Classification: Mythical Beasts & Cryptids

Temporal Range: 17th - 19th Century

Geographic Range: Coastal regions in Scotland

Diet: Human flesh

Found near any body of water in Scotland, but particularly common on the banks of Loch Ness, stands the Kelpie. This water horse may look docile and tempting to approach at first glance, but once it has allowed a person to climb on its back, it will rapidly pull them into the water and drown them in the deepest parts of the loch.

Once thought to be the embodiment of a flood and the unpredictable nature of strong currents, the Kelpie was used as a cautionary tale to keep children away from the water’s edge, particularly in coastal communities in the Scottish isles. However, the more observant field agents out there will notice them breaking through the surf on a stormy night, riding the waves as salt sprays their manes.

Some reports claim that the Kelpie can shapeshift and that the horse is only one of its many forms. Its two preferred likenesses when taking human form are that of a small, hairy man who will try to crush the skulls of travelers and that of a young, beautiful woman, ready to tempt passersby into the waters.

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