Scotland's Environment Secretary has been asked to investigate the killing of wild goats on Islay after an American hunter boasted about shooting the animals on an organised trip.

Local MSP Michael Russell said he had asked Roseanna Cunningham to investigate a series of posts on social media by Larysa Switlyk, who calls herself a “professional huntress and angler”.

“Made a perfect 200 yard shot and dropped him” Larysa Switlyk

The American, who also hosts the TV programme Larysa Unleashed, sparked outrage on social media after publishing a string of social media posts boasting about her exploits in Scotland.

“Beautiful wild goat here on the Island of Islay in Scotland,” Ms Switlyk wrote in a post on Instagram on Monday, alongside a picture of her posing with one of the animals she had killed.”

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“Such a fun hunt! They live on the edge of the cliffs of the island and know how to hide well. We hunted hard for a big one for two days and finally got on this group,” she added.

“Made a perfect 200 yard shot and dropped him. Good thing too because he could have ran off the cliff into the water.”

Tweets from the twitter feed of LARYSA SWITLYK -

Ms Switlyk also posted a picture of another member of her hunting party posing with a dead wild goat, congratulating him on carrying out a “gold medal” kill during the trip.

Mr Russell, who is the local MSP for Argyll and Bute, said he would be raising the case “as a matter of urgency” with Roseanna Cunningham.

“If this is actually happening on Islay and laid on by some sort of tour company I would want to see it stopped immediately,” he added.

As well as wild goats, Ms Switlyk has also posted pictures of four dead red stags and a sheep, as well as a picture of a meal she said had come from one of the animals.

“Nothing better than enjoying what you hunt,” she wrote. “Fresh red stag from our hunt in the Highlands of Scotland!”

Social media users reacted with anger to the posts, describing the pictures as “totally sickening” and telling Ms Switlyk and her fellow hunters “never come back to Scotland”.

The Scottish Government and conservation body Scottish Natural Heritage both said they was looking into the posts.

Ms Switlyk has been approached for comment.

Outrage after '˜sickening' US hunting trip on Scottish island