They are the colourful canines that give the perfect excuse to go ‘walkies’!
From a Star Trek-inspired ‘Beam me up Scottie’ to a colourful seabird scene featuring a real life East Neuk seagull called Horace, there’s a colourful 4ft 11in handsome hound to appeal to everyone on the Scotties by the Sea sculpture trail.
The large-scale public art trail featuring 30 giant Scottie dog sculptures and 15 ‘wee dugs’ launched in St Andrews and along the north east Fife coast on Friday September 1, as previewed by The Courier.
How long does Scotties by the Sea trail run for?
Decorated by local artists and communities, and running until November 12, they form a free 10-week art trail of discovery for locals and visitors of all ages to explore and enjoy.
Nineteen Scotties can be explored by map or app in St Andrews with five along the coast between Newburgh and St Andrews and a half dozen between St Andrews and Leven.
Organisers St Andrews Business Improvement District (BID), in collaboration with creative producers Wild in Art, hope the trail will boost local businesses.
The sculptures will be auctioned on St Andrews Day with all proceeds going to cancer support charity Maggie’ s Dundee.
But what inspired the Scotties by the Sea artists?
The Courier, as official media partners, was invited to meet some of the creatives, and see all the Scotties together, before the spectacular sculptures were placed on the trail.
Speaking at Swan House in Dundee Technology Park where the painting took place, Dundee born and bred artist Rikki O’Neill, 75, who lives in Newport, explained how his design, which can be found at The Larick Centre in Tayport, was inspired by local harbours.
The former Kirkton High School pupil, who worked as an artist for Courier publisher DC Thomson & Co Ltd in the late 1960s and later designed greetings cards for Dundee firm Andrew Valentine, was one of the successful artists whittled down from over 200 applicants.
“Initially I designed a fantasy harbour,” said the former children’s book illustrator, “but when the Larick Centre in Tayport saw it and said they were keen to sponsor it, I then came up with the idea to put a Tayport angle with the little lighthouse thing and harbour café and a few pubs, just to bring it alive.”
Rikki, who was also a Sunday Post cartoonist for 37 years, also had designs in the highly successful Oor Wullie Bucket Trail and Penguin Parade a few years ago.
It’s “interesting”, he says, translating a 2D image created on paper into 3D form.
“It changes very quickly, very dramatically – you have two side views and a front view, but the back view hadn’t been designed at all!” he said, adding that he also designed a ‘wee dug’ with a fantasy sea garden theme that can be found at its sponsors, the No 13 Gallery in Newport.
Scottie inspired by East Neuk seabirds
It’s the sea birds and wildlife of the East Neuk – particularly the Isle of May – that have inspired Cellardyke-based artist Yolande Kenny with her sea-themed design in Anstruther.
The 55-year-old, who grew up in Derby, is “really passionate” about nature and animals.
Many birds are featured. But one that catches the eye is a particular real-life gull she’s named Horace.
He regularly lands in her back garden.
She knows from the tag on his leg that he was ringed on the Isle of May on July 5, 2008.
Horace features on her design alongside ‘Mrs Horace’.
In her previous career, Yolande was a high flier of a different kind – working in the car industry.
She worked in prototype development for Toyota and spent a lot of time in Japan drawing bits of cars.
She went on to be an independent consultant working round Europe for companies like Ford and Mercedes.
However, after living out of a suitcase for a few years, she thought: “I need to do something different”.
When her husband, who’s originally from Kirkcaldy, asked her what she’d really like to do, she said: “I want to get out of industry and just be an artist!”
That was about 20 years ago. After studying fine art at St Martin’s College in London as a mature student, they moved to the East Neuk, which they already loved from regular visits.
She discovered there was a market for her paintings of pantiled roofs, wildlife and the architecture of the East Neuk.
Yolande, who has also created a ‘wee dug’, is delighted to be part of the trail and to be supporting the Maggie’s Centre.
She added: “This is a really positive thing for our area. It’s impossible not to smile!”
Itching to paint fleas on Scottie dog!
Catriona MacKenzie from Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, is a milliner to trade.
The 53-year-old previously had an exhibit on the Oor Wullie trail and recently did a hare design for the Big Hop Trail in Aberdeen.
However, she was itching to get involved with the Scotties trail too with her design inspired by a flea circus and ‘Scottie Dog’s miniature big top’!
“It just seemed like a good idea to do fleas on a dog!” said the owner of three real life small poodles.
“The circus is one of my favourite themes.
“I make small models and made a whole lot of models based on circus type characters during lockdown.
“What I really like to do though is add stuff on with fibreglass or two part resin add-ons.
“I just think they make a little bit of a difference, make them a little bit unique.”
Catriona has also designed a small dog, commissioned by Scott Bros butchers, complete with 3D sausages.
Her son Dan, 23, has created a wee dug design too with a lobster, fisher puppy, ‘Dog gone fishing’ theme.
Catriona said the standards were “super high” and it was a “privilege” to be involved.
Using rocks to make own paints for Scottie
Strathkinness-based artist Louise Oswald is no stranger to creating coastal landscapes and seascapes.
The former costume designer uses small amounts of local rocks from the East Neuk and St Andrews seashore to make her own paints and create pigments for her landscapes.
The local sand stones provide lots of reds and yellows.
Sea coal on the St Andrews West Sands is good for black.
However, painting onto a 45kg fibreglass Scottie dog that will spend 10 weeks standing outside at the St Andrews Bruce Embankment has been a “whole new experience”.
“I was aware of these trails, but didn’t know anyone could apply,” she said.
“It just came on my radar because it was a local thing, and I thought ‘why not’?
“It is a really good thing for the area. Normally these things are in bigger cities.”
Painting by hand, Louise said she had to paint in one direction “to avoid splatters”.
While it was different to painting on canvas, it was “nice once you got into it”.
“I studied at art college then I went on to be a costume designer after that,” said the owner of a real-life Rottweiler-labrador cross.
“I’ve had a few twists and turns in life and came back to art.
“For me it’s about getting back to basics and I think that’s what led me to the whole pigments thing.
“There’s something really nice and hands on about it.
“Even right down to making your own paint – it’s difficult to explain without sounding really arty!” she laughed, adding that it ties into environmental awareness and the authenticity of using local materials. It’s fun too!
Who co-ordinated the Scotties by the Sea artists?
Wild in Art co-ordinator Rio Moore has been an artist on a number of trails.
In 2016, the ‘Oor Bowie’ Ziggy Stardust-themed Oor Wullie creation she worked on in Dundee with Martin Lindsay and John Hunter Barrie sold for £19,000.
This year she was asked to help co-ordinate the Scotties by the Sea creations.
“A lot of it has just been about talking to people,” said Brighton-trained Rio, who has a background in illustration and moved to Dundee around 25 years ago.
“I get to know a bit about the artists and make the experience comfortable for them.
“A lot of it is logistics. We’ve had the painting space set up for the artists so they actually had the space they could come to and work to.
“It was about making it comfortable for them so that they could get advice, share tips and tricks with each other.
“Some came in regularly, some occasionally.
“You were looking at years’ worth of experience in this room.
“It was a joy getting to meet them – who they are, what they do, what their techniques are.
“Every person has slightly different skill sets and I could tell you something about their life story having got to meet them. A great bunch!”
All skillsets were welcome to apply
Rio said the “boon and bane” of these trails is that anyone from any background and skillset can put in a design.
Participants ranged from amateur artists who’ve never entered before, to the support of internationally-renowned Largo-based artist David Mach and his brother Robert who are creative ambassadors for the programme.
Using mainly acrylic paints, and coated with anti-graffiti varnish, she hoped local communities would “keep an eye on” the sculptures during the trail’s run.
Family day out to boost businesses
BID St Andrews manager Jane Kennedy, who came up with the Scotties by the Sea idea in 2018 before it was delayed by the pandemic, said they hoped 200,000 people would visit the trail, making it the ideal family day out.
In search of a “Scottish” theme, the Scottie idea seemed like fun and was bolstered by the anomaly that the Fife coast has a similar profile to a Scottie dog when viewed on a map.
It also emerged that one of the first recorded written references to Scottie dogs was made by the monks of Lindores, centuries ago.
As well as boosting local businesses through a surge in footfall, it’s hoped that £150,000 will be raised for Maggie’s.
Maggie’s were the “perfect partner”, for the tie-up given that so many people living and working in the St Andrews area use Ninewells Hospital for cancer treatment.
Once the free trail ends on November 12, a ‘farewell event’ from November 17 to 19 will allow the public to see them all together for a small fee, with an auction for Maggie’s taking place at the St Andrews Old Course Hotel on November 30.
“For BID our aim is to improve the economic landscape in St Andrews for the businesses – that’s our remit,” said Jane, thanking the “amazing” entrants, the sponsors and the judging panel.
“Doing events like this helps. It brings footfall. If offers a free event.
“First and foremost we are helping businesses. But then we can help Maggie’s as well.”
Maggie’s ‘really hopeful’ for great success
Maggie’s Dundee fundraising manager Annie Long said the Dundee-centred Penguin Parade supported by Maggie’s in 2018 was a “huge success”.
It helped raise awareness of the charity and provided vital income too.
She is “really hopeful” Scotties by the Sea will be a great success too.
“It’s a lovely thing for families to do together,” she said.
“I think people take a real interest in the art that’s on the dogs.
“They all have their favourites. I think people will get to know the area a lot better.
“They get to know local facilities and shops and cafes and restaurants.
“But of course in the end the dogs will all be auctioned and the proceeds of that will come to Maggie’s Dundee.
“We need £600,000 per year to keep the centre going. This’ll be a huge contribution to that.”
How to find out more about Scotties by the Sea trail
For more information about the Scotties by the Sea trail, go to scottiesbythesea.com/art-trail/
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