Royals visit the Kelpies

Her Majesty The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh visited the Kelpies to unveil a commemorative plaque and open a new section of the Forth & Clyde Canal.

During the visit, the Royal couple had a close look at the Kelpies and were escorted by artist Andy Scott to look at the complex engineering within one of the steel equine structures.

Her Majesty was also introduced to various members of the project team, including steelwork contractor S H Structures’ Managing Director Simon Holden (far right) and Sales & Marketing Manager Tim Burton (second from right).

The colossal Kelpies are the centrepiece of the £43M Helix project.

The scheme was driven by a partnership of Falkirk Council and Scottish Canals, and supported by an award of £25M from the Big Lottery Fund.

It has transformed 350 hectares of underused land between Falkirk and Grangemouth into a vibrant parkland, visitor attraction and marine hub, with the canal and the Kelpies at its heart.

The project was recognised by the Structural Steel Design Awards in 2014 as a unique and iconic artwork, and was honoured with an Award.