A GLASGOW artist plans to create the world's largest horse sculptures as part of a £25million Scottish tourist attraction.

Maryhill-based Andy Scott's work is the centrepiece of a proposal to revive the Forth and Clyde canal.

The Helix project, which needs Lottery funding to succeed, would see the creation of 740acres of green space, woodland with 750,000 trees and 20miles of paths and cycleways between Falkirk and Grangemouth.

Andy's sculptures would form the structure of a new boat lift at the canal.

At 115ft high the pair of horse heads would be a big draw for tourists and a major landmark.

Andy, 43, who made the Heavy Horse sculpture on the M8 at Easterhouse and has created works in the UK and Australia, is finishing two 10ft high prototypes of the horses.

The horses are based on the Scottish Kelpie, a mythical creature that is half-horse, half-serpent once believed to lure weary travellers into the water.

The enormous structures will be built by engineers or shipbuilders if the project, by a partnership including British Waterways, Falkirk Council and Central Scotland Forest Trust, goes ahead.

Andy said: "Imagine sailing into Scotland from the West coast and seeing these colossal horses.

"There are many strands of interpretation too you have got the mythological Kelpie horses and you have got the heavy horses which were the powerhouse of the industrial revolution.

"The hardest thing, as with all these projects, is funding."

A bid to the Big Lottery Fund's Living Landmarks Programme for the cash will be made in May and the winner will be announced in October.

The Helix team are competing against projects including the Girvan Gateway Project in Ayrshire.