First Minister Alex Salmond has come face-to-face with a new Scottish art project, in the shape of 100 foot high, mythical Scottish beasts.

The sculptures, which will form a brand new art installation over the Forth and Clyde canal, are Kelpies: to-scale models of art which are forming part of the £41m Helix project.

The Helix Project is redeveloping a 300-hectare site between Falkirk and Grangemouth into an international visitor attraction, including a waterway linking Grangemouth into the Scottish canal network.

Other planned developments include pathways and cycle networks, a major public artwork and a range of community facilities. Phase one of the project is scheduled to be completed by Summer 2013.

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The Kelpies have been created by sculptor Andy Scott, the man behind the heavy horse sculpture on the M8, and have gone on show at the Chicago Sculpture International Outdoor Exhibition.

Mr Salmond was keen to see the work prior to the full size work which will open to the public in Scotland next summer.

He said: "Scotland’s legendary past has been an inspiration for artists and writers down the centuries and this amazing work by Andy is truly inspirational. If this is the effect The Kelpies have when they are this size, it will be a fantastic sight to have them towering over the Forth and Clyde at their full size next summer."

Creative Scotland and VisitScotland helped towards the cost of the transportation of the Chicago work which will be in place for a year.

The First Minister is in Chicago leading a Scottish delegation to the Ryder Cup 2012 in anticipation of the handover of the staging of the competition, which is due to take place at Gleneagles in 2014.

(IT)