Kirroughtee Hotel Big Cat Sighting (2013)

Holidaymakers staying at Kirroughtee Hotel outside Newton Stewart had a close encounter with one of Galloway’s best kept secrets last Saturday morning – an elusive big cat.

Les Gill and his partner Linda were looking out of their bedroom window when they both clearly saw the animal in the hotel grounds.

Les said: ”We were standing at the window looking out when we saw it. I lived in Africa so I know what a big cat looks like. It was about four foot long from nose to tail and the tail was long and curled upwards. It was about three foot high and was sandy coloured. It was 60 yards away from us and it was visible for about 25 to 30 seconds.

“This was about eight o’ clock in the morning as we were both stunned. My i-phone was in the car or a could have taken a photograph. I just felt I should contact the paper to tell you what we saw as there could be children playing nearby.”

In the past four years 20 big cat sightings have been reported to The Galloway Gazette.

[The Galloway Gazette, 14/08/2013]