Tens of thousands of people trouped through Slessor gardens over the weekend, saying one last goodbye to all the Wullies which adorned Dundee over the summer.
Organisers estimate over 20,000 people made the trip to bid their farewells to the beloved statues, which have captivated people from all over the country.
The statues will be auctioned off this Tuesday, with the funds raised going to the Archie foundation, who are raising money to build a twin operating suite at Tayside Children’s Hospital.
Poor weather on Friday failed to hold back the crowds, and the scorching weather on Saturday and warm sunshine on Sunday brought people out en masse.
People queued for hours to catch a final glimpse of their favourite bucket-sitting friend, snaking around the newly opened gardens on the city’s burgeoning waterfront.
Neil Cooney, one of the Bucket trail organisers, said even though Archie had organised the event, it was the people of Dundee who really made it a success.
He said: “We had over 16,800 tickets for the farewell weekend sold in advance, and with people paying on the door there will have been about 20,000 visitors over the three days.
“Even though the weather was poor on Sunday, thousands of people still made it down.
“Saturday and Sunday were both terrific, and far busier than expected.
“The whole weekend, and the whole event, has brought about such a lovely atmosphere.
“One of the best things about the whole weekend was meeting with members in amongst all of the statues.
“Each person has a favourite, and a lot of people had their own special stories as to why the Bucket Trail meant so much to them.
“Being able to interact with people, hear their stories and explain some of the art and the story’s behind each statue was a great experience.
He continued: “The people of Dundee truly made it the event it became.
“The success of this farewell weekend is really emblematic of how successful the Bucket Trail has been.
“Everyone has had the chance to say their goodbyes now, and the auction on Tuesday is beginning to loom over us all.
“Everyone at the Archie Foundation is now planning their own goodbyes.”
How to get involved in the auction
Tuesday’s auction is the last event on the bucket trail calendar, with 70 sculptures going under the hammer for charity.
Kicking off at 6.45pm at the Dundee Rep, and streamed online, bidders will have the chance to take their favourite Oor Wullie home with them.
And with a guide price of £2,000 per statue it will be a fantastic night of fundraising for the Archie Foundation.
Tickets are required to attend the evening and anyone wishing to take part should complete a pre-bid registration form, available on the bucket trail’s website.
This should then be sent to Cassie Thompson on cassie@archiefoundation.org.uk before Tuesday.
However, for those unable to attend the evening, all the lots are available on i-bidder.com.
The online service allows people to follow the auction on the night and bid in real-time as if they were in the auction room.
There is also the option to put in a maximum bid in advance and the website will then choose the lowest bid possible to win.
The i-bidder is now open for registrations and requires a £250 deposit. The deposit will be automatically refunded after the sale if you have been unsuccessful in the bidding.
