UK cave 'housed a cannibal family of more than 40' as dark legend retold
A deep coastal cave in South Ayrshire, Scotland, has a grisly history that will send shivers down your spine.
The cave, located between Girvan and Ballantrae, is purported to have been the home of Alexander "Sawney" Bean, who was thought to be the leader of a 40-plus-member clan in the 16th century.
The 16th-century clan has a particularly dark history, having been involved in cannibalising more than 1,000 victims over a period of 25 years, reports the Daily Record.
According to the legend, Bean moved into the cave with a woman named Black Agnes Douglas after leaving his childhood home in East Lothian.
With no source of income, the couple ambushed travellers on a nearby road before dragging them back to the cave where they would be robbed and killed.
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However, the murderous pair quickly realised that they needed a stealthy way to get rid of the bodies, leading them to begin consuming their victims.
The dingy cave was the scene of unspeakable crimes (Photo © Mary and Angus Hogg (cc-by-sa/2.0)The legend goes that they would eat the flesh and pickle the leftovers.
They would then discard various remains in the sea, which would sometimes wash up on nearby beaches.
The cave was approximately 180 metres deep and the entrance was completely blocked at high tide, helping Bean and Douglas evade detection for more than two decades.
During this time, it is believed that the pair birthed eight sons and six daughters, who then produced 14 granddaughters and 18 grandsons through incest.
The clan are thought to have continued on their gruesome murder spree for many years, with locals believing that wild animals were carrying out the savage attacks.
The clan's downfall came when a robbery went awry.
They ambushed a husband and wife who were travelling along the coast on horseback, but the victims fought back and the husband managed to escape.
He informed the local magistrate about his horrific experience, after which King James IV organised a search party consisting of 400 men and several bloodhounds.
The authorities soon found the cave, with the clan huddled inside surrounded by dismembered corpses.
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They were captured and taken in chains to the Tolbooth Jail in Edinburgh, and, soon after, they were executed without trial.
Whether or not the legend is true, it is likely to put most off ever visiting 'Sawney Bean's Cave'.
However, those brave enough to explore the site should be warned that it is hard to reach and can only be accessed via a steep decent.
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