Finn Creaney, from the Tain area, who co-runs a bushcraft and outdoor survival skills school, was last seen on Friday, 25 March at Loch Naver in Sutherland. He was dropped on the B873 public road to start his planned route around the loch before heading south to Golspie.

Since his disappearance, his family have launched a massive campaign to find him, with co-ordinated searches set up and maps distributed amid a widespread poster and social media campaign.

On the anniversary of his disappearance, his wife Lucy shared a message on social media to thank supporters and those who had contributed to the fundraiser for the search.

She said: “It keeps us going, it keeps us going with the posters and boots on the ground, to make sure we find this lovely, lovely human being.

"We are so determined and all your lovely comments and everything everyone has done in this whole process...we are so grateful to everyone.

"He is out there somewhere. It proves we need to just keep pushing forward. We will find him, we will.”

Extensive police searches were carried out with the help on mountain rescue and coastguard teams in the weeks that followed Mr Creaney’s disappearance.

Finn Creaney went missing after going walking in the Golspie area eight months ago. PIC: Police Scotland.

Mr Creaney's father, Michael, also posted a message on social media on the anniversary of his son’s disappearance. He said the longer winter nights were now limiting the search and that the family “really needed” him home as the colder weather set in.

He added: “I wanted everyone to know we’re still positive, we are still moving forward. The nights are getting darker and it is getting colder. Gosh, it is 16-hour nights now so there is a lot of downtime on our search when we are up here because we just have to hunker down for the night. But we are still doing it but we are still moving forward with that choice to keep doing it and to keep him in our hearts and be 100% per cent positive of a great outcome.”

The family are hoping to raise £5,000 to keep their search going.

His father added: “It makes us able to do what we have to do to get Finn home, and raise awareness of Finn.

"If everybody looked at a picture of Finn every morning….you have him in the back of your mind. You are out and it would just click ad you go ‘that’s Finn, that’s that guy”. Wherever that may be, whatever condition he is in, you can bring him home and we really need that right now.

"It is that time when we want to hunker down, be cosy for the winter and we want Finn to be with us and so we can have some good cheer. Let’s all make that happen.”

When Finn was last seen, he was wearing a long brown leather jacket with his outfit described as being similar to that of Aragorn from Lord of the Rings. He was carrying a green Berghaus rucksack and wore brown hiking boots.

He is described as 5ft 11in tall, of slim build, with light complexion and freckles on his arms and nose. He has long brown hair down to his lower back and a full brown beard which is short in length.

Finn Creaney: Wife of missing bushcraft expert speaks of hope of getting 'lovely, lovely person' home