Within a whisker of extinction

I VISITED Newtownmore in the Caringorms, Scotland recently.

There is a ‘wildcat centre’ on the main street and 70 porcelain cats, beautifully decorated by the local children, are positioned at strategic locations around the village. Visitors are invited to see how many they can find.

Locals claim Newtownmore is at the epicentre of the ‘highland tiger’ population. It’s a difficult claim to verify as wildcats, among the most elusive wild creatures in Britain or Ireland, are so secretive it’s almost impossible to observe them.