Report from Nick Wirsten

The Solway Beast

Borders Television News, 4 th October 2002

There was a story on Border TV News about sightings of the Solway Beast down in Dumfries and Galloway. There was a policeman standing by a large map on a wall with tags all over the place where it has been seen over the years. Are you familiar with the Solway Beast sightings?

Here's the story.

There was a sighting last week on the Springkell Estate just east of Eaglesfield, it is approx. 5 miles due east of Ecclefechan, and is the latest in a whole series of sightings over the last 10 years of what is called the Solway Beast. Apparently workmen at the Springkell big house had told the landowner, Michael Johnston Ferguson that they saw a large cat-like creature, dark in colour, the size of an Alsatian, with a big tail and a wide head, come out of the trees and onto the lawn, it looked at them, put it's tail up in the air and bolted into the woods again. It appeared to be like one that was shown on the prog. from an amateur video tape taken last year at "Middlebie ".

The Solway Beast had previously thought to be a cross between a Lynx and a Puma and has been seen as far apart as Moffat and down to Dumfries.

Sgt. Graham Young, based at Lockerbie was interviewed. This is a complete word for word transcript of what he said.

"There has been a significant increase in sightings over the past two years in particular"

"My understanding is that from the spread of the sightings and volume of them, there could be several of these animals. But bearing in mind that one of those animals on it's own, can cover a vast distance within 24 hrs".

He was standing by a large wall mounted map of Annandale and what was very interesting, was the fact that most of the sightings took place within a few miles of either side of the M74 which was very noticeable in blue.

The sightings that were highlighted on the police station wallmap are very likely the ones you have logged over the past few years in that part of Dumfries & Galloway, I recognised sightings you have reported on your website that would equate with ones on the wallmap.

Personally I can't ever recall Border TV News ever running a news item on the Solway Beast before. To call it the Solway Beast is actually a bit silly anyway, if you'd seen the wallmap, the sightings were nearly all within a few miles of the M74 and few, in fact I cannot recall any down near the Solway.

After looking through the website and I think what is fererred to as the "Dumfries Puma" is a nom de plume perhaps for the "Solway Beast"! I would definitely say that marks on the wallmap correspond with these sightings.

Here goes-

Black Cat Seen Eating Prey Spring 1996 (likely on wallmap)

Couples Report Puma Sightings May 29th 1997 (these two sightings are very far apart on the same day)

These other five are likely on the wallmap as well, they correspond with markers on the wallmap which is actually in a photo under Panther Sightings Mount below)

Black Animal Sighted Near Lockerbie

Bigcat Warning Oct. Aug. 25th 1998

Driver Spots Puma August 2000

Panther Sightings Mount Feb.1st 2002 (same policeman with his wallmap as on the tv)

Moffat Sighting Feb.2nd 2002

Yours

Nick Wirsten

Borders Television News, 4 th October 2002

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