The Loch Ness Monster, commonly referred to as “Nessie,” is one of the most beloved creatures in Scottish folklore. Her existence is highly debated, especially since there are other mythological creatures who are similar (especially Kelpies, which are water horses that lure people to their doom). No matter what you believe about the existence of Nessie, she has captured the hearts of people worldwide.
Early “encounters” with the Loch Ness Monster date back to
the 1st Century and the arrival of the Romans in the Scottish
Highland. The Picts, who were indigenous to Scotland, carved detailed pictures
of creatures in stone. One image in particular resembled an elephant with
adaptations for living in water. Many believe this is an early representation
of Nessie.
Another early account of the Loch Ness Monster is from the 6th
or 7th-century hagiography (biography of a saint) of St. Columba. It is said
that he was walking near Loch Ness and saw a giant creature that was about to
attack a swimmer. The Saint used his divine authority to get the creature to
back away from the swimmer.
Centuries later, sightings began to increase. In early 1933,
a couple was traveling along the road that went alongside Loch Ness. They saw a
giant creature rolling on the surface of the water. This sighting cemented the monster’s
name as the “Loch Ness Monster.” They reported that the monster was 4 feet high
and 25 feet long, including its 12-foot-long neck.
Later that year, another couple by the name of George and
Elizabeth Spicer were traveling a road along Loch Ness and saw a giant creature
that resembled a prehistoric plesiosaur, but could not categorize the creature.
In December of 1933, big game hunter Marmaduke Wetherell was
contacted by London Daily Mail to help solve the mystery. He discovered
four giant footprints, which were later debunked by the Natural History Museum
by using a preserved hippopotamus foot as a reference.
The sighting that occurred in 1934 and its accompanying
evidence is the most popular and set the global encapsulation into motion.
Respected physician Robert Kenneth Wilson submitted a photograph of the Loch
Ness Monster to the London Daily Mail. This photo became known as the
“surgeon’s photo.” However, in 1994, this photo was discovered to be a hoax by
Alastair Boyd. The photo was staged using a toy submarine with a neck and head.
Marmaduke Wetherell used this staging as a way to get back at the Daily Mail
for his previous embarrassment. Christian Spurling
From the 1930s to the 1960s, sightings and interest in the
Loch Ness Monster grew. Radio programs and newspapers told of strange
disturbances in the water of Loch Ness. The continued growth in interest helped
spark the economy around Loch Ness, with gift shops and boat tours bringing in
revenue for the local area.
In the 1950s to the 1970s, the Academy of Applied Sciences
teamed up with esteemed universities to conduct sonar explorations of Loch
Ness. In 1975, a flipper-like appendage was spotted underwater by the Academy,
which sparked the debate and conversation even more. Further discoveries of
large object underwater were found.
The videos from Taylor in 1938 and Dinsdale in 1960 depict
mysterious shapes in the waters of Loch Ness. These videos, and those like them,
fueled the mystery of the monster and created debates between scientists,
skeptics, and believers.
In 1997, patent lawyer and Nessie enthusiast Robert Rines,
with Wycoff and Carr, spotted a 15-foot long creature that appeared to be
living. By 2001, Rines had photographed a large object underwater that appeared
to be some sort of carcass.
The 20th and 21st Centuries have
brought about technological advances such as sonar, submarines, and satellites
to aid the search for evidence. The Loch Ness Investigation Bureau was
established in the 1960s to find evidence, using technologies like photography,
sonar scanning, and underwater acoustic analysis.
In 2003, the BBC conducted a sonar sweep of Loch Ness,
hoping to find evidence of Nessie. Although large underwater objects were
discovered that seemed odd, they could not definitively point to being the Loch
Ness Monster.
On September 16, 2006, a witness named Gwen and her friends
spotted a creature with a rectangular head and leathery brown skin. The creature,
whom the witnesses claimed was as tall as a man, was captured on film.
In 2019, Neil Gemmell, a professor from the University of
Otago, used environmental DNA to sample the water to see what has been left
behind by all types of living creatures. This technology ruled out plesiosaurs
but found eels, which can account for some of the alleged Nessie sightings.
New reports of Nessie sightings arise on occasion, even
today. There is a Loch Ness Centre where people can visit and take boat tours
of Loch Ness to see if they can spot Nessie. There have been more than 10,000
reported sightings since the first reporting.
Despite a lack of concrete evidence, researchers dedicated to
the study of the Loch Ness Monster have come up with theories about the
monster. The Plesiosaur Theory, which is one of the most popular theories, holds
that the Loch Ness Monster is a living plesiosaur. However, the plesiosaur is extinct,
and even if it was still around today, its cold-blooded nature would not be
suited for the frigid waters of Loch Ness.
The Long-Necked Seal Hypothesis says that the Loch Ness
Monster can be an undiscovered species of seal that has a long neck. This accounts
for Nessie being seen on the land, but Nessie’s behavior does not align with
the behavior of known seal species.
Biologist Roy Mackal suggests the theory that is the Amphibian
Speculation. This theory claims that the Loch Ness Monster is a species of amphibian
with a long neck. Proponents of this theory point to the adaptation to living
on land as well as in the water.
Recent skeptics have tried to explain the Loch Ness Monster
by other means. Some claim that the waves are either caused by oscillations in
the loch or the decomposition of organic material, creating gas bubbles. Others
claim that Nessie could be a sturgeons or large eel, which can look larger from
certain angles and perspectives.
Even if Nessie is not
real, she has stolen the hearts of people around the world. Like other
cryptids, she brings about a love of storytelling of myth-making, which is
especially true of a place like Scotland. Nessie has been the subject of music,
paintings, literature, and films. She has helped increased tourism to Loch
Ness, and the region embraces this popularity. Nessie continues to spark the
human curiosity for the unknown.
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