The Kelpies Chimney

2024-08-07

Before delving into the story, let’s cover some basic details. "The Kelpie's Chimney" is a folktale from Loch Garve, depicted below the map marker. Although technically, the fairy in this tale should be an each-uisge rather than a kelpie, the story refers to him as a kelpie in both the title and the narrative, so I will maintain that term.

There are several versions of this story with minor variations, and I have done my best to merge them into a cohesive and fairytale-like narrative.

Enjoy!

Deep within the chilly waters of Loch Garve lived a kelpie who often ventured onto land to hunt. One day, in the form of a horse, he met a woman and pulled her into the depths to eat. Despite the peril, the woman looked upon her hunter's true form without fear. In return, the hunter gazed back at his prey and saw something more than a meal. As they stared at each other in the depths, they fell in love.

The kelpie granted her the ability to breathe underwater and took her to his home beneath the waves. For a time, they were happy. However, as days turned into weeks, the woman's happiness began to wane.

“It is cold,” she complained, and her lament grew more frequent.

Finally, heeding her pleas, the kelpie took to land in the form of a horse and galloped to the home of the finest builder in the Highlands. The builder awoke to the sound of hooves pounding at his door. Bewildered, he stepped outside to find the most beautiful horse he had ever seen, with a sleek black coat and dark eyes that glimmered with intelligence.

The builder, captivated, stroked the horse, which remained calm despite its earlier ruckus. Believing the horse to have a worried owner, the builder decided to return it. He mounted the horse, intending to ride to the nearest town.

As he settled into the saddle, the horse’s coat became impossibly sticky, gluing his hands to its hide. Realizing he was on a kelpie, the builder screamed and begged for his life.

Ignoring his pleas, the kelpie plunged into the loch, diving deeper and deeper. The builder's lungs burned until, unable to hold his breath any longer, he exhaled and discovered he could breathe underwater.

At the bottom of the loch, the kelpie's home and his wife awaited. The builder was told he must fulfill his promise to “do anything” to save his life by building a great chimney.

Confused, the builder protested, saying even he could not build a chimney that would light a fire underwater. The kelpie assured him that only the chimney was needed.

The builder set to work, creating the most impressive and beautiful chimney of his career, surpassing any before or since. Pleased with the result, the kelpie lit a fire that warmed the waters from the depths to the surface.

The wife cried out with joy, her happiness meaning everything to the kelpie. Feeling uncharacteristically grateful, the kelpie promised the builder that any net he cast into the lake would always come up full of fish.

The builder was soon set free, and his family never feared hunger again.

To this day, there is a spot in Loch Garve that never freezes, said to be kept warm by the kelpie's chimney.