by Graham Fraser
Edinburgh sightings: UFO expert Ron Halliday has spoken about an increase of unexplained events in Edinburgh Pic: © STV
A Scottish UFO enthusiast has revealed a number of unexplained sightings in Edinburgh and the surrounding Pentland Hills in recent months.
Ron Halliday, who revealed his top ten Scottish UFO events to STV News earlier this year, said witnesses had came forward to him to report three sightings since July.
On July 28, a middle aged woman in the Edinburgh suburb of Currie was looking towards the Pentland Hills at around 11.50pm when she saw a dazzling light. The woman had a pair of binoculars with her, so she managed to see a round-shaped object with markings on the side. As she watched it, the object – which was pale yellow – seemed to change shape.
Then, at around 9.15pm on August 30, the same woman saw a similar light in the same area of Currie. Once again, it was pale yellow. The woman was convinced the object was not a plane.
The third sighting came on September 26. A man and a woman saw an unexplained orange ball travelling at speed across the Slateford area of Edinburgh. The object, which was seen at about 10pm, was described by the man as looking “like a small sun”.
He said it was noiseless and definitely not a helicopter or plane. The witness also recorded seeing a bright flare coming out at one end of the ‘craft’.
Ron says having three sightings around the Pentlands in the space of three months is quite unusual. As UFO researchers will know, these latest events happened only a few miles away from two of the most famous unexplained incidents in Scottish history.
On November 9, 1979, forestry worker Bob Taylor discovered a large circular craft in front of him in an area of woodland known as Dechmont Law near Livingston.
As he approached it, two objects which looked like naval mines dropped from the larger craft. The ‘balls’ rolled towards Mr Taylor and attached themselves to his trousers. They started to drag him towards the now hovering UFO. Mr Taylor then became aware of an acrid smell which made him choke.
The next thing he remembers is waking up, face down, on the ground. His legs were aching and a dishevelled Mr Taylor abandoned his truck and walked a mile home. His trousers were cut and his legs were bruised.
Police launched an investigation and detectives found several ladder-shaped impressions in the area, while evidence on the ground concurred with Mr Taylor’s explanation that the mine-like devices had approached him and dragged him towards the craft. Police could not solve the mystery and the file remains open.