Queen and Duke meet the Kelpies as they sail a new stretch of canal
The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh led a small flotilla along a new canal as they visited one of Scotland’s most popular attractions yesterday.
The royal couple completed the last stretch of their journey to the Kelpies sculptures in Falkirk by barge – and formally opened the new canal section in the process.
Named after the monarch, the Queen Elizabeth II Canal forms the eastern gateway to the Forth and Clyde Canal and flows right up to the acclaimed horse-head sculptures.
Cheered on by hundreds of onlookers, the Queen and Prince Philip boarded a bunting-covered Seagull Trust boat named The Wooden Spoon.
It took them along the canal for the final five minutes of their trip.
Upon arriving to music from a pipe band at the 30-metre high landmarks, they met Kelpies sculptor Andy Scott.
The Queen smiled as she was introduced to two horses, Duke and Dan, who, as Clydesdales, are the same breed of horse which inspired Mr Scott’s landmark sculptures.
They then toured the inside of the “head down” Kelpie to view the engineering work involved in its construction and unveiled a plaque to open the canal section.