Readers have asked me whether or not Hamish McHamish is real. Well, sometimes fact is stranger than fiction. While he gets just a passing reference in my novel, it’s worth mentioning that Hamish was very real. Sadly, he passed away a while back, but in his day he was definitely the top cat in Saint Andrews, it was his town. Any self-respecting visitor should be aiming to get a photo beside Hamish’s statue to pair up with the standard golf course pose. Ask about Hamish and you can be sure you’ll find a local with a ginger feline tale to recount.
Hamish captured the essence of the urban cat. He went where he wanted, ate where he wanted and slept where he wanted. He pretty much had the freedom of the town. Hamish didn’t follow the rules, or perhaps just decided which ones applied to him and when. In any event, he clearly thought and acted as though he was in charge in his town – hence the good folk of Saint Andrews erected the commemorative statue to him. So, in answer to the question: yes, he was the real deal.