There are many reasons to visit Scotland, from touring the many whisky distilleries, exploring the incredible coastline, climbing its many mountains, or visiting the Dark Sky parks to indulge in some light pollution-free stargazing.
However, one Scotsman, who was busy bagging Munros - a challenge to climb as many Scottish peaks above 3,000ft - claims that he stopped a UFO in the skies over Loch Earn, reports The Sun.
Derek Craig, from Glasgow, had been bagging Ben Vorlich and Stùc a' Chròin at Loch Earn on Monday 3 January when something suddenly caught his attention. He had been joined by two friends, Scott McCandless and Christopher Lee, as well as his son and his two friends.
As the group began their descent from the peak, to meet up with a younger group of friends, something in the sky caught their attention.
Derek said that it was pitch dark, being just after 4.30 pm, and the group were in a valley, roughly 2,000ft high when they saw an object shoot across the sky.
Derek explained: “It was a like a wee ball of power, I have no idea what it was, it was unbelievable. It was coming back, disappearing, shooting away. You could actually see it pulsing, it was just powerful.”
He was quizzed on whether what he thought he saw might have been just an ornery shooting star, but Derek said that the ‘thing’ moved in multiple directions, doing ‘loop-de-loops’.
“At one point, it shoots right up and it pulses twice and it zooms away, it was like something out of Star Wars,” he said.
“It also zig-zags in the sky, disappears and then it just appears again.”
Derek had also recently started his own YouTube channel to document his Munro bagging adventures and was filming the expedition to share online later. He said that he was initially surprised at the sight at the time, but only when he returned home he realised what a unique experience he had had.
He said that he had never experienced anything like that before in his life, adding: “It's all I'm thinking about constantly, it's so strange what's happened to me.”
Derek had started his Munro bagging hobby, a popular pastime in Scotland, back in March last year, and the experience has changed his opinions on whether there is extra-terrestrial life out in space.
He said that he had never really thought about it before and had previously been quite sceptical on the subject, but the experience was ‘something else’, and rewatching the video he made has changed his beliefs.
“I don't think we're even human now, it's playing with my head that much.”
Derek added: “I can't stop thinking about it, it's absolutely changed my life. It was pretty amazing to see.”
From the legend of the Loch Ness monster to the spectre of the Big Grey Man of Scotland on Ben Macdui, there have long been mysteries and tales of the supernatural in Scotland. Could UFOs be the next Scottish mystery?
Whatever your reason for visiting Scotland, if you’re looking for guided Scottish winter climbs, visit our website today.