Even the name “Bigfoot” evokes unease, conjuring up images of huge, hairy bipedal humanoids with primal, base instincts and a wild demeanor. Whilst theories and sightings have been reported for years, nobody has ever managed to document irrefutable evidence of the legendary beasts. And whilst most of the more well documented cases are focused around America, it seems that Dundee and Angus may too, have a similar creature lurking in their midst. Is it a combination of myth, folklore and hoax, or is there some real credence to the legend of the Bigfoot? Recently, the debate reared its head after a local newspaper ran a story about one woman’s account, causing many residents to respond with their theories and opinions. Rather than just reading the story and passing judgement, we contacted Charmaine herself, and asked her to give us her full story. Read her unedited account for yourself and make up your own mind…
“Here’s my account of what I experienced in Angus regarding a possible sighting. I have attached a screenshot of the location which will come up on google maps as Slade farm cottage, Carmyllie. This was my grandparents’ property and we spent a lot of our childhood there, my brother currently lives there.
The first incident took place during the day when I was sent out to get the newspapers that got delivered to the neighbours at the bottom of the road. I was with the dog and we were coming down the path that leads to the track running past the bottom of the property and out to the farm road. I have marked where I was walking with the yellow dots. Just before I got onto the track the dog stopped suddenly and started to growl, whine and bare her teeth, I remember seeing the hair rising on her back but I carried on past her for a few paces ending up on the track (the green dot is where I stopped). I looked up to see a large black figure further along the track standing with its back to me (red dot number 1). It was reaching up to a branch on a tree at the side of the track and was tall, thick build with no neck and wide shoulders. I remember standing in shock for a second or two before screaming and turning to run back to the house , as I screamed it slowly started to turn round but I didn’t hang about to see its face. Needless to say my reports of seeing a monster were not taken seriously and dismissed as it probably being a neighbour. I can’t give an exact year but I was around 8/9 years old. This is an estimation as I remember drawing a picture of it in primary 5 at school, so that puts it around 1980/81 and I don’t have an exact time of year but the leaves were out on the trees so it would have been sometime between April/May and September.
There were 2 further incidents around that time but they are more tenuous, one was at night when we were coming up the road in the car and just as we were turning right onto the track there was a figure further up the road looking towards the headlights (red dot 2). I briefly made out a humanoid shape and there was orange eyeshine reflecting from the lights, it was just standing in the middle of the road. At the time I told myself it was probably a person. The final incident was when we were out picking wild raspberries and we heard something way back in the woods, a long, deep wail. The adults in the group commented, wondering what it was but then carried on with what they were doing (approximate location marked in blue on the following picture).
At that time the area to the north/north east and the south were all commercial pine woods, including the fields directly adjacent to the property. Almost all of the woods have been cleared now and there are more houses in the area. There is also a disused sandstone quarry to the north, with a water hole that was stocked with brown trout, there are hundreds of rabbits and sometimes deer around. At one time there was a tunnel that led from the quarry to Redford for transportation of stone, but I am having difficulty finding exactly where it is from records. I mention this as I am trying to work out the feasibility of some kind of hominid being able to survive around there.
The first incident terrified me, I had nightmares for quite some time afterwards. I could have possibly dismissed it if not for the dog’s reaction and I can remember the whole encounter very clearly. For years I wondered what it was and have recently found out about other possible sightings further north east. I have asked my mother, who grew up there if she ever experienced anything unusual there but she hasn’t, although she did say that when she was young she didn’t like going up round the quarry area as she felt like she was being watched. Unfortunately my grandparents and the neighbours who lived there at the time have passed away now. I intend to get some time up there and scout about , not that I think there would be anything in the way of evidence but just to determine possible shelter areas etc. around the quarry.
Obviously I’m not making a definite claim as to what it was that I saw but in researching the “Squatch” phenomenon over the past year or so there are similarities that I can’t ignore. This experience has stayed with me and I find the whole thing a fascinating area of research. There are issues with the location, in it being much further south and less remote that other sightings in the north east and it is frustrating that I can’t ask the people who lived there about unusual activity. I was also very young at the time and so this doesn’t make it the most robust report as well as it being unverifiable. Oh, to go back in time with a camera, tape measure and internet!
I would be interested to hear what you make of all this.”
An aerial shot showing points where incidents happened:
Also a photo of an old aerial shot of the property before the woods were felled:
As you can see, although Charmaine is adamant she saw something, she does not lay claim that it was the legendary Bigfoot. However, after a bit of digging, Charmaine realised she was not the only one who had seen something. Having now joined the British Bigfoot Research team, Charmaine is more than eager to hear of any similar tales, so please get in contact with her at: bigfootresearchscotland@gmail.com.
Adam Bird, the co-founder of the British Bigfoot Research organisation thinks he may have captured Bigfoot on camera. Adam captured the picture whilst out walking in a nature reserve and was amazed when saw the gloomy shape in his shot. He took the image below but claims he was not aware what was stalking the background.
“There is at least one reported sighting here,” he said, “so we decided to check it out. We stayed there for a few hours that day and felt watched and followed the whole time. I took various photographs throughout the investigation and when I checked back through them I spotted the creepy picture. I make no bold claims but my fellow investigators think this could be genuine evidence that the British Bigfoot exists. One misconception is that the UK doesn’t have sightings – but there are many. These creatures are seen all over the UK, and the phenomenon spreads from Scotland right down to southern England. These people are clearly seeing something and that something cannot be passed off as simply hoaxes or known animals. This is something unknown.”
So…does Bigfoot really exist? Adam definitely thinks so, and Charmaine, whilst intrigued, still can’t say for sure. And is it possible that this creature of legend actually lives among us? We’ll let you make your own minds up…but we’re not walking in any woods in the near future, that’s for sure!
Special thanks to Charmaine for her permission to use her story.
– DD Tours operates walking tours in Dundee city, covering dark local history such as wars, battles, murders, diseases, riots, disasters and executions. Walk with us for an unforgettable storytelling experience.
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