It truly was an incredible journey. Two pedigree dogs have been rescued after surviving more than five months in remote Highland hills, apparently living off their canine wits, rabbits and the carcasses of dead game.

Police and animal rescue workers have been unable to establish why the bearded collies, dubbed Muffins and Rosy, were abandoned or how they survived the winter on the Moidart peninsula.

They were found by a stalker near Kinlochmoidart, by Glenuig, west of Fort William, and had been sighted in October last year, police said.

The bitches are of pure-bred stock and, despite being thin and bedraggled after their ordeal, appeared to be domesticated animals. Police have appealed for help to trace the owner.

Iona Henderson owns the Animal Aid Centre in Munlochy, where the collies are being cared for. She said it was a "total mystery" why they had been abandoned.

"It could be someone has taken on the dogs when they were very young, and they were too much to handle, or there could be more tragic circumstances," she said.

"Really, they have done very well. They're very thin and dirty and covered in ticks so they'll need to put on some weight and get cleaned up. But they're lovely dogs.

"They're lucky it's been such a mild winter. They're very thin so obviously had a fairly meagre existence. If they found a carcass and had a good feed, that would have kept them going for some time."

The dogs' tale may rival that of Shadow the golden retriever, Chance the bulldog, and Sassy the cat, whose trek through the wilderness was immortalised in the 1963 Disney classic The Incredible Journey.

Ms Henderson, whose animal centre cared for more than 500 dogs last year, has looked after dogs that have gone feral, living off scraps, but none that have survived for so long in the wild.

She is now looking for a home for the bitches but said it may be several weeks before they are healthy enough.

Constable Andy Irvine, of Northern Constabulary, said: "There was an earlier sighting of two dogs, which suggests they have been roaming the hills in the Moidart area since early October."

Fiona Docherty, Highland Council's Lochaber dog warden, said: "They are two sisters who are absolutely devoted to one another. They are good natured and obviously have been used to being with people and other animals. They are very friendly and well behaved."