THE creator of the Kelpies has told of his hope that his giant horse sculptures will become Scotland's answer to New York's Statue of Liberty.
Andy Scott's two horses' heads which stand in The Helix park in Falkirk have already attracted interest from as far away as Japan and Australia since being unveiled two weeks ago.
A BBC documentary to be broadcast tomorrow will trace the long process of creating the artwork - from the moment the Glasgow-based sculptor first sketched his idea at a kitchen table.
Mr Scott said he had initially expected the project to take a couple of years, but it was eight years before he saw his vision become a reality.
But he said the idea of creating something to match the Statue of Liberty's status helped to motivate him.
"They are very different types of sculpture of course, but nevertheless [the Statue of Liberty] has become symbolic of New York and probably America," he said.
"To think that the Kelpies - in my wildest moments - might actually have that kind of implication and significance for Scotland would be phenomenal."
He added: "I can only hope as the years go on and the Kelpies grow in the popularity and recognition that they have got, that might actually happen for the sculptures. It would be amazing. Time will tell."
An estimated 5000 people visited the Kelpies in The Helix park on the first official day of opening and 1800 paid to take a tour of them in the first week.
However, in the documentary, Creating the Kelpies, which is being broadcast on BBC Two Scotland at 9pm, Mr Scott said the financial crisis caused by the recession of 2008 nearly "killed off" the Kelpies and set the project back years.
The £43 million Helix park project was funded by the Big Lottery Fund, Falkirk Council and Scottish Canals, with £5m used to construct the Kelpies.
He said: "I'd love to see them [the Kelpies] become well-known and recognised internationally."
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