From ghostly encounters to unexplained lights in the sky, people all over the UK have supernatural tales to tell—but in which areas are these eerie experiences most common?
Using a series of community-based sources, the Spin Genie UK team has mapped out UFO hotspots, crop circles, and paranormal activity nationwide. This campaign will uncover the truth behind the UK's most mysterious phenomena.
To put things into perspective, we'll also compare the odds of encountering the otherworldly with one of the rarest events of all: winning the lottery.
The Most Supernatural Counties in the UK
1. Argyll and Bute - 77.9 supernatural sightings per 50,000 people
Argyll and Bute has the most unexplained phenomena in the UK, with 77.9 supernatural sightings per 50,000 people. While no crop circles have been sighted here (yet), the people of Argyll and Bute have reported three different UFO encounters over the years, including a star-like object in Rothesay in 2021. One person who experienced this phenomenon described it as:
“Small light with a halo… moving at speed high in the sky.”
The extraterrestrial expeditions don’t stop there. Over the years, there have been more than 130 paranormal sightings in this area of Scotland, including ghosts and other phenomena that can’t be explained by science. From the Humanoid Beast to Fairy Hill, these ghosts and folklore legends have contributed to 77.9 supernatural sightings per 50,000 people.
You are 70,829 times more likely to have a supernatural encounter in Argyll and Bute than to win the lottery
Good news for the extraterrestrial fanatics in Argyll and Bute: You are way more likely to see a supernatural sighting than win the lottery—70,829 times more likely, to be exact! While your odds of winning the National Lottery jackpot are 0.0000022%, more than 0.1% of people in this area of Scotland have claimed to have seen a supernatural event.
2. Wilshire - 77 supernatural sightings per 50,000 people
When compared to its population, Wiltshire has the second-highest number of supernatural sightings, totalling 77 per 50,000 people. From Tidworth to Tockenham, there have been 25 reports of UFOs across the county. One recalled the following sight on a summer evening in 2023 as:
“Small silver ball moving very fast… about the size of a tennis ball.”
Not only is Wiltshire home to the most crop circles in the UK (384), but the county also has a dedicated visitor and exhibition centre for those interested in viewing or learning more about the phenomenon.
You are 70,027 times more likely to have a supernatural encounter in Wiltshire than to win the lottery
Less than 0.155% of people in Wiltshire claim to have seen a paranormal event. However, when comparing the odds of winning the lottery to the chances of witnessing something supernatural, the people of Wiltshire are 70,027 times more likely to see a ghost than they are to buy the golden ticket.
3. Dorset - 62.6 supernatural sightings per 50,000 people
Dorset completes this transcendent top three with 62.6 supernatural sightings per 50,000 people. This southern English county has experienced more than 480 otherworldly events, from crop circles to UFO reports. A witness in Dorchester claimed to have seen the following depiction in July of last year, describing it as:
“Strange blue lights and red lights flying in the sky.”
Paranormal sightings have been abundant in Dorset for centuries. One of the 446 sightings across the county includes a farmer who reported a woman in a white dress with bright pink eyes in Beaminster. Another spooky scenario saw two train drivers who claimed they hit a shadowy figure in a Bincombe railway tunnel. However, after a police investigation, there was no evidence of an accident.
You are 56,935 times more likely to have a supernatural encounter in Dorset than to win the lottery
Over the years, only 0.125% of people in Dorset have claimed to have witnessed an unearthly being. While this figure seems low, you are 56,935 times more likely to see a supernatural encounter in this county than you are to win the lottery.
The UK Counties with the Most Reported Paranormal Sightings
1. Argyll and Bute - 76.2 paranormal sightings per 50,000 people
Scottish folklore is deeply rooted, with centuries worth of mythical creatures, spirits, and tales of otherworldly legends. While much of the country’s celestial beings are associated with the Highlands, it is Argyll and Bute that is home to more paranormal sights than any other UK county.
Over 130 reports of paranormal activity have been recorded over the years, including the well-known spirit of Bean-nighe. Named after the Gaelic word for washerwoman and considered an omen of impending death, this grotesque fairy is not someone you should ever wish to see.
The UK Counties with the Most Reported Crop Circles
1. Wiltshire - 37.1 crop circles per 50,000 people
With more than 37 crop circles per 50,000 people, Wiltshire is home to more than any other UK county. All three crop circles reported in the UK last year were discovered in Wiltshire, and these unearthly patterns are all accompanied by photographic and video proof.
The most recent crop circle to be uncovered was in Etchilhampton Hill, marking a series of large geometric spirals in the ground. While the origins of such crop circles are hard to pinpoint, these shapes are certainly a sight you must see to believe.
The UK Counties with the Most UFO Reports Per Capita
1. East Riding of Yorkshire - 8.4 UFO reports per 50,000 people
Since 2020, the East Riding of Yorkshire residents have reported more than 50 UFO sightings. Compared to its population, this equates to 8.4 reports per 50,000 people—the highest of all UK counties.
A witness in North Ferriby in 2023 described seeing a “Strange metallic sphere moving at a constant but fast speed,” while another experienced a “Strange white object under the water off Bempton cliffs” last year. Whether you are a believer or not, these descriptions given by extraterrestrial explorers sound quite eerie, to say the least.
Methodology
We sourced each UK county’s population using the following sources: England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
We collected all the data available from the following sources:
- The number of paranormal sightings in each county - The Paranormal Database (accessed 23/04/2025).
- The number of crop circles in each county - Crop Circles (accessed 24/04/2025).
- The number of UFO reports in each county - UFO Identified (accessed 24/04/2025).
We added the above factors (paranormal sightings, crop circles, and UFO reports) to calculate each county’s total number of supernatural events.
We divided the total number of supernatural events by each county’s population to calculate the percentage of people claiming to have seen a supernatural event. Using data from the Health Lottery, we divided 45,000,000 (the chances of winning the lottery) into a percentage before dividing this number by the percentage of people claiming to have seen a supernatural event.
We divided the number of supernatural events by the population before multiplying this by 50,000 to calculate the number of supernatural events per 50,000 people.
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