Kelpie

Kelpie is a horse-like creature that can be found in Scottish mythology.

Although a Kelpie is one of the most prominent figures in Scotttish mythology, the knowledge of it far exceeded by that of the Loch Ness monster. These two creatures actually share a common history, they are both seen in the accounts of St. Columba as he was said to have banished a Kelpie from River Ness, which at a later point came to be the “residence” of the Loch Ness Monster.

It is commonly said that a Kelpie lives in Scottish Lochs, in fact this is a mistake, as the only references to the creature claim that it lives exclusively in rivers.

The Kelpie could take many shapes, but predominantly it was found in the form of a horse which would appear nearby rivers. The creature would lure wanderers onto its back, whereupon it would plunge into the river and drown the person on its back. It was also said that a Kelpie would warn people of oncoming storms by its howling, commonly this howling would continue through the storm.
Another common form of the Kelpie is that of a hairy man who would leap out of riverside bushes and squeeze people to death.

Legends say that the power of Kelpie was held inside its bridle and if an individual were able to remove and keep the bridle than he could control the Kelpie. Further legends hold that the Clan MacGregor was in possession of one of these bridles, which was passed through he family.