A WHISKY bottle worth thousands of pounds has been found left behind at a hotel room in Ayr.

The discovery was listed in the annual run-down of the strangest things to be left behind at Scotland's Travelodge hotels.

It was joined on the list by a trunk full of royal memorabilia, a black book of jokes left behind by a famous comedian - and, perhaps strangest of all, two sheepdogs.

All the items were found by Travelodge staff working in some of the company’s 41 hotels across Scotland during the last 12 months.

The whisky - a 70cl bottle of Balvenie 40-year-old single malt, worth more than £5,000 - was left behind by a business traveller staying at the hotel near the Whitletts roundabout.

It is understood the bottle had been given to the woman as a congratulations gift after completing a successful business deal.

Her personal assistant was sent from Jersey to pick the item up the following day.

Shakila Ahmed, Travelodge spokeswoman, said: "When it comes to why so many of our customers forget their treasured items, it’s basically due to us all being time poor, juggling multiple tasks and being in a hurry to get from A to B.

“In the rush, valuable possessions are easily forgotten.”

All items left behind in Travelodge hotels which have not been claimed within three months are donated to the local British Heart Foundation’s charity shops.