Beyond the Veil Magazine

The Livingston Incident: Final Analysis

Issue #24: December 1980

On 9 November 1979, Robert Taylor, a forestry worker employed by the Livingston Development Corporation, had an encounter that would make his name known worldwide. In a clearing on Dechmont Law, he came face to face with something that should not exist.

One year later, the questions raised by Taylor’s experience remain unanswered.

The Encounter

Robert Taylor was a reliable man. Sixty-one years old, he had worked in forestry for decades. He was not prone to fantasy. On that November morning, he went to check on tree progress in a clearing he knew well.

What he found there defied explanation.

A large spherical object sat in the clearing, approximately twenty feet in diameter, hovering just above the ground. Its surface was textured, like rough sandpaper. Protrusions resembling portholes circled its equator.

As Taylor stared, two smaller objects dropped from the sphere. They were round, with protruding spikes, resembling naval mines. They rolled toward him.

Taylor felt something grip his legs. He smelled a choking, acrid stench. Then he lost consciousness.

When he awoke, the objects were gone. His clothing was torn. His truck had become stuck in soft ground as he attempted to drive home in his confused state. His dog was barking frantically.

Taylor staggered home, unable to speak. His wife called the police.

The Evidence

Unlike most UFO cases, the Livingston Incident left physical evidence:

Ground Markings: Police found strange impressions in the clearing. Two parallel ladder-like tracks extended for several metres. Around them were forty circular holes, approximately 10 centimetres in diameter, arranged in a pattern consistent with Taylor’s description of the “mine” objects rolling toward him.

Torn Clothing: Taylor’s trousers were torn, the tears running vertically as though something had gripped and pulled the fabric upward. Police preserved the clothing as evidence.

Physical Effects: Taylor suffered headaches, thirst, and disorientation for days after the encounter. A physician examined him and found no other injuries.

Witness Condition: Those who saw Taylor immediately after his return described him as pale, shaking, and clearly traumatised. He was unable to give a coherent account for several hours.

The Investigation

The Lothian and Borders Police investigated the incident as a criminal assault. This was unprecedented: a UFO case treated as a crime, with all the forensic rigour that implies.

Officers photographed the ground markings. The clearing was preserved as a crime scene. Taylor’s clothing was analysed. Witness statements were taken.

The investigation concluded that something had happened in that clearing. Taylor was not fabricating his story; his physical condition and the ground evidence confirmed an event of some kind. But the police could not determine what.

No known natural phenomenon or human technology explained the evidence. The case was eventually filed as unsolved.

Taylor’s Account

Robert Taylor has maintained his account without variation for a year. He has not sought publicity or profit. He returned to work as soon as his health permitted.

Taylor has consistently maintained that he knows what he saw. He does not claim to understand it, but he will not deny it.

His employer, the Livingston Development Corporation, supported him throughout the investigation. Colleagues described Taylor as honest and level-headed, not the sort of man to invent such a story.

The medical examiner who treated Taylor found him credible. The police officers who investigated the case found his account consistent with the evidence. No one who has examined the case closely has suggested Taylor was lying.

Alternative Explanations

Various explanations have been proposed:

Ball Lightning: Rare natural phenomena could theoretically produce effects similar to those Taylor described. However, no ball lightning event has been documented that leaves permanent ground markings.

Epileptic Episode: Sceptics have suggested Taylor may have experienced some form of seizure, with the “encounter” a hallucination. This fails to explain the ground evidence.

Military Activity: Some researchers suggest Taylor witnessed a secret military exercise. The British government has denied any military operations in the area.

Hoax: Given Taylor’s character and the physical evidence, deliberate fabrication seems implausible. Who would tear their own clothes and create ground markings simply to claim a UFO encounter?

Implications

The Livingston Incident is significant for several reasons:

It is the only UFO encounter in British history to be investigated as a crime.

It produced physical evidence (ground markings, torn clothing) that was preserved and analysed by authorities.

The witness is entirely credible, with no history of fabrication or attention-seeking.

The case remains unsolved. No explanation proposed to date accounts for all the evidence.

One Year Later

Robert Taylor has returned to normal life. He does not discuss the incident unless asked. He has rejected offers from television companies and book publishers.

The clearing on Dechmont Law has been examined by numerous researchers. The ground markings have faded but remain detectable. The site has become a minor pilgrimage destination for UFO enthusiasts.

Whatever happened on 9 November 1979 remains unexplained. A reliable man encountered something inexplicable in a Scottish forest. He was injured. Evidence was left behind. A year of investigation has brought us no closer to understanding.

The Livingston Incident stands as Scotland’s most significant UFO case, and as a reminder that the unexplained can intrude upon ordinary lives without warning.

Readers with additional information about the Livingston Incident or similar Scottish encounters are invited to contact our research department.