Britain & Ireland

Barghest of Troller's Gill and York Told story

Beast · Troller's Gill, Yorkshire Dales (also York and Leeds) · first reported Folk tradition; recorded 1830s-1870s · also called Barguest, Bargest

The Barghest is northern England's monster dog. In Yorkshire tradition it is a huge black hound with large teeth and claws, though it can also appear as a headless man, a headless lady, a white cat or a rabbit. Folklore says it can turn invisible, walks with the sound of rattling chains and cannot cross rivers. A wound from it was believed never to heal. When a notable person died, it might lead the local dogs in a howling funeral procession. Its best-known haunt is Troller's Gill, a narrow limestone gorge in the Yorkshire Dales. In York it is said to prowl the narrow lanes called snickelways and has been linked to the Shambles and Clifford's Tower. Near Leeds it was placed between Wreghorn and Headingley Hill, and it also haunted a dale between Darlington and Houghton. William Hone and William Henderson recorded these tales in the 1800s. The name may mean 'town ghost'.

• 19th centuryTold story Tradition gathered by 19th-century collectors such as William Henderson placed a Barghest in an uncanny dale between Darlington and Houghton. Its shapes included a headless man who vanished in flames, a headless lady, a white cat, a rabbit and a dog. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• Folk traditionTold story York tradition says the Barghest roams the narrow snickelways and side roads of the old city, preying on passersby. It has also been reported near Clifford's Tower. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Visiting: Troller's Gill is reached on public footpaths near Appletreewick; York's Shambles is open to all.

Beast of Barnet On the record

Beast · Cricklewood and north London / south Hertfordshire fringe · first reported 1991 · also called Cricklewood lynx

For a decade, people on the northern edge of London and in south Hertfordshire reported a large cat that the papers called the Beast of Barnet. Sightings came in from 1991 and again in 1998. Then, in 2001, a cleaner in Cricklewood saw a big cat sitting on a garden fence. This time it was caught. Police, an RSPCA officer, London Zoo's head lion keeper and a senior zoo vet turned up. The first tranquilliser dart only made the animal bolt across playing fields, tennis courts and a road before it was cornered in a stairwell and sedated. It was a young female Eurasian lynx, about 18 months old. London Zoo named her Lara and treated her for hunger and a broken paw. She later went to a French zoo, where she had many cubs. Her origin was never established, though police suspected she had been kept illegally and escaped.

• 2001On the record Carol Montague spotted a lynx on a fence in Cricklewood. A team of police, RSPCA and London Zoo staff chased and sedated it. It was a malnourished female lynx, later named Lara. Police believed it had been kept illegally and escaped. Source: londonist.com

Beast of Bodmin Moor On the record

Beast · Bodmin Moor, Cornwall, England · first reported Late 1970s · also called Beast of Bodmin

The Beast of Bodmin is Britain's most famous 'phantom cat', a large black cat reported on the open moorland of Cornwall. Reports began in the late 1970s, with more than 60 sightings logged since 1978. In the 1980s farmers blamed it for livestock found dead with no clear cause. The case got so much attention that in 1995 the Ministry of Agriculture looked into it. Its report found no verifiable evidence of big cats loose in Britain, though it could not rule them out. That same year a boy found a large cat skull by the River Fowey. Experts at the Natural History Museum found it came from a leopard-skin rug. Skeptics put most sightings down to dogs, domestic cats, deer and foxes seen in poor light.

• 1995On the record The UK Ministry of Agriculture studied the reports and concluded there was no verifiable evidence of exotic cats loose in Britain, while saying it could not rule the idea out completely. Source: cornwall.co.uk
• 1995On the record A boy found a big cat skull near the River Fowey. The Natural History Museum identified it as a leopard skull that had been cut from a skin rug. Source: cornwall.co.uk
• 1998On the record A videotape surfaced that appeared to show a black cat about 3.5 feet long. It was judged inconclusive. Source: cornwall.co.uk
• 2014On the record Henry Warren photographed a black animal on the moor. Experts said it was a fox. Source: cornwall.co.uk

Visiting: Bodmin Moor is open access land; Jamaica Inn at Bolventor is a well-known stop on the moor.

Beast of Exmoor On the record

Beast · Exmoor, Devon and Somerset border, England · first reported 1970s

The Beast of Exmoor is a big black cat, or a puma-like animal, said to roam the moors of north Devon and Somerset. Reports reach back to around 1970, but it became national news in 1983. That year a South Molton farmer said he had lost more than 100 sheep in three months, many with violent throat wounds. The government sent Royal Marine snipers onto the moor, and a national paper offered a reward for film. No cat was shot. Many people link British big-cat stories to the Dangerous Wild Animals Act of 1976, which may have led owners to release exotic pets. Officials and many experts doubt any breeding population exists, and some kills were later put down to large dogs.

• 1983On the record South Molton farmer Eric Ley claimed more than 100 sheep were killed in three months, with throat injuries. The story spread across the country. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• 1983On the record The government deployed Royal Marine snipers to hunt the animal, and the Daily Express offered money for video footage. No cat was shot or filmed clearly. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Visiting: Exmoor National Park has open moorland, walking trails and visitor centres.

Black Dog of Lyme Regis Told story

Beast · Haye Lane, Lyme Regis, Dorset · first reported Folk tradition

Lyme Regis on the Dorset coast is famous for fossils, but it also has a well-behaved phantom hound. A farmhouse near the town was said to be haunted by a black dog that never caused anyone harm. One night the master of the house, in a drunken rage, went after it with an iron poker. The dog fled to the attic and leaped up through the ceiling. When the man struck the spot where it vanished, he broke into a hidden cache of gold and silver. Ever since, the dog is said to haunt at midnight Haye Lane, also called Dog Lane, which leads to the house. It stands in contrast to the death-omen hounds of East Anglia and the North, and remains one of England's more cheerful black dog legends.

• Folk traditionTold story In the Lyme Regis legend, a harmless black dog fled from its drunken master to the attic and vanished through the ceiling. Striking the spot, he found a hidden cache of gold and silver. The dog is said to haunt Haye Lane (Dog Lane) at midnight. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Black Dog of Newgate Told story

Beast · Site of Newgate Prison (now the Old Bailey), City of London · first reported 1596

Newgate Prison stood for centuries at the western edge of the City of London, and its most persistent ghost was a dog. According to legend, a black dog haunted the jail for more than 400 years and showed itself before executions. The story is usually dated to 1596, when it was said to have hunted down escaped prisoners. Folklore collectors list it among England's many black dogs, the shaggy, glowing-eyed hounds tied to churchyards, crossroads and gallows. Here the setting is a city jail rather than a lonely lane, which makes it unusual. The prison was pulled down in the early 1900s and the Central Criminal Court, known as the Old Bailey, now stands on the site. Researchers of London folklore treat the dog as a story of guilt and dread inside one of Britain's grimmest buildings rather than a creature anyone could catch.

• 1596Told story Legend dates the Newgate dog to 1596. In that story a scholar jailed for witchcraft was killed and eaten by starving inmates, after which a black dog appeared. The terrified prisoners killed their guards and fled, but the dog was said to hunt them down wherever they went. Later tradition made it an omen seen before executions. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Visiting: The Old Bailey on Newgate Street stands on the prison site; the public gallery is open on court days.

Black Dog of Tring Told story

Beast · Tring, Hertfordshire · first reported 1751

The Black Dog of Tring is tied to a real crime and a real execution. In 1751 a chimney sweep named Thomas Colley was hanged for the drowning murder of Ruth Osborne, a woman he had accused of being a witch. Local legend says his spirit came back as a black dog that haunted the gibbet site. In one tale a pair of men who met the dog saw a burst of flame just before it appeared in front of them, as big as a Newfoundland, with burning eyes and long sharp teeth. The story links the creature lore of Hertfordshire to documented history, and it sits within the wider English tradition of phantom black dogs, from Black Shuck in East Anglia to the Barghest of Yorkshire.

• 1751 onwardTold story Chimney sweep Thomas Colley was hanged in 1751 for drowning Ruth Osborne, whom he accused of witchcraft. Afterwards a black dog, believed to be his spirit, was said to haunt the gibbet site. Two men who met it described a burst of flame just before it appeared, as big as a Newfoundland dog. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Black Shuck On the record

Beast · Bungay and Blythburgh, Suffolk (East Anglia) · first reported 1577 · also called Old Shuck, Shuck

Black Shuck is the ghostly black dog of East Anglia, told of across Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and the Fens. Its most famous night was August 4, 1577. During a violent thunderstorm, a black dog was said to burst into two Suffolk churches. At St Mary's in Bungay it reportedly ran down the aisle and broke the necks of two kneeling worshippers. At Holy Trinity in Blythburgh it is said to have killed a man and a boy as the steeple crashed through the roof. Scorch marks on Blythburgh's north door are still called 'the devil's fingerprints'. A London printer, Abraham Fleming, published the Bungay story the same year. Historians suspect his account built on exaggerated rumors of a deadly lightning storm.

• August 4, 1577On the record At St Mary's Church, Bungay, a black dog was said to run through the church during a storm and kill two people at prayer. Abraham Fleming's pamphlet A Straunge and Terrible Wunder told the tale. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• August 4, 1577On the record At Holy Trinity Church, Blythburgh, the dog reportedly entered in the same storm, killed a man and a boy, and left burn marks on the north door as it fled. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Visiting: Holy Trinity Church, Blythburgh, shows the scorch-marked north door; St Mary's in Bungay is in the town centre.

Bownessie On the record

Water monster · Windermere, near Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria · first reported 2000s · also called Windermere lake monster

Windermere, England's largest natural lake, has its own monster nickname. Bownessie takes its name from Bowness-on-Windermere, the busy lakeside town, and borrows its ending from Nessie. Some people believe the lake may hold a creature like the one said to live in Loch Ness. In 2011 a mobile phone photo taken by two colleagues kayaking on a work team-building day drew worldwide coverage. The picture shows a dark, multi-humped object moving through the water. The kayakers described a giant dark brown snake with humps, about three car lengths long, with skin like a seal. Cryptozoologist Loren Coleman cautioned that such shapes are sometimes garbage bags tied together. An older local explanation holds that deer swimming the shallow end with weed caught in their antlers were taken for monsters. No physical evidence has turned up.

• 2011On the record Tom Pickles and Sara Harrington were kayaking on Windermere during a work team-building day. Pickles said they saw a giant dark brown snake-like creature with humps, about three car lengths long and with seal-like skin, and he snapped it on a mobile phone. Loren Coleman noted such objects are sometimes garbage bags; a palaeontologist recalled mistaking a deer for a monster. Source: nbcnews.com

Visiting: Windermere lake cruises and lakeshore paths run from Bowness-on-Windermere.

Hairy Jack of Hemswell Told story

Beast · Hemswell, West Lindsey, Lincolnshire · first reported Folk tradition; collected 20th century

Lincolnshire has its own black dog with a friendly-sounding name. Hairy Jack was recorded around the village of Hemswell and other spots in the county by folklorist Ethel Rudkin, who collected Lincolnshire black dog stories in the twentieth century. Unlike the death-bringing hounds of other counties, Rudkin's informants mostly saw Hairy Jack as gentle, even as a spiritual guardian that kept people company on dark roads. Nearby, the churchyard at Northorpe in West Lindsey was said to be haunted by a bargest, and a local wizard was rumoured to turn himself into one. Folklorists cite these tales as proof that black dog belief varied from parish to parish. Skeptics see the dogs as folk explanations for night fears on lonely roads. The stories remain part of Lincolnshire's rural heritage.

• 20th centuryTold story Lincolnshire folklorist Ethel Rudkin collected accounts of Hairy Jack, especially around Hemswell. Most people she spoke to described it as gentle and saw it as a spiritual protector rather than a threat. Close by, the churchyard at Northorpe was said to be haunted by a bargest, possibly tied to a local wizard who could change shape. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Hednesford Hellhound Told story

Beast · Cannock Chase, Staffordshire · first reported 1970s · also called Slitting Mill Bastard

Cannock Chase is a large area of heath and forest in Staffordshire, and it has long had rumours of a black dog. The tradition goes by at least two local names. Around Hednesford it is the Hednesford Hellhound. Near the village of Slitting Mill it is known by a much ruder nickname. Paranormal societies have looked into the reports, particularly in the 1970s. The Chase is one of many English places where phantom black dog lore has taken root, a tradition that runs from Black Shuck in East Anglia to the Barghest of Yorkshire. No dated individual sightings or named witnesses are given in the source read for this entry, so it stands as a local tradition with a history of investigation rather than a documented case.

• 1970sTold story Paranormal societies investigated rumours of a black dog on Cannock Chase, known locally as the Hednesford Hellhound and by the cruder name of the Slitting Mill Bastard. Their work was most active in the 1970s. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Visiting: Cannock Chase is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with a visitor centre and public trails.

Morgawr On the record

Water monster · Falmouth Bay, Cornwall, England · first reported 1975 · also called Falmouth Bay sea serpent

Morgawr is a sea serpent reported off Falmouth Bay in Cornwall. Sightings cluster along a stretch of coast from Rosemullion Head to Toll Point, nicknamed 'Morgawr's Mile'. The first report came in 1975 near Pendennis Point. In 1976 photos credited to an anonymous 'Mary F' were sent to the Falmouth Packet newspaper, and fishermen reported a sighting off the Lizard. Local figure Tony 'Doc' Shiels also claimed to photograph it. Folklorists suspect Shiels had a hand in inventing the story, and a 2022 academic article describes it as having begun as a hoax. Sporadic sightings still come in, including one by writer Sheila Bird in 1985.

• 1975On the record The first reported sighting of the creature came from near Pendennis Point, Falmouth. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• 1976On the record Photographs said to be from an anonymous witness, 'Mary F', were sent to the Falmouth Packet. Their origin has never been confirmed, and many researchers link them to Tony Shiels. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• July 1976On the record Fishermen John Cock and George Vinnicombe reported seeing the creature off Lizard Point. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• 1985On the record Writer Sheila Bird said she saw it from the cliffs above Gerrans Bay. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Visiting: The South West Coast Path runs along 'Morgawr's Mile' between Rosemullion Head and Toll Point.

Owlman Told story

Winged · Mawnan, Cornwall

A winged, owl-like figure reported near Mawnan church in Cornwall from 1976. See the main Owlman dossier.

Full story: Owlman of Mawnan →

Shug Monkey Told story

Other · Slough Hill Lane, between West Wratting and Balsham, Cambridgeshire · first reported pre-1940 · also called Shuck Monkey

One of England's strangest black dog stories belongs to a single country lane in Cambridgeshire. The Shug Monkey was said to haunt Slough Hill Lane, which runs between the villages of West Wratting and Balsham. Witnesses in local tradition described a hybrid: the body of a jet-black, shaggy sheepdog with the face of a monkey and wide, staring eyes. Locals treated it as a spirit rather than a flesh-and-blood animal. The writer James Wentworth Day called it an odd variation of Black Shuck, the famous East Anglian hellhound. Folklorist Polly Howat recorded that reports stopped before the Second World War and none have come in since. Howat suggested that both the Shug Monkey and Black Shuck may grow from old Norse beliefs brought to eastern England. Today it survives as a footnote of Cambridgeshire folklore.

• Before 1939Told story According to folklorist Polly Howat, the Shug Monkey was reported on the lane between West Wratting and Balsham until shortly before the Second World War. Witnesses described a shaggy black dog's body with a monkey-like face and staring eyes. No sightings have been recorded since. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Squire Cabell's Hounds Told story

Beast · Holy Trinity churchyard, Buckfastleigh, Devon · first reported 1677

On the edge of Dartmoor, in the churchyard above Buckfastleigh, stands the heavy tomb of Squire Richard Cabell. Local legend paints Cabell as a notorious huntsman who sold his soul to the Devil. When he died in 1677, it is said, black hounds appeared around his burial chamber. Tales of the hounds, and of Cabell's restless spirit, are often credited as the inspiration for Arthur Conan Doyle's The Hound of the Baskervilles. The story is folklore rather than a sighting record, but it has fixed a specific place in the black dog tradition. Devon has other phantom hound tales nearby, including the Wisht Hounds of Wistman's Wood.

• 1677Told story When Squire Richard Cabell died in 1677, local tradition says black hounds appeared around his burial chamber. Cabell was remembered as a notorious huntsman who had sold his soul to the Devil. The tale is said to have inspired Arthur Conan Doyle's The Hound of the Baskervilles. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Visiting: The Cabell tomb stands in the churchyard of Holy Trinity, Buckfastleigh.

The Essex Lion On the record

Beast · St Osyth, near Clacton-on-Sea, Essex · first reported 2012 · also called St Osyth lion

For one summer weekend in 2012, Britain held its breath over a lion in a seaside village. Holidaymakers near St Osyth, on the Essex coast close to Clacton-on-Sea, reported a large, tawny cat moving through a field. Caravan residents handed police a photograph of the animal. Essex Police took the call seriously. Armed officers, helicopters with heat-seeking cameras and experts from Colchester Zoo with tranquilliser guns combed the area. People were told to stay indoors and keep away from fields. After about a day, the hunt was called off. Police said the most likely answer was a large domestic cat. Rumours that a lion had slipped away from a visiting circus did not hold up, because the circus had left the area weeks before. Fans of British big cat lore still list the case as a textbook example of how quickly a sighting can escalate.

• Aug 26-27, 2012On the record Witnesses near Earls Hall Drive in St Osyth reported a lion-like animal. Police sent armed officers, a helicopter with thermal imaging and Colchester Zoo staff. A photo taken by caravan park residents was passed to police. The search was stood down after roughly 24 hours with no trace found. Police concluded it was probably a big domestic cat. Source: itv.com

The Fen Tiger On the record

Beast · The Fens, Cambridgeshire and south Lincolnshire · first reported 1980s · also called Fenland big cat

The flat, drained farmland of the Fens has produced big cat reports for about 30 years, and locals call the animal behind them the Fen Tiger. The name covers sightings scattered across Cambridgeshire and over the border into Lincolnshire. Local papers have logged a run of reports. At Tydd St Giles near Wisbech, a couple described a large black animal bigger than an Alsatian, and two weeks later one of their geese was found killed and stripped. The Wisbech Standard counted eight big cat reports in Cambridgeshire over three years. In November 2024 a roadworker filmed a black cat near Baston, north of Peterborough. A leading big cat scientist who watched the video said he was sure it showed a domestic cat, and experts noted how open landscape makes size very hard to judge.

• Jan 3 (year not given)On the record Mark and Jane Burton of Tydd St Giles saw a large black animal on Black Dyke lane at about 4:30 pm. They could make out ears and front legs and said it was bigger than an Alsatian. Two weeks later one of their geese was found killed and stripped. The paper noted eight big cat reports in Cambridgeshire over three years. Source: wisbechstandard.co.uk
• Nov 10, 2024On the record Roadworker Jason Dobney filmed a black cat walking along a field edge near Baston, north of Peterborough. He guessed it was about six feet long. Dr Luke Hunter of the Wildlife Conservation Society said he was certain it was a domestic cat. Podcaster Rick Minter thought it might be a black leopard but noted its gait looked light. Source: discoverwildlife.com

The Gurt Dog of the Quantocks Told story

Beast · Quantock Hills, Somerset · first reported Folk tradition · also called Great Dog

Not every British black dog is a death omen. In the Quantock Hills of Somerset, the Gurt Dog, meaning great dog in local speech, was a protector. Folklore says mothers trusted the big dog to watch over children playing on the hills, and that it walked with lone travellers to see them safely along the paths. That kindly role sets it apart from the hellhounds of East Anglia and the North. It has company elsewhere: in Lincolnshire, folklorist Ethel Rudkin, who said she had seen the black dog Hairy Jack herself, thought the county's black dogs were mainly gentle and seen as spiritual protectors. No modern sighting records are attached to the Gurt Dog, and it survives as a gentle piece of West Country tradition.

• Folk traditionTold story Somerset lore describes the Gurt Dog as a kindly black dog of the Quantock Hills. Mothers were said to trust it to watch over their children while they played on the open hillsides. It was also said to walk beside people travelling alone and see them safely on their way, the opposite of the usual death-omen hound. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Visiting: The Quantock Hills are an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with open-access walking.

The Lambton Worm Told story

Beast · River Wear, Fatfield and Penshaw Hill, Sunderland (historic County Durham) · first reported Medieval legend

The Lambton Worm is North East England's best-loved monster tale. Young John Lambton skipped church one Sunday to fish the River Wear and hooked a strange, worm-like creature. He threw it down a well and later left to fight in the Crusades. While he was away the worm grew huge. It ate livestock, menaced villages and coiled itself around a hill. On his return, John took a wise woman's advice and fought it in the river wearing armour studded with spearheads. The worm cut itself to pieces trying to crush him. But John broke his vow to kill the first living thing he met afterwards, his own father, and so the Lambton family was cursed for nine generations. Earlier versions place the coiled worm on Worm Hill at Fatfield; later ones use Penshaw Hill. A dialect song written in 1867 keeps the story alive.

• 1867Told story Writer C. M. Leumane turned the legend into a comic folk song in 1867, written in Northumbrian dialect. The song tells of the worm's 'goggly' eyes, its appetite for local livestock and the way it wrapped itself around a hill. It made the story famous across the North East and is still sung today. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Visiting: Penshaw Hill (with Penshaw Monument) and Worm Hill at Fatfield are public places tied to the legend.

The Wild Man of Orford On the record

Humanoid · Orford Castle, Orford, Suffolk · first reported c. 1167 · also called Orford Merman

One of the oldest written wild man stories in Britain comes from the Suffolk coast. The chronicler Ralph of Coggeshall wrote that around 1167 fishermen at Orford caught a naked man covered in hair in their nets. They brought him to the castle at Orford. There he was held for six months and questioned, or even tortured, yet he said nothing and behaved like a wild creature throughout. In the end he escaped from the castle. Later accounts turned him into a merman. The incident appears to have encouraged the carving of 'wild men' on local church fonts; around twenty such medieval fonts survive in coastal Suffolk and Norfolk near Orford. The castle keep still stands and now houses Orford Museum.

• c. 1167On the record Ralph of Coggeshall recorded that fishermen at Orford netted a hairy, naked wild man and carried him to Orford Castle. Held there for six months, he was questioned or tortured but said nothing and acted wild. He eventually escaped from the castle. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Visiting: Orford Castle is run by English Heritage and open to visitors; Orford Museum is inside the keep.

Wisht Hounds of Wistman's Wood Told story

Beast · Wistman's Wood, Dartmoor, Devon · first reported Folk tradition · also called Wish Hounds, Yeth Hounds

Wistman's Wood is a small, twisted oak wood on the high slopes of Dartmoor. Its stunted trees grow between mossy granite boulders, and it has long been one of the eeriest spots on the moor. Local tradition makes it the kennel of the Wisht Hounds, a pack of ghostly hunting dogs. Folklore says they set out from the wood on hunting forays across the moor, and that any dog that hears their cry will die. Devon also has a related tale of the Yeth or Yell Hound, a headless dog said to be the spirit of an unbaptised child, wailing through the woods. Another Dartmoor hound tale, that of Squire Richard Cabell, is said to have inspired Arthur Conan Doyle's The Hound of the Baskervilles.

• Folk traditionTold story Dartmoor lore names Wistman's Wood as the home of the Wisht Hounds, a phantom hunting pack that makes forays across the moor. Tradition warns that any dog that hears the hounds' cry will die. Devon also tells of a headless Yeth Hound that wails through the woods at night. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Visiting: Wistman's Wood is a National Nature Reserve reached on foot from Two Bridges.

Tchen Bodu Told story

Beast · Clos du Valle, Vale parish, Guernsey · first reported Folk tradition · also called Bodu

Guernsey's best-known death-omen dog belongs to the Clos du Valle in the north of the island. Here the phantom hound is called Tchen Bodu, or simply Bodu; tchen means dog in Guernésiais. According to island lore, seeing it means death, either for the witness or for someone close to them. Guernsey also has many unnamed black dogs, often linked to place names built on 'bête', the French word for beast, which suggests how old and widespread the belief once was. The island's other famous phantom hound is Tchico, a headless dog linked to a disgraced Bailiff. There are no modern sighting records for Tchen Bodu in the source read, and the story survives as part of Guernsey's folklore.

• Folk traditionTold story Guernsey lore says Tchen Bodu appears mostly in the Clos du Valle, the northern part of the island. Seeing it was believed to foretell the death of the witness or of someone close to them. The island also has many unnamed black dogs linked to place names built on the word 'bête'. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Tchico Told story

Beast · Guernsey · first reported Medieval-era legend

Tchico is Guernsey's headless dog. Island folklore ties it to a real medieval figure: Gaultier de la Salle, a Bailiff of Guernsey. According to the tale, de la Salle was hanged for falsely accusing one of his vassals. His spirit is said to have returned as Tchico, a black dog without a head. Folklorists list Tchico alongside Tchen Bodu and the island's many unnamed 'bête' dogs. Its name is said to come from two Norman words for dog. No modern sightings were found, and the tale lives on in island storytelling. Its neighbour in island lore, Tchen Bodu of the Clos du Valle, is said to foretell the death of whoever sees it or someone close to them.

• Folk traditionTold story Tchico is described as a headless dog. Guernsey folklore says it is the phantom of Gaultier de la Salle, a former Bailiff of Guernsey, who was hanged for falsely accusing one of his vassals. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Black Cat of the Hellfire Club Told story

Beast · Hellfire Club, Montpelier Hill, Dublin Mountains, County Dublin · first reported Folk tradition · also called Killakee cat

The ruined hunting lodge on top of Montpelier Hill, above south Dublin, was built by Speaker Conolly, one of the wealthiest men in Ireland, on the site of a passage grave. It is known as the Hellfire Club after the Irish Hellfire Club, founded around 1735 by Richard Parsons, whose members met there for drinking and debauchery. Its legends include a monstrous black cat. In the best-known tale, a young man investigating the club is found dead. A priest and the man's host go to the lodge and find a black cat prowling the room, its ears shaped like horns. The priest performs an exorcism and the beast is torn apart, but the host is left lying on the ground with his face and neck deeply scratched. Another story at the site tells of a card game where a stranger turned out to have cloven hooves instead of feet.

• Folk traditionTold story In the best-known tale, a young man investigating the club is found dead. A priest and the man's host find a black cat with horn-shaped ears prowling the room. After the priest's exorcism the beast is torn apart, but the host is left with his face and neck deeply scratched. Source: dublinguide.ie

Visiting: The Hellfire Club ruin is reached on forest trails from the Hellfire Club car park in Dublin Mountains Park.

Carlingford Lough Creature Told story

Water monster · Carlingford Lough, County Louth (border with County Down) · first reported Undated

Carlingford Lough is a long sea inlet that forms part of the border between County Louth in the Republic and County Down in Northern Ireland, with the Cooley and Mourne mountains on either side. Local people have reported a range of strange things in its waters. The descriptions do not agree: some speak of a creature with legs, others of one without, and some of something long and eel-like. A local ferry company invited Adrian Shine, who has spent more than 50 years studying Loch Ness, to look into the reports. He did not find proof of an animal, but the Irish Post reported that the locals' eyewitness accounts left him convinced they had seen something. No dated individual sightings have been published. The medieval village of Carlingford on the Louth shore makes a good base for a visit.

• UndatedTold story People living around Carlingford Lough have described a variety of strange creatures in the water. Some say it has legs, some say it has none, and some describe something long and eel-like. Adrian Shine, who has researched Loch Ness for more than 50 years, looked into the claims at the invitation of a local ferry company. No dated sightings were given. Source: irishpost.com

Visiting: Carlingford village on the Louth shore has a heritage centre and lough-side walks.

Dobhar-chú Told story

Water monster · Glenade Lough, County Leitrim, Ireland · first reported 1722 · also called Water hound, King otter

The dobhar-chú, Irish for 'water hound', is a giant otter-like beast from Irish lakes. It is pictured as an otter five times normal size, with a white pelt, black ear tips and a dark cross on its back. Its most famous tale comes from Glenade Lough in County Leitrim in 1722. Grace Connolly went to wash clothes at the lake and was killed. Her husband found the beast asleep on her body and killed it. It let out a whistling cry, and its mate rose from the water, which he also slew. A carved stone in Conwal Cemetery shows a dog-like animal and marks a woman's grave from that era. In 2003 an artist and his wife reported a large dark animal off Omey Island, Galway.

• 1722Told story Grace Connolly was killed at Glenade Lough. Her husband Terrence killed the creature on her body, then fought and killed a second one that came at its whistle. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• 2003On the record Irish artist Sean Corcoran and his wife reported a large dark creature with orange, flipper-like feet off Omey Island, Connemara. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Visiting: The carved gravestone stands in Conwal Cemetery, Glenade, County Leitrim.

Horned Eel of Lough Nahooin On the record

Water monster · Lough Nahooin, near Claddaghduff, Connemara, County Galway · first reported 1968 · also called Connemara horse-eel

Lough Nahooin is a tiny bog lake in western Connemara, and in 1968 a family fishing there reported something that has puzzled monster hunters ever since. They described a dark animal about four metres long, with a snake-like body, no visible hair or eyes, and two horn-like stubs on top of its head. Galway tourism material adds that it had a mouth of sharp teeth. News spread through the area and drew researchers and journalists. Yet no photographs, physical traces or repeat sightings followed. The case belongs to a wider west of Ireland tradition of 'horse-eels' including nearby Lough Fadda, where locals have described a long body and a horse-like head. Ideas floated over the years range from a prehistoric survivor or unknown species to a mutation, and comparisons with the Loch Ness Monster.

• 1968On the record In 1968 a family fishing at Lough Nahooin in Connemara reported a dark creature about four metres long. They said it had a snake-like body, no visible hair or eyes, and two horn-like points on its head. The story spread quickly and drew researchers and journalists, but no photos or physical traces followed. Source: visitgalway.ie
• UndatedTold story People living around Lough Fadda, another Connemara lake, have reported a water creature with an elongated body and a horse-like head. The Irish Post places such reports within the horse-eel tradition common along Ireland's west coast. No dates or witness names were given. Source: irishpost.com

Knockmealdown Leopard On the record

Beast · Knockmealdown Mountains, Counties Waterford and Tipperary · first reported 2000s

The Knockmealdown Mountains rise between Waterford and Tipperary in Munster. They are also the setting of one of Ireland's best-known big cat scares. People reported a leopard-like animal in the hills, and concern spread fast, along with claims that officials had warned hikers to exercise extreme caution. The Gardaí later denied making any such warning. Nothing was found and the animal was never located. The Irish Post lists the case among a string of Irish big cat stories. In Cork in 2018, for example, mountain lion reports, along with talk of more livestock kills and fewer foxes, led the Cork Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to set traps and cameras where the cat had been seen. Nothing was caught. In 2003 a County Monaghan panther scare ended when video showed a domestic black cat.

• UndatedOn the record Sightings of a leopard-like animal in the Knockmealdown Mountains caused wide concern, along with claims that authorities had warned hikers to be careful. Gardaí later denied making any such warning. The animal was never found, and the reports remain unexplained in local lore. Source: irishpost.com
• 2018On the record In 2018 there were several reports of a mountain lion in County Cork, along with claims of more livestock kills and fewer foxes. The Cork Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals set traps and cameras in response. Nothing was caught, and no big cat was confirmed. Source: irishpost.com

Visiting: The Knockmealdowns are crossed by the scenic Vee road and waymarked walking routes.

Lough Ree Monster On the record

Water monster · Lough Ree, on the River Shannon (Counties Longford, Roscommon, Westmeath), Ireland · first reported Early medieval tale; modern sighting 1960

Lough Ree, a large lake on the River Shannon in the Irish midlands, has a monster tradition with a remarkably solid witness list. An old tale linked to Saint Mochua tells of a stag that escaped hunters by swimming to an island they feared to approach because of a beast in the lake. The best-known modern report came in 1960, when three Catholic priests out fishing watched a large black animal swimming up the lough. They described a looping motion as it rose and dipped, a length of at least six feet and a small head. In 2001 Swedish journalist Jan Sundberg's Global Underwater Search Team used underwater microphones and reported sounds they took for a large animal.

• Early medievalTold story A tale tied to Saint Mochua describes hunters afraid to follow a stag to an island because of a fierce monster in the lake. Source: irishtimes.com
• 1960On the record Fathers Richard Quigly, Matthew Burke and Daniel Murray, fishing on the lake, saw a large black animal swimming with a looping motion, at least six feet long with a small head. Source: irishtimes.com
• 2001Investigated report Jan Sundberg's Global Underwater Search Team surveyed the lake with listening gear and reported sounds like a large animal with powerful flippers. Source: irishtimes.com

Visiting: Lough Ree can be seen from Athlone and Lanesborough; boat trips run on the Shannon.

Monaghan Panther On the record

Beast · County Monaghan · first reported 2003

In 2003, County Monaghan in Ireland's border region had its own panther scare. Locals were convinced a panther was prowling around a housing estate, and there were unexplained attacks on pets. The scare prompted an extensive aerial search. The hunt ended without any capture. When video footage of the animal was finally examined, it showed what appeared to be a regular domestic black cat, and the scare faded. The Monaghan case sits among a string of Irish big cat stories gathered by the Irish Post, including a leopard-like animal in the Knockmealdown Mountains, mountain lion reports in Cork in 2018, and a black leopard reported in County Leitrim by a man with five years of experience photographing African wildlife, who could not get a picture.

• 2003On the record In 2003 locals in County Monaghan became convinced a panther was prowling around a housing estate, and unexplained attacks on pets followed. An extensive aerial search found nothing. When video footage was examined, it appeared to show an ordinary domestic black cat. Source: irishpost.com

Muckie On the record

Water monster · Muckross Lake, Lakes of Killarney, County Kerry · first reported 2003 · also called Killarney lake monster

Muckie is the nickname for a monster said to live in the Lakes of Killarney, inside Killarney National Park in County Kerry. The name blends Muckross, one of the three lakes, with Nessie. The story took off in 2003, when scientists running sonar scans to count local fish populations picked up a large, solid object in the water. In October 2004 a Japanese television crew spent a week in the area looking for the creature. It has been suggested that witnesses may have seen seals, which travelling in pairs dive and rise opposite each other and can look like one large animal. Wikipedia also notes that tourism interests have tried to encourage the legend. No identification of the sonar contact has been published, and Muckie has become a fun addition to one of Ireland's most visited beauty spots.

• 2003On the record In 2003, scientists carrying out a survey of fish populations in the Lakes of Killarney recorded a large, solid object on their sonar. The reading led to talk of a Loch Ness-style creature, and the nickname Muckie, from Muckross Lake, soon followed. No identification of the object was published. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• Oct 2004On the record In October 2004 a Japanese television crew spent a week in the Killarney area searching for Muckie. They did not report finding it. It has been suggested that pairs of seals, diving and surfacing in turn, could create the illusion of one long animal. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Visiting: Muckross Lake lies in Killarney National Park, with lakeshore paths, Muckross House and boat trips.

Buggane of St Trinian's Told story

Humanoid · St Trinian's Church, near Crosby, Marown, Isle of Man · first reported Folk tradition · also called Buggane

The roofless ruin of St Trinian's Church, beside the main road in the centre of the Isle of Man, comes with a monster to explain it. Manx folklore describes bugganes as ugly, ogre-like shape-shifters with eyes like torches and sharp tusks. They could take the form of a black calf or a man with a horse's features, and could not cross water or stand on holy ground. According to the legend, a buggane ended up on a ship bound for Ireland and raised a storm to get home. St Trinian foiled it by bringing the ship safely into Peel harbour. Furious, the buggane swore the saint would never have a whole church on the island, and it tore the roof off three times. The roof was never finished. Other bugganes were placed at Glen Maye, where one plagued lazy housewives, and Gob-na-Scuit, where one harassed livestock.

• Folk traditionTold story In the legend, a buggane boarded a ship bound for Ireland by mistake and stirred up a storm to get home, but St Trinian brought the ship safely into Peel harbour. The angry buggane swore the saint would never have a finished church, and it tore off the roof three times. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Visiting: St Trinian's Church ruin stands beside the A1 Douglas-Peel road and can be viewed from the roadside.

Gef the Talking Mongoose Investigated report

Other · Cashen's Gap farmhouse, near Dalby, Isle of Man · first reported 1931 · also called Gef, Dalby Spook

Few creature stories are as odd as Gef. In September 1931, the Irving family, James, Margaret and their 13-year-old daughter Voirrey, said a talking animal had moved into the walls of their remote farmhouse at Cashen's Gap near Dalby. They described it as rat-sized, with yellowish fur and a bushy tail. It claimed to be an 'extra extra clever mongoose' born in New Delhi, India, in 1852. It chatted, warned of visitors and was said to help around the house. The case became a tabloid sensation. Psychical researchers Harry Price, Richard Lambert, Hereward Carrington and Nandor Fodor all looked into it. Hair said to be Gef's matched the family's sheepdog, and Reginald Pocock of the Natural History Museum found the paw prints were not a mongoose's. Skeptics such as Joe Nickell suggest Voirrey used ventriloquism. She insisted Gef was real until she died in 2005.

• 1931-1936Investigated report From 1931 the Irving family said a talking mongoose lived in the walls of their farmhouse. Harry Price and Richard Lambert investigated and published The Haunting of Cashen's Gap in 1936. Hair samples matched the family sheepdog, and paw prints showed no mongoose features. Price noted the hollow double walls carried voices well. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• 1946On the record In 1946, after the Irvings had left the farm, Leslie Graham claimed he had shot Gef. The animal he displayed was black and white and much larger than the creature the family had described. Voirrey Irving maintained that Gef was not her creation until her death in 2005. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Visiting: The farmhouse site is on private land in the hills above Dalby; the Manx Museum in Douglas covers island folklore.

Moddey Dhoo Told story

Beast · Peel Castle, St Patrick's Isle, Peel, Isle of Man · first reported 1700s (published 1744) · also called Mauthe Doog, Black Dog of Peel

Moddey Dhoo means 'black dog' in Manx, and the island's most famous one haunted Peel Castle on the west coast. George Waldron, in an account published in 1744, described a large black spaniel with curly, shaggy hair that haunted the guard chamber. One night a drunken guard insisted on locking up by himself, using the passage the dog came through. Noises were heard, and he came back speechless with fright. He died three days later without saying what he saw, and the passage was sealed. Sir Walter Scott used the story in Peveril of the Peak in 1823. Manx folklorist Walter Gill later collected modern reports, including a black dog with eyes 'like coals of fire' near Ramsey in 1927, and a doctor's 1931 meeting with a dog-like creature nearly the size of a calf.

• Published 1744Told story George Waldron, in an account published in 1744, described a large black spaniel with curly, shaggy hair that haunted the guard chamber at Peel Castle. A drunken guard insisted on locking up alone through the dog's passage. He returned speechless with terror and died three days later. The passage was then sealed. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• 1927 and 1931Told story Manx folklorist Walter Gill recorded later sightings. In 1927 a black dog with long shaggy hair and eyes 'like coals of fire' was reported near Ramsey. In 1931 a doctor described meeting a black, dog-like creature nearly the size of a calf, with bright, staring eyes. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Visiting: Peel Castle is run by Manx National Heritage and open to visitors in season.

Black Dog of Bouley Bay Told story

Beast · Bouley Bay, Trinity, Jersey · first reported Folk tradition · also called Tchian d'Bouôlé, Le Chien de Bouley

Bouley Bay is a deep, steep-sided bay on Jersey's north coast. Its legend is a monstrous black dog with eyes as big as saucers, sometimes said to drag a clanking chain. Islanders believed that when it was seen or heard, a storm was on its way. Two down-to-earth theories have been offered. One is that smugglers spread the story to keep people off the beach at night while goods were landed. The other is that the name 'Le Tchan' grew from 'Le Chouan', a Jèrriais term for French royalist émigrés, many of whom sheltered in Jersey during the Revolution. In Jersey French the dog is the Tchian d'Bouôlé. It is the best-known example of a black dog tradition that runs right through the Channel Islands.

• Folk traditionTold story Jersey tradition describes the Bouley Bay dog as a phantom hound with eyes the size of saucers, sometimes dragging a chain behind it. Its appearance was taken as a warning that a storm was coming. One theory holds that smugglers spread the tale to keep people away at night. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Visiting: Bouley Bay has a small harbour, a slipway and a cliff path on the Jersey north coast walk.

Fintona Lynx On the record

Beast · Fintona, County Tyrone · first reported 1996

Northern Ireland's big cat stories include one case where police actually shot the animal. In 1996, at Fintona in County Tyrone, police shot a cat that was reportedly a caracal, a medium-sized wild cat of Africa and Asia, although a police report described it as a lynx. A USPCA representative has noted that before the Dangerous Wild Animals Order took effect in Northern Ireland in December 2006, there were no restrictions on keeping exotic animals, joking that a poodle cost a fiver to licence but a panther was free. More recently, a police freedom-of-information response listed eight big cat reports to the PSNI from 2020 to 2024, from Pomeroy in Tyrone to Hillsborough Forest Park. Officers who checked found no sign of large cats, and in one case decided the witness had possibly seen a cow or horse.

• 1996On the record In 1996 police at Fintona in County Tyrone shot a cat. It was reportedly a caracal, though a police report described it as a lynx. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• 2020-2024On the record A police freedom-of-information response listed eight big cat reports to the PSNI from 2020 to 2024, from places including Pomeroy, Desertmartin, Castlerock, Armoy, Ballymoney, Portadown, Corbet and Hillsborough Forest Park. Officers who checked found no sign of large cats. Source: psni.police.uk

Myroe Black Cat On the record

Beast · Myroe, near Limavady, County Londonderry · first reported 2000s · also called Limavady puma

The flat farmland of Myroe, beside Lough Foyle near Limavady, has its own black cat story. Beryl Ewing of Limavady said that one summer, driving along Lomond Road in Myroe in daylight, she watched a jet-black animal cross from one field into a crop. She described it as about the size of a big Labrador, but with a much longer, sleeker body, a small head, a thin frame and a long tail. Later, a farming acquaintance found the remains of four lambs eaten in a puzzling way, with little left but tails and wool. She argued that a big cat, unlike a fox or dog, would eat the bones. A USPCA spokesman linked big cat sightings to Northern Ireland's past lack of rules on keeping wild animals, before the Dangerous Wild Animals Order took effect in December 2006.

• Summer (year not given)On the record Beryl Ewing of Limavady said she was driving on Lomond Road in Myroe one summer day when a jet-black animal crossed between fields. She said it was the size of a big Labrador but longer and sleeker, with a small head and long tail. A friend who farms later found four lambs eaten down to tails and wool. Source: northernirelandworld.com

North Antrim Big Cat On the record

Beast · Ballybogey and the north Antrim coast near Portrush, County Antrim · first reported 2003 · also called Ballybogey puma

In the late summer of 2003, a large cat on the north Antrim coast set off one of the biggest animal hunts Northern Ireland has seen. The animal, thought to be a puma or panther, was blamed for mauling several sheep. More than 20 sightings came in from August onward. Police and the Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals narrowed a 150-square-mile search down to woodland near the village of Ballybogey, inland from Portrush. Police marksmen were on standby, and a spokesperson said the cat would probably be killed because nobody could get close enough to dart it. The USPCA had tranquilliser equipment and an enclosure ready at its sanctuary, and its chief executive, Stephen Philpott, said they had come tantalisingly close. Officials believed an owner had let it loose and said the owner could face prosecution. Up to five other wild cats were believed to be loose elsewhere in Northern Ireland.

• Sep 2003On the record In September 2003 police and USPCA officers searched woods near Ballybogey for a puma or panther blamed for mauling sheep. More than 20 sightings had come in since August across a 150-square-mile area. Marksmen stood by, while the USPCA hoped to dart the cat. Its chief admitted the animal had thwarted them. Source: irishexaminer.com

Beast of Bennachie On the record

Beast · Bennachie and the Garioch, Aberdeenshire · first reported 1970s · also called Beast of Buchan (related)

Bennachie is a much-loved hill range near Inverurie in Aberdeenshire, and since the 1970s it has also been big cat country. Reports peaked in the 1990s. A retired farmer near Insch said he saw a big yellowish cat and later a jet-black one in a single year. A milkman described a smooth-coated animal like a young lioness crossing the road. A motorist on the A96 near Huntly nearly hit a muscular black cat with a long curled tail. Sheep were found with their throats torn near Pitcaple, and a local laird planned to trap the animal in 1996. Grampian Police assigned an officer to the case, and Inspector John Sellar suggested a dog rather than a cat was more likely. A paw print said to be from a big cat was photographed in the snow near Bennachie in 2001. Locals link it with the Beast of Buchan and Beast of Angus further afield.

• 1994-1995On the record Retired Insch farmer Sandy Coutts reported four sightings in about a year. In late 1994 and again in February 1995 he saw a large yellowish animal on Brindy Hill between Keig and Alford, and he also saw a jet-black cat near Oyne. He said it was much larger than a dog, with a long curved tail. Source: pressandjournal.co.uk
• Dec 1996On the record In December 1996, motorist James Sutherland was driving at about 50 mph on the A96 near Huntly when a jet-black animal crossed in front of him and he nearly hit it. He described it as muscular and about the height of a Labrador, with a tail around two feet long that curled at the end. Source: pressandjournal.co.uk

Visiting: The Bennachie Visitor Centre and Back o' Bennachie car park give access to waymarked hill paths.

Big Grey Man of Ben Macdui On the record

Humanoid · Ben Macdui, Cairngorms, Scotland · first reported 1891 (told 1925) · also called Am Fear Liath Mòr, Greyman

Am Fear Liath Mòr, the Big Grey Man, haunts the summit of Ben Macdui, the second-highest peak in the British Isles. In 1925 the mountaineer Norman Collie described a day in 1891 when, coming down in mist, he heard huge crunching footsteps behind him. Each step seemed three or four times the length of his own, and he fled in terror. Others followed with similar stories of footsteps, a looming shape or a crushing sense of dread. Skeptics point to the Brocken spectre, where a climber's shadow is thrown huge onto mist. Exhaustion, isolation and low wind noise that unsettles people are also suggested.

• 1891 (told 1925)On the record Norman Collie said that while returning from the summit cairn in mist he heard heavy footsteps behind him, with strides far longer than his own. He ran in panic down the mountain. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• 1904On the record Hugh D. Welsh, hiking with his brother, reported slurring footsteps like someone walking through wet gravel and an eerie sense of dread. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• 1943 (published 1958)On the record Alexander Tewnion said a large shape loomed at him in mist. He fired his revolver three times and fled down the mountain. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• 1948On the record Richard Frere described sensing an abstract but intensely real presence and hearing a high singing note. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Visiting: Ben Macdui is a long hill walk from the Cairn Gorm ski area; go prepared for sudden mountain weather.

Felicity the Cannich Puma On the record

Beast · Cannich, Inverness-shire · first reported 1980

Scotland's most famous captured big cat was a puma caught in Inverness-shire in 1980, usually placed near Cannich in the glens west of Inverness. Local people had been reporting a large cat. When one was caught alive in a trap, it turned out to be a female puma. She was named Felicity. The director of the zoo that examined her concluded she had been tamed and had probably not been loose for long, noting that she enjoyed being tickled. That pointed to someone releasing or losing a pet. Felicity spent the rest of her life at the Highland Wildlife Park. A taxidermied puma is held at Inverness Museum. The case still anchors many conversations about Highland panthers.

• 1980On the record In 1980 a puma was caught alive in the wild in Inverness-shire. A zoo director who examined it concluded that it had been tamed and had probably not been free for long, pointing to a released or escaped pet. The cat, named Felicity, lived the rest of her life at the Highland Wildlife Park. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Visiting: The Highland Wildlife Park near Kincraig is open to visitors.

Kellas Cat On the record

Beast · Kellas, Moray · first reported 1984

The Kellas cat is a rare case where a reported mystery cat ended up in a museum drawer. Named after the village of Kellas in Moray, it is a large black cat that turned out to be a hybrid. The first specimen was killed in a snare by a gamekeeper in 1984. A female was caught on the Kellas estate and shown on Tomorrow's World in 1986, and in 1988 a male was caught in Inverness-shire and another black animal was trapped and killed at Dufftown. Naturalist Di Francis supplied seven of the eight specimens studied and bred the first captive litter. Charles Thomas examined them and found most were hybrids of the Scottish wildcat and feral house cats, leaning toward the wildcat side. In the 1980s the media often confused the Kellas cat with reports of leopard-sized black cats. Specimens are held in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Elgin.

• 1984-1988On the record The first known Kellas cat was killed in a snare in 1984. In 1986 a live female was trapped on the Kellas estate in Moray. In 1988 a male was caught in Inverness-shire and another animal was trapped and killed at Dufftown. Di Francis supplied seven of the eight specimens examined at the National Museum of Scotland. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• 2002On the record In 2002 a specimen was found in Insch, Aberdeenshire, and is now held by the University of Aberdeen Zoology Museum. Study of the collected animals found they were hybrids of the Scottish wildcat and feral domestic cats; only one leaned more towards a domestic cat. Di Francis bred the first captive Kellas kittens. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Visiting: Specimens are held by the National Museum of Scotland, the University of Aberdeen Zoology Museum and Elgin Museum.

Kingussie Lynx Release On the record

Beast · Drumguish, near Kingussie, Badenoch, Highland · first reported 2025 · also called Drumguish lynx

In January 2025, a big cat story in the Cairngorms turned out to be real lynx. On 9 January two lynx were captured after being sighted in the Drumguish area near Kingussie in Badenoch, and two more were seen in the same area the following day and were also taken in. They were placed in quarantine at the Highland Wildlife Park. Because the animals were so tame, and bedding was found in a nearby layby, officials believed they had been released illegally. A zoo later said the four lynx had been starving, and vets including Neil Anderson of the University of Edinburgh's Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies commented in the media. The case was a fresh reminder that cats long extinct in Britain can still turn up through human hands, and that a sighting near a Highland village can sometimes be confirmed within days.

• Jan 9-10, 2025On the record On 9 January 2025 two lynx were captured near Drumguish, close to Kingussie in the Highlands, and placed in quarantine at the Highland Wildlife Park. Two more were seen the following day. Because they were so tame, and bedding was found in a layby, officials believed they had been released illegally. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• Jan 13, 2025On the record Coverage on 13 January 2025 quoted a zoo saying that the four lynx released in the Highlands had been starving. A University of Edinburgh vet, Neil Anderson of the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, was among those who commented on the case in the media. Source: research.ed.ac.uk

Loch Ness Monster Told story

Water monster · Loch Ness, Scottish Highlands · also called Nessie

The world's most famous lake monster, 'Nessie', said to live in Loch Ness near Inverness. Full history, photos and searches are in the main Loch Ness dossier.

Full story: Loch Ness Monster →

Morag On the record

Water monster · Loch Morar, Lochaber, Scotland · first reported 1887 · also called Loch Morar monster

Morag is Loch Ness's lesser-known cousin, said to live in Loch Morar on Scotland's west coast. Reports go back to 1887. The most dramatic came in 1969, when two men said their boat struck the creature. Duncan McDonell fended it off with an oar while William Simpson fired a rifle at it. They described a brown animal 25 to 30 feet long, with rough skin and three humps rising out of the water. By 1981 at least 34 sightings had been recorded, nearly half with more than one witness. No physical evidence has been recovered, but the 1969 report stands out because it claims physical contact.

• 1887Told story The earliest recorded report of the Loch Morar creature dates to this year. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• 1969On the record Duncan McDonell and William Simpson said their boat hit the creature. One used an oar and the other fired a rifle. They described it as brown, 25-30 feet long, with rough skin and three humps about 18 inches high. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Visiting: The village of Morar sits at the loch's west end, on the road and rail line to Mallaig.

Muc-sheilch of Loch Maree Told story

Water monster · Loch Maree, Wester Ross, Highland · first reported Folk tradition · also called Loch Maree monster

Loch Maree, in Wester Ross, is the fourth-largest freshwater loch in Scotland and, like Loch Ness and Loch Morar, it has a creature of its own in tradition: the muc-sheilch. The loch is about 22 kilometres long and holds more than 60 islands. It is also rich in other legend. Isle Maree holds the remains of a pre-Reformation chapel linked to Saint Máel Ruba, who died in 722, and an oak wishing tree, now studded with hammered coins, made famous by Queen Victoria's visit in 1877. The loch's waters were once believed to have healing powers. Few modern sightings of the muc-sheilch are on record in the sources read, so it is known mainly through tradition rather than witness reports.

• Folk traditionTold story Loch Maree is placed alongside Loch Ness and Loch Morar as a Scottish loch with its own creature, the muc-sheilch. No dated modern sightings are given, so the creature is known mainly through tradition rather than witness reports. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Visiting: The A832 runs along the loch shore; Loch Maree is overlooked by Slioch and the Beinn Eighe nature reserve.

Nuckelavee Told story

Beast · Orkney (notably Stronsay) · first reported Folk tradition; recorded 1880s-1890s

The Nuckelavee is the most horrifying creature in Orkney folklore. Islanders described a sea demon that came ashore as a horse-like beast with a legless human torso fused to its back. Its arms were long enough to drag on the ground. It had no skin, so its black blood could be seen pulsing through yellow veins. Its breath was believed to wither crops and sicken cattle. Only the Mither o' the Sea, an old Orcadian sea spirit, could hold it in check during the summer months. One tale blamed its rage on the burning of seaweed for kelp, which began on Stronsay in 1722. The folklorist Walter Traill Dennison recorded the stories between 1880 and 1894, including what he called a first-hand account from an islander named Tammas, though Dennison may have polished the tales.

• Recorded 1880s-1890sTold story Folklorist Walter Traill Dennison recorded the account of an islander named Tammas, said to be the only first-hand description of the Nuckelavee. Tammas described coming face to face with the skinless horse-man and surviving the meeting. Dennison published his Orkney material between 1880 and 1894, and he is thought to have polished some of the tales. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Stronsay Beast On the record

Water monster · Rothiesholm, Stronsay, Orkney · first reported 1808

After a storm in September 1808, a huge rotting carcass washed up on the island of Stronsay in Orkney. A carpenter and two farmers measured it at about 55 feet long, even with part of the tail missing. They described three pairs of limbs called 'paws' or 'wings' and a row of bristles down the back that was said to glow in the dark when wet. The find was reported to the Wernerian Natural History Society in Edinburgh, which could not match it to any known animal, decided it was probably a sea serpent and named it Halsydrus pontoppidani. In London, anatomist Sir Everard Home disagreed. He argued the measurement was wrong and that the remains were a decayed basking shark about 30 feet long. Professor John Goodsir reached the same view in 1849. Zoologist Karl Shuker has argued it may have been an undescribed larger relative of the basking shark.

• Sep 25, 1808On the record After a storm in September 1808 a carcass came ashore on Stronsay in Orkney. A carpenter and two farmers measured it at 55 feet even without part of its tail and noted its features. The Wernerian Natural History Society in Edinburgh could not identify it and treated it as a new kind of creature, possibly a sea serpent. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• 1809-1849On the record In London, anatomist Sir Everard Home argued the measurements were wrong and that the remains were a rotting basking shark about 30 feet long. Professor John Goodsir agreed in 1849. Zoologist Karl Shuker has since disputed this, saying the 55-foot figure may be sound and the animal may have been an unknown relative of the basking shark. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Wulver Told story

Humanoid · Shetland Islands · first reported Recorded 1932

Shetland's wolf-man is one of the kindest monsters in British folklore. The Wulver was described as a man with a wolf's head and short brown hair over his whole body. He lived in a cave dug into the side of a hill. He spent long hours fishing from a small rock in deep water, still known as the Wulver's Stane. Saxby wrote that he did not molest folk if they did not molest him, and that he often left a few fish on the windowsill of poor families. Most of what is known comes from Shetland folklorist Jessie Saxby, who wrote about him in Shetland Traditional Lore (1932), describing him as a being in his own right rather than a transformed human. Shetland Museum archivist Brian Smith has argued that Saxby misread the place name Wulvers Hool and invented the creature.

• 1932Told story According to Jessie Saxby's 1932 book, the Wulver fished from the Wulver's Stane, a small rock in deep water. He was fond of fish and often left a few on the windowsill of a poor household. He lived in a hillside cave and did not trouble people unless they troubled him. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Afanc Told story

Water monster · Llyn yr Afanc, River Conwy near Betws-y-Coed (also Llyn Barfog, Llyn Llion, Llyn Syfaddon) · first reported Medieval · also called Addanc

The afanc is the great water monster of Welsh legend. Descriptions vary wildly: a crocodile, a beaver, a dwarf-like creature, even something like a platypus. In modern Welsh the word simply means beaver. Several Welsh waters claim it. Llyn yr Afanc, near Betws-y-Coed, is named after it. Other tales place it in Llyn Barfog or Llyn Llion, and the 15th-century poet Lewys Glyn Cothi placed it in Llyn Syfaddon (Llangorse Lake) near Brecon. In one version attributed to Iolo Morganwg, the afanc lost its power once it was out of the water, which is how the oxen of Hu Gadarn could haul it out and destroy it. It appears in modern fiction too, including Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising sequence and China Miéville's The Scar. The lake-monster lore of Llyn Tegid at Bala keeps a link to it alive.

• Folk traditionTold story In the version attributed to Iolo Morganwg, the hero Hu Gadarn used his oxen to haul the afanc from its lake. Once out of the water it lost its power and could be destroyed. Several Welsh lakes still claim the creature. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Visiting: Betws-y-Coed is a busy village in Eryri (Snowdonia) with riverside walks.

Beast of Bont On the record

Beast · Pontrhydfendigaid, Ceredigion · first reported 1981

Pontrhydfendigaid, a quiet mid-Wales village known locally as Bont, has been the centre of big cat scares for decades. Cambrian News traces the legend to June 1981, when twelve sheep were killed there and Ministry of Agriculture vets judged the killer far more powerful than a fox or a dog. A bigger scare came in 1995, when around 50 sheep were killed over more than 100 square miles of hill and forest. One farmer described smashed ribs and a huge hole in a sheep's back. A teenager said he saw the animal at dusk moving with a bounding run. Dyfed-Powys Police searched without result, though a chief inspector said there were enough sightings to suggest something other than the usual attackers. Many locals believed it was a puma or leopard. In 2023 a woman near Penuwch reported a big cat twice within 48 hours.

• 1995On the record In 1995 farmer Ednyfed Jones said he lost six sheep, one with smashed ribs and a huge hole in its back. Teenager Alex Truss saw an animal at dusk moving with a distinctive bounding motion. Police searches found nothing. Source: mysteriousbritain.co.uk
• May 2023On the record Suzanne Hill reported seeing a big cat twice within 48 hours near her smallholding at Penuwch, Ceredigion. The same Cambrian News piece traced the Beast of Bont legend back to June 1981, when twelve sheep were killed in Pontrhydfendigaid. Source: cambrian-news.co.uk

Black Dog of St Donat's Castle Told story

Beast · St Donat's Castle, Vale of Glamorgan · first reported Folk tradition

St Donat's Castle sits above the sea on the Glamorgan coast in the Vale of Glamorgan. Among its ghost stories is a black dog said to haunt the castle. Some witnesses claimed the dog appeared together with the Gwrach y Rhibyn, a hag of Welsh folklore. Wales has its own name for the phantom dog, the Gwyllgi or 'dog of darkness', pictured as a frightful mastiff with baleful breath and blazing red eyes. St Donat's is one of the few specific Welsh places named in published summaries of black dog lore, alongside the many English hounds such as Black Shuck and the Barghest. No dated sightings or named witnesses were found for this entry, so it stands as castle ghost lore.

• Folk traditionTold story Welsh folklore says a ghostly black dog haunts St Donat's Castle. Some witnesses claimed it appeared together with the Gwrach y Rhibyn, a hag of Welsh folklore. Wales calls such phantom dogs Gwyllgi, pictured as mastiffs with baleful breath and blazing red eyes. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Teggie On the record

Water monster · Llyn Tegid (Bala Lake), Gwynedd · first reported 1920s · also called Llyn Tegid monster, Bala Lake monster

Llyn Tegid, or Bala Lake, is the largest natural lake in Wales, nearly six kilometres long and about 40 metres deep. Its monster is nicknamed Teggie. Reports go back to the 1920s. The best-known came from Dowie Bowen, the lake's manager, who in the 1970s described a crocodile-like animal about eight feet long. In 1979 a fisherman said he saw a large beast with a humped back. By the 1990s the stories had drawn film crews, including a Japanese team that spent three days searching with divers and a small submarine and found nothing. The lake holds pike, perch, brown trout, roach and eels, and is home to the gwyniad, a critically endangered fish found nowhere else. The lake's size and plentiful prey keep alive a link with the afanc of Welsh legend.

• 1970sOn the record Dowie Bowen, who looked after the lake, said that in the 1970s he saw a crocodile-like creature about eight feet long in Llyn Tegid. In 1979 a fisherman reported a large beast with a humped back. Such reports, going back to the 1920s, gave the lake's monster its nickname. Source: en.wikipedia.org
• 1990sOn the record By the 1990s Teggie had drawn investigators. A Japanese team spent three days on the lake with diving equipment and a submarine. They found no evidence of a large unknown animal. Source: en.wikipedia.org

Visiting: Bala town sits at the north end of the lake; the Bala Lake Railway runs along its southern shore.