A cat to rival Greyfriars Bobby? Why Edinburgh shouldn't be too embarrassed to have 16th animal statue

Edinburgh has a statue problem. With 79 of men, 15 of animals and just eight of women, Scotland’s capital clearly has some work to do to improve its gender balance.

So some might be dismayed to hear of plans to erect another to an animal, a cat called Hugo, in Edinburgh’s West End. Described as a “lovable rogue and a real character”, Hugo would walk boldly into sandwich shops, accountants’ offices, and people’s homes, and locals were heartbroken when he was hit by a car and killed.

The proposed life-sized statue of Hugo the cat would be put up at a spot where he used to sit and survey his territory | Alan Beattie-Herriot

His owner, Jane Rutherford, said: “Everybody knew Hugo... he was something of a local celebrity, particularly during Covid when everyone was stuck at home. I would see daily posts on Facebook about what he’d been up to out and about that day...” She said the life-sized statue would be great for the area, adding: “I think he will get more visitors than Greyfriars Bobby!”

If he can have a tenth of Bobby’s impact, a statue would be more than worth it. As for Edinburgh’s statue problem, a 16th animal would only add to the pressure to set it to rights.