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Sightings of a so-called 'big grey man' could be explained by a 'rare alien atmospheric anomaly', a bigfoot expert claims.

Scotland's barren Cairngorms is no place for a large omnivore to survive yet mysterious reports of a towering beast with pointed ears, poured in at the beginning of the last century.

The big grey man is said to have been spotted lurking in fog on eight occasions between 1891 and 1943 with eerie descriptions ranging from a 20ft broad shouldered humanoid, to grey figure standing at half the height with talons for toes.

Unexplained strange sounds of cracks, whines, and even heavy footfall were also noted from the mountains.

Finally in December 1952 apparent photographic evidence of a giant's footsteps in the snow added weight to the scary claims previously made by adventurers.

Beasts of the World author Andy McGrath has looked at the reports from experienced walkers and climbers who he suggests may have been subjected to a strange phenomenon.

Andy explained what's known as the Brocken spectre effect could have created sightings of the big grey man, making the beast nothing more than a meteorological hallucinations.

The author said: "According to some sceptics, a common atmospheric anomaly called a Brocken Spectre Effect, is responsible for eyewitness accounts and not a flesh and blood monster.

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"This rare alien atmospheric anomaly is produced when the sun hits the mist and magnifies a person’s elongated shadow on clouds, mist, and fog."

Andy continued: "This, the sceptics say, gives the illusion of a giant humanoid form looming out of the mists towards the justifiably terrified witness; who is blissfully unaware of this literal trick of the light that is being played upon him.

"This effect, which is also sometimes accompanied by a ‘Glorie’ (a rainbow-like halo) adds to the otherworldly experience which the witness believes that he is undergoing."

Hallucinations caused by a lack of oxygen high up in the Cairngorms has also been proposed as a scientific de-bunking of what mountaineers claimed to have witnessed.

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Andy commented: "High altitude and the disorientation created by the featureless peaks of the Cairngorms, could also add an element of panic and irrational behaviour to sufferers of this common condition.

"All manner of sounds and shapes might migrate from the subconscious into the delirium of a waking dream. Such as one might experience when falling asleep, at the end of a long and strenuous day."

He did point out though that those who believed they were being stalked would have been used to the effects of high altitude.

Andy added: "It should be noted that many of the witnesses were rational men of science and experienced climbers, neither inexperienced in the strange effects of the terrain nor subject to the atmospheric burdens of the climb.

"And yet they are seeing something."

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