Non-native Cat Sightings in Scotland in 2000

This is Scottish Big Cats compilation of non-native cat sightings for 2000. The reports come either from sightings sent directly to us or from newspaper reports.

Non-native Cat Sightings in 2000
Date	Location	Description	Activity	Report
exact date unknown	Troves, by Elgin, Moray	'Big cat' c.12-14" at shoulder, black, relatively long coat, large tail. Probably Kellas cat.	Encountered at roadside. Wild, hissing and snarling.
exact date unknown	Birnie, s. of Elgin, Moray	Large set of green-yellow eyes seen in bushes.	Encountered by dog walker. Low, but loud hiss heard
approx January	by Cupar, Fife	Very large black cat with a long tail	Walking along path on hillside. Seen by two witnesses
Early January	Craigie Park, Ayr, South Ayrshire	Large cat seen in distance	Domestic pets going missing
Early January	Culzean Castle, South Ayrshire	Sightings of a large cat
January	Angus	Swan torn apart	Big cat possible suspect	<
January	near Garmouth, Moray	Creamy beige, large as a cheetah, lean, rough coat, definitely a cat	Seen walking across road by female motorist
1 st January	Dreghorn roundabout, North Ayrshire	Black, sharp pointed ears, a little larger than a collie but longer with tail nearly as long as its body	Seen at the grass verge
3 rd January	Ayr by-pass, South Ayrshire	Large black cat, bigger than a large dog	Jumped out the trees and ran across road.
9 th January	A735 from Kilmarnock to Stewarton, East Ayrshire	Large black puma-type animal with long tail.	Seen by taxi driver
17 th January	Strathdon, north of Ballater, Aberdeenshire	Lynx. A tawny animal, very deep in girth, short in length with a short tail and ear tufts. A chunky animal, about the size of a full grown labrador dog.	Ran steadily across the road in no particular hurry and disappeared into open moorland
19 th January	Between Lucklaw and Balmullo, Fife	Black cat the size of a collie dog	Seen by female walker
26 th January	Abernyte, Perth & Kinross	Two black 'puma' big cats with tails two feet long	Chasing sheep
before 29 th January	Newmill, Keith, Moray	"cheetah-like" Described by police witness as beige with curly, bushy tail and cat like triangular ears	Thought to be responsible for livestock losses
February	Belladrum, near Inverness, Highland	Large black cat with yellow eyes, seemed to take up whole width of single-track road	Seen in headlights of car. 6 inch paw prints found next day.
early February	Camelon, Falkirk	Large bright orange cat, "size of a lion" with white on latter half of tail!	Seen for one minute at a distance of 30 yards
2 nd February	Portsonachan, nr Ardbrecknish, Argyll	Large black cat	Seen at 15 ft
12 th February	nr Newburgh, Fife	Fawn coloured cat, size of labrador	Seen in woods by female walker
15 th February	Thornton, Fife	Black Panther	Seen in woods by male witness
c 28 th February	Newmilns, East Ayrshire	Pure black, large as a fully grown Alsatian but longer with avery long tail	Stalking across fields
March (also seen in April, October & December)	Kingston, Moray	Large black panther-like creature, but smaller and slimmer	Seen in fields
March	Branxholm, nr Hawick, Scottish Borders	Large black animal.	Paw prints seen which were "not a dog"
March	'Banffshire'	Large black cat	Seen by dog walker
March	Foveran, Aberdeenshire	Black, size of large dog, very long tail curling down to ground. Legs short, great muscularity.	Seen through binnoculars. Labrador later seen at similar distance looked "puny" in comparison
7 th March	Galston, East Ayrshire	Cat-like with a sleek black coat and about as tall as a car bonnet. Face not dog-like. It looked more like a cat. Long legs and moved from the shoulders the way cats do. Pair of orange eyes	Calmly moved off road upon approach of a car
22 nd March	nr Ceres, Fife	Tan coloured cat	Ran in front of police car
April, (also seen in March, October & December)	Kingston, Moray	Large black panther-like creature, but smaller and slimmer	First sighting - seen in marshes.
April, (also seen in March, October & December)	Kingston, Moray	Large black panther-like creature, but smaller and slimmer	Second sighting - seen by bushes
April	Ardersier, nr Inverness, Highland	Large 'puma-like' animal	Seen at a few feet. Also mutilated sheep
April	Kiltarlity, nr Inverness, Highland	Sheep killings	Big cat suspected
late April	Kiltarlity, near Inverness, Highland	Puma	Seen at a few feet. Sheep found mutilated next day.
late April	Ardersier, near Inverness, Highland	Sheep killed	Puma seen previous day
late May	Boblainy, near Inverness, Highland	Sheep and two lambs killed	Killings did not correspond to fox, wild cat or dog. Wailing heard that night.
31 st May	near Golspie, Highland	'caracal' with rabbit in its mouth.	Seen by policeman and woman driver.	Fortean Times
June 2000	Location unknown	Young puma-type cat, long tail, black tipped ears, sandy coat. Age approx 6 months.	Seen by three witnesses. Seen in a field near house. Sighting of adult four weeks later by one of witnesses. Prints found.
June	South side of Loch Leven, Perthshire & Kinross	Black, alsation sized, long body, thick, undulating, rope-like tail	Seen by driver at 25 - 30 metres. Leaped over fences. Reported to police.
June	Coldingham, Scottish Borders	Possible lynx - silver grey and white markings with a white rough around it's face. Size of collie dog. No apparent tail. Moved like a cat.	Seen at 30 ft, carrying rabbit or squirrel
June	Fenwick Moor, East Ayrshire	Very large black cat, long tail	Seen by motorist
June	Straiton, Maybole, South Ayrshire	Large black cat
June	Tillynaught, nr Banff, Aberdeenshire	Large cat, approximately 6 - 7 months old, fawn coat black tips on ears and tail	Seen at four in afternoon
24 th June	Gatehouse of Fleet, Galloway	Dark grey/black cat. About the size of a German Shepherd dog. It was definitely not a dog!	In the undergrowth on the side of the road and appeared to be stalking something
June/July	East Calder, West Lothian	Large black, cat sitting in centre of tiny tree, long black curled tail hanging down	Seen by two witnesses at 70/80 metres for 10 secs. Sheep carcass found in November 1999 and May 2000 nearby.
June/July	Ladybank, Fife	Black in colour, thought at first to be labrador	Seen from cat at 70 - 100 yards. Leapt over fence onto road and bounded across road to other side.
Before July	On banks of River Beauly, near Inverness, Highland	Two sightings of large black "panther"	One sighting across river. Another crossing in front of her car then vanished into the undergrowth. Distinctive scent. Third and fourth sightings by same witness.
July 2000	Location unknown	Adult puma-type cat, long tail, black tipped ears, sandy coat.	Seen by driver. Sighting of young cat four weeks earlier
1 st July	Glenshee, Perthshire and Kinross	Completely black cat, long curled tail, walked slowly, low to the ground	Sheep in the fields which did not panic but moved slowly out of its way
2 nd July	Clushford Toll by Cupar, Fife	Huge black cat	Seen by Cupar woman
7 th July	nr Balmarino, Fife	Large black cat	Seen running through a field by driver and daughter
15 th July	nr Burntisland, Fife	Tan coloured cat	Seen in a field by a bus driver
c. 16 th July	Boblainy Forest, near Inverness, Highland	A large, black cat	Severals sightings by different witnesses, 20 sheep killed.
17 th July	Dufftown, Moray	Very large cat with a kind of brown speckled coat with a very large black tail with a white tip. Size about that of a very large dog	Chasing a rabbit
19 th July	Dalbeattie Forest, Dumfriesshire	Large, black cat-like animal	Seen 'skulking' in the area
22 nd July	Strathmiglo, Fife	Foot taller than witness' German shepherd		Fortean Times
23 rd July	St Andrews, Fife	Dark coloured cat, size of a retriever dog	Confronted two woman and a child
23 rd July	nr Kembeck, Fife	Dark coloured, possibly striped, as big as a Labrador	Seen by walkers. Sitting in a field.
late July	Drumnadrochit, nr Inverness, Highland	Like a black Labrador dog but bigger with a tail 3-4ft long. Glistening eyes. Definitely feline.	Did not seem scared. Looked at the lights of car then slinked up through the grass and into fields
July/August	Blackhope Glen, nr Moffat, Dumfries & Galloway	Pure black, very muscular and very very large.	Seen at 300 m for 5 minutes through binnoculars. Several sightings in area in 1999/2000 and 3 or four lambs killed
Summer	Peterhead, Aberdeenshire	Large black cat	Seen by MacDonald's restaurant south of town
Early August	nr Strathminglo, Fife	Large black cat.	Seen shrinking against the fence at side of road by motorist
12 th August	nr Leucars, Fife	Huge dark cat, possibly with stripes.	Ran across road in front of female motorist
mid August	near Urquhart Castle, Highland	Black puma, size of labrador	Spotted close up by baliff
before 18 th August	Mitchelson Industrial Estate, Kirkcaldy, Fife	Huge black cat, very long, with yellow eyes	Spotted in bushes by dog walker. Several other sightings between Glenrothes and Kirkcaldy
26 th August	Tillynaught, nr Banff, Aberdeenshire	Large cat, fawn coat black tips on ears and tail	Walked in front of car
26 th August	nr Leucars, Fife	Large, dark coloured Labrador-sized cat	Seen by male walker. Cat crossed the road in front of him.
27 th August	Annan, Dumfries & Galloway	Large black creature	Seen by taxi driver
28 th August	Farm near, Kirkcaldy, Fife	Very large cat. Not a dog. Paw prints seen	Glimpse caught by farmer. Farmer's dog frightened
28 th August	nr Ladybank, Fife	Huge black cat, eyes emerald green and semi-reflecting	Spotted by male motorist. Crossed road in front of car.
29 th August	nr Broughton, Scottish Borders	Large black cat about three times the size of a domestic cat	Moving quite fast over open hillside not far from the road
30 th August	nr Ladybank, Fife	"Black Panther"	Seen in field by male witness while lamping foxes
3 rd September	Erroll, Perth & Kinross	Black Panther type cat	Crossed path a few yards in front of a couple of walkers.
5 th September	Nairn Dunbar Golf Course, Nairn, Highland	Initially described as a 'Lynx' but had a long tail like a puma. About two and a half feet tall with sandy colouring and black tipped ears and tail	Seen by four golfers at 30 yards
before 7 th September	nr Largo, Fife	Massive cat, much bigger than an Alsatian	Seen by three witnesses. Ran length of field before disappearing into bushes
before 18 th September	Largo Law, Fife	Large paw print found	Cast made to be sent for identification
late September	West Lothian	Six sightings of a "large black cat"	Cat twice sighted with two smaller cats
October (also seen in March, April & December)	Kingston, Moray	Large black panther-like creature, but smaller and slimmer	Seen near lane
October	Dingwall, Highland	Puma like, dark mousey brown. Bigger than a fox/size of my Springer Spaniel. Round head, pointed ears.	Seen at 40 yards on grass verge. Two later sightings by same witness.
October	Glens of Foudland, Aberdeenshire	"Panther"	Seen by motorist. Caught in headlights and doubled back into fields
3 rd October	Newton of Falkland, Fife	Brownish/black and around the size of a labrador	Seen by several witnesses
15 th October. Another sighting 3 days later by same witness	Perwinnes Moss, Aberdeen	Heavy and well fed about the size of a fully grown Labrador with a longish mouth. Definitely a cat, like a puma. All black with no markings. Cat-like in its movements. Completely silent.	Seen at 50 yards by woman walking dog. Ran when chased by dog.
17 th October. Several other sightings over previous few days	Carnoustie, Angus	Lynx? Light brown to ginger "not at all like a black panther". Huge, a lot bigger than a dog.	Seen by two women. Animal prowled around disused ground but did not seem to notice them.
17 th October	By Preston on A6112 road to Grantshouse, Scottish Borders	Jet-black, Alsatian sized, very long tail trailing on ground behind it. Ears bent over and floppy. Yellowish" eyes. Most definitely cat-like in its movement	Seen from car, eating a pheasant.
18 th October. Another sighting 3 days previously	Perwinnes Moss, Aberdeen	Heavy and well fed about the size of a fully grown Labrador with a longish mouth. Definitely a cat, like a puma. All black with no markings. Cat-like in its movements. Completely silent.	Seen at 17.15 in same place. Emerged from shrubbery and went into wooks
19 th October	Road on outskirts of Carnoustie, Angus	A pair of eyes glowing and a curved, feline tail	Seen by ex Royal Marine from car
24 th October	Balmullo, Fife	Black cat, bigger and longer than a Labrador	Seen by male and child running through a field.
24 th October	Fife?	Huge black cat, larger than Alsatian	Seen in field through window
27 th October	East Haven nr Carnoustie, Angus	Size of a dog. Like a big black panther, but lighter- a mix of tan and black in colour	Seen by a motorist at 30 ft
around November	Glenluce/Newluce road near Stranraer, Dumfries and Galloway	Large black cat, two eyes reflecting in the headlights. Size of a large dog.	Seen by motorist, walking along roadside alongside car.
2 nd November	Inverary, Argyll & Bute	Large black cat		Fortean Times
4 th November	Near Peterhead, Aberdeenshire	Sheep killed	Large black seen by town in summer
12 th November	Between Shotts and Harthill, North Lanarkshire	Dark brown, Alsatian-sized cat	Cross the tack in front of male cyclist.
20 th November	Glenrothes, Fife	Alsatian-sized black cat.	Seen by female dog walker.
20 th November	Between Arbroath and Inverkelior, Angus	"Black Panther".	Spotted by male driver
December	Eskdalemuir Forest, Dumfries & Galloway	Large black cat.	Seen by mountain biker on one of the forest roads
December	nr Campbeltown, Argyll	"Reindeer" coloured cat	Seen in field. Sighting of similar animal in April 2001.
December (also seen in March, April & October)	Kingston, Moray	Large black panther-like creature, but smaller and slimmer	In pasture land near water tower
20 th December	Unknown location in Fife	Larger than an Alsatian, a tail as long as its body. Definitely cat-like in its movements.	Ran across the road in front of a motorist.
23 rd December	Taymount Estate, Perthshire	Big black cat, like a panther. Cat's head, thin, long tail.	Seen by shooting party at 10 yards. Lying down, then ran away at amazing speed
24 th December	Failford, South Ayrshire	Black, cat-like creature, as large as a dog with a long tail.	Crossing road in front of car. Witness saw large pad prints in the mud three weeks previously.
31 st December	Boat of Garten, nr Aviemore, Highland	Large black cat	pawprints in snow, claw marks on door	Fortean Times
late December	Montrose, Angus	Pet rabbits killed	Fang marks five inches apart
Winter	Dochgarroch, Loch Ness, Highland	Large prints found in snow
Winter	Rheindown, Black Isle, Highland	Large prints found in snow. Claw marks and scratching on chicken coops and doors.	Puma-like animal seen in October 2001
Winter	Culbokie, nr Dingwall, Highland	Dark brown, lighter on sides and flanks, long tail with distinctive tuft on end. Smaller than labrador	Entered woods. Later sighting in January 2001

---

Return to index	Return to Scottish Big Cats	Return to Sightings by year

---