Deep within the icy depths of Loch Garve lived a kelpie, a creature of shifting forms and insatiable hunger. He often ventured onto land — cloaked in the guise of a sleek black horse — to lure prey into the loch’s cold embrace. One fateful evening, as mist rolled across the moor, he encountered a woman. Ensnared by his beauty, she climbed onto his back, unaware of the trap awaiting her.

The kelpie pulled her into the water’s depths, his dark intent clear. Yet as she gazed upon his true form beneath the waves—a powerful, otherworldly being—her eyes betrayed no fear.

For the first time, the kelpie hesitated. He stared at his prey, seeing not food, but something inexplicably different. She, in turn, looked at him not with terror, but with awe.

On a whim, he shifted to his human form, and her expression softened.

Sunlight cast rays that shifted with the movement of the waters, lighting up both their features in an ethereal shimmering light. In that moment, they were inexplicably bewitched with each other. Against all odds, prey and predator fell in love.

After gifting her with the ability to breathe under water, he took her to his home deep beneath the waves to be his wife.

For a time, they were blissfully happy. However, as days upon days passed by and the chill of winter crept closer, that happiness began to trickle away from his wife.

“It is so cold,” she whispered one day, her voice tinged with sadness.

Her lament grew louder with time. Though she had left the warmth of the mortal world behind, her heart yearned for it still. The kelpie, unused to considering the needs of others, resisted at first. But her sorrow weighed heavy on him, and at last, he resolved to act.

Taking his horse form, he galloped to the Highlands’ greatest builder. The man awoke to a furious pounding at his door, and upon opening it, he beheld a stallion of otherworldly beauty. Its coat shone like polished obsidian, its eyes gleaming with an intelligence no ordinary beast possessed.

Entranced, the builder stroked the creature’s muzzle, marveling at its calm demeanor despite its earlier ruckus. Surely, this horse belonged to some wealthy landowner.

Being a good and honest man, the builder decided to return it to its rightful home. He mounted the horse, intending to ride to the nearest village.

The moment he settled upon its back, the creature’s demeanor shifted. The coat — once soft and sleek — became impossibly sticky under his hands, gluing every part where he touched to it’s hide. Panic surged through the builder as he realized he was stuck.

The horse – whom the builder now knew really to be a kelpie – took off at a speed faster than any horse should be able to reach, and the builder screamed, begging aloud that he would do anything to not die.

“I’ll do anything! Please, anything!”

The kelpie did not reply. He plunged into the icy water, dragging the builder down, down, into the shadowed depths.

The man thrashed, lungs burning, until he could hold his breath no longer. Yet when he finally exhaled, expecting to drown, he found he could breathe.

At the bottom of the loch stood a quaint stone hut. At the door, the kelpie released the human, but loomed over the man threateningly.

“You swore you’d do anything to save your life.” The Kelpie said. “Now, you will honor that promise. Build me a chimney—one that can warm the waters of this loch.”

The builder, bewildered, stammered, “A chimney? But no fire can burn underwater!”

The kelpie’s dark eyes gleamed. “That is not your concern. Build it.”

And so, with no other choice, the builder set to work.

The kelpie watched the progress carefully, and only rested when his wife lectured him for intimidating them man.

When the finally finished, the chimney stood tall and proud, its design both elegant and sturdy—a marvel unlike anything crafted on land.

The kelpie inspected the work, then ignited a flame within. To the builder’s astonishment, the fire burned bright, its heat spreading through the watery home. The kelpie’s wife cried out in delight, and the kelpie smiled with relief.

Grateful for the builder’s skill, the kelpie offered a rare gesture of thanks. “Cast your nets in this loch whenever you wish,” he said. “They will never come up empty.”

True to his word, the builder was returned safely to land. From that day forward, his family never went hungry, and his name became legend.

And as for Loch Garve, its surface still bears a secret. Even in the harshest winters, a single patch of water remains unfrozen, warmed by the kelpie’s fire. Some say that on quiet nights, you can see a faint glow beneath the waves—and hear the laughter of a woman who found love in the most unexpected place.