This is Kelpie. Kelpie is named after a creature of Scottish mythology, a water-horse of legend. It’s an unusual name for a cat, but Kelpie isn’t a normal cat – she’s a Scottish Wildcat, one of 46 released into the Cairngorms National Park by the Saving Wildcats partnership.  

Kelpies are an ancient story. The Wildcats now living in the Cairngorms may be a new addition to the area, but historically they go way back too. They have been here for thousands of years; often named the Highland tiger, records of their presence were scrawled through history books, their features drawn in illuminated manuscripts and, most prominently, numbers of their dead recorded in game hunting logs – sometimes hundreds per year. 

^{Image: Kelpie lies on a mossy rock, looking alert with her vivid green eyes!}

The new cats bred at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s Highland Wildlife Park and subsequently released by Saving Wildcats, are part of a huge effort to protect this endangered species and prevent their extinction. Early on in the project, the cats weren’t publicly named, as there were initial concerns about survival rates and the team were worried that people would become specifically attached to individuals who wouldn’t survive. However, they did have names given to them by the Saving Wildcats teams, making it easier to monitor and track them post-release.  

They needed to be distinct, unique and easy to understand over the radios that the team use to communicate, but most importantly for Saving Wildcats, they had to be Scottish. It was essential that the Highland tiger kept its roots.  

Not long into the project, their numbers were growing, and the team needed more suggestions for names, so Saving Wildcats began to reach out to the local community to help.  

One kitten has been named Dornoch after the Dornoch Golf Club who generously support Saving Wildcats. The club has a long history with Wildcats: on their club crest, emblazoned on green, is a rather fierce looking Wildcat, with the unmistakeable ears and stripes. It’s a constant reminder that Wildcats are not new to the area – they are part of a cultural history stitched into the fabric of communities. Thus, we also have Alvie, named after the local Alvie Estate, and Morangie, named by Glenmorangie Distillery, who have long supported wildlife conservation work globally. The names honour both the heritage of the local community and help to solidify the historic place of the cat within this ancient landscape.  

^{Images: A Scottish feast of names - Haggis is caught on a trail cam (left) Stovie in a wintery background (right)}

There has been a veritable feast of food names chosen: Wildcats Haggis, Neep, Tattie and Whisky all represent the best parts of a Burns Supper. Stovie is named for the warming Scottish meat and potato dish. And, of course, Cranachan, one of the male wildcats whose offspring were released, represents the iconic Scottish dessert. These foods and dishes are at the heart of Scottish culture and identity; it seems only right that the cats join them there.  
The names are also a celebration of Scottish language, both Scots and Gaelic. Yorlin was named after the old Scots word for a Yellowhammer, and Caol Ila, who initially came from Edinburgh Zoo, and was mother to some of the released Wildcats, means Sound of Islay. It can be a learning curve for members of the team who didn’t grow up in Scotland, having to learn Scots and Gaelic sounds – the rolled ‘r’ or the ‘ch’ at the back of the throat. Spoken over radios every day, it’s another way that these languages are kept alive and thriving in new tongues and ears.  

It's important that local young people have a connection through naming too, which is why primary schools were also asked to choose names. Alvie Primary School decided to choose the name Mog, and then theirclasses went on to engage in Saving Wildcats’ artwork competition. Named by young and old, there’s a sense of shared ownership of the cats; helping to form a stronger connection.  

Sometimes the link between community and cat is a bit more personal. Callie (Caledonia) is something of a local celebrity around Glenmore. She has often been spotted, along with her kittens, by those living there. She is well-known and well-liked; locals feel as if Callie is their cat. Independent, yes – yet somehow also collectively looked out for by the community. 

They are wild animals, but they are also our neighbours, sharing our landscape. Kelpie is named after an old story still being told. And by naming these cats, we’re understanding that they belong - and we’re helping to write their history anew.