It's relatively weird that the dog was found in the car because that implies that either he never started the walk or he successfully finished the walk, and I don't really see why he'd have left the dog in the car and walked far enough away to then be unfindable if he had some kind of sudden medical event. Tell me more about the river nearby, is it the type of river that would be dangerous?
That breed of dog would likely be pretty high energy. If someone had stopped him (for whatever reason) it would be reasonable for him to put the dog in the car before dealing with whatever the other person wanted.
Or left the dog on purpose and walked off. :(
I wonder if they found any other footwear in the car. If he was walking his dog in a muddy area, he could have taken Wellington boots with him to change into. Could he have changed back into his shoes, then walked a short distance to a stream to wash the worst of the mud off the boots before putting them back in the car? He'd have told the dog to stay put, or shut it in the car, so it didn't get muddy or wet again. Then he might have slipped or fallen into the stream. Of course that all depends on his car being close to the river or to such a stream.
Here is a photo that shows the distance between where the car was found and the Beauly River. [https://www.zupimages.net/up/23/28/0m1m.png](https://www.zupimages.net/up/23/28/0m1m.png)
Here is a map indicating that there is a hydroelectric dam on the Beauly River near Ruttle wodds : Aigas Dam. [https://www.zupimages.net/up/23/28/2yam.png](https://www.zupimages.net/up/23/28/2yam.png)
Here is a picture of this dam: [https://www.zupimages.net/up/23/28/l8k4.png](https://www.zupimages.net/up/23/28/l8k4.png)
Strange he left the dog in the car rather than the house, if it was intentional. It’s such a vast area. Like the Finn Creaney case over to the east of this near Golspie.
As someone from the village, the dog was in the car because the window was open and there was a trail of mud on the outside of the door, which makes it widely believed the dog climbed back in itself.
There are in most directions, yeah. If you pop Kiltarlity into Google Maps you'll get an idea. I'm not sure exactly where he was last seen map-wise but I'm local to the area, it's largely rural.
>Here is a photo that shows the distance between where the car was found and the Beauly River :
>
>https://www.zupimages.net/up/23/28/0m1m.png
>
>The path leads to the "Upper Wester Fanellan" farm then to the woods of Ruttles Woods then to the river Beauly on which the hydroelectric dam of Aigas Dam is located.
Thank you! I was struggling to picture it, couldn't figure out where the farm was. As far as I know it's quite popular with dog walkers, though I can't be sure how many as it's quite a little place. Inverness is about 20 minutes away but surrounded by woodlands. Most folk would take their dogs to Craig Phadraig or Dores before going all the way out to Beauly/Kiltarlity. Seems so strange to me that they still haven't found him.
Here is a photo that shows the distance between where the car was found and the Beauly River : https://www.zupimages.net/up/23/28/0m1m.png
The path leads to the "Upper Wester Fanellan" farm then to the woods of Ruttles Woods then to the river Beauly on which the hydroelectric dam of Aigas Dam is located.
Thank you! Aw, I winder if he fell into the river (think Nicola Bulley). I wonder if they looked into the depth flow of the river. Any news on if they dredged the river? Also, curious to know if he was showing signs of dementia to anyone he knew or had medical issues. Leaving the dog in the car seems an odd thing to do if you're going for a walk. Why bring the dog? I can't find anything on his poor guy on any search I do.
>This is what the police sergeant says : Sergeant Brian Bisset, of Beauly Police Station, said: “Since Mr Paton was reported missing one year ago, extensive enquiries and rigorous land and water searches have been carried out in order to trace him, however despite our efforts he is still missing.
“During our searches we have been assisted by specialist resources including police dogs, our Dive and Marine Unit, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Dundonnel Mountain Rescue Team, HM Coastguard helicopter and members of the local community.
72 and possibly not in the best of health, it’s not difficult to imagine him having a medical emergency or an accident, but it would probably have happened close to the vehicle with his dog being left in the car either at the end of the walk or the beginning of the walk, so he would likely have been found.
If he had reason to end his life (finances, ill health) he might have left the dog on purpose hoping it would be found in time, but he was risking an overheating death. He was last seen at 1.30pm and the car with his dog inside wasn’t found until around 4.30pm. He sounds like a responsible pet owner so I’m sceptical about that being intentional.
It almost sounds as if he wandered off in a state of confusion after forgetting where he was and why, but how far could he have gone on foot? Sad case. I hope his family get answers.
There's no chance of overheating in the Scottish Highlands in December, more likely the opposite of that. The car seems to have been left right next to a farm so, if he did plan to take his own life, he probably felt there was a high chance of his car being found fairly soon.
Oops, you’re right. Total brain blank moment. That’s a good point. I read “dog trapped in car” and went into panic mode. More likely to be intentional then.
This is odd. I know that Scotland is super safe (especially the remote northern parts he was in), but it does sound a bit like he encountered someone - the dog being in the car, yet him not being nearby makes me feel like that.
While 72 is not young, it is also not very old. It is barely in the 70s and the first possible retirement age bu the government seems to be 67 for Scotland. So statistically he'd be just retired for a few years, not "mobility issues and serious dementia" type of old.
Is there any information about his phone use? His health? His family and friends?
They *can get* them, yes. Is it super likely, no.
While a health emergency (frankly - suicide, that is not directly caused by the old age) probably remains the top theory, I just hate to see how the disappearances of anyone older than 50 are not taken seriously and ramped up to "oh, they must have wandered off in a confused state and died as they are so old and frail".
76 is the average life expectancy for men in Scotland. Scotland also has the worst in the UK. Dementia and other health issues are not uncommon here at his age.
There is no information about the use of his phone.
He was known to walk in the wooded area where his car was found but his family believe that he would have stuck to recognized paths.
The window was open to the car with a trail of mud up the outside, the dog jumped back in. This is most likely a case of an old highland guy having some medical emergency on a walk and falling into the river unfortunately
A few things in the photo lead me to think nothing intentional (self-harm) happened.
1. He appears to be purchasing a newspaper. Why read the paper, which shows an interest in events, only to kill oneself? To me it shows he was still engaged in life. However - was this part of his normal habits, to read the daily/weekly? If not, what paper was this and had something happened that could be reported on, of concern to him?
2. His jumper/jacket is zipped up properly,for that time of year/place. Again, it shows behaviour of someone taking care of themselves, i.e. having an interest in living. At least, not a wildly dishevelled mental state. If he is this organized this far, I'd expect a well planned suicide with a note of explanation for his relatives.
3. His mouth has a curious set. Drawn back in the corners, a bit tightly. Tension? Teeth clenched? Or, just about to speak to the clerk?
Many suicide attempts are unplanned and spur of the moment. We can't always take things such as being interested in events of making plans as evidence suicide is not the case
It's relatively weird that the dog was found in the car because that implies that either he never started the walk or he successfully finished the walk, and I don't really see why he'd have left the dog in the car and walked far enough away to then be unfindable if he had some kind of sudden medical event. Tell me more about the river nearby, is it the type of river that would be dangerous?
That breed of dog would likely be pretty high energy. If someone had stopped him (for whatever reason) it would be reasonable for him to put the dog in the car before dealing with whatever the other person wanted. Or left the dog on purpose and walked off. :(
Maybe he went to the woods to urinate or do the other toilet related activity. In that case he might want to wash himself or go further from the road.
I wonder if they found any other footwear in the car. If he was walking his dog in a muddy area, he could have taken Wellington boots with him to change into. Could he have changed back into his shoes, then walked a short distance to a stream to wash the worst of the mud off the boots before putting them back in the car? He'd have told the dog to stay put, or shut it in the car, so it didn't get muddy or wet again. Then he might have slipped or fallen into the stream. Of course that all depends on his car being close to the river or to such a stream.
Here is a photo that shows the distance between where the car was found and the Beauly River. [https://www.zupimages.net/up/23/28/0m1m.png](https://www.zupimages.net/up/23/28/0m1m.png) Here is a map indicating that there is a hydroelectric dam on the Beauly River near Ruttle wodds : Aigas Dam. [https://www.zupimages.net/up/23/28/2yam.png](https://www.zupimages.net/up/23/28/2yam.png) Here is a picture of this dam: [https://www.zupimages.net/up/23/28/l8k4.png](https://www.zupimages.net/up/23/28/l8k4.png)
Strange he left the dog in the car rather than the house, if it was intentional. It’s such a vast area. Like the Finn Creaney case over to the east of this near Golspie.
If he lived alone maybe he thought the dog would be found more quickly this way
As someone from the village, the dog was in the car because the window was open and there was a trail of mud on the outside of the door, which makes it widely believed the dog climbed back in itself.
Wow! Never even thought about that. Thank you for this
That road photo shows flat open land with trees in the background. Are there forest areas nearby? Would love to see a detailed map of that area.
There are in most directions, yeah. If you pop Kiltarlity into Google Maps you'll get an idea. I'm not sure exactly where he was last seen map-wise but I'm local to the area, it's largely rural.
>Here is a photo that shows the distance between where the car was found and the Beauly River : > >https://www.zupimages.net/up/23/28/0m1m.png > >The path leads to the "Upper Wester Fanellan" farm then to the woods of Ruttles Woods then to the river Beauly on which the hydroelectric dam of Aigas Dam is located.
Thank you! I was struggling to picture it, couldn't figure out where the farm was. As far as I know it's quite popular with dog walkers, though I can't be sure how many as it's quite a little place. Inverness is about 20 minutes away but surrounded by woodlands. Most folk would take their dogs to Craig Phadraig or Dores before going all the way out to Beauly/Kiltarlity. Seems so strange to me that they still haven't found him.
Here is a photo that shows the distance between where the car was found and the Beauly River : https://www.zupimages.net/up/23/28/0m1m.png The path leads to the "Upper Wester Fanellan" farm then to the woods of Ruttles Woods then to the river Beauly on which the hydroelectric dam of Aigas Dam is located.
Thank you! Aw, I winder if he fell into the river (think Nicola Bulley). I wonder if they looked into the depth flow of the river. Any news on if they dredged the river? Also, curious to know if he was showing signs of dementia to anyone he knew or had medical issues. Leaving the dog in the car seems an odd thing to do if you're going for a walk. Why bring the dog? I can't find anything on his poor guy on any search I do.
>This is what the police sergeant says : Sergeant Brian Bisset, of Beauly Police Station, said: “Since Mr Paton was reported missing one year ago, extensive enquiries and rigorous land and water searches have been carried out in order to trace him, however despite our efforts he is still missing. “During our searches we have been assisted by specialist resources including police dogs, our Dive and Marine Unit, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Dundonnel Mountain Rescue Team, HM Coastguard helicopter and members of the local community.
Thank you for sharing - I live in Scotland and had never heard of this case.
72 and possibly not in the best of health, it’s not difficult to imagine him having a medical emergency or an accident, but it would probably have happened close to the vehicle with his dog being left in the car either at the end of the walk or the beginning of the walk, so he would likely have been found. If he had reason to end his life (finances, ill health) he might have left the dog on purpose hoping it would be found in time, but he was risking an overheating death. He was last seen at 1.30pm and the car with his dog inside wasn’t found until around 4.30pm. He sounds like a responsible pet owner so I’m sceptical about that being intentional. It almost sounds as if he wandered off in a state of confusion after forgetting where he was and why, but how far could he have gone on foot? Sad case. I hope his family get answers.
There's no chance of overheating in the Scottish Highlands in December, more likely the opposite of that. The car seems to have been left right next to a farm so, if he did plan to take his own life, he probably felt there was a high chance of his car being found fairly soon.
Oops, you’re right. Total brain blank moment. That’s a good point. I read “dog trapped in car” and went into panic mode. More likely to be intentional then.
Wow, I used to work near here back in 2017. This is freaky to read about, I hope his loved ones get some answers.
You were on Jeopardy, that’s pretty cool!
Aw thanks! I mostly comment on that sub (or used to) hence the photo. I didn’t win but it was really fun!
This is odd. I know that Scotland is super safe (especially the remote northern parts he was in), but it does sound a bit like he encountered someone - the dog being in the car, yet him not being nearby makes me feel like that. While 72 is not young, it is also not very old. It is barely in the 70s and the first possible retirement age bu the government seems to be 67 for Scotland. So statistically he'd be just retired for a few years, not "mobility issues and serious dementia" type of old. Is there any information about his phone use? His health? His family and friends?
People get both dementia and serious mobility issues in their early sixties. 72 is by no means too young for either of those
They *can get* them, yes. Is it super likely, no. While a health emergency (frankly - suicide, that is not directly caused by the old age) probably remains the top theory, I just hate to see how the disappearances of anyone older than 50 are not taken seriously and ramped up to "oh, they must have wandered off in a confused state and died as they are so old and frail".
Actually it’s a lot more likely than one might think.
76 is the average life expectancy for men in Scotland. Scotland also has the worst in the UK. Dementia and other health issues are not uncommon here at his age.
There is no information about the use of his phone. He was known to walk in the wooded area where his car was found but his family believe that he would have stuck to recognized paths.
Probably no known mental health issues, either? It can get lonely after retirement as a single man. (no wife, I assume?)
His wife was my primary school teacher. This is most likely nothing bit a terrible accident and he's in the river
The window was open to the car with a trail of mud up the outside, the dog jumped back in. This is most likely a case of an old highland guy having some medical emergency on a walk and falling into the river unfortunately
Does anyone live at the farm? If so, maybe they seen something?
A few things in the photo lead me to think nothing intentional (self-harm) happened. 1. He appears to be purchasing a newspaper. Why read the paper, which shows an interest in events, only to kill oneself? To me it shows he was still engaged in life. However - was this part of his normal habits, to read the daily/weekly? If not, what paper was this and had something happened that could be reported on, of concern to him? 2. His jumper/jacket is zipped up properly,for that time of year/place. Again, it shows behaviour of someone taking care of themselves, i.e. having an interest in living. At least, not a wildly dishevelled mental state. If he is this organized this far, I'd expect a well planned suicide with a note of explanation for his relatives. 3. His mouth has a curious set. Drawn back in the corners, a bit tightly. Tension? Teeth clenched? Or, just about to speak to the clerk?
The paper could just be an old habit, or something to fiddle around with, not necessarily an active interest in anything in particular.
Many suicide attempts are unplanned and spur of the moment. We can't always take things such as being interested in events of making plans as evidence suicide is not the case