A statue of Hamish McHamish - everyone's favorite and a symbol of the city (10 photos + 2 videos)

This bronze statue has been erected in honor of a small Scottish town's beloved stray cat.





Every town has its stray cats, but no one loves them as much as the residents of the small Scottish town of St Andrews, where a bronze statue has been erected in honor of Hamish McHamish, the town's unofficial mascot.



Hamish McHamish sleeps in a bookshop

Technically, Hamish was not a stray, as the fluffy ginger cat had once belonged to a St Andrews resident, Marianne Baird, a retired BBC producer. But when the cat began to wander further and further from home during his daily travels, locals began to inquire about his well-being.





Neighbors began to feed the stray animal, and local entrepreneurs (of course, the bookstore) allowed him to wander around inside or curl up on the counter. Soon the ginger cat became a universal favorite and a national treasure, and both locals and visitors sought out the calm kitty to take pictures with him.



There are even social media pages dedicated to Hamish. The cat gained national and international fame after the release of a book called Hamish McHamish of St Andrews: The Badass History of a Town.



Hamish's popularity has grown so much that the publisher of a local newspaper has launched a campaign to erect a statue of the cat. Local donations quickly raised $8,000, and the Hamish McHamish statue was approved.



Unfortunately, shortly after his statue was erected in the city, Hamish passed away of natural causes, having lived a decent lifespan by cat standards – 15 years. Residents and visitors of the city will remember him with great love for a long time, and thanks to this beautiful statue, he will forever live on the streets and in people's hearts as a symbol of freedom, harmony and kindness.