Loch Ness (body of water)
Loch Ness, located in the Scottish Highlands, is renowned as one of the largest and most famous freshwater bodies of water in Scotland. Measuring approximately 23 miles (37 kilometers) in length and reaching depths of over 750 feet (228.6 meters), it holds more water by volume than all the lakes in England and Wales combined. The loch has gained worldwide attention largely due to the legend of the Loch Ness Monster, affectionately known as "Nessie," with over 1,000 reported sightings since the first alleged photo was captured in 1933. Despite scientific skepticism regarding the creature's existence, the mystery surrounding Nessie continues to attract roughly one million tourists to the region each year.
Geologically, Loch Ness formed around 10,000 years ago at the conclusion of the last Ice Age, resulting in its distinctive deep, dark waters caused by peat moss. The loch has numerous tributaries and a single outlet, the River Ness, which flows into the Moray Firth. Visitors can enjoy scenic views, historic sites such as Urquhart Castle, and activities like boat cruises. The enduring fascination with Loch Ness and its legendary creature not only highlights Scotland's rich folklore but also plays a significant role in the local economy through tourism.
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Loch Ness (body of water)
Loch Ness in Scotland is one of the most famous bodies of water in the world. It is the biggest loch, or lake, in Scotland by volume, holding more water than all the lakes in England and Wales combined. Located in the Scottish Highlands in the northern part of the country, the loch runs about 23 miles (37 kilometers) long, between 1 and 1.5 miles (1.6 and 2.4 kilometers) wide, and more than 750 feet (228.6 meters) deep.
The lake has gained fame for numerous sightings of a legendary creature that allegedly inhabits its waters, referred to as the Loch Ness Monster, or "Nessie." The first alleged photo of the creature was taken in 1933. Since then, more than 1,000 sightings of the monster have been recorded.
Although many of the purported photos of the monster have been hoaxes, the legend continues to bring attention to Loch Ness. About one million tourists visit Loch Ness every year because of its fabled water beast.
Background
Loch Ness runs from Inverness in the north to Fort Augustus in the south along the Great Glen Fault, cutting the north of Scotland in half. The freshwater lake holds 263,162 million cubic feet of water. About forty rivers, streams, and other waterways feed into Loch Ness, including the Enrich, Foyers, Farigaig, Oich, and Tarff. The loch has one outlet, the River Ness, which flows into Inverness and empties into the Moray Firth, an inlet of the North Sea.
The loch is believed to be about 10,000 years old, having formed at the end of the last Ice Age. As the glaciers that once stretched across the Scottish Highlands melted, they carved a trench that would become Loch Ness. The glaciers pushed the rock down below sea level, causing the land to rise. This resulted in closing off the loch from the Atlantic Ocean.
Loch Ness lies 52 feet (15.8 meters) above sea level. While its sides are steep, the loch's bottom is flat and muddy. Its rock walls may extend as far down as 900 feet (274 meters). One section of the loch—known as Nessie's Lair—is 812 feet (247 meters) deep. The loch is the second-deepest lake in the United Kingdom and the third-deepest lake in Europe.
The loch has a distinctive dark color because of the peat moss carried in by various waterways. Its waters are cold, but they never freeze. This is explained by the thermocline effect: when the loch's upper layers of water cool, they are filtered out and replaced by warmer water underneath. The water level below 150 feet (46 meters) regularly stays around 45 degrees Fahrenheit (7.2 degrees Celsius). On especially cold days, the waters of Loch Ness can produce steam.
Loch Ness is surrounded by scenic beauty, lying in the middle of rugged mountains. It can be reached by a cruise from Inverness or by boat rides from Drumnadrochit and Fort Augustus. Nearby attractions along Loch Ness include the Great Glen Way, a 73-mile (117-kilometer) walking trail between Inverness and Fort William, and the ruins of Urquhart Castle, a magnificent fourteenth-century structure near Drumnadrochit.
Overview
Loch Ness is best known for being the home of a mythological creature, the Loch Ness Monster. Despite many sightings, photographs, and expeditions of the loch, scientists discount the existence of the beast. Nevertheless, the mystery surrounding the Loch Ness Monster still intrigues people and provides a boost in tourism to Scotland's economy.
The various sightings of the Loch Ness Monster have some characteristics in common. The beast is described as looking like a prehistoric reptile. Witnesses say Nessie resembles a serpent, with a snake-like head and tail, and the beast has black humps.
Stories about a monster lurking near Loch Ness go back to the seventh century. According to a written account of the life of St. Columba, the Irish monk saw a water monster in the River Ness that attacked one of his monks. Sightings were reported in the late nineteenth century, when Dr. D. Mackenzie claimed to have seen something treading water.
The number of sightings of Nessie rose after a new road was constructed along the west shore of Loch Ness in 1933. The first modern sighting came in April of that year from Aldie Mackay, who was traveling the road with her husband when she saw a whale-like beast swimming in the loch's waters. Hugh Grey captured the first purported photo of the Loch Ness Monster on November 12, 1933. It appears to show an unknown reptile splashing around in the loch, though critics claim it was Grey's dog.
Physician Robert Kenneth Wilson took the most famous photograph of Nessie the following year. The photo shows the monster's neck and head, and the Daily Mail published it on April 21, 1934. For years, the photo captured the public's imagination until the Sunday Telegraph revealed it as a hoax in 1975.
Dozens of expeditions have descended on Loch Ness to search for Nessie using an array of technology, from temperature readings to cameras and sonar. None of them has yielded definitive evidence of the monster. Sir John Murray carried out the first scientific expedition in 1901. In 1934, a determined search party of twenty men watched Loch Ness for signs of the creature but did not spot anything. The largest search operation was Operation Deepscan in 1987, which recorded three sonar contacts said to be bigger than a shark but smaller than a whale.
There have been more than 1,000 eyewitness accounts of the Loch Ness Monster, or 20 sightings a year. Explanations for the sightings point to large eels or seals.
As technology advances, Nessie hunters claim to have spotted the creature in online photos of Loch Ness, while other photos have been debunked as hoaxes. An Apple Maps satellite image of Loch Ness in 2009 shows a fuzzy figure. A photo taken by George Edwards in 2012 was revealed as a hoax in which Edwards used a fiberglass hump. However, Internet giant Google joined the search for the Loch Ness Monster in 2015, capturing photos of a strange object with lumps. A drone captured footage of a 20-foot-long (6.1-meter-long) creature in 2021. On the thirtieth anniversary of the 1933 Aldie Mackay sighting in August 2023, an event was held to use technology in an effort to solve the mystery. Loch Ness Exploration volunteers and those from the Loch Ness Visitor's Centre searched the loch bed using sonar, scanned the surface of the water using thermal imaging, and searched the water using underwater microphones. While some sounds were captured, they were believed to have come from ducks.
In 2024, an expert posited a theory about the cause of the Loch Ness sightings. Alan McKenna, the founder of Loch Ness Exploration, believed that standing waves were to blame. These occur when two boats of exactly the same frequency and amplitude move in opposite directions on the loch surface.
Bibliography
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Adams, Sam. "Loch Ness Monster: We Look Back at Famous Pictures of Nessie on 80th Anniversary of 'First Ever Photo.'" Daily Mirror, 12 Nov. 2013, www.mirror.co.uk/news/loch-ness-monster-look-back-2782925. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
Ailes, Emma. "Is Nessie Just a Tourist Conspiracy?" BBC News, 14 Apr. 2013, www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-22125981. Accessed 11 Sept. 2017.
Delrio, Martin. The Loch Ness Monster. Rosen Publishing Group Inc., 2002.
Havis, Michael. "Mystery of the Loch Ness Monster May Finally Be Solved
Mills, Emma. "Loch Ness Monster: 50 Fascinating Facts." Telegraph, 21 Apr. 2015, www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/united-kingdom/scotland/articles/Loch-Ness-Monster-50-fascinating-facts/. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
Murphy, Alan. Northwest Highlands of Scotland. Footprint Handbooks Ltd., 2013.
Paxton, Charles. "The Loch Ness Monster: A Modern History." The Conversation, 12 May 2022, theconversation.com/the-loch-ness-monster-a-modern-history-182546. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.