The deer that thinks she’s a collie comes for tea
SOPHIE JAMES, owner and chef at The Seafood Cabin in Skipness, has a unique member of her team that keeps visitors coming back – a tame red deer named Coco.
The orphaned fawn was dropped off at the Cabin last year by a concerned passer-by who found the lone animal struggling out in the wild.
She was adopted by Sophie and the team at the restaurant, who immediately fell in love with her.
Naturally, nobody had any prior experience of raising a deer, but after years of raising lambs, calves, puppies and all sorts of young animals, the team decided to treat her just like the others.
She soon became a muchloved member of a close-knit family of humans and animals based on the Skipness House estate in the north of the Kintyre peninsula.
Those who had lived in rural Scotland all their lives hadn’t ever seen an animal like the red deer up close, let alone have it let them touch it.
The staff reckon she just thinks she’s a collie.
Coco is happy to stroll around the grounds and to go on long walks along the beach.
She’s even been known to help round up sheep, bounding along playfully as the dogs do their work.
The young deer is now also a star attraction at the Cabin, becoming a surprise dining companion for visitors.
Coco and the rest of the menagerie wander freely around the picnic benches as customers eat their meals and take in the views of the nearby castle and across the water to Arran.
On typically soaking wet Scottish summer days, Coco shelters under the awning, huddled up with chickens, collies and whoever else happens to be there.
Happy to pose for pictures and to be stroked by curious kids, she takes it all in her stride.
The visitors love it, with online reviews of the restaurant full of praise for the freshly cooked seafood coupled with the close encounters with local wildlife.
It’s been a recipe for success that has made the Cabin a popular haunt for tourists in the area for over 25 years, despite it being a little out of the way.
And getting up close and personal with a beautiful animal like Coco is certainly a unique experience – just don’t mention venison burgers.