Royal couple's surprise visit to see The Kelpies
People spending time at The Helix yesterday were surprised to see two Royal visitors stopping off to see the world-famous Kelpies.
The Duke and Duchess of Rothesay – how the Prince and Princess of Wales are known when in Scotland – were on their way to engagements in the Stirling area when they visited the Falkirk park to view the towering landmarks.
In a social media post, the couple wrote: “Meeting Duke and Baron. Starting the day in Scotland at The Kelpies, learning about the mythology and remarkable craftsmanship behind these incredible sculptures.”
Their post already has over 215,000 likes with this number growing all the time.
It is understood that the Royal couple may have made a detour in a bid to avoid the nearby M9 roadworks as the Kelpies stopover was not listed on their official engagement for the day and there was no-one to officially greet them as is protocol when a member of the Royal Family is in the area.
The late Queen gave The Kelpies her seal of approval in 2017 when she was at The Helix to open a new section of the Forth & Clyde canal.
John Paterson, chief executive of Scottish Canals said: “We were delighted to see The Duke and Duchess of Rothesay visit Falkirk yesterday to admire Scotland’s iconic Kelpies.
“Their visit comes just over a decade after the sculptures were officially opened by The Princess Royal. The majestic Kelpies, created by Andy Scott, form the gateway to Scotland’s newest stretch of Canal, the Queen Elizabeth II Canal, and are now recognised as one of Scotland’s most celebrated landmarks, attracting eight million visitors from around the world, including her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth and the late Duke of Edinburgh in 2017.
“It was a joy to welcome back royalty to experience one of the jewels in the crown of Scottish Canals’ many attractions.”
The Royal pair continued their visit to Scotland at the National Curling Centre in Stirling’s The Peak sports centre before visiting a weaving centre in the heart of the city.
They finished up their trip with a stopover at The Goth pub in Fallin where they learned about the community run venture – as well as enjoying a small refreshment.