The Running Man Legends. The Banchory Ape

On a lonely road in Angus Scotland there a number of Bigfoot or Wildman type encounters reported over the Years and these sightings are very close to a number of standing stones and stone circles, one historical Blog stated: Three miles south west of Banchory and accessible via a network of narrow single track forestry roads lies a cluster of three stone circles dating back around 4,000 years. Two of the circles, Eslie the Greater and Eslie the Lesser stand half a mile apart in fields within sight of one another. The best known, the Nine Stanes Stone Circle, forms a roughly equilateral triangle with them, and once also enjoyed wide open views, but now stands within a forestry plantation.


While the setting in which you find the Nine Stanes Circle today is certainly not what its builders intended, it is a setting which contributes strongly to the remarkable atmosphere that surrounds it. Here, more than at perhaps any other stone circle in Aberdeenshire, it is possible to imagine our ancient ancestors as real people celebrating key points of the year or burying the remains of their dead. Catch it on a still summer's evening, especially if you are alone, and it is almost possible to believe the circles's builders are hiding within the nearby trees watching, simply waiting for you to leave so they can resume their rites.

The Running Man Legend

Locals tell stories of a Running man, a hairy creature that runs alongside cars. An impossible sasquatch-like creature, separate from the grey-man, which has been a part of Scottish folklore and traditions for centuries is still being reported in modern times. One sighting describes a creature whose face was "not human". 'It' is known for it's preference for running, as opposed to walking, and has a tendency to run alongside cars to look inside the windows.

The first report we look at certainly seems to back up that claim.

Torphins Aberdeen A Huge Hairy Figure Chases the Car July 1994 

Local men Pete and George were walking through a forestry track in woods near their home in Torphins Aberdeen.  When the men were nearing the end of the track Pete saw a dark figure run from the tree's on the left across the track, the figure disappeared into the tree's on the right of the track.  He at first thought it was a man but the figure left a strange foreboding in Pete.  George did not see the figure and was busy telling Pete he was imagining things when a face appeared out of the tree's behind Pete's back looking right at George. George was chilled to the bone as the face he was looking at "looked human, but was not human." It darted away just as quickly, and for some reason George threw a large stone in it’s direction.  The two friends than left the area feeling somewhat unnerved. But as it was a walk they had to do on a regular basis, they would have to return.

A few weeks later the two friends along with a third man they had brought for added numbers, were to have another encounter with the ‘Creature’ as they were driving along the road into Torphins, approx' two miles away from their first meeting. In the witnesses own words: "Suddenly from the side of the road there came this 'great muscular, hairy figure' bounding out of the woods which started to run behind the car. At one point it caught up and ran alongside the vehicle, not seemingly out of breath as it approached speeds of up to 35 mph. "

Pete describes the creature as," strong and muscular, with red glowing eyes, a thick body covered in hair, and about 6ft to 6ft five inches in height, it was jet black in colour " The figure ran after them for several minutes and then stopped abruptly in the middle of the road, leaving the terrified car occupants to carry on their journey into Torphins alone.  The same or similar ‘creature' has also been reported by a lady who lives in an isolated cottage on the edge of the forest where Pete and George first saw the figure. She has seen it on two occasions watching her house from the woods, she too describes the red glowing eyes.  The only other report that I am aware of is that of a man who caught a fleeting glance through high-powered binoculars as 'It' darted through a forest clearing.

The Banchory Gorilla or The UK Bigfoot 2006

A friend of mine told me a story recently. Whilst she was out with friends at the back-end of midnight, driving through the back roads near Banchory (a small town near Aberdeen) she and another person saw something cross the road in front of their car, and the only description she could give me was 'a Gorilla'. This is the most level headed person I know (some would say overly sceptic, definitely and usually rubbishes any ideas of a Fortean bent I try to persuade her with. But she sticks to her story to this day.

Less than a few miles away a strange set of footprints caused a stir. According to David Ewen in the Aberdeenshire Evening Express fresh evidence has been found for an ape-like creature roaming Aberdeenshire. Student Peter Dignan found the large footprints on the Hill of Keir next to a drinking trough. Peter explains: "I was walking the dog and came across them at a drinking trough. The ground was muddy underneath it. At first I just laughed about the footprints but then I went home to get my camera as they were so strange.  The day I actually see something is the day I'll find a new route to walk my dog." No image was attached to the article so I am unable to share it with you all.

Of course these are not the only 'Hairy Bipedal Creature' reports to come to light, there are many sighting reports than come in from the West Coast to the East. 

We do have a number of Scottish members here at BBR that investigate these cases and the areas they happen in. If you would like to join them in the field or for a chat online, join or community by commenting below or via debbiehatswell@gmail.com

Until Next Time, Deb