Bob Taylor at scene of the incident

Today (09/11) is the 30th anniversary of Robert ‘Bob’ Taylor’s inexplicable encounter with, what is claimed, alien life, and paranormal campaigners are looking for some sort of formal recognition at Dechmont Law, Livingston, the scene of the incident.

It was around 10:30 in the morning of the ninth of November, 1979 when Bob Taylor, then a forestry worker, was walking up the lower slope of the hill with his dog where he saw a large sphere-like object, roughly 20 feet wide, in a clearing. Mr. Taylor decided to head towards the object when suddenly two additional spheres appeared, rolled over to him and attached themselves to his trouser legs. These spheres were much smaller, each around 3 feet wide, with spikes protruding from all around, and were described as looking like “sea mines”.
The next thing he recalls is waking up with a thumping headache, a bitter taste in his mouth, and a sore throat, having been unconscious for, what he estimated, at least 20 minutes.
Bob Taylor went home, arriving around 11:30. His wife, Mary Taylor, was concerned over the state her husband seemed to be in. Assuming that he had been attacked she phoned the police. Taylor got in contact with Malcolm Drummond, a supervisor at Livingston Development Corporation. The two went to the scene of the incident and saw strange indentations in the forest floor which Taylor claimed were not there earlier that morning. One set were said to look like rungs in ladder, whilst the other indentations, which numbered forty in total, were suspected to be the tracks left by the smaller objects.
Taylor saw a doctor who could only find grazings to his chin and to his thighs. The police, who said the incident left them “completely baffled” recorded it as a common assault. The police involvment made it the only recorded incident in which a UFO sighting has been the subject of a criminal investigation in the UK.

Image of what Taylor claims to have seen

Even to this day, people are still very much intrigued with the alleged UFO encounter. Bob Taylor, who was always described as being a man of good character, died in 2007 at the age of 88, still adamant and defending what he claims happened to him to the day he died.
Ron Halliday, chair of the Scottish Earth Mysteries Research (SEMR), believes that there are certainly some convincing parts to Taylor’s story. Though, to him, the most convincing aspect of the tale is that Taylor claimed that he never had any interest in UFOs before or after the event.

To commemorate Bob Taylor and his odd experience, Mr Halliday, along with other members of SEMR, are planning to go to the site of the incident on Dechmont Law.

Johnstone crest

One of the visitors to our site told us about this great Clan Johnstone legend:

The Battle of Dryfe Sands on the 6th of December, 1593 saw the Johnstones and the Maxwells fight it out near the town of Lockerbie.
On the day of the battle Lady Johnstone went out with her maidservant to see how it was all going. She locked up the castle and took the castle key with her (which was a huge iron number). During her walk she came across a ‘regal looking man’, badly wounded and propped up against a tree. He stretched out a hand and begged for her help. He was Lord Maxwell.
Upon recognising her husband’s enemy Lady Johnstone promptly stoved the man’s head in with the castle key.

Dryfe Sands battle site

There is another version of how Lord Maxwell died that day.
The Maxwells were desperate to rid the land of their sworn enemy the Johnstones, and so decided to launch a surprise attack. However, fortunately for Sir James Johnstone, he was somehow warned of the approaching Maxwells. He knew that this was going to be a desperate fight for their existence and so hurriedly called for some assistance from the Grahams, Scotts, Carrutherses, Irvings, Elliots and others, and managed to raise an army of, perhaps, around 800 men.
It said that Lord Maxwell offered a reward to whichever man could bring either the hand or the head of Sir James. Upon hearing this Johnstone made a similar pledge.

On the 6th of December Lord Maxwell and his army approached the Johnstone town of Lockerbie, near a place called Dryfe Sands. Johnstone came up with a plan, and, as the Maxwells marched on, he kept most of his men hidden, only sending out a small number of horsemen to attract the attention of the Maxwell vanguard, and then rout.
The plan worked and the vanguard broke its ranks chasing after the Johnstone horsemen, allowing the main body of Johnstone men to make a surprise attack on the disorganised and surprised Maxwells.
The Johnstones went on to slaughter around 700 Maxwells, and those they didn’t kill were slashed in the face with a sword, recieving horrible wounds which were to become known as ‘Lockerbie Licks’.
During the carnage, it is said that Lord Maxwell begged for his life, offering to surrender. He stretched out his hand, and instead of accepting it, Sir James Johnstone cut off the arm and then killed him.
Legend has it that Johnstone kept the arm and head of Lord Maxwell as trophies, reminding everyone of their decisive victory against the Maxwells.

Whichever way Lord Maxwell did die, whether he was bludgeoned by Lady Maxwell and her castle key, or if he was slain by the sword of Sir James Johnstone, one thing that is for sure, it probably wasn’t a pleasant death.

One of the most treasured possessions of the clan MacLeod is the famous Fairy Flag of Dunvegan. The story behind the flag is one of the greatest romantic tales in all the highlands…read full story >>

A number of Highland families are in possession of crystal balls which are said to all share certain magical abilities such as the unexplicable cure of humans and animals, as well as ensuring the safe return of men from war or travel. Suprisingly enough, Clan Campbell seem to hold quite a number of them.

None of the crystal balls are especially big, with the largest said to be, at most, around 5 centimetres in diameter. They can be found on their own, or set in metal; with a couple used as the centrepiece in silver brooches.

However, where the crystals actually came from is still somewhat of a mystery. It has been suggested that the crystals date back to as far as the late Iron Age; originating in China where the obtained their magical powers. But some were taken by the Church to be used for Christian purposes and incorporated in reliquaries.
Many examples of these crystal balls, around twenty, have been found in graves in England, with the majority said to date from the Anglo-Saxon period. Three or four have also been found in Ireland, along with other examples in France, Denmark, and Germany.
How they ended up clustered in the West Highlands is strange enough, but so many in the hands of the Campbells is even more puzzling. Some like to think that one of the most plausible explanations of them arriving in Britain is from the Crusades; with many soldiers out in the Middle East it would have been easy enough for them to bring them home. However, if this was the case then it certainly doesn’t fit in with the crystals in England dating to the Anglo-Saxon period, prior to the start of the Crusades, and when Sir Steven Runciman, the great authority on the Crusades, was asked whether he had come across anything of this kind, his answer was a firm and decided ‘no’.
However, it is in fact said that the Breadalbane stone was brought back from Rhodes around the end of the Crusades period by Sir Colin Campbell  (or Cailean Mór Caimbeul) who is one of the earliest attested members of the Clan Campbell.

Here are some examples of the ones that are affiliated with the Campbells.

A’ Clach Bhuidhe of the Campbells of Glenlyon is said to be round or oval in shape, and is set in silver. It is said to bring home safely from war or travel those who drank from a glass with the stone in it, though apparently it has to be dipped in water by the Laird before it becomes effective. Legend has it that a tailor didn’t take the precaution and was the only man of the Glenlyon contingent to fall at Culloden.

The Charmstone of the Campbells of Ballochyle is in possession of the National Museum of Scotland. It is a large crystal used to cure cattle and people of any ailments.

A Charmstone, this one belonging to John Campbell, the Ledaig Bard, is also said to cure ill cattle, however, if someone touches the stone with the index finger of their right hand, then the stone immediately loses its powers.

The Lochnell Charmstone is a small and rather cloudy crystal sphere which can be seen on display at Inveraray Castle.

The Breadalbane charmstone claimed to cure ills, protect its devotees and bring them home safely. This particular stone didn’t seem to work for an unfortunate local young man who went off to fight in the First World War. On the eve of his departure, the soldier from the 6th Black Watch went to the castle to pay his respects to Lord Breadalbane who inturn brought out the charmstone. Following ancient custom, he dipped the crystal in a glass of water from which the he and the local both drank from to ensure his safe return, but it did not work, and the soldier died.
It is this stone that is believed to have been brought back from Rhodes by Sir Colin Campbell.

Charmstone of the Campbells of Inverliever was mentioned in 1610 in a bond of manrent stating ‘ane precious stone’ in possession of Ronald Campbell of Barrichbeyan, but belonging to Angus Campbell of Inverliever. It is thought to be the crystall ball now in the Royal Irish Academy in Dublin. At nearly 4 centimetres in diameter, it was sold by Campbell of Craignish - descendant of Barrichbeyan - in 1855.

It may never be known exactly where some of these crystal balls came from, or even how many ended up in the possession of the Campbells, but what is for certain, they do have some interesting superstitions attached.

Taken and adapted from ‘A History of Clan Campbell, Volume 1′ by Alastair Campbell of Airds

This tale is one of the saddest stories on Mull.

At the foot of the 1,000ft cliffs of Gribun stands Clach na Leannan, the Stone of the Courting Couple. The stone is just 50 yards inland from a road where it passes the first farm coming from Salen direction, with a windbliwn elder tree at the gable. This stretch of road on the south side of Lich na Keal can be extremey terrifying, with the overhanging cliffs on one side and a drop into the sea below. There are many occurancs of rock avalanches after heavy rain or a passing sheep dislodging a stone.

In about the year 1700, in the autumn, a young man named John, a local shepherd was betrothed to Rona, daughter of a local blacksmith. The couple had been fortunate in obtaining a small but cosy cot- house that stood on a piece of flat land at the foot of the cliffs of Gribun. Their new home was situated opposite where the wedding was taking place.

The wedding celebrations went on until dawn in the barn of an old farmhouse. A storm had been threatening all day and broke in the night, a great wind came roaring in from the sea accompanied by torrents if rain. As time went on, the neawly-weds slipped out unoriced and hurried over to their little home. With the noise of the storm, pipes and celebrations, no-one heard the dreadful sound in the night when a great outcrop split, and a huge section rolled down, coming to rest on and completely flattening the cot-house with the young couple inside.

There they lie to this day with just a few flowers springing up against the rock in their memory.
It is told on Mull how people remembered the ends of some if the rafters were still to be seen sticking out from the bolder up to 2 centuries later.

Tragedy Rock

The Annat Skull

There’s a superstition in Applecross/Torridon area of Scotland that relates to the Annat skull in which water sipped from the skull of a female suicide is a supposed cure for epilepsy. The poor woman (C. M. Robertson) is thought to have been the daughter in law of the Garve Wizzard who is said to have lured passersby to their death in the Black Water river in order that he might steal their possessions. The skull became a controversial subject in 1900 when it was alleged to still be in use in Torridon. The Rev. Duncan Dewar, a minister of 24 years standing, felt compelled to respond publicaly that ‘no such’ skull ever existed in the parish of Applecross’. Dewar may be correct in limiting his observation to his own parish but Rev. Kenneth MacDonald, of the Free Church around the same time, attests to it’s use in Torridon.

Adapted from “Applecross and it’s Hinterland  - A Historical Miscellany” by Iain MacLennan

There is an old tale in Applecross of how The Eagle Rock got it’s name. Legend has it a long long time ago the people of Applecross were harvesting oats. A young baby slept in it’s crib as it’s parents helped with the harvest. From the air a great eagle swooped down and picked up the baby and it’s crib in it’s massive talons. The villagers gave chase, desperate to save the baby. But alas the eagle dropped it’s precious load, the baby landed on a rock, which we now know as Eagle’s Rock.

There is a legend in Applecross of a witch who lived beside the river Allt Mor. This river is around 3.5 miles from the church at Applecross. It’s name Allt Mor means something like river of the dead and was so called because people would stop beside it on their way to attending a funeral. They’d take a drink from it’s cool waters and rest a while on it’s banks.

But the witch of Applecross had other plans and would make effergies of these people, cursing them. She placed the effegies in the water and as they eroded away so did the cursed people, untill nothing was left and the person was dead.

William Hare

Burke and Hare were originally body snatchers in Edinburgh, digging up corpses to sell to the medical school for disection. Finding this too much effort for little return they turned to murder as a quicker and more reliable way of providing bodies when needed. They were eventually caught but Hare was released when he provided King’s evidence, being granted his freedom in return for convicting his partner Burke.

Hare disappeared shorly after his release and there is no evidence to where he ended his days. It was strongly believed by some that he came to the Sanctuary of Applecross under the new identity of William Maxwell in 1840 and worked in the lime kilns. On Maxwell’s birth certificate it said that he was born at sea, his Mother unknown. While Maxwell stayed at Applecross it was rumoured that official people came asking after him, but never actually approached Maxwell himself. Maxwell like Hare was deformed.

The last known evidence of Hare’s whereabouts was given in a report in The Edinburgh Evening Courant on Febuary 9th, 1829. It contained a report of Hare being recognized travelling on a coach from Edinburgh to Portpatrick (Stranraer), being threatened by a mob at Dumfries and being smuggled out of jail at night by police and being put on the Carlise road. If true this indicates that he was probably heading for Stranraer, perhaps to return to his birthplace in Ireland. It seems unlikely that he would have turned around and headed further north towards a remote part of Scotland, but who knows?

There are unconfirmed reports that Hare died a pauper in London, which is perhaps more likely. Interestingly, rumours reported that he was thrown into a lime pit and blinded and the person in Applecross reputed to have been Hare also had scars to his face said to have been from burns.

The stories and rumours continue to this day. Just 2 years ago a man visited the registrar at Dingwell looking for information on a relative called William Maxwell. He claimed to not have heard the rumours before and dismissed them perhaps a little too easily.