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The Wemyss Ware® Cat Trail
About the trail
Kirkcaldy’s first public sculpture trail is now underway, transforming the town with a series of large-scale public artworks displayed across the community. The landmark project, delivered by the Kirkcaldy Lottery, began with the exciting unveiling of the first two Wemyss Cats, beautifully decorated by Wemyss Ware® artist Griselda Hill. These unique sculptures are now on public display, marking the beginning of an inspiring journey that will bring art, creativity, and community engagement to Kirkcaldy.
Each cat stands over 1.7m tall, made from fibreglass and was inspired by the Wemyss Ware cat. Wemyss Ware was first produced in Kirkcaldy by the Fife Pottery (located in Pottery Street) in 1882. Their pottery cat became an iconic shape and was decorated in many different patterns. Few original cats survive, and those that do fetch thousands of pounds. Wemyss Ware has many collectors, including King Charles III and Elton John. You can see original Wemyss Ware in the Kirkcaldy Galleries and the Friends of Kirkcaldy Galleries have even adopted a Wemyss cat as their logo.
Wemyss Ware® was revived 40 years ago by the Griselda Hill Pottery in 1985 and they now own the trademark. So, it seemed fitting that Griselda Hill (based in Ceres, Fife) was asked to decorate the first two cats in traditional Wemyss Ware style to launch this project. Griselda Hill Pottery is the exclusive sponsor of these first two cats.
Why Wemyss
Cat?
The Wemyss cat was chosen because of its Kirkcaldy heritage, it has a very recognisable shape, and it has large surfaces that can be easily decorated by artists. Edinburgh-based sculptor Andrea Porteous carved the oversized cat sculpture based on a somewhat smaller original cat produced in Kirkcaldy around ~1890 (which was borrowed from a local collector). Andrea is best known for her largescale work making film sets and props including for the Outlander series and Superman Returns. A mould was made from the sculpture and now multiple replica fibreglass cats are being manufactured in a workshop on the outskirts of Edinburgh.
The project has been in planning for many months and although it is by far the biggest and most costly Kirkcaldy Lottery project so far, it is expected to provide a great return for the town both socially and financially.
We expect the trail to attract many visitors to Kirkcaldy which will feed into local businesses too. At the end of the summer the plan is then to auction the cats with the proceeds going back into the Kirkcaldy Projects Fund that has already supported 14 projects in the Kirkcaldy area. We know that there are many Wemyss Ware collectors that would love something unique like this, and a successful outcome will mean we can go on to even more ambitious projects in the future. We hope we can find a way to keep at least one of the cats on permanent display somewhere in Kirkcaldy.
Visitors can explore the trail, discover the stories behind each individually designed sculpture, learn about the artists involved, and follow the cats as they appear in locations across Kirkcaldy and the surrounding area. The dedicated Cat Trail website provides everything you need to plan your visit, including information about the sculptures, artists, trail locations, and updates on this exciting community project.
About
the Kirkcaldy Lottery
Launched in September 2024, the Kirkcaldy Lottery was created to support local projects, celebrate community spirit, and provide residents with a fun way to give back while having the chance to win prizes. The Kirkcaldy Lottery has delivered 14 projects in the first year with many more (including the Wemyss Ware Cat Trail) in progress or in planning. Over £100,000 of tickets have been sold and in excess of £60,000 has being invested back into the Kirkcaldy Projects Fund (the remaining income being used for prizes, lottery management and VAT). The lottery is managed by the Adam Smith Global Foundation with the assistance of an Advisory Board comprising representatives from several active third sector organisations in Kirkcaldy.