Model Kelpies on display at Edinburgh Zoo
Visitors to the zoo can see the three-metre high sculptures between Friday 25 March and Sunday 10 April, with the horse head statues arriving at the venue earlier today.
The maquettes are 1/10th the size of the real Kelpies and commemorate the world’s largest horse sculpture in Falkirk, which stands at 30 metres high. Each maquette model was created by renowned Scottish sculptor Andy Scott in order to honour the original, which was completed in November 2013.
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Hide AdEvents Manager at RZSS Edinburgh Zoo Jo Paulson said: “It is a great honour to have been chosen to host them during the Edinburgh International Science Festival, of which Edinburgh Zoo is a partner, and they are a great added attraction for our visitors.”
Visitors to the zoo will see the steel sculpture overlooking the Budongo Trail chimpanzee enclosure.
Falkirk Council’s Growth & Investment Manager, Pete Reid, said: “Touring the UK with appearances at a wide range of major events, the Kelpies Maquettes have become cultural ambassadors for Scotland, inspiring thousands of people from across the world to pay the Falkirk area a visit and see these magnificent landmarks for themselves as well as the area’s other fabulous attractions.”
Since the Kelpies were launched in April 2014, they have toured the world to promote Scotland and the Falkirk area as a visitor destination, travelling as far afield as Chicago and New York, as well as appearing in major events such as New York’s Scotland Week and the 2014 Ryder Cup.”
Both the full-size and model Kelpies pay homage to the traditional working horses of Scotland, originally used to pull barges along canals and help plough fields.