Am Fear Liath Mòr facts for kids

In Scottish folklore, Am Fear Liath Mòr (which means "Big Grey Man" in Scottish Gaelic) is the name of a mysterious presence or creature. People say it haunts the top and pathways of Ben Macdui. This mountain is the highest peak in the Cairngorms and the second highest in all of Scotland.

What is the Big Grey Man?

Many people have claimed to experience the Big Grey Man, but very few have actually seen it. It is often described as being very tall, over ten feet, and quite thin. It supposedly has dark skin and hair, long arms, and broad shoulders.

Most of the time, the creature stays hidden in the mountain's thick fog. People usually only experience it by hearing crunching sounds, like someone walking on gravel behind them. They also report a strong feeling of unease when they are on the mountain. There isn't much physical proof of its existence, except for a few photos of unusual footprints. So, most of what we know comes from the stories of people who say they encountered it.

Famous Encounters

J. Norman Collie's Story

In 1925, J. Norman Collie shared the first recorded story of meeting the Grey Man. Collie was a well-known hiker, a professor, and a member of the Royal Geographical Society. He described a scary experience he had years earlier in 1891 while hiking alone near the top of Ben Macdui.

He said he was coming back from the cairn (a pile of stones) on the summit when a mist rolled in. He then started hearing strange noises, like footsteps behind him. These steps sounded much longer than his own. Even though he couldn't see anything in the mist, he felt a growing terror. He ended up running blindly down the mountain for miles until he reached Rothiemurchus Forest. Collie said he would never go back to the top of Ben Macdui because "there is something very queer about" it.

Collie's story was shared in local newspapers. This led to many other climbers coming forward with their own experiences, which they had been too scared to share before.

Other Early Accounts

One climber, Hugh D. Welsh, said that he and his brother hiked the summit in 1904. They heard "slurring footsteps" all day and night, as if someone was walking through wet gravel. Both of them felt "an eerie sense of apprehension" and were often aware of "something near us."

In 1945, Peter Densham was helping with rescue work in the Cairngorm mountains during World War II. He reported hearing strange noises and feeling mist closing in around him. He also felt increasing pressure around his neck. He quickly left before seeing anything clear.

A friend of his, climber Richard Frere, wrote about feeling "a Presence, utterly abstract but intensely real" on the mountain in 1948. He also heard "an intensely high singing note." Frere also shared the story of another friend who camped on Ben Macdui. This friend woke up feeling a terrible sense of dread. He looked out of his tent and saw a large, dark-haired figure standing against the moon, appearing as a silhouette.

Alexander Tewnion's Account

In 1958, naturalist and mountaineer Alexander Tewnion wrote an article in The Scots magazine about his encounter with the Gray Man in 1943. He was climbing alone in the Cairngorms when mist covered the mountain. He described the air becoming dark and heavy, with a strong, cold wind. He then heard a loud footstep, then another, and another. A strange shape appeared, moved back, and then seemed to charge at him! Tewnion quickly pulled out his revolver and fired three times at the figure. When it kept coming, he turned and ran down the path faster than he ever had before. He truly believed it was the Fear Laith Mhor.

Footprint Mystery

No actual photographs of the Big Gray Man have ever been taken. Photographer John A. Rennie once thought he found a series of very large footprints in Spey Valley. These footprints were about 19 inches (48 centimeters) long and 14 inches (36 centimeters) wide. He published them in a book. However, he later found out that these "footprints" were actually natural shapes made by rainfall eroding the snow.

Possible Explanations

Scientists and psychologists have suggested several ideas for what people might be experiencing.

Psychological Effects

Some believe that the feelings and sightings could be illusions, hallucinations, or simply misinterpretations of natural things. These might be caused by being very tired (exhaustion) or feeling alone (isolation) on the mountain.

Infrasound

Another idea involves Infrasound. This is a very low-frequency sound that humans usually can't hear. Wind can create infrasound. It is known to cause feelings of uneasiness, anxiety, and even fear in people. This might explain some of the strange feelings reported during encounters.

Brocken Spectre

An optical illusion called the Brocken spectre is a good explanation for some of the visual sightings of the Big Grey Man. A Brocken spectre happens when the sun is at a certain angle and there are specific weather conditions, like mist or clouds. A person's shadow can be cast onto a cloud bank around them. This makes their shadow look like a giant, shadowy human figure.

The poet James Hogg saw a Brocken spectre on Ben MacDhui way back in 1791. He described seeing "a giant blackamoor, at least thirty feet high." He was terrified until he noticed the figure was making the same movements as him. He then realized it was just his own shadow. British mountaineer Frank Smythe also said he saw his shadow as a Brocken Spectre in the mist on Ben Macdhui.

Images for kids

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  The summit of Ben Macdui

See also

In Spanish: El gran hombre gris de Ben MacDhui para niños