Perth: Sir Walter Scott’s dog goes walkies. Where did it go?

A memorial to the man who put Perth on the literary map has lost his canine companion.

Walkers on the city’s South Inch were concerned when they noticed that the faithful deerhound, which has sat at the feet of Sir Walter Scott’s statue for 160 years, was missing.

The council has assured people that the dog is not lost, but simply in safe custody.

“We are aware the statue is damaged and we have recovered the broken piece,” said a spokesperson.

“We are currently investigating costs associated with repairing the statue.”

The statue is a C-listed monument and Historic Environment Scotland describes it as “an important part of the streetscape of Perth”.

Lying across from the entrance to King Street on the periphery of the South Inch, the statue has been a landmark for many years but has not always been on this site.

It was created by the Cochrane brothers in 1845 and bought at a sale of works by the then Perth Town Council.

The statue was first sited at the High Street before being located to the South Inch.

Among the books Sir Walter was famed for was the Fair Maid of Perth and the city has several buildings associated with the tale.

The Fair Maid’s House on the North Port, now the home of the Royal Geographical Society of Scotland, was immortalised as the home of Catherine Glover.

Hal o’ the Wynd’s House, Mill Wynd, which dates back to the 18th Century, is Scott’s model for the house of Catherine’s suitor.

Picture: Kim Cessford. Magda Pukos and her dog Juno at the statue with an empty space at Sir Walter Scott’s feet.