The Loch Ness Monster

Official Story:

The Loch Ness Monster is a Gaelic, legend of a very large water creature that inhabits the Southern Highlands. There isnt any evidence of this creature existing, as it is a legend its only known through folklore.

 

The Loch Ness Monster conspiracy really picked up pace, and was brought to increased international attention when sightings of the creature began to be reported. The creature is to be described by many as looking like a Plesiosaurus.

What happened?

People taking photos and eye-witness accounts, raised an interest in the legendary creature and researchers have conducted research and expeditions to see if the claims are real. According to researchers there isn't any evidence to support the claims, and many scientists have decreditted the photos, pointing out that they are other marine life in the water, branches or just shadows on the water. This legend has created something from folklore to a scientific and tourist attratcion. Although there are still people who swear they have seen 'Nessie' the nickname of the creature, whether they are right is another thing. There have been hocuses surrounding the Loch Ness Monster where people have created footprints or very persuasive images of the creature. This has only increased the conspiracy around the legend.

Eye Witness Accounts:

Mr George MacBean and Others 1934 An object at first thought to be debris, but moving against the wind.

Mr J McKillop 1947 A single hump seen at great range travelling at speed.

Lady Maud Baillie 1950 A single hump, at first thought to be a rock, made off at speed.

Col. P Grant 1951 A single hump about 6 feet (1.8m) long moving very fast.

Dr Synge 1952 Observed from and followed by a car, a single hump about 440 yards (400m) from shore. It then stopped and submerged.

Mr John Cameron 1967 A hump like an upturned boat just a few yards (metres) from him. It was about 12 feet (3.7m) long. It should be noted that this is the most common type of sighting at Loch Ness, but somewhat overshadowed by the less believable dinosaur-type sightings.

Mrs D Fraser 1967 A very large single hump which came up, moved rapidly and then submerged leaving a large wake. Mrs Fraser described it as like the back of a giant tortoise.

Dr & Mrs Rines plus Mr & Mrs Cary 1971 The four observed a single hump 20 feet ( 6m) long at a range of three quarters of a mile (1,200m). They examined it through a telescope from the Cary's cottage just above Urquhart Castle. Dr Rines described it as having a back like that of an elephant. Mrs Cary later said that it could have been anything. The late Carol Rines had also seen the monster previously when she first arrived at the loch. When the taxi driver pointed the monster out to her she told him not to stop as she wanted to get to the house and she would have many opportunities to see it once she had settled in. Obviously the sighting with the Cary's proves she was right. In 1972 Mrs Cary dowsed for the best position for Dr Rines to place his underwater cameras. Her skill is proven (TIC) by the almost immediate success of the flipper pictures.

 

Tony Harmsworth 1986 While leaving his house he spotted something in the water about 400 metres or so away and moving diagonally across the loch against the direction of the wind. Through binoculars it was clearly an elongated shape he estimated at between four and six feet long (1.2 to 1.9m). Later comparisons with a boat in the same location showed that the object was closer to four than six feet long demonstrating that even people living overlooking the loch and seeing something from their own house can make mistakes over size of objects in water. For information, a seal is about two feet or 600mm long at the surface showing that four feet, 1,200mm, is quite a substantial object.

 

 

My opinion:

I would love to believe that Nessie is really having been there myself, I didn't see anything, but as a kid growing up the legend was very interesting, and was constantly being used in kids shows. So the legend has a special place in my heart, I wish it was true, but I doubt it, because the scientific evidence is to strong, against the Loch Ness Monster existing, especially when there isn't any evidence at all to prove the existance of Nessie.

References to other pages:
http://www.nessie.co.uk/
http://www.unmuseum.org/lochness.htm
http://www.loch-ness.com/eyewitnesses.html