Sawney Bean

Alexander "Sawney" Bean’s existence is up for debate but he is a legendary figure in Scottish history. It is said that he was the head of a 45 member clan in 16^th Century Scotland that murdered and cannibalised over 1000 people over a 25 year span. According to the legend, the clan were caught by a royal search party and executed. There is some debate as to the truth of the story, there is little evidence to suggest that such a clan existed or that disappearances in the area were connected. 

The story

According to the legend, Sawney Bean was born in East Lothian. He struck up a partnership with Black Agnes Douglas, a local woman who was believed to be a witch. The pair moved away from traditional family life, living in a cave at Bennane Head rather than at the Bean family home where they would rob travellers. The story claims that they had fourteen children who lived with them at the cave and would end up producing their own offspring through incest. Robberies were known to happen on the roads outside of cities and towns and particularly around the Bennane Head area. These have since been attributed to the clan, who then escalated to killing and eating their victims. Due to the wild nature of the area, disappearances on the road were common and many family members reported their loved ones missing, which likely added to the story. 

It is said that one night, the Beans ambushed a married couple, however the man was armed and trained in combat so was able to fight them off, he escaped to the nearest town and the pair were rescued. His story of a murderous clan living in a cave that had attacked him led to King James VI of Scotland to send the royal army to search for the clan. This then lead to the discovery of their cave and its horrors.  The most widely spread story is that the clan were captured alive and then were tried and executed.

To this day, the truth of Sawney Bean and his clan continues to be debated. There is no direct evidence that the clan existed and many believe it to be a folk tale told to warn travellers of the dangers of the road. It is said though that the story of Sawney Bean was the inspiration for the film the Hills Have Eyes.