Walkhighlands

Hi

I had a strange incident a few years ago whilst fly fishing a remote hill loch near Suilven.
http://www.yorkshireflyfishing.org.uk/2017/03/the-big-grey-man-of-ben-macdhui/
Feelings of dread, footsteps following me etc, same sort of thing that some people experience on Ben Macdui. I have just read Affleck Gray's book The Big Grey Man of Ben MacDhui and now I'm really intrigued about this sort of phenomena! Anyone else had similar experiences out on the hills?

Happened to me a few times. Once on Mullach Clach a' Bhlair and another on Beinn Mheadhoin that i remember particularly.

Both times at the end of hot sunny days after sunset as cloud came over. I put it down to suddenly being overcast, drop in temperature plus maybe mild dehydration creating a sense of unease.

I think there was also something about being somewhere you shouldn't really be after sunset too, something was telling my 21st century mind it wasn't safe.

Maol Bhuidhe bothy!

Spent a night on my own in May last year. Not sure if I dreamt it all but I was woken by the sound of boots coming down the stairs and opened my eyes to what I could only call an apparition leaning over me. I jumped a mile! Turned on my head torch to an empty room. Then noticed it was absolutely freezing.
Spent the rest of the night with my head torch on so I could see when I opened my eyes.

I was on the CWT and spent a few nights in bothies on my own. That's the only place that give me the heebie jeebies though

I'd have to be pretty desperate to stay there on my own again!

Camping out by Loch Avon. Very, very spooky. Never experienced anything like it before or since when camped out on the hills. And of course Loch Avon is prime Big Grey Man country.

To the contrary, nothing myself in possibly triple-figures nights out in the hills and many evenings in remote places. I have had plenty of feels of unease and occasionally loneliness, but no experiences I can attribute to nothing other than paranormal.

Never say it's too late though!

Given the recent good weather, I was thinking to myself just yesterday how (particularly) hazy flat afternoon light of a high pressure consistently gives me feelings of desolation. Never any other kind of weather, but curious it comes on in those conditions given how settled, sunny and nice it is.

As for feelings of being followed or being watching, nothing like that.

NickyRannoch wrote:
I think there was also something about being somewhere you shouldn't really be after sunset too, something was telling my 21st century mind it wasn't safe.

There's definitely something to this. No matter how well prepared I am, I always have a weird sense of something not being right on the rare occasions I've wild camped or been late off a hill. I felt it briefly on Sgurr na Stri on Sunday night while taking a few night photos from the summit, probably down to feeling quite vulnerable when you're at least 3 miles from the nearest other human, on top of a hill with a near vertical drop not far from your tent

Thanks all, these are fascinating and hopefully more to come. My experience has so far been a one off despite spending lots of time over several years up in the hills. I've had other occasions where I've heard weird noises whilst wild camping or just been edgy in the middle of the night, thinking how isolated I am etc. But these have always felt like 'natural', expected feelings. What happened on Na Tri Lochan was something very different!

I have been hill walking, camping and fishing for years; in many cases the areas are renowned for ancient battles, massacres, etc. Glen Coe, Harta Corrie with the legendary Bloody Stone, Duntulm Castle, the clearance villages of the Isle of Raasay. I've even slept in graveyards. I was not spooked in any of these places but in the Galloway Hills with their wide-open spaces, windswept moors and high rocky hills and open lochs I have been so overcome by a feeling of something/someone right behind me that I was staggering around trying to see behind myself. I found it so oppressive that I stopped going there. I met a bloke in a bothy in the Cairngorms who agreed with me; he had felt the same dread in Galloway but not in any other region.

I find it strange that so many people think being out after dark is an odd thing to do - we have often done a walk in along a track after arriving somewhere after the 4 hour drive after work on a Friday night. I've always loved it with no uneasy feelings at all. The sun has gone away, and there are different animals about for sure, but there is no danger to fear.

I had an experience in Ben Alder Cottage - the 'usual' clattering about from the other room, with no sign of anyone on inspection. Couldn't get a fire going that night either which is unusual. The BAC ghost is well known for being harmless though and I got a good nights sleep.

Scariest night was at the bealach between Beinn a chroinn and Cruach ardrain near Crianlarich. Woke up in the morning to find a sheep carcass just a few metres from the tent - freshly picked clean of almost all flesh. Could only have a supernatural explanation surely (Or slightly more likely - one of the fabled big cats) A near escape anyway