The father of an eight-year-old boy who was sexually assaulted whilst camping in the Highlands saw the suspect walking away from his son’s tent and confronted him, Police Scotland have confirmed.
The child was attacked between 00:20 and 01:00 in the early hours of Thursday at the Loch Ness Bay campsite in Drumnadrochit, whilst sleeping alone in his tent. His family, who were tourists holidaying in the area, were in a separate tent nearby.
Detective Superintendent Calum Smith revealed during a media briefing in Inverness that the boy’s father overheard the incident and emerged to see the man leaving the area. At the time, the father has overheard the incident, has come out, and has seen the man walking away from the tent,” Det Supt Smith told reporters.
The father challenged the suspect, asking what he was doing, to which the man responded before walking off. Police confirmed the suspect spoke back to the concerned parent but did not elaborate on what was said.
I’m not going to go into details of the assault but it was a sexual assault on an eight-year-old child, hugely traumatising on the child, hugely traumatising on the family and naturally worrying to the community,” Det Supt Smith said.
The detective emphasised the rarity of such incidents in the region, stating: “This is very unusual for this to happen in the Highlands.”
Police Scotland have launched what they describe as a “significant investigation” with a dedicated team of 10 to 12 officers, both uniformed and plain-clothed, working “every day” to trace the suspect.
The attacker is described as white, aged between 35 and 50 years old, approximately 5ft 10ins tall and bald on top. Officers have not ruled out the possibility that the suspect was staying at the campsite, keeping “an open mind” about this line of inquiry.
Detective Inspector Christopher Macleod, who is leading the investigation, issued an urgent appeal: “This sexual assault was carried out on a young boy, who was camping overnight with his family, and it is vital we trace the man responsible as soon as possible.
The investigation includes extensive CCTV review and door-to-door enquiries in the local area. Police are particularly keen to hear from anyone who was staying in the Drumnadrochit area or driving through with dashcam footage around the time of the incident.
“I would urge anyone who was staying in the Drumnadrochit area to come forward, as any piece of information, no matter how small or insignificant you think it is, could prove vital,” Det Insp Macleod said.
The incident has sent shockwaves through the small Highland community on the banks of Loch Ness. Local councillor David Fraser described the attack as “totally shocking” and said it had “affected the whole community.
Drumnadrochit is a small highland community on the banks of Loch Ness and things like this don’t usually happen here,” Councillor Fraser told BBC Scotland News. It is a small, close-knit community, we welcome visitors all the time. We are completely shocked that something like this could happen within our village.”
The councillor added: “Words cannot describe the impact this event will have had.”
Police confirmed there would be a “large police presence” in the area as the investigation continues, with officers providing reassurance to concerned residents whilst pursuing all available leads.
Det Insp Macleod acknowledged the community impact: “This incident will be very upsetting and worrying for the people living in this community and would ask anyone with any concerns to speak to us.”
Specialist officers are providing support to the traumatised child and his family as the investigation continues. Det Supt Smith confirmed the boy had been left “traumatised and upset” by the attack.
The detective also appealed specifically to drivers who may have been in the area: “I am also keen to hear from anyone who was driving in the area around the time of the incident and may have dashcam footage, or who has seen something suspicious.
Police are asking anyone to think back and consider whether they recognise someone matching the suspect’s description or saw anyone “behaving in a strange manner, giving cause for concern, or loitering in the area.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 0167 of 31 July 2025. Alternatively, anonymous reports can be made to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
The attack has highlighted concerns about safety at tourist locations during the busy summer season, with thousands of visitors flocking to the Loch Ness area. However, police stressed such incidents remain extremely rare in the Highlands.
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