Mystery of skeleton found in tent

Published on Thursday 20 March 2008 21:15

IT COULD be the beginning of the latest mystery to confound DCI John Rebus or the hardened detectives of Taggart. But the grim discovery of a human skeleton, lying for years in a tent, was all too real for forestry workers hacking back trees in a remote forest on a Highland estate.

Auch Forest, near Bridge of Orchy, lies close to the 95-mile long West Highland Way used by thousands of walkers each year. However, few venture off the marked route and into the thick woodland, which means the corpse could have lain hidden for several years.

Now the painstaking detective work to identity the remains has begun. They are said to be so badly decomposed it is not known whether the person is male or female.

A human body takes about a year to become a skeleton but this is dependent on a variety of factors including soil conditions. A forensic examination was carried out at the scene before the skeleton was removed for further tests.

Detectives are also scouring missing persons reports for any clue to the identity of the dead camper. Strathclyde Police said there did not appear to be any suspicious circumstances and they were examining missing persons reports "as a matter of routine".

The skeleton was found by forestry workers clearing the forest to create a scenic path at around 1:15pm on Friday

The Black Mount estate on which the forest is located belongs to the family of Ian Fleming, the creator of the James Bond novels.

A force spokeswoman said: "The remains would appear to have been there for some time.

"Inquiries will be carried out to establish the identity of the deceased and a post-mortem examination will be arranged to establish the cause of death." It will take place in Glasgow on Tuesday.

An employee on the estatesaid the spot where the corpse was discovered was very isolated.

"The forest here can be quite impassable. There is investment money in woodlands here with Sitka spruce making it too thick for walkers to go into."

The West Highland Way, linking Milngavie outside Glasgow to Fort William in the Highlands, attracts up to 40,000 walkers each year and is extremely popular with visitors from overseas. Much of it follows ancient routes of communication.

It makes use of military roads built by troops to help control the Jacobite clans and the drove roads along which Highlanders herded their cattle and sheep to market in the Lowlands.

Passing the Black Mount estate walkers may spot a stone monument which is a memorial to Peter Fleming, the travel writer and brother of Ian .

Last night, local people who run businesses along the route said they had been "shocked" to hear about the skeleton.

A worker at The Outdoor Store at the Green Welly Stop, at Tyndrum, Perthshire, said: "I was really taken aback.

"Most walkers tend to stick to the marked route and stay in bunk houses or bed and breakfasts.

"But depending on the weather some people might camp out. Local people wouldn't tend to go into the forests nor the tourists either, so maybe that's what has happened."

Police say body found in tent is missing Edinburgh man