Disambiguation: the name Dechmont, and an associated "Dechmont Hill" are also places near Cambuslang in Scotland
| Dechmont Law (& Deer Hill) | |
|---|---|
| Elevation | 217 m (712 ft) |
| Listing | none |
| Location | |
| Location | West Lothian, Scotland |
| Topo map | OS Landranger 65 |
| OS grid | NT033697 |
Dechmont Law is a hill in Livingston, West Lothian, Scotland. It lies around 700 yards south west of the village of Dechmont, where it derives its name. It is known locally as "Decky Hill" although these names are of far more recent provenance. It has also been known as "Dechmont Hill" (Law is Lowland Scots for "hill"). "Deer Hill" is another peak of the same hill, to the north east of the main peak.
It is the highest hill in the Livingston area, and Arthur's Seat and the Pentland Hills can be seen from here, as well as a view down the Almond valley.
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Dechmont Law is a volcanic plug.
The slopes show signs of agricultural terracing, from the Bronze and Iron Age, but it is unclear whether it was ever a hillfort. Its strategic position makes this likely, but there is insufficient archaeological evidence.
In 2005, the investigation of the murder of Rory Blackhall, a schoolboy, also involved Dechmont Law Park. This is where Rory's corpse was found; in woodland 500m West of the summit. The case has since closed, and the murder suspect committed suicide. [1]
The hill is used mostly for forestry plantations, and it was here in 1979 that Bob Taylor, a forestry worker had an alleged encounter with a UFO in a clearing, which he claimed dragged him along the ground. Police were called in to investigate, and found odd marks and indentations on the ground, but these did not correspond exactly with Taylor's claim, and it has been said that they had been made there by other workers, who may have stored ladders and equipment on the site. It is, however, still considered one of the most significant "Close Encounters" on Scottish soil, and often referred to as "the Livingston Incident".
The investigation (into the alleged assault) remains open. Lothian & Borders police did establish that Bob Taylor's trousers had been torn from the inside out, and that tracks found at the crime scene matched no known machinery tracks. Furthermore, the only way in which these tracks could have arrived at the locus was from above. A body language expert has concluded that Bob Taylor's body language in an interview regarding the event suggested that he was telling the truth. Friends and colleagues of Mr Taylor commented on his good and honest character and at no time did he ever court publicity or seek to profit from his alleged experience.