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This remarkable photograph of a red deer stag hiding in plain sight on a Scottish hillside has stumped scores of social media users struggling to spot it.

The magnificent deer’s coat is a perfect match for the autumn colours and even the branches of trees help break up the outline of its antlers.

Its remarkable camouflage meant most viewers had to study the picture carefully to spot, with others giving up altogether.

This is the picture that has stumped social media users, many of whom failed to spot where the deer was lurking after the photographer captured it while he was out with his daughter 

The snap was taken by 45-year-old Mick Murphy from Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, while he was staying at a caravan park near Kinlochleven in the Highlands.

Eva, 11, spotted the deer and her father, Mick, uploaded a snap of it with the caption: 'Spot the stag' 

Mick’s eagle-eyed daughter, Eva, 11, spotted the deer and Mick, 45, took a picture and then uploaded it with the caption: 'Spot the stag.'

Robbin Wood responded: 'Wow, I had to use a magnifying glass before I could see it.' 

Lucy Stoddart added: 'That was hard to find...whole family trying to be first to spot him.'

Amber Carr wrote: 'Bah! Man, that’s frustrating! My eyes won’t see it! Even with the magnifying glass.' 

Kathryn Gibb said: 'Jeez that wasn’t easy, but...got him after magnifying and getting glasses...great camouflage.'

Andrew Peel added: 'As a hunter I’d starve, can’t see him anywhere.' 

David Robertson wrote: 'Haha I thought for sure there was no stag and that you were at it.'

Mick today said that it wasn’t him that spotted the stag at first. 

He said: 'I didn’t notice the stag, it was my little girl. I only noticed it when it moved, it is a red stag there are a couple of them roaming about the site lately, quite brazen.'

Mick could not believe the reaction his photo would get on social media. Mick added: 'I was surprised by how many people liked it, I don’t post much on social media, I was surprised.'

The deer can be seen circled in blue above in an image that stumped wildlife lovers online when Mick Murphy from Coatbridge uploaded it 

An enlarged version of the picture taken by Mick Murphy shows the deer standing calmly as it uses its camouflage to hide on the slope