Legend of Sawney Bean the Scottish cannibal

Sawney Bean was said to have been the head of a criminal, cannibalistic family in 15th century Scotland. Legend has it that he, his wife and 46 children and grandchildren killed and ate over a thousand people before they were captured and executed. Alexander  Bean was born in East Lothian (Scottish Gaelic: Lodainn an Ear) during the 1500s. After he married the couple went to live in a coastal cave in Bennane Head at the northern end of Ballantrae Bay, 11 miles (17 km) southwest of Girvan in South Ayreshire (Scottish Gaelic: Siorrachd Inbhir Àir a Deas).

They and their family lived in the deep hidden cave, the entrance of which was blocked by water during high tides, for twenty-five years. During that time they were said to have been responsible for the murder and cannibalisation of over 1,000 people. At night time the family would go out hunting for individuals of groups of people. They would ambush, rob and murder them, then bring their bodies back to the cave, where they were dismembered and eaten. The leftovers were pickled to provide food another day. Although the discarded body parts would sometimes wash up on nearby beaches and the mysterious disappearance of people was of great concern to local people, the existence of the clandestine clan remained unknown.

Then one night, the Bean family ambushed a couple who were travelling from a fayre. Although the woman was killed the man successfully fought off the attackers until a group passers-by appeared and put the murderers to flight. When King James VI of Scotland learnt of the atrocities he organised a search party of 400 men with bloodhounds. They eventually found the Beans' hidden cave in which the scattered human remains were also discovered. The family were captured and then all executed. However, there is a story in the town of Girvan (Scottish Gaelic: Inbhir Gharbhain) which is not far from Bennane Head that one of Sawney Bean's daughters had left the clan and settled in the town. Here she planted a Dule Tree, which is the name of tree used to hang people. This became known as "The Hairy Tree" and after her family's capture and her identity was revealed, she was hanged from this tree.