UK's UFO hotspot haunted by mystery 'crafts' and locals too afraid to talk

08 August 2023 , 15:16

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The small town is located in the heart of Scotland and has seen hundreds of reported UFO sightings (Image: Thomas Nugent/Wiki Commons)

In the heart of central Scotland lies a quiet and unassuming town, with just 9,000 friendly residents, three primary schools, a public library and 2,300 homes situated on the Bonny Water.

But despite it's homely and innocuous appearance, the small town of Bonnybridge is anything but. With more than 300 'totally unexplained' UFO sightings, it is the UK's hotspot for other-worldly activity and has even been dubbed part of 'The Falkirk Triangle'.

Hundreds of unidentified aerial phenomena (the official term used instead of UFO) have been spotted in the skies since the early nineties, leaving nervous locals too scared to talk for fear of judgement. To learn what life is like living in the town, the Mirror spoke to leading UFO and paranormal researcher, Malcolm Robinson, who is currently co-authoring a book on Bonnybridge.

Leading paranormal researcher Malcolm Robinson described Bonnybridge as a 'UFO hotspot' after identifying over 300 sightings since 1992 - more than anywhere else in the UK (Malcolm Robinson)

"It is a very small town in Stirlingshire and there's nothing overly significant there, just local industries. It's your typical Scottish town and that's why it's so surprising that we've seen a lot of UFO activity in the skies since 1992," Malcolm explained. "Bonnybridge is known as a UFO hotspot, or a window area, that means it attracts a higher concentration of UFO reports than anywhere else in the world. Since 1992, there's been around 300 UFO sightings that are totally unexplained and unidentified."

Malcolm has investigated hundreds of reports over his 45-year career, written 10 books and lectured in the UK, Europe and America. In 1979, he founded Scotland's oldest current UFO and paranormal activity society, Strange Phenomena Investigations. Recalling the first and most well-known observation made in Bonnybridge 31 years ago, Malcolm said local businessman James Walker was driving down a country road towards Droves Loan in January 1992.

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"He claimed that he saw a large triangular-shaped craft low down in the sky, which had small lights on its underside. It was not a conventional aircraft," Malcolm explained. In the same year, the Sloggett family were out on an evening walk from Hallglen to Bonnybridge, when Steven Sloggett pointed out a 'blue, basketball-sized light' in the sky that was making a 'whirring sound', which 'swooped down and landed in a nearby field'. "As the family ran at a furious pace down the road, a blinding intense light shone out at them through a grouped range of trees," Malcolm said.

Malcolm described the most common UFO sighting in Bonnybridge as 'a large black triangular-shaped craft which flies silently and slowly' (Image is mocked up drawing of UFO description) (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Ever since that monumental year, countless residents and UFO enthusiasts have openly shared their peculiar experiences in the sleepy town, from hovering lights to oval-shaped flying objects and large 'glowing balls' - earning Bonnybridge the title of the 'Scottish Roswell'. Numerous theories and conspiracies have emerged, with some describing the area as a 'portal' in-between dimensions, while others comparing it to Area 51 and some simply putting the 'light phenomenon' down to natural balls of gas.

For Malcolm to quantify a report in his research, he performs numerous checks and investigates eyewitnesses in the area. "I check with local airports, like Glasgow, Edinburgh and Cumbernauld, to see if air traffic was in the sky at that particular time. I check with the police, Ministry of Defence, local flying clubs and meteorological situations. Effectively, I try to find a rational explanation for any given sighting across Bonnybridge," he explained.

"Sightings happen at any time of day, but they are more noticeable in the evening against the darker sky," he said. "The most common type of UFO in Bonnybridge is a large black triangular-shaped craft which flies silently and slowly. Balls of coloured light also appear regularly and descend from the skies and drop down into fields." Malcolm believes the sightings are "significant enough to warrant serious scientific research" and has petitioned numerous times with Falkirk City Councillor, William Buchanan.

The people of Bonnybridge have been laughed at for their claims and now feel reluctant to report findings publicly over fears of being ridiculed (Image is mocked up drawing of UFO description) (Getty Images)

"Councillor Buchanan and I have demanded from various Prime Ministers that the government enquire into these UFO sightings. We would happily turn over all of our research," he said. "But they've told us, 'As these objects do not constitute as a threat to the defence of the United Kingdom, the British Government will not seek to open up any government enquiry'."

Malcolm added that there are not as many UFO sightings today in comparison to a decade ago. "The people of Bonnybridge have been ridiculed by the media and they are reluctant to come forward with UFO sightings over fear of further ridicule, so the figures could be a lot higher," he said.

While unidentified flying objects are aplenty, aliens are far less talked about in the small Scottish town. "As far as my research is concerned, nobody is yet to have claimed to see any aliens in Bonnybridge," Malcolm said. Though the paranormal researcher described the most common description of aliens globally as "three to four feet tall with child-like bodies, translucent and grey skin, with a large, pear-shaped head and black and grey almond-shaped eyes".

In a recent YouTube documentary, Councillor Buchanan stuck up for the sincerity and credibility of his fellow citizens. He said: "The whole area of Falkirk is about 165,000 people. The people that have said they've seen something, or believe [UFOs are] there, is probably well over 60,000. It's not diminished. We still have sightings every week." Speaking about the tight-knit and supportive community, he continued: "Over the period since 1992, Bonnybridge has gained the credibility it deserves. Nobody laughs if somebody in Bonnybridge says they've seen something new."

Have you seen a UFO sighting in Bonnybridge? We'd love to hear about it. Get in touch. Email [email protected].

Nia Dalton