About eight and a half metres long, the adult is thought to be a male and had been stranded for too long to establish the cause of death.

According to Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust this is an unusual find. "Since 1992 there have been only 11 killer whale stranding incidents in Scotland, so this is quite an unusual occurrence. The last reported killer whale stranding in Scotland was a juvenile in the Firth of Forth in May 2007," said Susannah Calderan, biodiversity officer with the trust. In the past month large groups of killer whales have been seen around the northern coasts of Scotland and the Isle of North Rona, some of which have been seen taking seals.

"It is possible that the Cape Wrath animal was a member of one of these groups, although currents in the area are quite strong, so it could equally have been carried in from offshore. The other possibility is that it could be one of a small population thought to be resident in Hebridean waters."

She added: "Orcas are one of the ocean's top predators. Different pods tend to specialise in what they eat, but diets range from fish, octopus and squid, to birds, seals, sharks and large whales. Males are much larger than females, and it is easy to tell adults apart, males having a tall straight dorsal fin measuring up to 6 foot high, whilst females have a more dolphin-shaped fin. Despite the name 'killer whale' orcas are in fact the largest member of the dolphin family.

"Orcas have been hunted in the past for commercial whaling, and are still captured for public display, although there are no captive dolphins in the UK. At the top of the food chain, they have no natural predators, and are at risk only from man's activities. The natural lifespan of a wild orca is up to 60 years for males and 90 years for females.

"The trust has a community sightings programme which is essential for research into strandings. If you find a stranded animal, or want to report sightings of live animals at sea, please call 0800-085-8110 or e-mail sightings@hwdt.org."

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