Body found more than a year after Argentinian barman vanished from Scottish village

The body of an Argentinian barman who “fell in love” with the Highlands has been discovered in Scotland more than a year after he vanished.

Rodrigo Falcon disappeared in freezing conditions after leaving a nightclub in the Cairngorms mountain range at around 2.30am on 11 December 2022.

The 33-year-old was never found despite extensive searches by police, private detectives and divers amid heartbreaking pleas from his family for information.

But a body was discovered just outside Aviemore at around 2.15pm on Friday, with formal identification yet to take place.

Mr Falcon, known as “Rod” to his family and friends, moved to Scotland in 2016 and was described as a keen photographer – with pictures posted online from Spain, France and Russia.

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He could be seen wearing a T-shirt with the words “Scotland, probably the best place in the world” alongside the caption: “Six years living in this beautiful land this month, woop woop” in a social media post just months before he vanished.

In others posts, he could be seen enjoying the Scottish soft drink Irn-Bru, Tennents lager and stovies, a type of Scottish potato stew.

His mother Daniela Falcon issued a heart-breaking plea in December 2023 one year after his disappearance and told the BBC: “I wish with all my heart that no-one else has to go through such a situation.

“We want Rod to come home. Any information – no matter how small – is huge for us. He fell in love with the Highlands. He has lived there since 2016,” she said.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 2.15pm on Friday, a body was discovered just outside Aviemore.

“Formal identification is still to take place, however the family of Rodrigo Falcon, who was reported missing from the area in December 2022, have been informed.”