The Robert Taylor (Livingston/Dechmont Woods) Alien Abduction

The Robert Taylor alien abduction, also referred to as both the Livingston alien abduction and the Dechmont Woods alien abduction/encounter, allegedly took place on Dechmont Law (Law is Lowland Scots for “hill.”) in Dechmont Woods a forested area 700 yards (640 meters) southwest of the village of Dechmont, Livingston, West Lothian, Scotland.

On the morning of November 9, 1979, forestry worker Robert Taylor parked his pickup on a side road just off the M8 and with his dog headed into Dechmont Woods to check the progress of some recently planted saplings. It was a few hundred meters in and part way up Dechmont Law that Taylor encountered the strange object which he described later as spherical, twenty feet (6 meters) in diameter, dark and with a narrow rim around its circumference, the entire construct camouflaged and hovering a few feet off the ground.

As Taylor approached the object it became at first agitated then belligerent. Two smaller spheres dropped from its underside and began rolling toward the astonished forester, small pegs projecting from their surface making them look like World War Two naval mines. The small spheroids circled then moved in and using the projections attached themselves to Taylor’s clothing, all the while emitting an acrid odour which caused his head to spin. Seconds later, the forester now being pulled forcefully by the small spheres in the direction of the larger sphere, pitched forward and lost consciousness.

Upon regaining consciousness, Taylor found himself alone except for his dog which was barking furiously. Weak, disoriented and unable to speak he staggered back to his truck, which because of his poor condition he ran off the road part way home. Forced to walk the remaining distance he arrived shortly before noon.

Opening the door and stepping inside he presented a sorry state, dishevelled, covered in mud, his trousers torn, his voice croaking, he struggled to tell his wife of his strange encounter. His wife after hearing his tale urged him to call the police but Taylor afraid of being ridiculed refused, phoning his supervisor Malcolm Drummond instead.

A doctor was also called and while awaiting his arrival Drummond questioned Taylor, then unable to hold his curiosity in check attempted unsuccessfully to find the location on his own.

Doctor Gordon Adams examined Taylor but except for a couple of abrasions found him in good health, an x-ray was recommended which was put off by Taylor until later.

Later that day after cleaning up, but suffering from a headache and complaining of being gassed he returned with Drummond to the scene of the incident. There they found strange markings, some looked like the rungs of a ladder, while others appeared to be indentations left by the projections on the small spheres.

Following the search Taylor was persuaded to visit the hospital but left unattended because of a long wait.

The police were eventually contacted but having never been involved in a UFO investigation were initially at a loss as to how to proceed. [1] Statements were taken from all concerned and a forensic examination was conducted on Taylor’s trousers. A police examination of the area revealed the obvious, that something had made the ground marks but as there were no tracks either entering or leaving (helicopters were ruled out) exactly what was never determined.

An approximation was made of the length of time that Taylor was unconscious (20 minutes), so with no evidence to the contrary, if we except Taylor’s story as fact, he was abducted by something, possibly extra-terrestrial, for about twenty minutes. [2]

[1] Apparently it's not only the first UFO investigated by the Lothian and Borders Police but is as of date unique in being the only event on file of a UFO being the subject of a criminal investigation in the entire British Isles.

[2] By all accounts Taylor was well respected by friends, neighbours, co-workers, etc., and never attempted to make money from his alleged experience. He continued to profess as truthful his version of the events, as he remembered them, right up till his death in 2007 at the ripe old age of 88.

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