LONDON TO FALKIRK AND THE KELPIES:
Having sorta kinda slept as we are still adjusting to the local time, we were up nice and early to pack up and head to the station for some coffee and breakfast. Thoughts on the Crestfield Hotel are simply we liked it. Clean and Convenient are the best descriptors. The rate was quite reasonable at £130, which I feel is very good for London. Very close to underground and train service. We will be returning here after our canal journey. One negative is there is no lift so one must schlep you bags up or down stairs. The front desk was more than willing to help but we managed on our own.
IYKYK, I like these
I love UK rail stations
We got coffee and a pastry at Pret for breakfast. I should have gone to Greggs for a bacon butty and coffee. We do like the Pret sandwiches and got a couple for our train trip.
There was a change in our tickets and we crossed the street to Kings Cross and waited for our platform assignment.
Platform 8 and we are in coach B, yes all the way down the line. We boarded and stowed our bags and found our seats.
Our rail fare was about £110 each round trip to Falkirk. This fare was an advance with a Two Together Rail Card. We enjoy rail travel and feel for these short trips much easier than air travel.
We arrived in Edinburgh Waverly at Platform 1 about a minute early and found a departure board. Off to Platform 17 we went, and found ourselves there nice and early to await the arrival of our train.
This is a short 33ish minute journey with several stops. We will be departing the train in 5 stops.
Looking at the foliage here in Edinburgh, Fall has just started with few tinges of fall colors starting.
Arriving in Falkirk using the car park map we searched for the Taxi Stand to no avail. I started to arrange an Uber, and the app kept indicating they were locating a driver. Soon a taxi arrived to drop off a passenger and we hailed the cab, canceling the Uber. The taxi driver told us there is no Uber in Falkirk and this was later confirmed by the front desk of the Grange Manor.
Our lodging here in Falkirk is The Grange Manor. Per their website - “Built in the late 19th century for the management of the Earl of Zetland’s local estate, Grange Manor Hotel today is a county house retreat preserving many of its original Victorian features for a comfortable stay between Grangemouth and Falkirk.
Encircled by well-kept gardens and within walking distance of The Kelpies, our hotel has everything you need for a relaxing visit, while also being close to many of Scotland’s most treasured cities and attractions.”
I could not describe it better, it is a lovely property.
Our room is located in the Garden Wing and we will be having breakfast with our stay. Since it was nearly 1600 (4:00pm) we decided to have an late lunch/early dinner. The restaurant on property is Cooks.
We had their fish (haddock) and chips and nachos. Both were very ample portions and very excellently prepared. Lynn had her usual ginger beer and I was able to try the Hawkstone Lager.
If you are familiar with the TV Series Clarkson’s Farm you will know from whence it comes.
After our meal, we loaded our bags and walked to The Kelpies. This was an easy 15 min walk and this is why we chose this property. (Besides it looked rather KEWL)
What are the Kelpies you ask?
The Kelpies are a pair of monumental steel horse-heads between the Scottish towns of Falkirk and Grangemouth. They form the eastern gateway of the Forth and Clyde Canal, which meets the River Carron here. Each head is 30 meters high and weighs approximately 300 tonnes. They are the worlds largest equine sculptures. Yes they have names: Duke: Features the pose with its head facing downward. Baron: Features the pose with its head facing upward or back.
They pay homage to the working horses of Scotland which used to pull barges along Scotland’s canals and worked in the fields in the area where they now stand. The Kelpies are the result of a unique collaboration between the partners and Glasgow-based artist Andy Scott. Almost a decade in the making, the project has transformed 350 hectares of underused land between Falkirk and Grangemouth into an amazing parkland, visitor attraction and marine hub with the canal and The Kelpies at its heart.
Yet there is also a dark side to the Kelpies.
A kelpie is a dangerous, shape-shifting water spirit from Scottish Folklore that traditionally haunts the loss, rivers, and streams of Scotland.
A kelpie usually appears as a magnificent, lonely horse—often black, grey, or white—grazing near the water's edge. A kelpie can be recognized by clues like reversed hooves, seaweed or kelp tangled in its mane, or skin that is constantly dripping wet. A kelpie can also transform into a human form, such as a hairy man or a striking woman, to trick unsuspecting travelers.
Unwary people who climb onto a kelpie's back find that their skin sticks fast to the creature's magical, adhesive hide. The beast plunges straight into the deep water, drowning and devouring its victims. In many folk tales, a child strokes the horse's nose, gets stuck, and escapes only by cutting off a finger while the other riders are dragged below. If someone manages to slip a magical bridle over a kelpie's head, the creature loses its power and can be forced to obey commands or perform heavy labor. Historically, these frightening stories served as cautionary tales to keep children away from deep, dangerous lochs and fast-flowing rivers. We stayed till after dark as they are even more dramatic, as you can see in these photos. We then walked back to The Grange Manor to have a cup of tea and finish and publish this entry.
