Traditional Scottish Kelpie Legends – Folklore From Scotland

Scottish Kelpies are one of the most famous creatures of folklore, as well as one of the most dangerous. These supernatural beasts are found right across Scotland and are certainly not to be messed with. If there’s a loch or river nearby, you might have to keep your eyes open for signs of the legendary Kelpie.

So what is a Scottish Kelpie and more importantly, how can you avoid them?

What Is A Scottish Kelpie?

First off, if you’re looking for the lovely Australian dog then you’re in the wrong place. Mythical Scottish Kelpies are dangerous water horses, found lurking near deep lochs or fast rivers. They can shapeshift into human form if desired, have the strength of ten regular horses and when their tail hits the water it sounds like clap of thunder!

The important thing to remember when it comes to Scottish Kelpie Legends, never ever climb on their backs. Once there, riders find themselves stuck fast and unable to get off. That’s the Kelpie’s sign to gallop into the depths of the water, drowning their victim and devouring them. Sometimes the only thing left would be a kidney or liver, washing up on the banks.

They do have one weakness though! If you can control a Kelpie’s bridle then you can control the beast. It’s a risky manoeuvre, but there are rare occasions where somebody succeeds and the proud creature is forced to work for their temporary master. Trust me though, if you spot one then you’re best bet is to just run!

I had better address the debate over a possible difference between Kelpies and Each-Uisge which is Gaelic for Water Horse. Some people believe that these are two different creatures, one living in lochs and the other in rivers. After reading dozens of stories, my own thoughts are that these are simply different names for the same beast and I’ll use Kelpie since it’s the better known name!

A Legend of Scottish Kelpies

In Sutherland, parents warned their little ones that a dangerous Kelpie hunted children down by the loch. Under no circumstances were they allowed to play near the water, but that wasn’t going to stop them. They wanted to see this ferocious beast for themselves.

One Sunday, a group of eight children skipped church and sneaked down to the side of the loch. As they were playing in the shallows, a gentle padding sound came from behind them. They slowly turned, terrified but excited to see what they would find.

It wasn’t a monster at all, just a majestic stallion and relief filled the air. Suddenly, the horse kneeled down beside them and seemed to beckon them to climb on. One by one, the children hopped aboard and before long there were seven on the horse’s back. Its back seemed to get longer each time to accommodate more.

Only Dougal was left whose mother had terrified him with lots of Scottish Kelpie legends. However, there was something strangely inviting about the animal. He just couldn’t seem to resist it as he edged closer.

Dougal reached out and touched the horse’s coat with just one finger and immediately felt something strange surge through his body. With the last of his willpower, Dougal pulled out a little knife and chopped off his own finger.

The Kelpie roared in rage, reared up with the other children on its back and galloped into the water. Soon it had disappeared below the surface, along with Dougal’s finger and all of his friends.

The Mythical Kelpie of the River Conon

One day some men were working in a field next to the River Conon when they heard a mysterious voice at midday, “The hour has come but not the man”. Shocked by the interruption they turned to see a terrifying Scottish Kelpie. It looked like a black stallion, standing in the shallow ford of the River Conon.

Suddenly, the Kelpie plunged into deeper water and disappeared. The locals all agreed, nobody was going to cross that river for at least an hour. Soon a galloping noise came from behind and they thought that the beast had returned! Thankfully, it was just a stranger riding as fast as he could towards the river crossing.

The men all ran to warn him of the Kelpie’s words, but he wouldn’t listen. If the locals hadn’t dragged him from his horse, the stranger would have plunged straight into the River Conon. To keep the man safe, he was locked in a nearby church. Ignoring his shouts of rage, the locals went back to the field and carried on with their work.

Once the hour was over, the river should have been safe from Kelpies again so the stranger could finally be released. The church had gone deadly silent by now and the men hoped that the traveller had just given up trying. As they unlocked the door, there wasn’t the slightest noise.

Peering inside they found the body of the man, face down in a low water trough. Nobody knew how or why, but that determined Scottish Kelpie had managed to claim its victim.

The Kelpie of Loch Garve

A builder opened his door one day to find a beautiful, black horse grazing near his cottage. No saddle, no owner to be seen – it was his lucky day! Jumping on its back, he soon realised his mistake. This was none other than the Kelpie of Loch Garve.

Immediately, it galloped away and plunged into the water with the builder screaming for help. His lungs were on fire from holding his breath and eventually, he gave up and took a deep breath. Somehow, he could still breathe!

The booming voice of the Kelpie of Loch Garve shook his bones, telling him not to be afraid. He had brought here to help with a very specific problem. The Kelpie’s wife wasn’t enjoying life at the bottom of Loch Garve. She wasn’t a Water Horse herself, so wasn’t immune to the cold and really didn’t enjoy only eating raw fish!

What they needed was a roaring fire and so the Kelpie had found the best builder in the Highlands. They asked him to construct a large fireplace, with an enormous chimney that reached just below the surface of the loch. It wasn’t as if the builder could refuse and with the strength of the Kelpie, the chimney was finished in no time.

With the fire roaring in the hearth, the Kelpie’s wife was happy again. The Kelpie of Loch Garve brought the builder back to the surface and promised that any time he wanted fresh fish, all he had to do was leave an empty basket by the loch.

It’s said that the Kelpie keeps the fire going to this very day. When the surrounding area is covered in thick ice and snow, there is one spot on Loch Garve that never freezes over. Directly above the Kelpie’s chimney.

Beware The Scottish Kelpie!

There are dozens of folk stories around Scottish Kelpies and terrifying Water Horses. I can only share a few of them here but I urge you to read more of them. You never know, maybe the lessons learned will come in handy one day when you see a strange horse following you near a river….

If you enjoyed reading about the legendary Kelpie, then you might enjoy learning about Scottish Brownies or even Traditional Selkie Stories!

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