From the archives of 'Huanted Scotland' magazine.
Each week in Highlander Web Magazine, Haunted Scotland brings you stories of Ghosts, UFO's, Castles, Sightings and Strange Phenomina reported throughout Scotland....

‘Big Cat’ Reports, In The Ayrshire Area.
The following accounts have been collected from people in the Ayrshire area of Scotland. For many years now there have been sightings of cats around Kilmarnock, (and in.) Ayr, Dalry, Beith. These are several previously unpublished reports for those interested in this subject.

14\9\96\.

Hazel Duffy and her husband spotted a large cat at around 11am on the Saturday, around the back of the Frasers Garden Centre on the Dundonald\ Kilmarnock road. It was completely black and around the height of an adult Labrador, although longer in length. "It’s face was very much like a puma or panther," says Hazel. The cat seemed to be ‘stalking’ across the fields and covered quite a distance in a small amount of time although it was not hurrying states the witness. A donkey in the field did not seem in the least bit disturbed by the cat’s presence nor did the unusual animal take any notice of either the witnesses or the donkey.

8\9\96\.

Mrs. Mattie Dodd’s and her husband were out walking their dog, along the River Irvine which runs through Hurlford and Crookedholm. They were on the Hurlford side of the river. Mattie saw across the other side an unusual animal sat by the waters edge, an animal she could not identify. The witnesses in fact have worked and owned a farm all their lives in this area. "It looked like a cat but was much larger then a domestic cat," says Mattie. "The animal was staring straight at us, I asked my husband what it could be, but he could not quite make it out."

Then the animal stood and as it turned to its side Mattie was amazed at its size and length; not to mention the great length of the tail. The way it moved reminded the witnesses of a "Jungle cat." It was fawny coloured with dark patches around its face and ears. Facially it did not resemble a normal household cat.

6\9\96\.

A male witness arrived at his work place in the Darvel industrial estate at 6am just in time to catch a glimpse of a large, black cat-like animal walking along the railway embankment.

7\8\96\.

Male driver and male passenger both apprx mid twenties driving to Irvine from Kilmarnock along the by-pass. ( Around the area of Lake Dyke Mill!!) As approaching Moorfield roundabout (or just after will verify when check the area) as they approached the brow of the hill they saw a large, "bigger than any dog" cat-like animal. It jumped into the middle of the road, barely touching the ground and then onto the verge and away over the fields.

Golden colour, at first they thought it was a dear, but in reality they knew it was no such thing....smooth, short haired, light brown. The time was apprx 23 to 23.30hrs and it was dark....they saw the animal in profile only.

First week of August 1996.

A male motorist travelling along the Dundonald road heading for Kilmarnock; the time was apprx 21.00hrs and light. As he neared a large ranch type house just passed the Fraser’s Garden Centre, he saw a large cat-like animal walking on the side of the road towards him, it was apprx. the size of a "Fully grown greyhound, only fuller in body and golden\ fawn in colour." As the animal caught sight of the car it ran off very quickly into adjacent fields. The same witness has also had another sighting but this time during the last week of August, 1996. Again he was driving but this time he was heading towards Drybridge from Dundonald, it was late and dark. The animal was once more at the side of the road and ran off as he approached. The description he gave was similar although it appeared darker in colouring, but this maybe due to the lighting conditions at the time. 3rd\ or 4th of August 1996.

Again near the Fraser’s Garden Centre on the Dundonald Road David along with his wife and children were driving along when they saw a large creature "fly" into the fields opposite the centre. It was fawny coloured and being in size similar to that of a Great Dane. A herd of cows scattered as the animal ran through the field. David was so shocked at seeing this animal that he turned the car round for another look a few minutes later but on his return he saw nothing and the cows had once again returned to their grazing.

August 1995, apprx.

Dundonald Camp. Darkness 9.30pm to 10pm apprx. Mr. Dunlop was driving when he looked into his rear view mirror to glimpse a big cat jumping into the hedge. He states it was the size of a puma, fawny, with a fairly long ...He was heading towards Irvine.

August 1995.

In Kilmarnock there is an all night Texaco garage, a young lass of about twenty years of age told of an odd conversation she had just the other evening. The time was around 10pm and the area is a pretty rough, drugs being quite a problem in the area. A lorry driver rolled up and expressed surprise that a slip of a girl should have the doors unlocked at this time of night, she told him that it was company policy. He began by saying that those who make the rules do not have to stand here and that she should lock the doors straight away as you just don’t know whats out there in the night these days. Only the other night he continued, while driving along the A71 heading into Kilmarnock a large black panther type animal jumped from the side of the road which the driver caught in the full beam of his lights. The animal never once looked at the approaching vehicle but bounded across the road in a couple of leaps and disappeared into the night.

The lorry driver told the girl this matter of factly and quite believed what he had seen was a panther and then he reinforced his statement again that she should lock her doors straight away. After purchasing a few small items the driver stopped at the door as he was about to leave and again told the girl to lock the door as there were strange things out there in the night that we will never know the truth of. As soon as he left the doors of Texaco were locked early that night.

27\7\96\...apprx.

Mr. Wright was travelling on the back road from Dalry to Adrossan, heading towards Dalry. Near the dam by the field adjacent to the boats they found a mauled sheep. The time was apprx midnight and it was dark. Mr Wright states that the lamb had four claw marks or slashes down one side about one and a half inches in length. Bald patches around the wounds. The lamb was still alive. The Saltcoats police were informed but Mr. Wright was never contacted back by them. The lamb was gone from the field the next day when the witness returned for another look. Mr. Wright states that the wounds were in no way caused by barbed wire, and the wounds inflicted seemed to have been caused by the claws of a larger animal.

15\7\96\ apprx.

Witness Mr. Hamilton, Lawthorn area of Irvine. Driving in the dark, a large feline type animal ran out in front of him across the road and then out of sight into the fields. Apprx. 6 to 7ft in length. The tail or the colour of the eyes were not seen.

A week or so previously the local papers (Irvine) ran an article on big cats in the area which had been seen several times in the past month. Also several dead sheep have been attributed to having met their death by a large predator around the time of the sightings. Beechams-Long Drive, Access Rd, by pass to Ayr, near the Paper Mill, Irvine.

First week of July 1996.

Male motorist driving through Kilmarnock and just about to enter Hurlford when from his right there ran a large cat-like animal which he hit denting his registration plate. His car was travelling at a slow speed and the animal carried on and disappeared into fields on the left. Late June 1996.

David and his wife were travelling to work along the Galston road heading into Kilmarnock the time was apprx 06.45hrs. "Something came out of the woods on the right and ran across the road in front of us."

They at first thought it may be a dear but they knew it was not. It was golden\ fawny coloured, but the head and body were definitely cat-like. David said, "It was the size of an alsation dog and had a long tail. Its movements were graceful."

December 1994 apprx.

"Lee came running into the bedroom quite excited saying that there was a strange animal in the opposite field. As we jumped up to look, whatever was there had gone. Lee then became a little reluctant to say what he had seen...The animal that he had seen was bigger then any dog, except perhaps a Great Dane. He mentioned it being cat-like, maybe like a panther and jet black."

Location; Windy Brae..farmland just outside of Kilwinning near the Dalgarven Mill; Source wish to remain anonymous.

Summer 1994.

A big cat-like creature was sighted by a female witness at the Castlehill area of Ayr.

(Near the Castlehill stables there is a wooded area.) This was in the summer of 1994. The cat was seen moving through the trees, it was about the size of a labrador and black\dark grey in colour....This is all the details we have got as the girl did not want to be named, she saw the cat briefly which was at first crouched before it stood up and moved away.

December 1994 apprx.

"Lee came running into the bedroom quite excited saying that there was a strange animal in the opposite field. As we jumped up to look, whatever was there had gone. Lee then became a little reluctant to say what he had seen...The animal was bigger then any dog, except perhaps a Great Dane. He mentioned it being cat-like, maybe like a panther and jet black." Location; Windy Brae..farmland just outside of Kilwinning near the Dalgarven Mill; Source wish to remain anonymous.

Autumn 1994.

A female witness saw a black cat-like animal in the grounds of Mount House in Kilmarnock along the Dundonald Road. It was a dark morning but she could see the animal quite clearly. She describes it as being the size of an alsation with a very long tail. The same year her husband who is a lorry driver nearly ran over a similar animal while in Kirkcudbrightshire.

February 1994.

Local couple, (Kilmarnock.) Duncan and Alex Binning use the Dean Castle Park Estates pretty regularly for walks and exercising their dogs. Late one evening in February 1994, the two dogs they had with them began acting nervously. The largest and oldest had spent its life on working farms, out late on dark winter nights and was not put to fright easily. They walked on a few paces and then heard the sound of snapping twigs coming from the trees that lined the drive-way that they were walking along, now heading for the car park on the edge of Dean Road. The couple now became nervous themselves as they had never seen their dogs react in such a way before, the younger one of the two now having come to walk in-between the couples legs. As they reached the car park Duncan took a look over his shoulder and saw in the darkness behind them two yellow cat-like eyes which belonged to a large black animal, standing much taller then the dogs, forty feet away. Becoming more then a little afraid at the unknown creatures presence the couple leashed the dogs and left the area rapidly. Duncan tells me that the creature was definitely cat-like, maybe it was a wild cat he says but he has never heard one of that size before, and certainly not one to make the dogs react in such obvious terror.

A few days later while out walking the dogs but this time in the area of the walled garden not far from Assloss Cottage, the dogs began acting strangely again. Then both Duncan and Alex heard the sound of ‘purring’, like that of a domestic cat but much, much louder. This time, remembering what he had seen the other evening they left quickly, Duncan did not bother to look over his shoulder as before. He also mentions that he and Alex have used the castle grounds to exercise their dogs for many years and it is only on those two occasions that they experienced anything like that. The dogs when in the grounds before and even after the incidents have been fine and displayed no odd behaviour at all.

Another near-by resident living in the New Farm Loch area of Kilmarnock also talks of the strange behaviour of his dog in the early part of 1994 but cannot remember exactly which month. For yearshe and his faithful hound have walked the estates without incident except for the time when the dog flatly refused to enter the grounds, each evening for about a week. No amount of coaxing would entice the yelping, quivering animal into the grounds. Then one evening after sniffing the air, the animal entered without any problem at all. The dogs owner is quite simply puzzled as to what his pets problem was, "But frightened he was, never before or since."

Mid Summer 1987\ January 1994 apprx.

George who works at Spillers near Barrhead was one night driving to work, the time was apprx 9.30 to 10pm. apprx mid summer 1987. As he was approaching Burnhouse heading towards Barrmilll\Beith on a clear night he saw heading towards him on the opposite side of the road a muscular, lion type animal. "Big strong...mountain lion type." George states the tail was 3ft long. The animal was caught in the headlights and in one bound leaped onto the white lines in the middle of the road and with another bound it reached the grass verge and was away into the fields. A motorist heading towards George saw this and flashed his headlights, George responded as if to say, yes I saw it!

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