Cat's Life: Photographer snaps rare 'white' stoat in Kirkby Stephen

The stunning creature was captured by photographer Patrick Cheshire from Mid Wales, who was visiting Ais Gill summit.

The summit is the highest point on the Settle to Carlisle Railway which is where Patrick was hoping to photograph one of the lines' first famous steam trains of the season.

He got an unexpected surprise, however, when the snowy stoat popped up with its trademark black-tipped tail.

"I feel quite lucky," said Patrick. "I happened to have the camera out anyway and I just spotted it peeking in and out of all the holes on the line.

"I believe it is an ermine stoat with its white winter coat - they're usually brown and white. 

"The fur is quite thick and historically, the white you saw in Royal robes was the fur from a white stoat.

"This location is quite far south for them, they're usually found in colder climates and further up north such as in Scotland.

"It must have been the influx of cooler temperatures snow we've had recently."

The transition of a stoat's fur from brown to white happens sporadically and only usually occurs in mountainous regions where snowfall is protracted.

Only stoats with an inherited gene are able to change to white too - so not only was the animal captured in an unusual location, but it was also snapped during a rare transition.

The colour-change is triggered by cold temperatures and reduced daylight which activates a ‘switch’ in the stoat’s brain.

This switch controls the amount of melanin that the stoat produces and the fur provides both protective camouflage and conserves heat.

In England, and particularly South Cumbria and Yorkshire, it is extremely rare to see a white stoat.

The animals are most commonly seen in the Scottish Highlands.

Due to its unique nature, Ermine fur has unfortunately been highly sought after for centuries.

The pelts were used in the 15th century by Catholic monarchs, who sometimes used it as the mozzetta cape.

It has long been used on the ceremonial robes of members of the United Kingdom House of Lords. 

The fashion was to punctuate the white fur of ceremonial robes at regular intervals with the black tips of stoat tails.

Fortunately, in 2019 the late Queen Elizabeth II, began to use faux fur, though though some ceremonial robes made with ermine fur may still be usable for decades if kept in chilled storage.

Fur farming has been banned in England and Wales since 2000 and in Scotland and Northern Ireland since 2002.