Herald Article

The Big Grey Man of Ben MacDhui was featured in The Herald newspaper in Scotland today.

If you didn't manage to catch it you can read an abstract, and access the full story here.

Edinburgh Mountain Film Festival

We are delighted to learn that The Big Grey Man of Ben MacDhui made it into the lineup at the Edinburgh Mountain Film Festival 2006.

The festival was a great success. It was fantastic to see Big Grey Man of Ben MacDhui on the big screen along with all the other films in a packed and exciting programme.

We were on in the Saturday morning slot, following Jamie Andrew and friends' very moving film about their ascent of Kilamanjaro. I think everyone who saw it was inspired by their stories, and it was certainly a hard act to follow.

Also in the morning session was 'Fisherfield', the second film from the folk who bought us 'Bothy' at the 2005 Edinbnurgh Mountain Film Festival, and inspired us to have a go at making a film.

At the 2006 awards E11 cleaned up, the film about Dumbarton Rock from Hot Aches went down a storm.

A really good film festival to have been a small part of, we enjoyed ourselves immensely.

About the Film

In 2005, a team of hill-walking associates from scottishhills.com decided to make a film.

Inspired by pieces like Bothy at the Edinburgh Mountain Film Festival that year, the initial idea was to try and make something that combined a shared appreciation of Scottish mountain scenery, with an excuse to get out more over the winter of 2005/2006.

The Cairngorm mountains and the related legend of the Big Grey Man of Ben MacDhui were swiftly lit upon as likely themes, and a series of short winter and spring outings were planned. Research was undertaken to find interviewees who might have either heard, seen or felt a mysterious and frightening prescence on the Cairngorm plateau.

The film team spent a long dark winter solstice at Corrour, and returned to walk the Lairig Ghru in spring snow. A further short expedition overnighted on the summit of Ben MacDhui in search of the mysterious Big Grey Man.

Further trips were made to speak with local figures from Aviemore and Braemar, and the resulting documentary film explores with them legend, the evidence and possible explanations for the strange presence said to stalk the slopes of Ben MacDhui.