06 Feb 2026
Maggie’s and Wild in Art have begun the buildup to its summer Scotties in the City trail, unleashing Lochie, the first Scottie dog, at Buchanan Galleries.
Scotties in the City mass-participation art trail launches in June 2026, which will see a pack of over 30 giant Scottie dogs descend on to Glasgow’s streets, parks and public spaces, transforming the city into a tail-wagging open-air art gallery. Each dog will be designed and decorated by artists from Scotland and beyond in support of Maggie’s, organised in partnership with Wild in Art, a leader in public art events.
Ahead of the official launch in summer, the trail’s first Scottie Dog, Lochie, will be unleashed within the centre. Lochie, designed and painted by Glaswegian artist, Douglas Roulston, will padded his way to the main atrium on the first floor of Buchanan Galleries. Lochie’s display will invite visitors to paws for a photo, while shining a spotlight on the partnership between Maggie’s and Buchanan Galleries, the lead shopping centre sponsor.
Lochie won’t be fetching all the attention for long - he’ll soon be joined by a canine companion on 18th June, when Buchanan Galleries unveils its very own Scottie Dog to coincide with the launch of the trail. The two trail stars will remain in Buchanan Galleries for the duration of the trail this summer.
As part of the campaign, Buchanan Galleries will provide selected artists with free studio space in the centre. The former The Entertainer unit will be transformed into an artists’ studio, giving them a dedicated space to complete their Scottie Dog designs ahead of their unveiling across Glasgow.
Maggie’s is a support organisation that offers free expert care via support centres around the UK and abroad to people living with cancer and their loved ones. The charity was first founded in 1996 upon the death of Maggie Keswick Jencks, who used her own experience of living with cancer to create a new type of cancer care. The charity currently operates a centre in Glasgow, offering support to those who have been diagnosed with cancer from specialists, some NHS-trained, who have expert knowledge about cancer and treatment.
Hayley Smith, Scotties in the City Project Manager at Maggie’s, said: “We’re delighted to be bringing the Scotties in the City art trail to Glasgow this summer. The trail has enormous potential to bring people together as well as raise awareness of causes, commerce, and culture in the city. Wild in Art whose art trails have had huge success in Scotland and across the UK,”
“We are delighted to have Buchanan Galleries as our lead shopping centre Scottie sponsor. Not only are they sponsoring one of our giant dogs on the trail but they are offering design space to our artists to work from and indeed, highlighting our trail to the Glasgow public and visitors to the city with the unveiling of Lochie, our first giant Scottie out of the pack, who will be available for photos on Buchanan Galleries’ first floor atrium as guests pass through the centre.”
Alongside the trail, Maggie’s will be running a Community and Learning Programme which is open to local nurseries, schools and community groups in and around Glasgow and allows them to apply for a small Scottie which they can design and decorate to form part of the trail. After the trail, these small Scotties will be returned to the groups to keep, with the larger sculptures sold at auction to raise much needed funds for Maggie’s across Scotland to further their specialised care and support to those living with a diagnosis.
Kathy Murdoch, Centre Director at Buchanan Galleries, said, “We’re delighted to play a part in bringing the Scotties in the City trail to life. Hosting Lochie at Buchanan Galleries in the lead up to the launch allows us to support this wonderful charity in a meaningful way while giving our guest something truly special to enjoy. We can’t wait to see the city transform with colour and creativity this summer.”
Scotties in the City launches in various locations around Glasgow City Centre on June 18 until August 16.
Applications for the Community and Learning Programme are now open to receive a small Scottie Dog for groups to design and decorate. For more information about this, and the Scottie Dog Art Trail, please visit https://www.maggies.org/get-involved/events/scotties-in-the-city-art-trail/
For more information about Buchanan Galleries, visit https://www.buchanangalleries.co.uk
