UK - Anthony Parsons, 63, charity cyclist, found deceased, Argyll, Scotland, 29 Sept 2017 *Arrests*

[MelmothTheLost]

Most likely IMO he is lying undiscovered off-road.

He must have told his family or friends when he was likely to return. If he had said "see you in a day or two" then we are looking at him crashing out somewhere, maybe he fancied a night cycle and a sleep out in the open, an old barn, sheep pen, ruined cottage that he knew of, or had seen online.

If he did intend it to be a weekender, despite not having camping or bivi stuff with him, he could have overnighted in some abandoned building and then gone off road the following day. I don't know though. He was so under equipped, so untrained and clearly overweight that I think he'd have to be pretty daft to go off road at all.

 

[Taskforce88]

If he did intend it to be a weekender, despite not having camping or bivi stuff with him, he could have overnighted in some abandoned building and then gone off road the following day. I don't know though. He was so under equipped, so untrained and clearly overweight that I think he'd have to be pretty daft to go off road at all.

Yep, there are a few abandoned buildings, old crofts, sheep enclosures etc in the area.

 

[Sandie47]

This really is weird,its like he vanished of the face of the earth.Now the walkers and wild campers are starting to be out in force you would expect them to stumble across him.Makes me wonder will he ever be found.

 

[Taskforce88]

This really is weird,its like he vanished of the face of the earth.Now the walkers and wild campers are starting to be out in force you would expect them to stumble across him.Makes me wonder will he ever be found.

It all depends on where he is. If he had an accident not too far from the paths or roads then he should have been found by now.

 

[*Verdigris]

￣
"Six-month appeal to trace missing Tillicoultry cyclist"

EFFORTS to trace a missing Tillicoultry man have been renewed, six months after he disappeared during a cycling trip to Fort William.

http://www.alloaadvertiser.com/news/16140348.Six_month_appeal_to_trace_missing_Tillicoultry_cyclist/

Renewing the appeal to trace Tony, Chief Inspector Drew Sinclair, area commander for Clackmannanshire, asked the public to consider how even the smallest clue may help.
He said: “Tony’s disappearance has had an understandably devastating effect on his family and we continue to provide them with support at this difficult time.
“This continues to be a live investigation and our inquiries remain ongoing to trace him.
“I would like to thank those members of the public who have come forward following our appeals for information.
“We are still receiving information despite the amount of time that has now passed since Tony was last seen; however, we are still seeking that key piece of information that will lead us to finding him.

(more at link)

Also https://www.facebook.com/ForthValleyPoliceDivision/posts/1682369191800992?_fb_noscript=1

The last confirmed sighting of Tony was at 11.30pm on Friday 29 September, when he was seen at the Bridge of Orchy Hotel. He then headed south on the A82 towards Tyndrum.
Since this time a number of specialist Police Scotland resources have been used in the search, including the mountain rescue team, the dog unit, and air support. These have been supported by civilian volunteers and members of Killin, Oban and Arrochar Mountain Rescue teams.

(more at link)


http://www.scotland.police.uk/whats-happening/missingpersons/anthony-parsons

General update ↑ pretty much same as others above.

Nice to know he has not been forgotten, but I had really been hoping he'd've been found by now.
So, now hoping sometime this Spring.
.... :candle:
...

 

[Sillybilly]

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[BillieL]

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[william tell]

this has got too complicated for me now.....it's a total mix up...

 

[Sillybilly]

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:tyou:

 

[JerseyGirl]

still missing: Missing people cases rise by 1,000

 

[silverjug]

I have had a look on the internet and it seems this gentleman is still missing.
Has anyone else found news about him?

 

[touch]

I was just thinking about Tony today and I stumbled across this forum whilst looking for information.
I'm an experienced cyclist and I know the area well so this case has particular interest to me.
Here's some of my thoughts:

• It's not unusual for cyclists to be out at night. Even if he got the earliest train to arrive at Ft William, his ride was so long that he still would have had to ride through the night at some point (if that was his intention) so there's no need to get up early. In fact, it's probably better to get the later train and get the night riding out of the way earlier when less tired. Having said that, it doesnt look like he's an experienced cyclist judging by the photos.
• Bicycle reservations on that train need to be booked in advance. Presumably he had pre-booked his tickets knowing what time he would get to Ft William and didn't just turn up on the day unaware of the timetables. Although that's the official line from Scotrail - it's often possible to just turn up and get on the train without a reservation, so that doesnt rule anything out.
• If he had used an online route-planner to plan a route using quiet roads (and possibly going via Glen Lyon) he would have been directed off the A82 at Glencoe village and onto a small singletrack road for a few miles to Loch Achtriochtan. The CCTV image of him in Glencoe village shows he stayed on the A82 here. But if he was familiar with driving this section he might not have needed to look at his planned route here and missed the small detour.
• The Old Military Road, which a lot of people seem to consider to be a dangerous, remote path would have actually been a sensible option for him. This path is the West Highland Way and the surface between Glencoe and Tyndrum is very good. It's one of the most popular walking routes in Scotland, around 80,000 people use the path each year and about 15,000 people walk the full length of it from Glasgow to Ft William. If something had happened to him there, I suspect he would have been discovered very quickly.
  
• To get onto the West Highland Way, he would have needed to cross the A82 at Bridge of Orchy. If we believe the sighting that he headed south on the A82 here, he would not have many options to join the WHW before Tyndrum. If he knew the area, he would have gone onto the WHW straight from Bridge of Orchy. If he didnt know the area, he probably wouldn't even have been aware of the WHW path. You cant really see it from the road in daylight, nevermind darkness. There is a small road at Auch which would take you to the WHW or another option to join it about 1 mile before Tyndrum where ir runs very close to the A82.
• If he was on the WHW and continued on it beyond Tyndrum, he would have avoided the CCTV cameras at the petrol station (where the image of the people carrier is).
• The Glen Lyon route is also well surfaced. It's landrover track the entire way. More remote than WHW but still a well-used path. There is a significant river crossing if you take the path on the north side of the loch. It can be quite deep (3-4ft) after heavy rain but it's not particularly fast flowing. Considering the time which has now passed, I think it's unlikely he's in that area - but could have gone this way and avoided CCTV in Tyndrum.
• He would have passed through Tyndrum and Bridge of Orchy stations on his train journey north to get to Ft William. If he was heading to a scenic/significant place to end it all, why go all the to Ft William just to cycle back again?
• I think it's unlikely that he left the area by train. He had already passed BoO station if he headed south from the hotel and would have had to pass through the petrol station cctv to get to Tyndrum upper station. He could have reached Tyndrum lower by following WHW and even if there's no CCTV at the station, there is on the train and would be at the destination station (Glasgow?)
• Has the people carrier been found and ruled out? The recent updates make no mention of it when previously it seemed to be a priority.
• The A82 is a busy road. Even at midnight there would be enough passing traffic that somebody would have noticed if a car had hit him and tried to hide the evidence.
• There are 2 sets of traffic cameras along the route. At Altnafeadh in glencoe and in Tyndrum across from the petrol station. You can see the view from the cameras here: Traffic Scotland > Traffic Info Map Police havn't made any mention of these but they must have been checked? He didn't pass the Tyndrum camera but I would expect to see him on the Glencoe camera sometime around 8pm.

In my opinion, he is not in the Bridge of Orchy - Tyndrum area. I think it's most likely that he has passed by Tyndrum without being seen by the cameras - either got a lift in a car or followed the WHW.

 

[silverjug]

I was just thinking about Tony today and I stumbled across this forum whilst looking for information.
I'm an experienced cyclist and I know the area well so this case has particular interest to me.
Here's some of my thoughts:

• It's not unusual for cyclists to be out at night. Even if he got the earliest train to arrive at Ft William, his ride was so long that he still would have had to ride through the night at some point (if that was his intention) so there's no need to get up early. In fact, it's probably better to get the later train and get the night riding out of the way earlier when less tired. Having said that, it doesnt look like he's an experienced cyclist judging by the photos.
• Bicycle reservations on that train need to be booked in advance. Presumably he had pre-booked his tickets knowing what time he would get to Ft William and didn't just turn up on the day unaware of the timetables. Although that's the official line from Scotrail - it's often possible to just turn up and get on the train without a reservation, so that doesnt rule anything out.
• If he had used an online route-planner to plan a route using quiet roads (and possibly going via Glen Lyon) he would have been directed off the A82 at Glencoe village and onto a small singletrack road for a few miles to Loch Achtriochtan. The CCTV image of him in Glencoe village shows he stayed on the A82 here. But if he was familiar with driving this section he might not have needed to look at his planned route here and missed the small detour.
• The Old Military Road, which a lot of people seem to consider to be a dangerous, remote path would have actually been a sensible option for him. This path is the West Highland Way and the surface between Glencoe and Tyndrum is very good. It's one of the most popular walking routes in Scotland, around 80,000 people use the path each year and about 15,000 people walk the full length of it from Glasgow to Ft William. If something had happened to him there, I suspect he would have been discovered very quickly.
  
• To get onto the West Highland Way, he would have needed to cross the A82 at Bridge of Orchy. If we believe the sighting that he headed south on the A82 here, he would not have many options to join the WHW before Tyndrum. If he knew the area, he would have gone onto the WHW straight from Bridge of Orchy. If he didnt know the area, he probably wouldn't even have been aware of the WHW path. You cant really see it from the road in daylight, nevermind darkness. There is a small road at Auch which would take you to the WHW or another option to join it about 1 mile before Tyndrum where ir runs very close to the A82.
• If he was on the WHW and continued on it beyond Tyndrum, he would have avoided the CCTV cameras at the petrol station (where the image of the people carrier is).
• The Glen Lyon route is also well surfaced. It's landrover track the entire way. More remote than WHW but still a well-used path. There is a significant river crossing if you take the path on the north side of the loch. It can be quite deep (3-4ft) after heavy rain but it's not particularly fast flowing. Considering the time which has now passed, I think it's unlikely he's in that area - but could have gone this way and avoided CCTV in Tyndrum.
• He would have passed through Tyndrum and Bridge of Orchy stations on his train journey north to get to Ft William. If he was heading to a scenic/significant place to end it all, why go all the to Ft William just to cycle back again?
• I think it's unlikely that he left the area by train. He had already passed BoO station if he headed south from the hotel and would have had to pass through the petrol station cctv to get to Tyndrum upper station. He could have reached Tyndrum lower by following WHW and even if there's no CCTV at the station, there is on the train and would be at the destination station (Glasgow?)
• Has the people carrier been found and ruled out? The recent updates make no mention of it when previously it seemed to be a priority.
• The A82 is a busy road. Even at midnight there would be enough passing traffic that somebody would have noticed if a car had hit him and tried to hide the evidence.
• There are 2 sets of traffic cameras along the route. At Altnafeadh in glencoe and in Tyndrum across from the petrol station. You can see the view from the cameras here: Traffic Scotland > Traffic Info Map Police havn't made any mention of these but they must have been checked? He didn't pass the Tyndrum camera but I would expect to see him on the Glencoe camera sometime around 8pm.

In my opinion, he is not in the Bridge of Orchy - Tyndrum area. I think it's most likely that he has passed by Tyndrum without being seen by the cameras - either got a lift in a car or followed the WHW.

Welcome and thanks for your thoughts. I am not familiar with cycling or that area but, even I noticed he seemed ill prepared and rather unfit. I find it strange that he has just disappeared into thin air and not been seen since.

When you say he may have got a lift would that be with his bike i.e. a roof rack, does that happen? If he left his bike surely he would have returned for it.

 

[Taskforce88]

I feel they have been searching in the wrong area because they were not able to think beyond him cycling the main roads. A search of the rivers and lochs would be a good start perhaps, and then following off-road routes heading towards his home.

 

[Taskforce88]

I was just thinking about Tony today and I stumbled across this forum whilst looking for information.
I'm an experienced cyclist and I know the area well so this case has particular interest to me.
Here's some of my thoughts:

• It's not unusual for cyclists to be out at night. Even if he got the earliest train to arrive at Ft William, his ride was so long that he still would have had to ride through the night at some point (if that was his intention) so there's no need to get up early. In fact, it's probably better to get the later train and get the night riding out of the way earlier when less tired. Having said that, it doesnt look like he's an experienced cyclist judging by the photos.
• Bicycle reservations on that train need to be booked in advance. Presumably he had pre-booked his tickets knowing what time he would get to Ft William and didn't just turn up on the day unaware of the timetables. Although that's the official line from Scotrail - it's often possible to just turn up and get on the train without a reservation, so that doesnt rule anything out.
• If he had used an online route-planner to plan a route using quiet roads (and possibly going via Glen Lyon) he would have been directed off the A82 at Glencoe village and onto a small singletrack road for a few miles to Loch Achtriochtan. The CCTV image of him in Glencoe village shows he stayed on the A82 here. But if he was familiar with driving this section he might not have needed to look at his planned route here and missed the small detour.
• The Old Military Road, which a lot of people seem to consider to be a dangerous, remote path would have actually been a sensible option for him. This path is the West Highland Way and the surface between Glencoe and Tyndrum is very good. It's one of the most popular walking routes in Scotland, around 80,000 people use the path each year and about 15,000 people walk the full length of it from Glasgow to Ft William. If something had happened to him there, I suspect he would have been discovered very quickly.
  
• To get onto the West Highland Way, he would have needed to cross the A82 at Bridge of Orchy. If we believe the sighting that he headed south on the A82 here, he would not have many options to join the WHW before Tyndrum. If he knew the area, he would have gone onto the WHW straight from Bridge of Orchy. If he didnt know the area, he probably wouldn't even have been aware of the WHW path. You cant really see it from the road in daylight, nevermind darkness. There is a small road at Auch which would take you to the WHW or another option to join it about 1 mile before Tyndrum where ir runs very close to the A82.
• If he was on the WHW and continued on it beyond Tyndrum, he would have avoided the CCTV cameras at the petrol station (where the image of the people carrier is).
• The Glen Lyon route is also well surfaced. It's landrover track the entire way. More remote than WHW but still a well-used path. There is a significant river crossing if you take the path on the north side of the loch. It can be quite deep (3-4ft) after heavy rain but it's not particularly fast flowing. Considering the time which has now passed, I think it's unlikely he's in that area - but could have gone this way and avoided CCTV in Tyndrum.
• He would have passed through Tyndrum and Bridge of Orchy stations on his train journey north to get to Ft William. If he was heading to a scenic/significant place to end it all, why go all the to Ft William just to cycle back again?
• I think it's unlikely that he left the area by train. He had already passed BoO station if he headed south from the hotel and would have had to pass through the petrol station cctv to get to Tyndrum upper station. He could have reached Tyndrum lower by following WHW and even if there's no CCTV at the station, there is on the train and would be at the destination station (Glasgow?)
• Has the people carrier been found and ruled out? The recent updates make no mention of it when previously it seemed to be a priority.
• The A82 is a busy road. Even at midnight there would be enough passing traffic that somebody would have noticed if a car had hit him and tried to hide the evidence.
• There are 2 sets of traffic cameras along the route. At Altnafeadh in glencoe and in Tyndrum across from the petrol station. You can see the view from the cameras here: Traffic Scotland > Traffic Info Map Police havn't made any mention of these but they must have been checked? He didn't pass the Tyndrum camera but I would expect to see him on the Glencoe camera sometime around 8pm.

In my opinion, he is not in the Bridge of Orchy - Tyndrum area. I think it's most likely that he has passed by Tyndrum without being seen by the cameras - either got a lift in a car or followed the WHW.

As far as I am aware the people carrier that was seen on the CCTV at Tyndrum petrol station has not been found and ruled out.

It was reported that he was seen near the Glencoe ski centre and then again (for the last time) at Bridge of Orchy hotel. It's possible that Tony might have travelled from the ski centre to Bridge of Orchy via the WHW, and then continued on it or went off towards Glen Lyon. Cycle maps show the Glen Lyon route as an easy option and that is perhaps the route he went, bypassing the CCTV at Tyndrum.

With the presence of CCTV at the stations and on the trains that theory can be ruled out.

It's very possible he got picked up and taken beyond Tyndrum. The people carrier intruiges me.

 

[touch]

When you say he may have got a lift would that be with his bike i.e. a roof rack, does that happen? If he left his bike surely he would have returned for it.

I think that if he had been picked up it would have had to be him + bike. I've considered hiding my bike and trying to get a lift home whilst out cycling before but I think so much time has passed now and that section must have been searched numerous times so if he left the bike it would have been found.

It was reported that he was seen near the Glencoe ski centre and then again (for the last time) at Bridge of Orchy hotel. It's possible that Tony might have travelled from the ski centre to Bridge of Orchy via the WHW, and then continued on it or went off towards Glen Lyon. Cycle maps show the Glen Lyon route as an easy option and that is perhaps the route he went, bypassing the CCTV at Tyndrum.

The possible routes from Bridge of Orchy depend on how accurate the last sighting is.
It is said that he was heading south on the A82 from the hotel. The image below shows the junction at the BoO hotel. The hotel is the white building on the right beyond the junction. This view is from the A82 looking south towards Tyndrum. The small road to the left is the way onto the WHW.

If the witness is correct that he was heading south on the A82 at the hotel, he would have already gone past the turning for the WHW. There would be one other option to get onto the WHW before Tyndrum from the A82 which is the small road at Auch - it's not signposted for WHW though. In my opinion, if he knew the area he would have gone onto the WHW at this juntion before the hotel, if he didn't know the area he wouldn't have found his way onto the WHW before Tyndrum.

It's also possible to avoid the CCTV camera if you follow the WHW from Tyndrum.
This map shows the route of the WHW (green line) through Tyndrum and the camera at the petrol station on the A82 (red circle shows camera location with arrow pointing direction it faces)

 

[Taskforce88]

I think that if he had been picked up it would have had to be him + bike. I've considered hiding my bike and trying to get a lift home whilst out cycling before but I think so much time has passed now and that section must have been searched numerous times so if he left the bike it would have been found.


The possible routes from Bridge of Orchy depend on how accurate the last sighting is.
It is said that he was heading south on the A82 from the hotel. The image below shows the junction at the BoO hotel. The hotel is the white building on the right beyond the junction. This view is from the A82 looking south towards Tyndrum. The small road to the left is the way onto the WHW.

If the witness is correct that he was heading south on the A82 at the hotel, he would have already gone past the turning for the WHW. There would be one other option to get onto the WHW before Tyndrum from the A82 which is the small road at Auch - it's not signposted for WHW though. In my opinion, if he knew the area he would have gone onto the WHW at this juntion before the hotel, if he didn't know the area he wouldn't have found his way onto the WHW before Tyndrum.

It's also possible to avoid the CCTV camera if you follow the WHW from Tyndrum.
This map shows the route of the WHW (green line) through Tyndrum and the camera at the petrol station on the A82 (red circle shows camera location with arrow pointing direction it faces)

Indeed, unless he went to the hotel first to check for accommodation then headed back to the junction for the WHW, but that would not fit in with the witness stating that Tony continued heading south.

It would be good to find out more about his last sighting. I am interested to know why police are classifying it as a 'confirmed sighting'. It could possibly have been another cyclist in the wet and the dark.

Another possible route for Tony would be down the Glen Orchy road, however, if he knew the route he would be unlikely to go that way.

Do you think its possible that he got picked up by the people carrier?

He has either been picked up, or travelled beyond Tyndrum and was not spotted on CCTV.

 

[touch]

Do you think its possible that he got picked up by the people carrier?

Yes, it's possible. The timing doesn't quite add up for me though.
He was at BoO hotel at 11:30 and Tyndrum is only 6.5 miles away from there. That's around 1.5 hours at the speed he had been doing from Glencoe to BoO. Even if he had a major problem with his bike and had to walk with it, he still would have been in Tyndrum before 2am.
I think it's unlikely that the people carrier to have hit him, loaded him in the back and driven off without anyone noticing - even at that time of night I think there would be enough passing traffic that somebody would have seen something. I dont think that could be ruled out though.
It would be interesting to know what was recorded on the traffic cameras. I mentioned these in a previous post and included a link so you can see the map of where each camera is. There are cameras near Glencoe and also on the A85 (road from the Oban direction to Tyndrum) so, presuming it's journey didn't start locally in Bridge of Orchy area, the police must know which direction the people carrier came from and also how long it was in the area.

 

[Taskforce88]

As per usual, however, very little information has been made public. I travel in the area quite often and trying to get info on the areas searched was almost impossible.

I believe it was mentioned that the Traffic Scotland road camera at Tyndrum was looked at and didn't pick up Tony passing through, so presumably, they looked at it for any vehicles of interest.

 

[JustJo]

I'm glad to see people are still taking an interest in this case.

I don't know the area but surely he would have been found by now if he had taken the WHW?

Maybe he did get a lift, left his bike and some scroat helped themselves to it? Maybe they haven't come forward because they don't want to get done for theft. But that still doesn't explain where Anthony is...