The legend of the Loch Ness Monster
Staying at Abbey Holidays Loch Ness puts you within touching distance of one of the strangest mysteries in Scotland. It has captured the imagination of locals and visitors to the Highlands for centuries. The Loch Ness Monster, an elusive creature said to swim in the loch, has been rarely photographed but its reputation has travelled all over the world. But what is the monster? Is it real? And where is the best place to spot it? Read on to find out!
First sightings
The Loch Ness monster – or Nessie as she is affectionately known – is not a new addition to Scotland’s culture. Indeed, the first sighting was over a thousand years ago when St Columba, an Irish missionary who helped spread Christianity to Scotland, reported a “water beast” in nearby River Ness. Of course we don’t know very much about Nessie. Maybe she is a thousand years old – that all adds to the mystery. She joins a pantheon of legendary Scottish monsters including the horse-shaped Kelpies who are said to have lured unexpected travellers to their watery graves. Kelpies are not a far cry from the shape people associate with Nessie – a long neck reaching up out of the surface. Perhaps they are distant cousins!
Modern mythology
Ask any of the locals around Fort Augustus, or any fellow guests you might bump into in our beautiful grounds, and they are sure to have their own stories of that time they saw something weird on the loch. Perhaps a water movement in the corner of the eye, or a splash behind some trees.
Nobody knows what Nessie is. The last remaining creature of her kind? A remnant of the age of the dinosaurs? An alien? A ruse? Everyone has their own thoughts, and that’s part of the fun of talking about our favourite monster. It wasn’t until the early 1930s that the stories of Nessie really began to propagate throughout Scotland and beyond.
The famous – or infamous – “surgeon’s photo” is really what kicked off and kept people talking about a monster in the water. This photo by Dr Robert Kenneth Wilson was widely published in a national newspaper, and the excitement grew from there. It has inspired millions of people to visit Loch Ness over the last century. And all of them hoping to catch an elusive glimpse, and maybe even a snapshot or two, of the Loch Ness Monster. And many more photos have been captured since then, supposedly of the loch’s giant inhabitant. People have even given up their 9-5 lives in an attempt to capture an undeniable image of her. This includes famous Nessie hunter Steve Feltham who resides by the shores at Dores. He was subject of a BBC documentary, such is his passion for Nessie. You can always visit and if he is there, say hi!
Scientific analysis
If it’s scientific evidence you have come here for, well…keep scrolling. Unfortunately there’s very little in the way of evidence, and nothing conclusive in the slightest. But then, Nessie wouldn’t be ‘elusive’ is she showed up to the opening of the local gala every year, would she?
For years, people have sailed ships armed with sonar to detect any large masses in the water. Every few years ‘something’ is found but, unfortunately, nothing is ever proven. Of course, lack of evidence is not evidence of absence. So you never know what you might come across on your visit.
Book your Nessie hunt today with Abbey Holidays Loch Ness!
Abbey Holidays is just a short distance from Loch Ness, and not far from the Loch Ness Centre where you can immerse yourself in Loch Ness Monster history and folklore. Book your stay with us today at Abbey Holidays Loch Ness in Fort Augustus and you might even bring back the conclusive evidence the world has been waiting for! Discover out latest best offers and special deals here.
