Hotel guest left behind... jar of Loch Ness fresh air

They would not be on most people’s list of essentials to pack for a weekend away.

But a 5ft wedding cake piñata, a kitten called Rocky and a jar of Loch Ness air, were among the items left behind in Travelodge’s Scottish hotels last year.

A life-size yoda doll, a necklace made of £50 notes and a 55-year-old stamp collection also ended up as lost property at the budget chain.

The unusual items were revealed as part of Travelodge’s 2021 lost and found audit, which revealed staff in Scotland had reported a higher than average number of guests leaving things behind.

Staff were surprised by a large jar labelled ‘Loch Ness Fresh Air’ left behind by a customer staying at the Inverness Central hotel.

Meanwhile, a bridesmaid at Glasgow Queen Street Travelodge forgot to take the bride’s Indian wedding necklace, made from £50 notes, to the ceremony and staff sent it to the venue in a taxi.

And a forgetful groom staying at edinburgh Central Travelodge headed off to get married without taking the bespoke 5ft wedding cake piñata. It had to be rushed to the wedding reception by a hotel worker.

Another newlywed couple staying at edinburgh Airport Ratho Station Travelodge even dashed off to catch their flight to their honeymoon in houston, Texas, and left their tickets in their room. The hotel manager headed to the terminal with the tickets.

The audit also included a British shorthair blue kitten called Rocky being left behind at Dumfries Travelodge.

Rocky’s owner only realised 50 miles down the road from Dumfries that her sister had not put him in the car and he was still in the room.

Travelodge spokesman Shakila Ahmed said: ‘When it comes to why so many of our customers forget their treasured items, it’s due to us all being time-poor, juggling tasks and being in a hurry to get from A to B. In the rush, valuable possessions are easily forgotten.’