| Is there a family of large
aquatic creatures unknown to science, living in Loch Ness? The
scientific establishment is not yet satisfied with the available
evidence. Yet the existence of some kind of phenomenon is beyond
question - and investigation is continuing in the peaty waters of
Loch Ness.
Loch Ness
Loch Ness is the largest body
of freshwater (by volume Loch Ness holds more freshwater than all
the lakes and reservoirs in England and Wales put together) in the
British Isles and is surrounded by some of the most spectacular
scenery in the Highlands. The loch is circled by castles, forts,
waterfalls and glens, yet despite these many natural attractions it
has been famous for over 1400 years for one simple reason; the Loch
Ness Monster.
Statistics
Over 230m (754ft) deep, 24
miles long with an average of 1 mile wide, the loch can immerse the
world's population over 3 times and still have room for a few
mysteries and legends. Although Loch Awe vies for the title of the
longest loch, Loch Morar is deeper and Loch Lomond has a larger
surface area, Loch Ness is the biggest loch with 7 billion cubic
metres of water in its 24 miles (38.4km) length. For most of its
length the loch is about 230m (754ft) deep- in parts over 249
(820ft) - with an even deeper spot off Urqhuart Castle. Due to its
great depth, the loch has never been known to freeze - the cold
waters sink in winter and are constantly replaced by warm water
rising from the depths below. This affects weather locally and snow
does not lie for long around its shores. The loch's waters are made
very dark by peaty soil bought down by 8 rivers and about 40
streams, which feed the loch, its only sea exit is the River Ness.
The mystery of the monster
In 565AD St Columba is said to
have seen a 'water beast' in the river Ness. Adaman's 'Life of St
Columba', written a hundred years after the saint's death in
597AD is often quoted as the earliest reference to a beast in the
loch. However, the original account refers to an incident on the
banks of the River Ness and not Loch Ness itself. While journeying
near Inverness through the Kingdom of the Picts, St Columba and his
companions came across a party burying a man who had been attacked
and killed by a strange beast while swimming in the river. Columba
required a boat to cross and one of his companions volunteered to
swim aces the river to fetch one. He did so but this instantly
attracted the monster again. In a loud voice, Columba commanded it
to depart and it did so, thereby enhancing the saint's reputation
amongst the locals.
Using this incident as an
historic starting point, monster hunters thereafter have drawn upon
all kinds of stories from the Scottish legend in an attempt to
substantiate the Loch Ness animal. Many of these tales are based
upon the kelpie, a spirit often in the shape of a horse, which
frequented the Highlands burns, or its close cousin the water horse
(Gaelic 'each uisge') a denizen of larger lochs.
The modern Loch Ness Monster.
In 1951 Nessie first
demonstrated her famous humped pose to a local photographer and
other classic photographs followed, including the 1955 picture of an
object in the water beside Urquhart Castle. AT first, with the
increased interest came the usual spate of hoaxes and tall tales.
Suggestions for some sightings have been logs, swimming red deer,
diving otters, mats of vegetation and water birds among other
floating objects from war time mines to tar barrels seen in mirage
conditions.
Respectable and well thought of
locals have seen something in the water - one of these locals
being a monk from Fort Augustus Abbey (no longer a monastery) and so
the legend lives on - nobody can say absolutely that Nessie isn't
there but as yet we have no proof that she is there - we'll
just have to wait and see!
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