White stag sighting in Scotland

A rare white deer has been spotted roaming wild on the west coast of the Scottish highlands.

Fran Lockhart, of the John Muir Trust, a charity which protects wild land, said she was "thrilled" to spot the majestic beast, which is closely identified with the mythical unicorn.

"It was amazing to crawl up so close to such a magnificent looking animal," she said.

"He looked almost ghostlike next to the group of young red stags that he was mixing with."

In a bid to protect it from poachers, the trust has decided to keep the stag's location secret.

Another white stag that was sighted last year, on the border between Devon and Cornwall, was shot and killed.

Ms Lockhart said: "I am thrilled to know that there is a white stag roaming free out there in the Scottish Highlands and that I was privileged enough to be able to spend an hour observing him.

"We will be watching this animal with interest particularly as he will be reaching his full potential in the next couple of years."

White deer figure in the mythology of many cultures. The Celts considered them messengers from another world.

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