attractions are two immense, 100 feet tall sculptures known as The Kelpies. These are absolutely stunning and just can’t be missed on a trip to Scotland!

Keep reading to find out all you need to know about these amazing pieces of art.

What are Kelpies?

First things first, what exactly are Kelpies?

Well, according to ancient Scottish folklore, Kelpies are shapeshifting water creatures that often take the form of mighty horses.

And, if you believe the tales, you should be able to find one in almost every loch in Scotland!

Despite how adorable the Falkirk Kelpies look, if you were to spot a real one in the wild you should probably turn and run as the stories surrounding them are a little gruesome!

These beautiful sculptures not only symbolise these mythical beasts but also represent the much more real horses that played an incredibly important part in Scotland’s industrial revolution.

Their placement next to a canal is no accident. If you had visited Falkirk 100 years ago you would have witnessed hundreds of horses carting goods and towing boats up and down the waterways.

We love that they have managed to capture two crucial parts of Scotland’s history and culture like this.

Where are they?

The Kelpies are located in the much larger Helix Park towards the east of the town.

This park also contains a visitor centre, canals and lakes, playparks and is often a start point for hundreds of miles of cycling and walking paths that interweave through Falkirk.

The best part about this site is that it is completely free to visit so if you’re on a budget this should be top of your list when coming to the area.

How to get here

Falkirk is located directly between Edinburgh and Glasgow and is extremely easy to access by almost every mode of transport:

Car

The Kelpies are next to the M9 motorway allowing easy connections to the rest of Scotland.

There are a few options for car parking:

1. Kelpies Car Park (175 spaces) – this is the closest to the visitor centre and Kelpies however you will have to pay around £2 to park. It is open from 8am to 10pm (8pm during November to March).
   
   
2. Helix Car Park (78 spaces) – this is slightly further away from the Kelpies although it has the benefit of being completely free. It is also open 24/7 and encourages overnight campervan parking although charges do apply for that.
   
   
3. Falkirk Stadium Car Park (100s of spaces) – In the summer months the first two car parks can fill up very quickly. If this is the case, then head over here instead as there are hundreds of spaces you can use. This is on the opposite side from the Kelpies but the walk through the park is lovely. Remember that if there is a football match on then this parking will be closed!

Bus

Falkirk’s tourist sites (including the Kelpies) and rail stations are well serviced by local buses. You can see all timetables and routes here.

Train

There are two main rail stations in the town and you can view the timetables here:

1. Falkirk Grahamston – This is in the town centre and is only two miles from the Kelpies. The walk from here to the Kelpies is flat all the way and would take about 40 minutes.
   
   
2. Falkirk High – This station is just to the south of the town centre and is three miles from the Kelpies. The walk from the station to the Kelpies will be very easy as it is all downhill however the walk back may be a little tiresome.

The nearby villages of Camelon, Larbert and Polmont also have train stations but are a bit far to be walkable, so we suggest getting a bus or a taxi from there.

Walk

Falkirk is a fantastic place to walk – in fact it won an award recently for being one of Britain’s best places for it!

The Helix Park and Kelpies have well maintained foot paths connecting it to the town and further afield.

We highly recommend walking the four miles from the Kelpies to the Falkirk Wheel along the Forth and Clyde Canal footpath.

Cycle

All the above information about walking routes also applies to cycling. Falkirk is a great place to cycle round, and you should definitely check-out the HARTT route when you are in the area.

This 16-mile loop will take you to some of Falkirk’s key attractions such as the Kelpies and the Falkirk Wheel as well as Calendar Park and House and is a wonderful way to explore the area.

If you want to have even more fun, consider hiring an electric bike from Forth Bike. They have easy pickup stations located all around the town (including next to the Kelpies Car Park) and for the price of a coffee you can explore without a sweat.

Tips for Visiting

• The Kelpies and Helix Park are completely free and are open 24/7. We recommend paying it a visit after the sun goes down as the Kelpies are lit up in a beautiful rainbow of changing colours.
• During the summer months it can get extremely busy at the playpark and car parking areas so factor this in for your visit.
• There is a visitor centre next to the Kelpies containing a café, souvenir shop, exhibition area and bathrooms
• If you are just visiting the sculptures, then plan to spend 30 minutes here. If you do everything in our list you could easily spend the day here!
• To access areas usually hidden from the public, consider joining a guided tour of the Kelpies.

What’s nearby?

Falkirk has a lot to offer outside of the Kelpies, when you are in the area, we recommend you also visit:

• Falkirk Wheel
• Blackness Caste
• Calendar House and Park
• Rough Castle Fort
• Kinneil House
• Falkirk Steeple and Trinity Church

Read our in-depth Falkirk Guide to get more details on all these attractions!

If you want to make the most of your time and money while visiting Scotland, consider booking yourself onto a full day guided tour that will transfer you to the Kelpies and other amazing Scottish sites for a very reasonable price:

Accommodation

Once you’ve done all the walking, cycling and adventuring available you’ll probably feel a bit tired.

Take a look at some of the accommodation options Falkirk has to offer:

Booking.com

Let us know in the comments below if you will be coming to check-out the Kelpies!