Taxi driver spooked after spotting 'white lady' ghost on roadside (2025)

"They were wearing a long white dress. Some kind of cloak and a wooden staff. I had to go back round again to get a better look and I'm still none the wiser."

A spooked Scots taxi driver was left shaken after spotting a 'white lady' ghost on the side of the road- but locals have been left in stitches at the truth about the apparent apparition.

Tex Marshalsey couldn't believe his eyes as he spotted the figure clad in a flowing white dress casually walking along the pavement as he took a fare home along Alderstone Road in Livingston on Monday night.

The cabby was left questioning his sanity as he passed by the unknown entity twice, and spotted a cloak and wooden staff in her hands.

West Lothian has had it's fair share of paranormal activity in the past with UFO sightings, the White Lady of Howden House and Sir Thomas Dalyell - otherwise known as the notorious Bluidy Tam who is said to haunt the House of the Binns.

Could one of the trapped souls from the region's centuries of horror history struggling to move onto the afterlife have strolled into the city centre for a late night pop to the shops?

Turns out a local resident who works as a ghost tour guide in Edinburgh sometimes travels home in her costume complete with terrifying make up.

The bizarre exchange unfolded when Tex Marshalsey took to Facebook with a grainy image of the "white lady" and wrote: "Is there a renaissance fair in town? Or did me and my passenger imagine this. My passenger took the photo while the car was moving.

"We saw this person twice walking down Alderstone Road.

"They were wearing a long white dress. Some kind of cloak and a wooden staff and what looked like black and white face paint. I had to go back round again to get a better look and I'm still none the wiser."

Before the sceptics and avid ghost hunters of West Lothian could wade in with their own theories for the incident local mum, Louise McBeath cleared up the confusion with a hilarious explanation.

Louise said: "Oh jeez I thought this might happen at some point! That’s me! Don’t panic, you’ve not seen a ghost!

"Well not really! I’m a theatrical ghost tour guide in Edinburgh and I get the train home after work.

"I finish late so I just wear my costume home sometimes after a long day. It means creeps, ironic I know, will also be more likely to stay away from me as it’s not the safest walking home alone at night. Apologies for scaring anyone!

"I honestly can’t stop laughing at this - just call me the white lady of Alderstone road!"

To which Tex replied: "Thanks for clearing this up I was all set for tomorrow’s drive your spoiled it cause I was gonna drive by at the same time and same place to see if I could see you again."

Locals who watched the mystery being solved in the comments were in stitches at the spooky exchange.

Teg Brew joked: "Problem averted no ghost will be buzzing my buzzer."

Jackie Carty-Milne said: "My partner and daughter seen this woman weeks ago around the same area, thought they were seeing things too lol.

"This is so funny think we were all thinking that part of the road was haunted."

James Garvie said: "We thought you were the Pope! No offence intended. Glad you cleared it up."

Corrin Jane added: "I said to my friend I genuinely thought it was a ghost, so glad you’re alive lol! Cracking outfit."