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The body of a man has been found in the search for a 55-year-old hill walker who was been missing for three days in north Harris.

 

It is understood the man was found in a ravine on a high craggy ridge called Sgaoth Aird.

 

Edward 'Ted' Jackson was last seen on the outskirts of Tarbert, at the Urgha end of the hill path to Maraig, on Saturday morning.

 

He was a keen “Marilyn” bagger who liked to climb hills over 500 feet high on all sides. A Marilyn hill is measured relative from its base and not sea level and searchers focused their efforts in the two summits in the vicinity where the man went missing.

 

The alarm was raised when there was no sign of the 55-year-old at the Harris Hotel, where he had been staying for a week, on Sunday.

 

Dozens of people were involved in a large scale search in north Harris since then.  Hebrides Search and Rescue teams and coastguard volunteers trekked the mist-covered hills and rugged terrain in the area.

 

Police dogs and their handlers also covered the route Mr Jackson was believed to have taken.

 

Leverburgh RNLI lifeboat was out yesterday (mon) morning and searched around the bays, and sealochs on the east side of Harris.  Stornoway coastguard helicopter was also been involved in the incident.

He did not tell the hotel of his daily plans but worried hotel staff phoned the police around noon on Sunday.

 

Police found return ferry and mainland coach tickets in his room and realised he had intended to catch the 9am Cal Mac ferry to Skye and then onward by bus to the north of England.

 

A search of the vast rugged, rocky terrain was initiated.

 

Bus drivers were contacted by police as the man had been sight seeing around the island by public transport.

 

One driver - also a crofter - recognised the man’s photo. While feeding his cattle on the Saturday morning, he had spotted Mr Jackson on the hill track to Maraig - the information helped focus the search.

 

A Police Scotland spokesperson confirmed that “the body of a man has been found in the search for missing hillwalker, Edward Jackson, in the Western Isles.”

 

“Next of kin have been informed.”

 

 

 

 

Edward Jackson was last seen on Saturday

Body found in search for missing man                 17/3/14