Found Deceased UK - Susan McLean, 61, U.S. tourist, Aberfeldy, Scotland, 17 May 2015
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Missing Susan
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This is so great of you to get over there. Many of us in the US wish we could do what you are doing.
Try to get off on the right foot with the police by thanking them on behalf of all Susan's friends for the effort they expended trying to find her. Maybe there is a police charity we could chip in a donation towards; search dog fund etc.... offer to give the blood hounds a good physical examination
kimi_SFC
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My word, hippy hippy, seeing the terrain you've covered is truly incredible. :bow:
Just saying :tyou: seems SO inadequate. Your dedication to Mrs. McLean is something I've never seen in all my time here at WS. It reminds me of the absolute determination of the Sierra Search Team, of Morgan Hill, California. They searched for Sierra LaMar non-stop, initially twice a week, then every Saturday, for years (she's yet to be found, sadly). All I can say is that you are my hero (and I'm certain I'm not alone in this sentiment) :grouphug:
I hold onto the sincerest wish that all of your hard work WILL result in what we all hope for: some sign of her, or better yet, Susan herself
lease: I read that Lumberjill will be joining you soon. :crossfingers: that your team efforts will only strengthen the resolve to help #BringSusanHome
:candle:
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Thank you so much, hippy hippy. Your maps give a great visual of, and feel for, the area, so very helpful, especially to someone from Wyoming--our landscape is quite different for the most part.
I'm glad Lumberjill arrived safely, and feel very hopeful her help and presence there will bring a resolution for the family. Susan's loved ones are lucky to have a pair of feet on the ground like hippy hippy!
Sometimes it seems luck or something must be at work in searches for the missing--months after original searches, entire families have been found quite close to where they were last seen, which is almost unfathomable to me because they weren't purposefully hidden. I hope hippy hippy and Lumberjill can get a good, methodical search team to help them scour the area the collie disappeared to. It seems possible Susan became injured and crawled into or under something to get out of the rain that fell the night she went missing.
Thank you again to hippy hippy and Lumberjill for your efforts, and for sharing info with us on this forum.
Yeah, ninij9 and ellie b, the coincidence of the infrequently used bothy (as per hippy hippy) being used during the time frame Susan went missing is concerning, so I do hope the men were cleared by LE.
However, iirc, Susan went missing on Sunday night, and hippy hippy saw the men on the trail on Tuesday. Seems odd they would have remained in such close proximity if they had harmed Susan--and this is assuming that Susan is in the area and found by the collie that day.
Lumberjill
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StarAnise, great that you did a google drive. From being here on the ground, I can tell you that the whole road from Aberfeldy south to Crieff is called "Crieff Road", and it is also numbered A826. The last sighting of Susan is reported to be about two miles south of Moness near Gatehouse Nursery. Crieff Road along that stretch has a couple of places with steep sides, but for the most part, the road gently slopes to pasture land. And just south of Gatehouse Nursery is a track going off to the west, which is where hippy hippy took the pic of the map plaque, if I got everything straight. Will go there tomorrow to post neon green "Missing Susan" posters. Meeting hippy in person soon. Can't wait to give a big hug to her for such amazing work. Unbelievable dedicated. Meticulous.
The Detective Sgt of Police Scotland if coming back to work tomorrow after holiday. Someone else from Police Scotland was trying to contact me through the journalist after they read her article in The Courier. Now that I have a local cell phone, things will go more smoothly.
The Detective Sgt of Police Scotland if coming back to work tomorrow after holiday. Someone else from Police Scotland was trying to contact me through the journalist after they read her article in The Courier. Now that I have a local cell phone, things will go more smoothly.
Ok, so A826 is considered "Crieff Road"...that makes more sense then. I knew she had been seen at the nursery and didn't think she had gone north from the resort, but with having thought Crieff Road was just that short segment to the town from resort, that's what I drove. Still curious if that brushy area I was speaking of was searched though if anyone knows.
I was planning on driving southbound towards the Gatehouse today and just did so. I can see many spots that would be considered rather dangerous to walk along, in the rain especially.
I got carried away as the "drive" is so beautiful and passed the nursery without noticing that was it - I had skipped the part just before the nursery and jumped to the white building and didn't realize that was the nursery. Anyhow, point being, as I kept going I saw Loch na Creige down the road a piece. Seems too far for her to have gone, but just wondering if that was the body of water that was searched with divers? Makes more sense that she may have taken that trail that goes to the west to do a "circle" back to the resort though.
Looking forward to hearing your reports Lumberjill after you speak with the police and meet up with Hippy Hippy!
I was planning on driving southbound towards the Gatehouse today and just did so. I can see many spots that would be considered rather dangerous to walk along, in the rain especially.
I got carried away as the "drive" is so beautiful and passed the nursery without noticing that was it - I had skipped the part just before the nursery and jumped to the white building and didn't realize that was the nursery. Anyhow, point being, as I kept going I saw Loch na Creige down the road a piece. Seems too far for her to have gone, but just wondering if that was the body of water that was searched with divers? Makes more sense that she may have taken that trail that goes to the west to do a "circle" back to the resort though.
Looking forward to hearing your reports Lumberjill after you speak with the police and meet up with Hippy Hippy!
Maybe there is a police charity we could chip in a donation towards; search dog fund etc.... offer to give the blood hounds a good physical examination
Not a police charity but there is a charity in Scotland who search for missing people called K9 Search and Recovery. A family member or friend of Susan should get in touch to see if they could help search for her.
http://www.k9srs.co.uk
https://www.facebook.com/K9SearchRecoveryScotland
sar2them1984
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Been reading this thread today.. quick question... has it been established whether Susan had her mobile or any personal affects with her?
Susan left the lodge at Moness without her mobile or identification which she routinely did when she went for a walk. She was wearing her wedding ring, a couple of gold bracelets, a Timex watch with a black nylon band, a gold heart with her son's names, on a gold chain. She may have had 40 pounds in a pocket.
Lumberjill
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Sorry-double posted. See below.
Zuri
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Equivet, has the U.S. State Department in Edinburgh been of any assistance to you? I just can't imagine a missing US citizen and their family not receiving their help. It has come to my attention that I have met Susan in the past in passing when I was volunteering as a jump judge at several events in Chester County.
Her disappearance has haunted me since I first read about it on COTH and came back here to WS to read more. I am truly so sorry for what has happened. The world needs more lovely people like Susan in it. I hope they can find her or what has happened to her. Hugs.
Her disappearance has haunted me since I first read about it on COTH and came back here to WS to read more. I am truly so sorry for what has happened. The world needs more lovely people like Susan in it. I hope they can find her or what has happened to her. Hugs.
Lumberjill
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OK, time for an update. I met with hippy hippy last evening to walk along the Birks of Aberfeldy. There is a rumor that police searched for a very considerable amount of time in one area there where it's a steep and rocky fall down to the water. It was drizzling, and very reminiscent of the weather and lighting of the night Susan vanished, hh says. I'm glad we walked there, but since Susan was last seen near Gatehouse Nursery, it's a little hard to put her in the Birks location.
BTW, sar2them, Susan left Moness after a little spat, walked out with nothing but the spare change in her pockets. No phone, no passport, nothing.
I spent two nights at Errichel B&B. Errichel Farm is the 600+ acres that Crieff Road semi-circles around from Aberfeldy to Gatehouse Nursery, more or less. It was really nice to be in the middle of what I consider to the main the area of interest.
I was able to speak to the person who reported the first sighting. That person placed a walker of Susan's stature on Crieff Rd at approx 7:45. The time was pretty certain because the person had to pull off to send a text message right afterward, and the time stamp on that was 7:47. The driver was not able to confirm that it was Susan, and the driver recollected seeing dark pants, not khakis. The person rolled down the window and asked Susan 2 or 3 times if she wanted a lift, needed help,... Susan turned her head away from the driver, so it was not possible to see a face. Susan didn't speak. This driver is careful to note that it may or may not have been Susan, but agrees that there are few pedestrians on Crieff Road. I've yet to see any with many trips up and down the road.
I emailed Iain Marshall of K9 Search and Rescue--Thank you, Ironside!!! I'm eager to hear back from him. I'd love for Iain, Barra his dog, hippy hippy, and me to go to the area where hh's dog ran off, barking and getting bloodied. And to confirm: hh was not allowed out of the police car when trying to show/tell them where the dog went. We don't know yet if police took dogs there. I hope to meet the detective now that his holiday has ended. Since this is not a criminal investigation, it's hard to imagine that they won't give me copies of their search grids. Crossing my fingers.
Lastly, the idea of Susan leaving Crieff Rd to hike a ways west on Loch Hoil track, then turning north to take paths between trees, possibly to Dun Hill area, then down to Moness Resort seems such a likely thing for Susan to do. Why go back down that narrow Crieff Rd when there is a track at the top of Dun Hill, and it's not that far from the Loch Hoil track. Equivet, what's your take on this? hh has posted a pic of the map plaque that's located at the Crieff Rd end of Loch Hoil Track. Take a look and you can see what I'm talking about, especially if you mentally overlay hh's screen shot of Google Maps with her rectangular area where the dog event occurred.
BTW, sar2them, Susan left Moness after a little spat, walked out with nothing but the spare change in her pockets. No phone, no passport, nothing.
I spent two nights at Errichel B&B. Errichel Farm is the 600+ acres that Crieff Road semi-circles around from Aberfeldy to Gatehouse Nursery, more or less. It was really nice to be in the middle of what I consider to the main the area of interest.
I was able to speak to the person who reported the first sighting. That person placed a walker of Susan's stature on Crieff Rd at approx 7:45. The time was pretty certain because the person had to pull off to send a text message right afterward, and the time stamp on that was 7:47. The driver was not able to confirm that it was Susan, and the driver recollected seeing dark pants, not khakis. The person rolled down the window and asked Susan 2 or 3 times if she wanted a lift, needed help,... Susan turned her head away from the driver, so it was not possible to see a face. Susan didn't speak. This driver is careful to note that it may or may not have been Susan, but agrees that there are few pedestrians on Crieff Road. I've yet to see any with many trips up and down the road.
I emailed Iain Marshall of K9 Search and Rescue--Thank you, Ironside!!! I'm eager to hear back from him. I'd love for Iain, Barra his dog, hippy hippy, and me to go to the area where hh's dog ran off, barking and getting bloodied. And to confirm: hh was not allowed out of the police car when trying to show/tell them where the dog went. We don't know yet if police took dogs there. I hope to meet the detective now that his holiday has ended. Since this is not a criminal investigation, it's hard to imagine that they won't give me copies of their search grids. Crossing my fingers.
Lastly, the idea of Susan leaving Crieff Rd to hike a ways west on Loch Hoil track, then turning north to take paths between trees, possibly to Dun Hill area, then down to Moness Resort seems such a likely thing for Susan to do. Why go back down that narrow Crieff Rd when there is a track at the top of Dun Hill, and it's not that far from the Loch Hoil track. Equivet, what's your take on this? hh has posted a pic of the map plaque that's located at the Crieff Rd end of Loch Hoil Track. Take a look and you can see what I'm talking about, especially if you mentally overlay hh's screen shot of Google Maps with her rectangular area where the dog event occurred.
gregjrichards
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New article thought I would post
"The husband of an American tourist who has been missing in Scotland for nine weeks has revealed that his wife went walking on her own after the couple had a 'disagreement'.
Susan McLean, 61, went missing in May while staying at the luxury Moness holiday resort, in the Highland town of Aberfeldy, Perthshire.
Her husband Donald has now said that wife left their holiday lodge that night to 'cool down' following a row between the pair. She has not been seen since."
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...s-ago-reveals-walked-rowed.html#ixzz3gcMWI2XZ
Thank you for the updates regarding the search.
"The husband of an American tourist who has been missing in Scotland for nine weeks has revealed that his wife went walking on her own after the couple had a 'disagreement'.
Susan McLean, 61, went missing in May while staying at the luxury Moness holiday resort, in the Highland town of Aberfeldy, Perthshire.
Her husband Donald has now said that wife left their holiday lodge that night to 'cool down' following a row between the pair. She has not been seen since."
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...s-ago-reveals-walked-rowed.html#ixzz3gcMWI2XZ
Thank you for the updates regarding the search.
Wow, Lumberjill, do you and hippy hippy feel the sighting on Crieff Road is still a credible lead? It sounds as if there is a good possibility the walker was not Susan.
Perhaps start at the beginning. Stand outside Susan's cottage at Moness Resort, in late evening, try to put yourselves in her mindset--feeling annoyed\aggravated\hurt feelings? after a disagreement--and "feel" where she may have headed? Had she walked down Crieff Road prior to this night? Had she previously walked any of the paths hippy hippy has been searching? What was the disagreement about? Would the subject give a clue to direction of her walk? If the disagreement was over dinner plans, would she have headed toward a pub or restaurant on her own?
The collie incident still seems like a very good lead.
Good luck, hippy hippy and Lumberjill, and thank you so much for the updates, and sharing your thoughts. Thank you also to equivet for being a part of this forum during such a difficult time. My prayers are with your family.
​This is my first post on WS, I joined here because Susan's disappearance has resonated with me. If, as her husband suspects, Susan has met with a dreadful accident, I cannot imagine how awful it must be for her family to be so far away, I think about her every day and hope she can be found so that she can be taken home to rest.
My thoughts are with her family and friends and indeed to hippy hippy who has my utmost admiration, I wish i could help with the search, good luck to all.​
My thoughts are with her family and friends and indeed to hippy hippy who has my utmost admiration, I wish i could help with the search, good luck to all.​
The US Consulate In Edinburgh called me right after Susan disappeared & offered assistance. I later called & asked for help changing my plane tickets so I could stay on for an additional week. They called back a day later & said as the tickets were made through a travel agency the airline wouldn't change them. I mentioned this to my nephew who called Senator Warren's office in MA. They had the tickets changed in half an hour! So I am not impressed with the US Consulate.
I think it very likely that Susan did as Lumberjill suggests, looked at the trail map & took the fairly straight track back toward the resort. That would put her in the general area where HH's dog ran off & got bloodied. IMO Cadaver dogs should be worked through that entire rectangular area HH has identified on her map.
Yes that scenario seems logical, equivet.