Am Fear Liath Mòr - Scottish Tall Tale or Unsolved Mystery

In the great northwest of the United States people tell stories (and produce photos and videos) of what they claim is the Sasquatch, a possible missing link between man and apes.  In the Himalayan region where Nepal and Tibet meets similar stories of the Yeti, a possible brother of the Sasquatch who has haunted and surprised mountain climbers and locals in tales dating back to the 19th century.  Almost everyone has heard of these two creatures and there exists a healthy debate as to their existence in the real work or in the imaginations of others.  But do you know about the Big Grey Man of Ben Macdhui?

The Big Grey Man or Greyman is known by his more traditional name of  Am Fear Liath Mòr.  The first documented was in 1925 when the noted mountaineer and explorer J. Norman Collie.  Collie recounted that while making a solo ascent of Ben Macdhui peak in 1891 he "heard a crunch similar to the ones his own feet made when he took a step."  The problem was that he knew he was alone and whoever or whatever was taking the steps was taking 1 for every 4 he took!  This experience caused the usually professional Collie to stumble and run for 5 miles.  Similar experiences and stories have been related over the years by other climbers.

More recently,   in the 90's, three men walking in a forest near Aberdeen reported seeing a bipedal creature with an eerie, inhuman face.  A few weeks later the same three men were driving through the area where they first saw the creature when it suddenly appeared again, this time running alongside their car (they were doing 45 MPH) and attempting to enter their vehicle.  Hitchhikers can be relentless!

     _________________________________________________________________________

Ben Macdhui is the highest peak in the Cairngorns mountain range of the eastern Scottish Highlands, the second highest peak in all of the United Kingdom.  It appears a single, rugged, elevated plateau but actually consists of a number of smaller plateaus interwoven with shallow passes.  Adorned with a number of low, rounded, glacial mountains, the mountain range is part of the larger Cairngorns National Park which along with opportunities for hiking and biking exploration also contains ski parks and lakes for the more nautically inclined visitors.  Additionally, within the park are a number of communities and villages where visitors can find a variety of accommodations and local attractions beyond the typical national park offerings.

To visit the beautiful country of Scotland, Sceptre Tours has a number of different offerings for you to choose from including both escorted and self-directed tours.