It inspires books, TV shows and films, and sustains a major tourism industry around its home. The story of the monster can be traced back 1, years when Irish missionary St Columba is said to have encountered a beast in the River Ness in AD.
Later, in the s, The Inverness Courier reported the first modern sighting of Nessie. In , the newspaper's Fort Augustus correspondent, Alec Campbell, reported a sighting by Aldie Mackay of what she believed to be Nessie.
Mr Campbell's report described a whale-like creature and the loch's water "cascading and churning". The editor at the time, Evan Barron, suggested the beast be described as a "monster", kick starting the modern myth of the Loch Ness Monster.
In , highly respected British surgeon, Colonel Robert Wilson, claimed he took a photograph of the monster while driving along the northern shore of Loch Ness. Known as the "Surgeon's Photograph", 60 years later it was confirmed as a hoax hatched in revenge after a newspaper ridiculed journalist Marmaduke Wetherell for finding "Nessie footprints" on the shore.
The "monster" caught on camera was apparently a toy submarine bought from Woolworths, with a head fashioned from wood putty. The hoaxers then gave the photo to Wilson, a friend who enjoyed a good practical joke. Explanations for the monster offered in the past include it being swimming circus elephants.
In his research of Nessie, Glasgow-based palaeontologist Neil Clark found fairs and circuses were a common occurrence in the Inverness area, particularly from the early s. He said elephants may have been allowed to swim in the loch while the travelling carnivals stopped to give the animals a rest. Another theory is that large fallen branches floating in the loch are the cause of monster sightings.
Steve Feltham, who is recognised by the Guinness Book of Records for the longest continuous monster hunting vigil of Loch Ness, is not convinced the scientists have yet identified the creature behind the sightings.
Mr Feltham, who made childhood visits to the Highlands and moved from Dorset almost 30 years ago to look for Nessie, said the research had not ruled out other animals such as seals being mistaken for the monster. The presence of eels in the the loch was no big surprise, he added. He added: "A year-old boy could tell you there are eels in Loch Ness. I caught eels in the loch when I was a year-old boy. Gary Campbell, keeper of a register of Nessie sightings, receives on average 10 reports a year of something unexplained being spotted in the loch's waters.
He welcomed the latest research and hoped more scientists will examine what lives in Loch Ness. Mr Campbell said tourism that has developed around the story of the monster would be unaffected by the new study.
Photography, while also a form of art, is often a part of storytelling, especially in its digital form. A lake is a body of water that is surrounded by land. There are millions of lakes in the world. Join our community of educators and receive the latest information on National Geographic's resources for you and your students.
Skip to content. Loch Ness Monster The towns surrounding Loch Ness, around the urban area of Inverness in the Highlands of Scotland, have cashed in on their famous cryptid.
Twitter Facebook Pinterest Google Classroom. Background Info Vocabulary. On August 22, , some historian s say Columba, a Christian leader, reported seeing the animal that would become known as the Loch Ness Monster in Loch Ness, Scotland.
The Loch Ness Monster is probably the most famous target of cryptozoology , the study of animals whose existence has not been proven. Cryptozoologists search for mythical creatures called cryptid s. Thousands of culture s all over the world report cryptids. Latin America. More Dates in History January.
Media Credits The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. Change your preferences at Manage Cookie Settings. We all know that the tale of the Loch Ness Monster lurking in the dark expanse of Loch Ness in the Highlands is not just a tale. Nessie does really exist, and there are over 1, eye witness accounts and lots of unexplained evidence, leaving scientists baffled.
She's long and thin, usually green and with black humps, tail and snake-like head. And she's shy. When she's emerging from the water, you can just see her body breaking through the waves. You'll be strangely mesmerised by the sight, and you'll instantly know that you saw her when you spot perfect circles of disturbed water that she leaves behind as she swiftly disappears again to the depths of the loch.
Visit Loch Ness and keep your eyes peeled as you explore the area!
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