The Dechmont Law UFO Incident: Scotland's Only Criminal UFO Case

The Dechmont Law case stands as the only UFO encounter in Scottish history to become the subject of an official criminal investigation. What makes this case particularly remarkable is the combination of a credible witness, physical evidence including torn clothing, and mysterious ground markings that left police investigators thoroughly perplexed.

On November 9, 1979, at approximately 10:30 AM, Robert “Bob” Taylor, a 60-year-old forestry worker with Livingston Development Corporation, was conducting a routine inspection of newly planted woodland near Dechmont Law in West Lothian, Scotland. Accompanied by his red setter dog Lara, Taylor’s task that day was simply to keep the woodland clear of stray sheep. After parking his pickup at the edge of the woods, he walked about 500 yards along a forest path before reaching a clearing where his dog became visibly agitated by something nearby. To Taylor’s astonishment, he observed a metallic dome-shaped object hovering over the clearing, accompanied by an odor similar to burning brakes.

Robert "Bob" Taylor giving television interview — Robert “Bob” Taylor

Taylor described the UFO as approximately 20 feet in diameter with a gray surface that had a rough, sandpaper-like texture. One of the most intriguing details he reported was that sections of the craft seemed to “disappear and reappear,” suggesting technology beyond conventional understanding. As he stood watching, two smaller objects emerged from the large UFO and rolled toward him. These probe-like spheres, which Taylor described as resembling land mines with spikes they used for walking, emitted what he called a “sucking or plopping noise” as they moved across the ground. Taylor reported that these objects grabbed him by the legs and dragged him toward the larger craft. He then lost consciousness, recalling only a hissing noise and acrid smell before blacking out.

Robert "Bob" Taylor next to drawing of his UFO sighting. he is in his home sitting on a couch holding up the ufo drawing — Robert “Bob” Taylor next to drawing of his UFO sighting

When Taylor regained consciousness, the objects had vanished. His thick trousers were torn, and he was covered in cuts and grazes as if someone had attempted to pull him upward. Finding himself unable to call for help and discovering his vehicle wouldn’t start, he walked the mile back to his home, nearly collapsing through his front door upon arrival. His wife Mary, assuming he had been assaulted, promptly called the police. When Taylor tried to explain what happened, she reportedly responded, “There are no such things as spaceships,” and called for a doctor as well.

Mrs. Mary Taylor, wife of Robert Taylor. She gave an interview with the Discovery Channel — Mrs. Mary Taylor

The physical and emotional toll on Taylor was profound and lasting. Beyond the visible torn clothing and grazes, he suffered severe headaches, a burning sensation on his chin, and a persistent acrid taste in his mouth that lasted for days afterward. Psychologically, Taylor became withdrawn following the incident, experienced recurring nightmares, and felt increasingly isolated from his community due to skepticism and occasional ridicule. These personal consequences highlight how deeply this encounter affected Taylor’s life.

Robert "Bob" Taylor Torn Pants side by side — Robert “Bob” Taylor Torn Pants

Police initially approached the case as a potential assault, but made surprising discoveries upon examining the scene. They found ladder-like impressions that suggested a multi-ton object had landed vertically, yet mysteriously, no tracks showed how it had arrived or departed.

Detective Ian Wark took photos of the strange indentations in the ground and then created a sketch of his findings. — Rendition of location of holes in the ground

Forensic analysis of Taylor’s clothing revealed no animal or plant residues that might explain his injuries, effectively ruling out mundane causes. Detective Sergeant Ian Wark later told the BBC that the unusual ground markings seemed to have “just arrived” as though “a helicopter or something had landed from the sky.” The police report noted that the marks indicated “an object of several tons had stood there but there was nothing to show that it had been driven or towed away.” Police Constable William Douglas wrote in his report: “There appeared to be no rational explanation for these marks.” Unable to identify another explanation, police officially classified the event as a “common assault” with an unknown assailant, making it a unique entry in UK police records.

Detective Sergeant Ian Wark talking in television interview about the Robert Taylor UFO case — Detective Sergeant Ian Wark

Central to understanding this case is appreciating Bob Taylor’s character. Described by those who knew him as a “quiet, unassuming man” with no prior interest in UFOs or paranormal phenomena, Taylor had nothing to gain — and much to lose — by coming forward with his extraordinary claim. His boss, Malcolm Drummond, provided a telling perspective when he stated: “I don’t believe in anything from outer space. The only conclusion that I can come to is that it must have been a man-made object, some sort of secret machine.” Taylor initially hesitated to report the incident, fearing mockery, a reluctance that friends and family said reflected his unassuming nature.

Local newspapers broke the story first, with the Livingston Post securing a full interview with Taylor, who had by then been interviewed three times by DC Wark without changing his account. The newspaper ran with the headline “My Brush With The Aliens,” featuring Taylor in a front-page photograph. Following these initial reports and with Taylor firmly maintaining his account, national and international media seized on the story. Its status as a criminal investigation — the first for such an encounter — made it particularly newsworthy. Given that Steven Spielberg’s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” had popularized the concept of alien encounters just two years earlier, the story of an ordinary Scottish man claiming a similar experience captured widespread attention.

Livingston Post newspaper headline "My Brush With The Aliens" — Livingston Post “My Brush With The Aliens”

Various explanations have been proposed for Taylor’s experience. Some suggest he suffered a hallucination, possibly linked to his history of meningitis from 14 years prior, though there was no evidence of a mini-stroke. More nuanced possibilities include “transient global amnesia” due to stress or an underlying medical condition, or that the object could have been a classified military experiment, given the proximity of RAF bases in the region. Crucially, throughout the numerous times he recounted his experience over nearly three decades until his death in 2007 at age 88, Bob Taylor never deviated from the basic facts he first reported in 1979.

Robert "Bob" Taylor holding drawing of UFO encounter — Robert “Bob” Taylor

The Dechmont Woods Incident takes on additional significance when placed within Scotland’s rich history of unexplained phenomena. Researchers have noted that the Dechmont Woods area may have been a “UFO hotspot” since at least the 1950s, with multiple sightings reported prior to Taylor’s encounter. West Lothian has long been associated with UFO sightings, though the nearby Bonnybridge near Falkirk claims the highest concentration of reported encounters in the region.

UFO investigator Malcolm Robinson authored a comprehensive book about the incident titled “The Dechmont Woods Incident — An Ordinary Day, An Extraordinary Story.” Upon publication, Robinson stated: “As a man who has spoken to hundreds of UFO witnesses over many years, none has convinced me so much as Bob Taylor. His demeanor, his character and his overall persona came across as honest as the day is long.”

book cover of The Dechmont Woods Incident - An Ordinary Day, An Extraordinary Story by Malcom Robinson — The Dechmont Woods Incident — An Ordinary Day, An Extraordinary Story.

Similar Case

The Dechmont Woods case bears striking similarities to another famous encounter — the Falcon Lake incident of May 1967 in Manitoba, Canada. In that case, Stefan Michalak, a 51-year-old industrial mechanic and amateur geologist, observed two disc-shaped objects while prospecting for minerals, one of which landed nearby. After approaching what he believed was an American experimental aircraft, Michalak touched the craft’s surface and received severe burns when it discharged hot gas through a grid-like vent, searing a matching pattern into his chest. Like the Dechmont Woods case, the Falcon Lake incident featured abundant physical evidence — including radiation at the landing site and in Michalak’s burned clothing — and a witness whose credibility remained unquestioned, as he never sought publicity or financial gain.