A heartbreaking mystery that shook Scotland more than 50 years ago has been revisited as the topic of a new podcast.
In 1971, the body of a small boy was discovered washed ashore in Tayport, but his identity remains a mystery to this day and no one has ever come forward to claim him.
Postman Ian Robertson was walking with his five-year-old son along the beach in the small village when he spotted the body in the water. Despite an extensive police investigation and countless leads, there was no success in identifying the child. He is believed to be between two and four years old.
The BBC has now launched a new series which seeks to ultimately solve the mystery of the unknown bairn. "The Cruelty: A Child Unclaimed" is a nine-part podcast following presenter Davie Donaldson as he tries to finally determine who this boy was.
Introducing the podcast, he said: "The unknown bairn has lain unclaimed for over fifty years and the mystery persists as to who he was and why no one's ever came forward.
"But the true tragedy of this case was summed up by the postman who found the wee boy. He once said 'to go missing and never be found is one thing, but to be found and have never have gone missing - it's as if you never existed.'
In discovering a lead, Donaldson connected with a retired police officer who claimed to have clues to the boy's identity, but were never followed up on. Bob Beverage said that circumstances suggested the child is linked to the traveller community.
As a member of the traveller community, the case resonates with Donaldson, whose father was the same age as the unknown bairn when he was discovered back in the 70s.
"It was thought that the unknown bairn was connected to my community - Scottish travellers. But to abandon a child in life or death goes against every value of my people," said Donaldson. "However, not claiming a child goes against the values of any community, so where did he come from?"
Throughout his research, Donaldson uncovers allegations of authority mistreatment towards a marginalised community, which may have contributed to the long-standing mystery. The presenter also examines his own identity, while coming to terms with the shocking discovery.
"This case has remained unsolved for over 50 years, but I believe that if I can re-examine the bread crumbs of information that existed in the press at the time and in the memories of those who are there, then maybe I can find something that's been overlooked and maybe, just maybe I can uncover the truth of what really happened," he added.
It was May 23, 1971, when Ian Robertson was walking with his son along the beach in the small village of Tayport - which butts up to one side of the Tay Estuary facing onto Dundee across the river. Barely setting off, the postman noticed something out of place among a grove of seaweed near the water's edge.
Ian delved into the chilly sea to investigate and made a chilling discovery. To his horror, he had just uncovered the body of a small boy, wearing only a T-shirt and a pair of wellies.
He is reported to have been in the water for some time and his face was unidentifiable due to colliding with rocks and ocean debris.
Living on the coastal town, Ian understood that bodies can wash up on shore and suspected that the unknown child had maybe fallen overboard a visiting ship from across the port.
Despite several leads spreading as far as Ireland and the Netherlands, there was no success and somewhere a family was still missing a loved one.
Today, the body of the boy is buried in Tayport cemetery, close to where he was discovered. A heartbroken local community came together to purchase a grave stone for the boy. In place of a name, it reads: "In Memory of the Unknown Bairn."
All episodes of The Cruelty: A Child Unclaimed are now available to listen to on BBC Sounds.
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