Big Grey Man of Ben MacDhui
Footsteps crunch behind you in the mist. A giant grey figure looms. Overwhelming fear grips you. Climbers have thrown themselves off cliffs to escape. Scotland's second-highest peak hides the Am Fear Liath Mòr.
Am Fear Liath Mòr (The Big Grey Man) is a presence or creature reported on Ben MacDhui, Scotland’s second highest peak, inducing terror in climbers for over a century.
The Phenomenon
According to documented accounts:
Encounters typically involve:
- The sound of footsteps following
- A feeling of overwhelming dread
- Sometimes a large grey figure in mist
- Compulsion to flee the mountain
- Experienced climbers affected
The First Report
Professor Norman Collie (1925) reported his 1891 experience:
- Descending alone from the summit
- Heard footsteps behind him
- Every three of his steps, one heavy crunch
- Terror overwhelmed him
- He ran blindly down the mountain
Notable Witnesses
Norman Collie: Distinguished mountaineer and scientist.
Alexander Tewnion: Naturalist who shot at the creature.
Peter Densham: Mountain rescue leader.
Wendy Wood: Scottish nationalist and writer.
Alexander Tewnion’s Account
In 1943:
- Tewnion was alone on the mountain
- He heard footsteps in the mist
- He saw a giant figure approaching
- He fired three shots at it
- He fled the mountain
The Experience
Witnesses describe:
- Crunching footsteps matching their pace
- Extreme, irrational fear
- Sensation of being watched
- Grey figure in peripheral vision
- Compulsion to flee or jump
Explanations
Proposed explanations include:
- The Brocken spectre (one’s own shadow projected)
- Infrasound from wind
- Altitude and fatigue effects
- Isolation and suggestion
- An actual large grey creature
The Brocken Spectre
This optical phenomenon:
- Projects a giant shadow in mist
- Can appear to move
- Known to frighten climbers
- Common on misty peaks
- But doesn’t explain the footsteps
Cultural Impact
The Grey Man has become:
- Part of Scottish folklore
- Subject of cryptozoological interest
- A tourist attraction for adventurous climbers
- Inspiration for horror fiction