Aberdeen architect Dr William Kelly (1861-1944) worked on literally hundreds of projects during his long and eventful life and for five years following the Great War, served as Aberdeen Corporation’s very first Director of Housing. 

Alongside a portfolio of projects including alterations to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and Aberdeen Lunatic Asylum, he found time to design the Battle of Harlaw Monument at Inverurie and the Gordon Highlander Monument in Duthie Park.

But despite the illustrious career, the man is nowadays best remembered for his cats.
The Union Bridge over Aberdeen’s Denburn Valley was completed in 1805 and was, and maybe still is, the longest single-span granite-built bridge in the entire world. By the early 20th century, the bridge needed upgrading and was widened to incorporate pavements plus a balustrade, topped by a line of decorative caste-iron leopards. Kelly’s cats were born!
In the 1960s, the bridge was again ‘improved’ and some of Dr Kelly’s cats ended up as exhibits in Duthie Park not far from his Gordon Highlander Monument.
Of course the jury is still out on whether Kelly actually created the cats. Some say that the things were only added in 1910 and that he may have had no hand in it. Other sources suggest that he made the original drawings and that a lad by the name of William Wilson should have the credit.
But I suppose the tag ‘Wilson’s Cats’ has less of a ring to it.
Location: Aberdeen, UK

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