THE solitary green tent stood a few yards from the southern shore of Loch Einich, ignored for weeks by hillwalkers in one of Scotland's most remote wildernesses.
But when Peter Ferguson, head stalker at the Rothiemurchus Estate, went shooting on Tuesday morning and spotted it for a second time, he went to investigate.
Zipping open the entrance to the two-man tent, he found a decomposing body.
Yesterd
ay, police awaited the results of a post-mortem examination.
A mountain rescue team leader, who was called to take the body off the hillside, revealed that the remains were discovered only about 1km from where another was recovered inside a sleeping bag last year.
Willie Anderson, a member of the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team, said he received a call from the police at about lunchtime on Tuesday.
"About five weeks ago, a guy from the estate spotted the tent. When he went back up there shooting with some chaps, he saw it again and thought it had been there a long time.
"He went over to investigate and saw the remains of a male."
Twelve rescuers and four police officers drove along an isolated track and walked for two miles to reach the location, at the head of Glen Einich.
"It's a very remote spot," said Mr Anderson. "There are no paths, just heather and rocks. The tent was at the bottom of a steep slope."
Northern Constabulary yesterday said the man had yet to be formally identified, although it is understood he was carrying identification.
Sources denied the body was that of Steven Cooper, a Huddersfield man who disappeared in January after leaving his car near Loch Laggan.
Mr Cooper, who suffers from Marfan syndrome, a rare condition affecting the aorta, is Mr Anderson's only unsolved missing person case.
However the man in the tent had not been reported missing, and had been equipped for a lengthy trip in the mountains.
"You would like to think somebody missed you at some stage. It's sad that there appeared to be no-one from work; no neighbours or anyone else who raised the alarm," said Mr Anderson.
"It's possible he had come up from down south and had been reported as missing there."
Mr Anderson said a rucksack "packed with gear" was also found in the tent.
"The tent was in good nick and he had good equipment. He had everything you would require for a four, five or six-day trip in the mountains," Mr Anderson added.
