Oor Wullie BIG Bucket Trail launches in Edinburgh

Scotland’s national treasure, Oor Wullie, is now on a braw adventure across the country with the world’s first nationwide public art trail.

Oor Wullies BIG Bucket Trail will take place across Scotland in summer, supporting childrens hospital charities and celebrating Scotlands favourite son, Oor Wullie.

The 2019 Oor Wullie BIG Bucket Trail launches today across Scotland to raise money for the country’s three children’s hospital charities.

Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice of York, Patron of Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity, will officially launch the BIG Bucket Trail at Prestonfield House Hotel.

Artists have been commissioned to individually design 200 sculptures to capture parts of the country’s cultural identity which will be showcased around Scotland.

The sculptures are taking to the streets of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee and Inverness from today for 11 weeks and residents and visitors alike will be able to use a dynamic app and trail map to follow them.

Edinburgh residents will be able to spot 60 Oor Wullies being hosted around the Capital including one of legendary fundraiser, Tom Gilzean, on Princes Street sponsored by Central Taxis.

Another, sponsored by CALA Homes and designed by locally known Edinburgh Sketcher, Mark Kirkham, is a bespoke character called ‘Where Art I Wullie?’ who is ‘tattooed’ with famous locations across the Capital and is displayed in the West End.

On Friday the first Oor Wullies were spotted at The Shore in Leith, featuring a reptilian design, and others being transported around the city to prime locations.

At the end of the trail, they will be auctioned off and funds raised through donations and the auction will go to the Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity, the ARCHIE Foundation and Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity which work alongside the NHS to provide care for babies, children and young people through raising funds for equipment, family support services, research training and play and recreation spaces.

This year’s Oor Wullie BIG Bucket Trail builds on the success of the Dundee 2016 Oor Wullie Trail which raised nearly £900,000 for the city.

Roslyn Neely, CEO of Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “The Trail will unite businesses, artists, schools, families and Scotland’s favourite son, Oor Wullie, and we hope to attract tens of thousands of participants to come and take part.”

Ellis Watson, Executive Chairman of DC Thomson Media who own Oor Wullie, said: “We’re so delighted to be working with Scotland’s children’s hospital charities and Wild In Art, for this first ever nationwide art trail.

“Our naughty wee scamp, Oor Wullie, is going to have a busy summer getting out and about, helping to raise vital funds for our charity partners, and importantly, every child receiving hospital care in Scotland.

“Oor Wullie’s BIG Bucket Trail is an amazing opportunity to bring Scotland together, to have fun, get active and enjoy some incredible art. And when people in Scotland come together we all know how powerful that can be.”