The Kelpie
Scottish rivers and lochs were said to hide a water horse that tempted travellers onto its back, then dived.
What was reported
The kelpie is a shape-shifting water spirit of Scottish folklore, most often seen as a beautiful black or grey horse standing by a river or loch. Anyone who climbed onto its back would find themselves stuck fast as it plunged into the water.
Some tales say a kelpie could be tamed by taking its bridle. Many Scottish rivers and lochs had their own kelpie stories, often told to keep children away from dangerous water.
Explanations offered
Folklorists see the kelpie as a warning about fast rivers and deep lochs. Since 2013 two huge steel horse heads, The Kelpies, about 30 metres tall, have stood beside the Forth and Clyde Canal near Falkirk, a tribute to the legend and to Scotland's working horses.
- When
- Told for centuries
- Where
- Falkirk, Scotland
- Witnesses
- Scottish tradition
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.