One of Scotland’s biggest UFO mysteries remains unsolved despite important clue

One of world’s biggest UFO mysteries remains ‘unsolved’ months after investigators said a Scot could hold an important clue. The Daily Record revealed earlier this year that a young ­Glaswegian called Kevin Russell was the photographer behind one of the clearest UFO pictures ever taken.

The image, taken in 1990 in Perthshire and known as the “Calvine photo”, was sent to the Ministry of Defence but disappeared. It remains at the centre of a mystery after a certified copy of the photo emerged last year, showing a diamond-shaped object in the sky above the A9 near Calvine.

Investigators revealed photographer Kevin’s identity in a bid to track down the Pitlochry Hydro Hotel porter who they believe can help solve the mystery of the world’s “best ever UFO photo”. It is understood Kevin is yet to be traced.

The 100ft long aircraft was said to have hovered above the A9 for around 10 minutes before soaring off at high speed when buzzed by RAF jets, leaving Kevin and a friend terrified.

After the Daily Record reported Kevin could have a vital clue in the mystery, former BBC Horizon producer Simon Holland came forward and revealed his own investigations into the «Calvine incident».

He said his evidence suggests that defence firm British Aerospace were developing a classified Radar-busting defence system, which may have involved a secret diamond shaped aircraft escorted by privately owned Harrier jets.

In an appeal to trace Kevin, investigator Matthew Illsley previously told the Record: “The identity of Kevin Russell, the photographer, remained a secret for 33 years, until now. We would very much like him to come forward to confirm once and for all that what he saw was real.

“The Calvine incident remains one of the most confounding UFO mysteries in history. They may not prove there is life on Mars but no one has ever argued that.

“The more likely truth lies with human aircraft ­advancements that were covered up by the MoD and US intelligence agencies.”

He added: “This case is not about little green men or an aerial Loch Ness monster – it’s potentially a piece of ­military history that can be unlocked once and for all.”

Hotel colleagues who were tracked down said Kevin returned to Glasgow in the early 90s and Illsley believes Kevin would be in his 50s now.

UFO hunters carried out exhaustive research but were unable to track down Kevin. They contacted 150 Kevin Russell’s in Britain, Australia, the US and Canada but had no luck.

The Calvine file should have been released after 30 years in 2021, Illsley said, but the release of key details were blocked until 2076 by the MoD due to «privacy concerns».

Some UFO experts believe the object is a secret US ­reconnaissance aircraft named Aurora – a silent, supersonic spy craft.

Last year, it was revealed that former MoD press officer Craig Lindsay had kept a copy of the original image as he had worked on the case at the time.

The photo was produced at the Daily Record’s Glasgow office when original prints and ­negatives were handed to the MoD back in 1990.

When Lindsay was tracked down, he said: “I have been for waiting for someone to contact me about this for more than 30 years.”

It is widely believed that the “Calvine photo” is real and a UFO investigator who has worked with the MoD, professor David Clarke said a source confirmed so.

Prof Clarke claimed he tracked down a retired British military intelligence source who told him the diamond-shaped craft was real. The source insisted his evidence pointed to the craft being American when he conducted a probe in 1990 and flew to Scotland to meet witnesses.

He claimed the UFO was a stealthy, ultra high-tech, ultra-secret ­surveillance and target-­designation platform. He was adamant it could stay at high altitude for a long time, guiding stealth bombers to targets on the ground.

In the original telling of the Calvine story, Kevin and a hotel worker went to the spot during time off.

They told the RAF’s Craig Lindsay they went through a copse, climbed a fence to moorland then saw the craft. They saw the diamond hovering in silence.

After a minute or two, they saw a Harrier go over northwards at high altitude. A minute or two later it came back southwards at low altitude, circled the craft at low speed.

At that point they took six photos. The Harrier flew off, and minutes later the craft flew off vertically.

Illsley said: “One MoD insider described it as the most spectacular UFO picture ever captured – and the Holy Grail in terms of hard evidence that these things really exist. It’s a picture the MoD and the National Archives tried their utmost to keep hidden.”

He added: “We hope we might be on the edge of solving this once and for all.”

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