The Loch Ness Monster

The Loch Ness Monster (affectionately nicknamed ‘Nessie’) is said to be found in Loch Ness, a lake in the Scottish Highlands and the namesake of the creature. Sightings frequently describe it as a large animal resembling a plesiosaur, with a long neck and flippers, though some say it’s closer to a sea serpent or dragon.

The earliest account of a creature resembling Nessie was a story recorded in 565 by a man called Adomnán, in which a monster had pulled a man into a river and mauled him. Present-day interest in the monster was ignited by a man named George Spicer. In 1933, he claimed to have seen a creature resembling the Loch Ness Monster cross the road in front of his car. While this story is widely regarded as fiction, it was published in the Courier in August of 1933, sparking widespread public interest in the monster. Countless sightings have occurred since then, though a few in particular stand out. The ‘Surgeon’s Photograph’ is likely the most famous photograph of Nessie. The photo is attributed to a doctor named Robert Kenneth Wilson, who claimed to have seen the creature in April of 1934. The surgeon's photograph was confirmed to be a hoax, and the ‘monster’ was actually a toy submarine that was modified and made to look larger through forced perspective. Since the early sightings, many studies have been conducted in Loch Ness, though none provided concrete evidence of Nessie’s existence.

Throughout the decades of its existence, the legend of the Loch Ness Monster has caught the attention of thousands. It has solidified a place among the most notorious cryptids, and captured the imagination of artists and writers alike since the first sighting. Out of all the countless legends of water monsters, Nessie sticks out as one of the most influential among them.