Wemyss cats up for auction
The Wemyss Ware Cats are being herded up for one last goodbye before heading for auction next month.
The 17 cats which were painted in a variety of style by local artists formed a hugely popular trail across the Kirkcaldy area from April to September.
They will be put up for auction but will be gathered together for a final photo opportunity on Saturday, October 3 in Kirkcaldy Town Square, with The Big Auction taking place at the Adam Smith Theatre on the same day.
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.
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.
As well as the auction itself events are planned with something for all of the family as well as for potential bidders.
The programme for the day includes; Every One Every Day, Mercat, free events (booking recommended), cat-themed crafts for all the family at 10-11.30am, How To Be An Auctioneer, a special workshop led by a professional auctioneer from Bonhams, 11.30am-12pm and Feline Face Painting by Hazel Terry 10am-12.30pm.
The auction is open for anyone to attend at a cost of just £5 per ticket and includes a complimentary Wemyss Ware Cat Trail souvenir programme and auction guide.
The auction has 21 lots. In addition to the 17 uniquely decorated cats there are four 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, and also the Contingency Cat – a blank undecorated giant cat that was a reserve for the project but never used.
The cats will be on display all day.
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.”
All auction details including how to register a bid can be found at cattrail.uk/auction. You will also find a listing of the lots with their details and a downloadable programme on the website.