A missing north man laughed about being “up to his knees in water in a burn” during a phone call with friends on the night he vanished.
Lachlan Simpson disappeared almost three weeks ago after a show dance in Sutherland.
A massive search has failed to find any trace of the 22-year-old chef.
But last night it emerged he talked to two pals shortly after the last sighting of him in Dornoch early on Sunday, July 26.
They called him to find out where he was – and Mr Simpson said he had fallen into a burn and would meet them at his home at Embo, three miles away.
When he failed to show up the pair went to a nearby house party in the village, thinking it was likely he had met up with other friends.
Conor Cheyne, 21, of Canal Terrace, Inverness, was at the marquee dance with Mr Simpson that night and spoke to him at about 1.30am after another friend called him.
The phone was on loudspeaker, and Mr Cheyne was able to join in the conversation.
He said: “Lachlan said he was near the water works and was up to his knees in mud and water in a burn.
“He said he was going to meet us. I don’t think there was anything to it. I could tell in his voice that he was drunk because he was laughing about it and there was certainly not anything untoward.
“All I can say is that I know Lachlan as well as I know myself and I think there is still a good possibility that he is going to be out there somewhere.
“If anyone has the slightest inkling of where he might be, they just have to get in contact with the police.”
He added: “Lachlan knows the area around Dornoch better than anyone.
“If he wanted to go missing then he will know where the best place is to go. There is not much we can do except keep on hoping he will come home soon.”
A police spokeswoman said: “We have spoken to those who spoke with Lachlan and used that information to conduct searches in certain areas.
“We would encourage anyone with information to get in touch with police.”
Mr Simpson, a chef at the One-up restaurant at the Dornoch Inn, was last seen outside the Sutherland Show marquee tent heading towards Tain, despite having said he was planning on going home to Embo, which is in the opposite direction.
Yesterday specialist police search teams checked gorse bushes to the left of the fifth and sixth holes at Royal Dornoch golf course, as players competed in the club’s annual Carnegie Shield event.
On Wednesday volunteers from the Caithness and Sutherland Search and Rescue Team were also seen scouring the dunes between the 12th and 15th holes.
Specialist police search teams with dog units have been covering various spots such as the old railway line between Dornoch and Embo in the past few days, and searches are due to continue today.
Earlier in the search, dozens of community volunteers joined forces with police, mountain rescue teams, coastguards, Caithness and Sutherland Rescue Team, the Search and Rescue Dog Association and police dogs.
Locals helped comb the dunes and beach to the south-west of the town, as well as the farmland and woods between Dornoch and Evelix and just off the Poles Road.
A police diving team from Aberdeen also searched a vast network of watercourses and marshland between the beach and the Struie golf course.
Coastguard and police helicopters swept the coastline between the Dornoch Bridge and the mouth of Loch Fleet.
Mr Simpson’s family released a statement on July 31 pleading with him to get in touch and come home soon.
They also thanked everyone who has helped in the huge search.