The Livingston Incident, also known as the Robert Taylor Incident or the Dechmont Woods Encounter, is claimed by some to be a highly convincing instance of an encounter with a UFO: and by others to be anything but.
Robert Taylor worked as a forester for the Livingston Development Corporation, whose (then) role was to develop what at the time was known as Livingston New Town. On 9 November 1979 he parked his pickup truck on a road close to the M8 motorway and walked up a path through a newly-planted forestry area a little to the north of Dechmont Law, a prominent local hill.
Robert Taylor later reported seeing what he described as a "flying dome" some 20 feet in diameter, hovering above the forest floor in a clearing about a quarter of a mile from his truck. He described it as being "a very dark grey colour" and having an outer flange with arms on which were mounted propellers. He also reported a powerful, choking smell "like burning brakes" and said that two smaller spheres caught him and dragged him towards the larger dome. He lost consciousness, and when he came round the objects had gone. He was, however, unable to start his truck, so walked to his home in Livingston. (Continues below image...)
Closer View of Stone and Plaque
Stone and Plaque Marking Site of Incident
When Robert Taylor got home he was muddy and had torn clothes, and his wife called a doctor, who treated him for grazes to his chin and thighs. She also called the police, who took Taylor back to the site of the incident. They found marks on the ground that looked like ladders where the Taylor said the large dome had been, and other marks he said had been made by the smaller spheres. The police recorded the incident as a criminal assault, apparently making it the only UFO sighting in the UK that has been the subject to a criminal investigation.
