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Scottish Wildcat Day
"Och, beware the Scottish Wildcat!
He fairly chills the soul!
Just give him room, don't pause to chat,
Such beasties lose control!"
~ Denis Martindale, 2014
If you catch a flash of these colors in the corner of your eye, you might have glimpsed the "Highland Tiger" or perhaps a lucky individual sporting a kilt in this tartan! Unique to Britain and now found only in Scotland, the Scottish Wildcat is an endangered species, believed to be related to the European wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris) or possibly a distinct sub-species (Felis silvestris grampia). There are an estimated 100 wildcats concentrated in the northern and northeastern Highlands, in Morven, and on the Ardnamurchan peninsula in the western Highlands. Today, none of these cats may be pure wildcat, as most are believed to carry at least 25% domestic cat genes. Nevertheless, these cats were well known by shepherds and even mentioned in Sir Walter Scott's "The Lady of the Lake" as fierce and untameable creatures. This wildcat or its hybrid likely inspired the mythological Scottish creature, the Cat Sìth, the fairy cat of Scottish Gaelic tradition, or the Kellas Cat of folklore—large black cats reported in the Kellas area of Moray. These mythical sightings described creatures as large as dogs, with white spots on their chests, sometimes believed to be witches in disguise! "Touch not the cat bot a glove"—wise advice from Clan Chattan! Repopulation efforts are underway for these earthly cats, and sales of the tartan benefit habitat preservation and conservation efforts to help preserve them. Meow! Hiss! Purr! 🖤 🤎 🤍 🧡 🤎 🐯 🏴
Often referred to as the Tiger of the Highlands, striking, handsome and powerful, it is the very essence of a wild predator living by stealth and strength.
The Scottish wildcat's range historically included England and Wales, but it became extinct in these areas, as well as in southern Scotland, within the last 150 years due to habitat encroachment and hunting. Today, the Scottish wildcat population is additionally threatened by hybridization with domestic cats. It is the only wild feline left on the island of Great Britain.
Far back in the history of Scotland, the earliest settlers told legends about wildcats so fierce they bested human champions, who worshipped them as forest spirits. Centuries later, clans formed together under the image of the wildcat and fought wars for the independence of the land.
This tartan was designed to raise awareness of the work that Saving Wildcats (UK) and Saving Scottish Wildcats (USA) are doing to prevent the extinction of one of Scotland’s most iconic species. The threadcount includes numbers that reference significant dates - 1988, the year that wildcats became legally protected and 2020, the start of the Saving Wildcats project. The shades used represent the colours of the Wildcat and the charity’s brand colours of orange and dark green.
For the feature film documentary, "The Tigers of Scotland" click the angry wildcat!