23/09/2026
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Our Rachel's FunGuy is LOT 10 in the Auction
https://www.cattrail.uk/auction?pgid=mu43ligi-9e8acd1c-661d-486f-878e-02370c60d5ef&fbclid=IwdGRjcAUf_5djbGNrBR__QHBkb2YFZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMzUwNjg1NTMxNzI4AAEe8yIqFVzMxTDrtzuwRHLMyiC8hlcSCrn2hDB8UZPuOD8aBqB3L9A9cND2ais_aem_BWIaEuN0kvNZAWQ7jvFj0Q
NEWS: Wemyss Ware Cat Trail Auction tickets are now on sale
Locals will get the chance say goodbye to giant Wemyss Ware cats at a forthcoming event, but not before they are all herded into Kirkcaldy’s town square for some terrific final photo opportunities.
Children love them of course, and so do their mums, dads and grandparents. Kirkcaldy natives felt inspired to explore their neighbourhood with fresh eyes, and the Wemyss Ware Cat Trail has welcomed thousands of visitors from further afield to discover the vibrant, artistic spirit that thrives in this corner of Fife. The trail ran from 25 April to 5 September and the giant sculptures are now being gathered for their final farewell.
The Big Auction takes place at the Adam Smith Theatre on Saturday 3rd October. It’s a one-off opportunity for supporters and collectors to buy a piece of Kirkcaldy’s Wemyss Ware story, and proceeds will be reinvested into Kirkcaldy to support future projects. This promises to be a fun-packed day, ending with a flurry of bidding and a surprise cat finale!
The Wemyss Ware Cat Trail auction will be led by Hamish Wilson, Senior Valuer at Bonhams, Edinburgh. Bonhams have held many sales of Wemyss Ware and are experts in this field. Their Edinburgh team will help bring the cats to auction, giving each unique sculpture the opportunity to find a happy new home.
Bonhams Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers bring their expertise and experience in the art world to Kirkcaldy for this event. Founded in London in 1793, Bonhams is the sole remaining international auction house that is still privately owned, and in British hands. They hold hundreds of specialist sales around the world each year.
The Big Auction day will be fun packed with something for all of the family as well as for the potential bidders. The auction is open for anyone to attend at a cost of just £5 per ticket (plus any booking fee) and includes a complimentary Wemyss Ware Cat Trail souvenir programme and auction guide worth £5
The auction has 21 lots. In addition to the 17 uniquely decorated cats there are 4 special lots: a programme signed by all 17 artists, a special ceramic Love Kirkcaldy Cat made by the Griselda Hill Pottery, a one-off ceramic Wally Cat by Susan McGill Designs, and also the Contingency Cat a blank undecorated giant cat that was a reserve for the project. But never used
The programme for the Big Auction day on Saturday 3rd October includes:
Every One Every Day within the Mercat Shopping Centre , free events (booking recommended)
Cat-themed crafts for all the family at 10am -11.30am
How To Be An Auctioneer, a special workshop led by a professional auctioneer from Bonhams 11.30am – 12.00pm
Feline Face Painting by Hazel Terry 10am – 12.30pm
Town Square, free
Cats will be on display all day.
Press call at 1pm – artist will be with their cats for interviews, photos, and autographs. Everyone, press and public are welcome 1.00pm-1.45pm
Adam Smith Theatre (entry & free auction catalogue £5)
The Big Auction . Buy your ticket from the Adam Smith Theatre box office, you will receive a free souvenir programme and auction catalogue. Attendees are requested to arrive early especially if you want to register to bid for a cat.
The auction of all 21 lots by professional auctioneer from Bonhams with a surprise guest and a special upbeat finale end to Kirkcaldy’s Wemyss Ware Cat Trail. 2.00pm-3.15pm
All auction details including how to register a bid can be found via the link in comments. You will also find a listing of the lots with their details and a downloadable programme on the website.
The Wemyss Ware Cat Trail was organised by the Adam Smith Global Foundation with seed funding coming from The Kirkcaldy Lottery, and has been supported by many local sponsors. The project was 12 months in planning and was publicly announced in October 2025, there was an artists competition in December 2025 with over 40 entries, and the trail of 17 cats was launched in April 2026.
Adam Smith Global Foundation Chief Executive Gordon Povey was the project manager for the cat trail and said,
“Our Wemyss Ware Cat Trail is different to most other sculpture trails. It has been community-led from the outset, the concept and the delivery has all been achieved with local partners. Local input was central to our mission; we are a small team and a small town, and it would have been easier to have contracted the project out to a professional art trail provider – but this would have missed the whole point. All of our artists and contractors, suppliers and sponsors are from the local area. The cats have attracted tens of thousands of visitors over its 18-week duration and we believe that our local communities have benefited significantly from the project, both socially and economically.
We are hugely grateful to all of our sponsors and supporters for helping us deliver this project, and I would like to say a massive thank you to the people of Kirkcaldy, and all our cat trail visitors, for looking after our cats and treating them with such love and respect. It will be sad to see them go, but the auction proceeds will enable us to deliver more great projects in the Kirkcaldy area.”
The Wemyss Ware Cat Trail was a celebration of Kirkcaldy’s distinctive Wemyss Ware which was produced in the town from 1882-1930. The Wemyss cat is one of the most recognisable Wemyss Ware shapes and was chosen since it is such an iconic image that relates to Kirkcaldy.
The Griselda Hill Pottery acquired the Wemyss Ware trade mark in 1994 and has continued the tradition of its distinctive designs, colours and hand-painted style.
Three of the trail cats were decorated with traditional Wemyss patterns (the Galle style, cabbage rose design, and thistle motifs), whereas the other 14 were painted in styles unique to each artist.
This project used the Wemyss Ware trade mark with the kind permission of Griselda Hill Pottery Ltd, located in Ceres, Fife.
