Cartoon hero adds colour to quad for charity trail

An eye-catching sculpture of much-loved national icon 'Oor Wullie' is to take centre stage in the University’s Old College quad this summer.

Part of a charity initiative, the Oor Wullie statue has been designed by bestselling Scottish crime novelist Ian Rankin and Edinburgh-based artist Chris Rutterford. They have depicted the classic Scottish comic strip character as the famous fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes.

This statue is one in a series for Oor Wullie’s BIG Bucket Trail, which will see different incarnations of the classic Scottish cartoon character installed across the city. The project will raise funds for Scotland’s children’s hospital charities – Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity, Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity and the ARCHIE Foundation. There will also be an Oor Wullie auction in September as part of the fundraising efforts.

The University shares a special connection with the project as students have volunteered for a variety of projects with the Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity over the years.

We are delighted to have the support of the University of Edinburgh as a sponsor of Oor Wullie’s BIG Bucket Trail. This is such a unique opportunity for the children’s hospital charities in Scotland to partner with each other, and with organisations across the country to make a huge difference for generations of children who find themselves needing to spend time in hospital.

The University has strong connections with the city’s children’s hospital through our students, staff and alumni, so it is fantastic that we can support the charity and give Oor Wullie a home for the summer.

There will also be an Oor Wullie auction in September as part of the fundraising efforts. Each statue has been individually designed by one of 100 artists and a total of 200 lifesize Oor Wullie sculptures can be seen across Edinburgh, Glasgow and the West, Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness this summer.