Cylindrical object over Scotland – 25th January 2025

The witness observed a large Chrome/silver cylinder in the sky while driving southbound on the A701. It was rounded on each end.  The object was very bright, like someone reflecting the sun with a mirror.  At first the witness thought it was a passenger jet, but it had no wings or vapour trail and was flying lower, at the height of a light aircraft.

The location of the sighting is very rural with few properties or businesses nearby and I can find no record of any special events taking place nearby on the day of the sighting.

The location is on the flightpath into Edinburgh airport and passenger jets were making their descent every 5-10 minutes during the period in question.  These would have been visible from the passenger side of the vehicle.  When viewed from certain directions, planes can appear to be missing wings and this could have been made more likely by the bright sunlight reflecting on the object.

The witness notes that the object was lower than a passenger jet, more like the height of a light aircraft.  As the planes were making their ascent or descent, some were much lower than would usually be viewed (around 10,000 feet). This also accounts for the lack of vapour trail since trails usually only form at high altitudes.

The witness viewed the object from the window of a moving vehicle for around 10 seconds and was gone when the witness looked again. The driver did not see the object. The brief, fast moving observation and possible distortion of the image through the glass make it more likely that the view of a plane could have been misinterpreted.

Without further evidence it is not possible to discount the object being a passenger jet viewed from an unusual angle in very bright sunlight. If further witnesses are identified, particularly if viewing the object from a different location, this possibility could be confirmed or dismissed but based on the information available, it is not possible to conclusively identify the object.

Report by Carolyn Bruce, BUFORA accredited investigator