Nessie 'sighting' wins £1000 prize

A SONAR image of a large mystery object deep below the surface of Loch Ness has netted boat skipper Marcus Atkinson the Best Nessie Sighting of The Year Award — the first time in several years it has been presented by bookmaker William Hill.

The photograph, claimed by at least one seasoned Nessie spotter to the conclusive evidence of a creature, was a late contender in the contest which has been dormant following several lean years of close encounters with the loch’s most famous resident.

However, 2011 proved to be a bumper year with three “good” sightings reported to the Official Loch Ness Monster Fan Club which first launched the competition in conjunction with the bookmaker in the 1990s.

Although Mr Atkinson’s encounter in Urquhart Bay was not registered at the time with the fan club, it was reported to full-time Nessie hunter Steve Feltham, based at Dores beach. The image depicts something about 1.5 metres wide and 23 metres below the surface. 

The entry has now been judged to be the winner by Inverness Courier readers in an online poll along with the views of an expert panel.

Mr Atkinson receives a £1000 cash prize and a free £500 bet while William Hill will also place a £100 bet on the Natural History Museum confirming the existence of Nessie by the end of the year — odds are currently 100/1.

“I am absolutely delighted. It’s fantastic especially as the competition has been revived,” said Mr Atkinson who captured the image on 24th August while on his boat, Ness Express, waiting to pick some customers up from Urquhart Castle.

The quick-thinking skipper grabbed his mobile phone after a long solid echo appeared on the boat’s fish finder screen.

Mr Atkinson, who has spent about 18 years working on the loch, both on pleasure boats and teaching people to sail, remains baffled by the image.

“I think for a lot of ‘sightings’, there is often a logical explanation,” said the 43-year-old who believes some are seals, or stags swimming in the loch.

“Some sightings could have been a freak wave which people have caught in the periphery of their vision, or a dark shape.

“But I have never seen anything returned like this on the fish finder.

“It is a bizarre shape to me. I have shown it to other experienced skippers and none of us know what it was.

“Undoubtedly, there is something in the loch. I think there is truth behind every myth.”

Gary Campbell, president of the Official Loch Ness Monster Fan Club, described the image as quite exciting.

“From our perspective, it is conclusive proof there is something in the loch unlike some of the other ‘evidence’ which has been produced over the years,” he said.  

Rupert Adams, of William Hill, paid tribute to the winning image.

“Having something which is more specific in showing an object is very exciting for people who have an open mind to the existence of a Loch Ness monster,” he said.

Mr Adams also hopes it will encourage Nessie spotters to take part in an even “bigger and better” competition, the details of which will be announced soon. 

Other entries were:

* Runner-up Lewiston fish farm worker Jon Rowe who photographed a large, dark shape in the water while working at Dores fish farm. 

* Ayshire holidaymakers William and Joan Jobes who spotted what appeared to be a head bobbing above the water 200 to 300 yards from the shore at Fort Augustus.

* Foyers shop and cafe owner Jan Hargreaves and her husband, Simon, who saw a creature while taking a break from the store.

*Gary Campbell’s verdict on the sonar image which shows something about 1.5 metres wide and 23 metres below his boat:

“This is as good as any sonar image found in the loch. The important thing is that someone else went over the same patch and what was there, had gone.

“When you look at the size of the contact, it rules out any fish or other creatures which would be in the loch. Because of the depth, it rules out seals, deer etc which leaves us with only one conclusion.

“From our perspective, it is conclusive proof there is something in the loch unlike some of the other ‘evidence’ which has been produced over the years.

“This shows something moving and also by the nature of the sonar, it was certainly something alive underneath the boat. It is quite exciting.”  

http://www.inverness-courier.co.uk/News/Nessie-sighting-wins-1000-prize-13022012.htm

Loch Ness is giant 'spirit level'

Scientists have measured the way Loch Ness tilts back and forth as the whole of Scotland bends with the passing of the tides.

It is a tiny signal seen in the way the waters at the ends of the 35km-long lake rise and fall.

When combined with the direct tug from the gravity of the Moon and Sun, the loch surface goes up and down by just 1.5mm.

The study is reported in the Journal of Geophysical Research.

"If you were on a boat in the middle of the loch, you certainly wouldn't notice it," said Philip Woodworth from the UK National Oceanography Centre (NOC), Liverpool, "but a tide like this has never been observed in a western European lake before."

Prof Woodworth, David Pugh and Machiel Bos say their precision measurement technique could be used in other lakes around the world to understand better how the Earth's crust deforms as a result of ocean movements - rather like a carpenter will use a spirit level to gauge how a length of wood deviates from the horizontal.

"I have described Loch Ness as the largest spirit level in the world," David Pugh, who is a visiting professor at NOC, told BBC News.

None of us can feel it, but Britain rises and falls by centimetres every 12 hours and 25 minutes as a great bulge of ocean water washes around the country.

The pencil-shaped Loch Ness is the largest UK lake by volume, and although inland, is close enough to the North Sea to be influenced by this loading effect.

The team placed their sensors a few metres under the lake surface at six locations, from Fort Augustus in the far southwest to Aldourie in the far northeast. They then monitored the change in the height of the overlying water during the course of 201 days.

What the scientists saw was a clear spike in the data twice a day - the result of the gravitational pull of the Moon and Sun. But they could also tease out a second signal stemming from the way water rises and falls as a result of the tilting of the land. And, in fact, the latter effect sits on top of the first and is responsible for most of the amplitude change.

The team says the measurement was made to an accuracy of just 0.1 mm over the loch's 35 km length.

"We had to extract the tidal signal and get rid of all the noise. This involved very high precision," explained David Pugh.

"For example, the loch itself goes up and down every day by four centimetres just due to the pump storage scheme for hydroelectric generation, and we have to pull out a very small signal within that.

"The holy grail would be to learn from the effects of the tides something about the Earth's crust. So the more precise we can get, the more we may learn about the crust. So the more precise we can get, the more we can learn about the crust."
The University of Dundee is a Scottish Registered Charity, No. SC015096.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16394421

Loch Ness search for mysterious balloon-like object

The emergency services undertook a night-time search of Loch Ness after reports a balloon-like object had fallen from the sky.

The police, coastguard, lifeboat and an RAF search and rescue helicopter scoured the area but found nothing.

The alarm was raised at 20:00 on Saturday after members of the public said they saw a blue object fall on the south of the Loch, near Dores.

Police thought it might have been a hang glider or microlight.

However, following a three-hour search the emergency services could find "nothing untoward".

Loch Ness RNLI crew member, Vivian Bailey, said: "Speed of arrival on scene was essential and we were able to link our search efforts with those of the Coastguard and RAF, something we practise regularly.

"We believe the reports were based on sightings causing genuine concern and we commend the actions of the members of the public that contacted the emergency services."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-14606660

Columba met a bear, not Nessie

I READ of David Feltham, and others of his ilk before him, and I despair (“20 years on, Nessie hunter still undaunted”, The Herald, July 19).


Does no-one grasp the importance of studying original sources, such as, in this case, Saint Adamnan’s Life of Columba?

I suggest Nessie hunters read his report of the saint’s encounter with what could only have been a bear.

The animal was in the river where the monks were to ford it; there were salmon there and men fishing; the so-called monster growled, then mauled a man to death, before retreating at a speed everyone found astonishing; and the River Ness shares its latitude with the home of the most famous salmon fishing bears in the world, Kodiak Island.


Read on: http://www.heraldscotland.com/comment/herald-letters/columba-met-a-bear-not-nessie-1.1113153

Forget Nessie... big cat is stalking locals

05-23-2011 14:27

Spooked Loch Ness locals are being terrorized by a new monster - a giant cat that has savaged farm animals and pets, thesun.co.uk reported Saturday.

People living on the banks of the famous lake have urged police to hunt down the black beast amid fears it could attack and even kill a child, the report said.

The big cat has been spotted prowling in hills and around homes, and is thought to be behind maulings of a dog and a lamb.

Katrina Wallace is too afraid to let her three young kids outside at night after hubby Jim glimpsed the animal outside their home by the loch south of Inverness.

The mum, of Bunloit, said: "We have two black labradors and he thought it was one of those but then realized they were inside," according to the Sun.

She has taken photos of the body of a badly mauled lamb that had a large puncture wound on the back of its neck.

One of the family dogs was also attacked ― by something large enough to try to haul the labrador away. Terrified Katrina, 38, said: "The vet said it could only get an injury like that if it had been dragged," the newspaper said.

Highland Councillor Margaret Davidson said: "I believe this is a public safety issue. The police need to take this seriously."

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2011/05/182_87484.html

Restrictive clauses and the Loch Ness Monster

04 Feb 2011 Gavin Hinks

OFTEN, it's all in the timing. Yesterday, Accountancy Age reported quite an outburst on the subject of banks forcing their clients to use Big Four only auditors through what are called "restrictive clauses" in their banking covenants.

It took place at the ICAS/Grant Thornton debate on the future of assurance. While many may consider restrictive clauses to be the Loch Ness Monster of financial arrangements (much talked about, but never proven) ICAS president Alan Thomson took the floor and blurted out that as chairman of a private equity house he had been forced to opt for a Big Four auditor by lenders. "That's not right," he proclaimed.

Many agree with him. Government minister Ed Davey has even said if such clauses are being used they should be a matter for the competition authorities. Positive, but not far from saying that if the monster does exist it should be a concern for zoologists, not crypto-zoologists.

But despite Alan Thomson's quite emphatic statement some people remain doubtful that restrictive clauses are actually real.

For example, last night the issue cropped up at the annual open meeting of the Financial Reporting Council.

During open questions one member of the audience asked the FRC what it was doing about restrictive clauses because they were, in his words, "profoundly in restraint of trade".

FRC chairman Baroness Hogg was much less certain. She said the regulator simply did not know the extent to which the clauses were being used and added more research was required.

Far be it for me to point out the obvious but that research now has a place to start - Alan Thomson. It would be no surprise if someone among the competition authorities felt the same way too. Or Ed Davey for that matter.

As far as I am aware the Loch Ness Monster has left little or not documentary evidence. This cannot be the case for restrictive clauses.

http://www.accountancyage.com/aa/insider-blog/2024311/restrictive-clauses-loch-ness-monster

Fears for children from ‘big cat’

Mum frightened to leave her baby in garden after dog was attacked

By Mel Fairhurst

Published: 16/04/2011

A mother living near the home of the mythical Loch Ness Monster claims a real-life killing beast is on the rampage in the area – and warned it could be a threat to children.

Terrified Katrina Wallace says she is too frightened to leave her 12-week-old baby unattended in the garden after her dog was attacked and a lamb was killed by a big cat-like creature which is thought to be prowling woods near her Drumnadrochit home.

Mrs Wallace’s husband, James, 38, first spotted the animal in the family garden at Ancarraig House, Bunloit, and thought it was one of the couple’s two black labradors.

He said it was black with a long, cat-like tail similar to that of a puma or cougar.

Weeks later one of the family dogs, Breargh, was attacked in the garden.

Mrs Wallace said: “There was blood all around her eye and her hind leg was ripped to shreds. The vet said she had been dragged by an animal bigger than a dog.”

Following snow showers in March, large paw prints which measured 4.5in by 3in were photographed by the couple, and a couple of weeks ago, they were horrified to find a lamb from a neighbouring farm had been killed. It had a puncture wound in the back of its neck.

Mrs Wallace said: “The paw prints came from the woods towards the house. A friend of ours who does a lot of shooting and has tracked animals confirmed they were cat prints and a big one at that.

“If I could, I would move. I have been told by police not to scaremonger. They said they needed more DNA evidence, but what more evidence can we give? My children, aged 12 and 14, are terrified and none of us will go outside alone after dark – we go out in pairs with a torch.”

Mrs Wallace added: “This animal attacked my dog which was lucky to escape, but what chance would a child have against an animal like this when they cannot fight back?

“I want this to be taken seriously because children and walkers are at risk.

“We have heard other stories of sightings of one or two big cats – one farmer in Kiltarlity said he lost 20 sheep to two of them.

“I think it could be something to do with the big cats which were released in the 1970s, which may have been breeding every since.”

Northern Constabulary carried out an investigation into the big cat reports, and also looked into complaints from residents at nearby Invermoriston about marauding wild boar in the area.

A police spokeswoman said: “Neither big cats such as pumas, nor wild boars are protected wildlife. In the majority of cases, the animals would not approach to harm humans. They are not known for their aggressive behaviour unless they are young and threatened and even then, there would be few cases. However, if we felt there was a threat to public safety, we would take appropriate action.”

http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/2226731?UserKey=

Monster battle: Nessie tourism businesses get go ahead

Members of the Highland Counci have given permission for two tourism businesses to develop on the banks of Loch Ness.

21 March 2011 12:27 GMT

Two businesses are going head to head in a monster battle for Loch Ness tourists.

Highland Council's planning committee has been looking at multi-million pound plans for tourist centres on the banks of the most famous loch in the world.

The plans include a £2.5m application for the Jacobite Discovery Project submitted by Jacobite Cruises and a £2m application from Loch Ness Centre and Exhibition at Drumnadrochit to develop its existing waterside facilities, 850 yards away beside the Clansman Hotel.

Loch Ness cruise operator Jacobite Cruises announced plans in January for a new harbour, car park and visitor facilities on land each side of the loch-side A82 Inverness-Fort William road at Brackla.

Meanwhile, the family-run Loch Ness Centre and Exhibition is seeking approval for enhanced access, retail and catering facilities and parking.

Councillors viewed the locations from a boat before giving both projects full planning permission. Robert Bremner, managing director for Loch Ness Centre and Exhibition who have been given outline planning permission said: "Jacobite remain our tenants and I see no reason for that to change at the moment; we are still on speaking terms."

He added: "Our development will give people a chance to get down to the loch side. People are still attracted to the area, not just because of the mystery monster but because of the beauty of the area."

Robin Webster, partner at Cameron Webster Architects which has designed the Jacobite Discovery project, said: "There are many eco-friendly features within the development and the location of the discovery project lends itself excellently to these. Low-energy features are a priority."

Project director Rod Michie said: "We are delighted with the progress of Cameron Webster's designs and are proud our project will be as environmentally-friendly as possible.

"We are looking forward to having new facilities where visitors can make the most of beautiful Loch Ness. We want to create everlasting memories for customers to take home, whilst still being kind to the environment."

IN DETAIL:  Nessie caught up in a monster tourism battle

http://news.stv.tv/scotland/highlands-islands/237605-monster-battle-nessie-tourism-businesses-go-head-to-head/

Something in the water: Gerard Byrne goes after the Loch Ness Monster in Milton Keynes

By Mark Sheerin | 13 January 2011

Exhibition: Gerard Byrne - Case Study: Loch Ness (Some possibilities and problems), 2001-2011, Milton Keynes Gallery, Milton Keynes, January 14 - April 3 2011

Unlike most investigations of Loch Ness, Gerard Byrne’s new show is not at all interested in the existence of a monster. His first major solo exhibition in a UK public space is about Nessie as a photographic phenomenon rather than a flesh and bone saurian.

Speaking via phone, the Dublin-based artist explains that what piqued his interest in the place was its relation to the history of photography. "As a site it amounted to a kind of cardinal point, you might say, in the way of people's expectations of photographs, people's beliefs in photography as such,” he says. “Do you know what I mean?”

Byrne has a knack of firing this short question back throughout the interview, usually after making one of his more abstract points. It is a worry because he asks it like he expects an answer.

“Now, I'm not a puritan or a fetishist or anything like that but I'm interested in the idea of photographs as a type of material as well, as a type of material that's generated through certain processes - both optical and chemical - and so it sort of matters that they're analogue prints [in the show] and it sort of matters that they've been generated through this, you know, physical temporal commitment to that site, if you know what I mean.”

By way of comment on the many famous pictures which claim to show what may or may not be in the local waters, Byrne has spent 10 years making a collection of his own photos of Loch Ness.

“There are people who've actually lived in caravans up there and camped out. I haven't done that. But I've made a lot of visits at least - I'd say at least a dozen visits, each for, like, a few days at a time, so I've put in some time up there,” he says.

And as you might expect from a visual artist, Byrne sets the scene very well. “Firstly the loch is very, very big,” he says. “It's much bigger than you might imagine. It's quite epic in scale and it's actually not the most beautiful part of the Highlands, the most, you know, windswept or romantic.”

To the ears of an ignorant southerner this is almost disappointing, until he adds: “It is a little bit dark you might say. I don't want to be melodramatic, but it is a little bit dour and dark in comparison with the surrounding landscape…it's sort of sombre, you might say.”

Byrne’s engagement with this figurative scenery was not without its ironies. “I go there and I make a lot of photographs and I look at the photographs after the fact and I realise that they're all landscape photographs,” says the conceptual artist.

“There's a type of topography at work in the photographs,” he says. "But in the end what they really chronicle is, I think, an idea of forms which could be mistaken for other forms.”

In other words there’s a now-you-see-it-now-you-don’t quality to the work on display, monsters at which you have to look twice.

“That's one of the ideas that's very visible when you see the show - you know, this idea of the gestalt form, this idea of something that's almost in the mind's eye,” he adds.

It is, after all, such gestalt forms which give rise to lake-dwelling monsters. “That’s a kind of archeptypal myth that's found all around the world, and what distinguishes Loch Ness from the rest is precisely its mediation in the newspaper,” says Byrne.

He goes on to explain that interest in Loch Ness peaked in the early 1930s, at a time when the mass media was becoming all pervasive and more people were becoming aware of a sense of modernity.

“It's interesting that there's so much attraction to a myth that's primarily about the primeval, that's about the idea of something from prehistory, that could continue to live in the 20th century or the 21st century,” he says. “So there's a strange fantasy built into that that's about time or about escaping time or something that defies time.”

In which case new town Milton Keynes is the last place you’d expect to find a mythical dinosaur. But now that is where you will find it, as large as life - an indisputable phenomena if nothing else.

Open 12pm-8pm Tuesday-Friday (from 11am Saturday, 11am-5pm Sunday). Admission free.

http://www.culture24.org.uk/art/photography+%26+film/art315825

Something in the water: Gerard Byrne goes after the Loch Ness Monster in Milton Keynes

By Mark Sheerin | 13 January 2011

Exhibition: Gerard Byrne - Case Study: Loch Ness (Some possibilities and problems), 2001-2011, Milton Keynes Gallery, Milton Keynes, January 14 - April 3 2011

Unlike most investigations of Loch Ness, Gerard Byrne’s new show is not at all interested in the existence of a monster. His first major solo exhibition in a UK public space is about Nessie as a photographic phenomenon rather than a flesh and bone saurian.

Speaking via phone, the Dublin-based artist explains that what piqued his interest in the place was its relation to the history of photography. "As a site it amounted to a kind of cardinal point, you might say, in the way of people's expectations of photographs, people's beliefs in photography as such,” he says. “Do you know what I mean?”

Byrne has a knack of firing this short question back throughout the interview, usually after making one of his more abstract points. It is a worry because he asks it like he expects an answer.

“Now, I'm not a puritan or a fetishist or anything like that but I'm interested in the idea of photographs as a type of material as well, as a type of material that's generated through certain processes - both optical and chemical - and so it sort of matters that they're analogue prints [in the show] and it sort of matters that they've been generated through this, you know, physical temporal commitment to that site, if you know what I mean.”

By way of comment on the many famous pictures which claim to show what may or may not be in the local waters, Byrne has spent 10 years making a collection of his own photos of Loch Ness.

“There are people who've actually lived in caravans up there and camped out. I haven't done that. But I've made a lot of visits at least - I'd say at least a dozen visits, each for, like, a few days at a time, so I've put in some time up there,” he says.

And as you might expect from a visual artist, Byrne sets the scene very well. “Firstly the loch is very, very big,” he says. “It's much bigger than you might imagine. It's quite epic in scale and it's actually not the most beautiful part of the Highlands, the most, you know, windswept or romantic.”

To the ears of an ignorant southerner this is almost disappointing, until he adds: “It is a little bit dark you might say. I don't want to be melodramatic, but it is a little bit dour and dark in comparison with the surrounding landscape…it's sort of sombre, you might say.”

Byrne’s engagement with this figurative scenery was not without its ironies. “I go there and I make a lot of photographs and I look at the photographs after the fact and I realise that they're all landscape photographs,” says the conceptual artist.

“There's a type of topography at work in the photographs,” he says. "But in the end what they really chronicle is, I think, an idea of forms which could be mistaken for other forms.”

In other words there’s a now-you-see-it-now-you-don’t quality to the work on display, monsters at which you have to look twice.

“That's one of the ideas that's very visible when you see the show - you know, this idea of the gestalt form, this idea of something that's almost in the mind's eye,” he adds.

It is, after all, such gestalt forms which give rise to lake-dwelling monsters. “That’s a kind of archeptypal myth that's found all around the world, and what distinguishes Loch Ness from the rest is precisely its mediation in the newspaper,” says Byrne.

He goes on to explain that interest in Loch Ness peaked in the early 1930s, at a time when the mass media was becoming all pervasive and more people were becoming aware of a sense of modernity.

“It's interesting that there's so much attraction to a myth that's primarily about the primeval, that's about the idea of something from prehistory, that could continue to live in the 20th century or the 21st century,” he says. “So there's a strange fantasy built into that that's about time or about escaping time or something that defies time.”

In which case new town Milton Keynes is the last place you’d expect to find a mythical dinosaur. But now that is where you will find it, as large as life - an indisputable phenomena if nothing else.

Open 12pm-8pm Tuesday-Friday (from 11am Saturday, 11am-5pm Sunday). Admission free.

http://www.culture24.org.uk/art/photography+%26+film/art315825

Forget Nessie, watch the dolphins

David Ross, Highland Correspondent
Share

29 Dec 2010

It is shaping up to be the biggest test of the Loch Ness Monster’s reputation as a top drawer tourist attraction since a surgeon’s photographs of the mythical beast were found to be faked.

The 500,000 tourists who visit Loch Ness every year from across the world have been urged to forget their search for Nessie and go to see real live bottlenose dolphins.

The Banffshire Coast Tourism Partnership began promoting itself as a key part of Scotland’s Dolphin Coast yesterday with the launch of a new website

Chairman Roger Goodyear said: “No-one, and certainly those who depend on the mythology for a living, cares to admit that Nessie doesn’t exist except in the imagination of visitors. Is Nessie real? As they say in all the best pantos ‘Oh no, she isn’t’ ... She’s not even behind you.

“We want people to know that instead of spending valuable holiday time looking for something that doesn’t exist they should come to Scotland’s Dolphin Coast instead and see something that most certainly does – our dolphins, porpoises and even minke whales.

“And, we can assure our visitors that the dolphins they encounter will be 100% genuine and not a floating log, an upturned rowing boat or a trick of the light.”

He said visitors to the Banffshire coast often had the chance to see the resident population of bottle nosed Moray Firth dolphins frolic close enough to the shores to view without binoculars.

The Moray Firth is home to the largest bottle nosed dolphins in the world, growing to nearly four metres long. It is estimated that around 130 dolphins live along the Moray Firth.

Graeme Ambrose, managing director of Destination Loch Ness Ltd, which represents 100 businesses around the loch, retorted: “I don’t think there really was any call for such an attack on Nessie. ”

David Alston, Highland Council’s head of budget and a Black Isle Councillor, said: “We certainly wouldn’t encourage visitors to forget about our legendary monster and take off to Banffshire.”

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport-environment/forget-nessie-watch-the-dolphins-1.1076919

Forget Nessie, watch the dolphins

David Ross, Highland Correspondent
Share

29 Dec 2010

It is shaping up to be the biggest test of the Loch Ness Monster’s reputation as a top drawer tourist attraction since a surgeon’s photographs of the mythical beast were found to be faked.

The 500,000 tourists who visit Loch Ness every year from across the world have been urged to forget their search for Nessie and go to see real live bottlenose dolphins.

The Banffshire Coast Tourism Partnership began promoting itself as a key part of Scotland’s Dolphin Coast yesterday with the launch of a new website

Chairman Roger Goodyear said: “No-one, and certainly those who depend on the mythology for a living, cares to admit that Nessie doesn’t exist except in the imagination of visitors. Is Nessie real? As they say in all the best pantos ‘Oh no, she isn’t’ ... She’s not even behind you.

“We want people to know that instead of spending valuable holiday time looking for something that doesn’t exist they should come to Scotland’s Dolphin Coast instead and see something that most certainly does – our dolphins, porpoises and even minke whales.

“And, we can assure our visitors that the dolphins they encounter will be 100% genuine and not a floating log, an upturned rowing boat or a trick of the light.”

He said visitors to the Banffshire coast often had the chance to see the resident population of bottle nosed Moray Firth dolphins frolic close enough to the shores to view without binoculars.

The Moray Firth is home to the largest bottle nosed dolphins in the world, growing to nearly four metres long. It is estimated that around 130 dolphins live along the Moray Firth.

Graeme Ambrose, managing director of Destination Loch Ness Ltd, which represents 100 businesses around the loch, retorted: “I don’t think there really was any call for such an attack on Nessie. ”

David Alston, Highland Council’s head of budget and a Black Isle Councillor, said: “We certainly wouldn’t encourage visitors to forget about our legendary monster and take off to Banffshire.”

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/transport-environment/forget-nessie-watch-the-dolphins-1.1076919

New Nessie visitor centre plans revealed

A new Highland visitor centre worth £2.5m has been made public.


Plans for a new multi-million pound visitor centre on the shores of Loch Ness have been unveiled.


The Jacobite Discovery Project will see the creation of a new harbour and visitor facilities as local firm Jacobite Cruises looks to expand its operations.

It is hoped that it will enhance the tourist experience of Loch Ness, and monster watching, as it is designed to fit in with the Highland landscape.

The £2.5m plans will use water from the loch to heat and cool the building, using eco-friendly energy.

Robin Webster, partner at Cameron Webster who designed the centre said: “There are many eco-friendly features within the development and the location of the Discovery Project lends itself excellently to these. Low energy features are a priority.

“Water from the loch heats and cools the building through a water to air heat pump. This uses less energy and while operated by electricity, has a substantially lower carbon footprint.

“The high level of glazing allows the building to be naturally lit, reducing the need for artificial light, and allows for maximum solar gain on the south side of the building.

“The architectural concept fits very carefully with the landscape and the natural features of the site.”

Rod Michie, Director of The Jacobite Discovery Project said: “We are delighted with the progress of Cameron Webster’s designs and are proud our project will be as environmentally friendly as possible.

“We are looking forward to having brand new facilities where visitors can really make the most of beautiful Loch Ness. We want to create ever lasting memories for customers to take home, whilst still being kind to the environment.”

The Highland Council is expected to consider the Jacobite Discovery Project proposal in the coming weeks.

development plans: New visitor centre on Loch Ness.

New Nessie visitor centre plans revealed

A new Highland visitor centre worth £2.5m has been made public.


Plans for a new multi-million pound visitor centre on the shores of Loch Ness have been unveiled.


The Jacobite Discovery Project will see the creation of a new harbour and visitor facilities as local firm Jacobite Cruises looks to expand its operations.

It is hoped that it will enhance the tourist experience of Loch Ness, and monster watching, as it is designed to fit in with the Highland landscape.

The £2.5m plans will use water from the loch to heat and cool the building, using eco-friendly energy.

Robin Webster, partner at Cameron Webster who designed the centre said: “There are many eco-friendly features within the development and the location of the Discovery Project lends itself excellently to these. Low energy features are a priority.

“Water from the loch heats and cools the building through a water to air heat pump. This uses less energy and while operated by electricity, has a substantially lower carbon footprint.

“The high level of glazing allows the building to be naturally lit, reducing the need for artificial light, and allows for maximum solar gain on the south side of the building.

“The architectural concept fits very carefully with the landscape and the natural features of the site.”

Rod Michie, Director of The Jacobite Discovery Project said: “We are delighted with the progress of Cameron Webster’s designs and are proud our project will be as environmentally friendly as possible.

“We are looking forward to having brand new facilities where visitors can really make the most of beautiful Loch Ness. We want to create ever lasting memories for customers to take home, whilst still being kind to the environment.”

The Highland Council is expected to consider the Jacobite Discovery Project proposal in the coming weeks.

development plans: New visitor centre on Loch Ness.

Most Recent Loch Ness Photo (via Dale Drinnon)

by Val Sweeney


A LANDSCAPE architect working at Aldourie Castle is wondering whether he has captured the elusive figure of Nessie on camera.

Richard Preston, who has redesigned the castle grounds on the loch's southern shores, snapped the image of a mysterious three-humped object on the water.


"I am not saying it is the monster. But I don't see any reason why it cannot be some sort of a sea-going beast," Mr Preston said.

The 27-year-old Yorkshireman, who is based at Broughton Hall near Skipton, was working at the castle when something close to the opposite shore caught his attention at about 3pm. "It was a glimmer," he said. "It was like a reflection. The rest of the water was still and dark. It was quite odd."

Mr Preston snapped a series of images on his mobile camera but when he turned around, the mystery object had disappeared.

"I was gobsmacked," he said. "I have been working here for the last two or three years and have never seen anything like it."

The mystery `humps' as photographed by Richard Preston.

The photographs have raised the interest of full-time Nessie hunter Steve Feltham who lives in a former mobile library parked by Dores beach.

"I am quite excited about these photographs," he said. "To me, they are unexplained and Richard is a reliable character."

The images were taken from the grounds of the castle looking towards Lochend.

"About three-quarters of the way across, you can see what looks like three humps," Mr Feltham explained. "Initially, I thought they could be the wake of a boat. But there are several photos and the image does not move, whereas if it was a boat wake it would move along to the shore. I don't know what it is. "

Loch Ness Monster expert Adrian Shine, who runs the Loch Ness Project, described the picture as interesting but suggested it could be the reflection of the sun on the water, perhaps against a house or leaves.


{--It seems the image in the water IS EXACTLY the refection of the white building immediately above it on shore, and the second building next to it also has a reflection but it is obscured by the trees on the near shore (our side)

There were asome possibly valid "Loch Ness Monster" photos many years ago but nothing of any much substance since then. And even in the cases I am thinking of, the critics were calling "Hoax." I rember when the photos marked "Gilles" turned up on the internet several years back and in fact I had a dialogue going with both critics and promoters of the photos then (including the person who allegedly took the photos). I had no reason to doubt they were genuine and some good reasons for saying they were Plesiosaurian. Those photos were taken in 2002, within a span of a few years either way of some other Longnecked-Periscope photos. However, if there was a "Monster" in the Loch then it may have died since.

http://www.inverness-courier.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/13910/Mystery_surrounds_Loch_Ness__91humps_92.html

Most Recent Loch Ness Photo (via Dale Drinnon)

by Val Sweeney


A LANDSCAPE architect working at Aldourie Castle is wondering whether he has captured the elusive figure of Nessie on camera.

Richard Preston, who has redesigned the castle grounds on the loch's southern shores, snapped the image of a mysterious three-humped object on the water.


"I am not saying it is the monster. But I don't see any reason why it cannot be some sort of a sea-going beast," Mr Preston said.

The 27-year-old Yorkshireman, who is based at Broughton Hall near Skipton, was working at the castle when something close to the opposite shore caught his attention at about 3pm. "It was a glimmer," he said. "It was like a reflection. The rest of the water was still and dark. It was quite odd."

Mr Preston snapped a series of images on his mobile camera but when he turned around, the mystery object had disappeared.

"I was gobsmacked," he said. "I have been working here for the last two or three years and have never seen anything like it."

The mystery `humps' as photographed by Richard Preston.

The photographs have raised the interest of full-time Nessie hunter Steve Feltham who lives in a former mobile library parked by Dores beach.

"I am quite excited about these photographs," he said. "To me, they are unexplained and Richard is a reliable character."

The images were taken from the grounds of the castle looking towards Lochend.

"About three-quarters of the way across, you can see what looks like three humps," Mr Feltham explained. "Initially, I thought they could be the wake of a boat. But there are several photos and the image does not move, whereas if it was a boat wake it would move along to the shore. I don't know what it is. "

Loch Ness Monster expert Adrian Shine, who runs the Loch Ness Project, described the picture as interesting but suggested it could be the reflection of the sun on the water, perhaps against a house or leaves.


{--It seems the image in the water IS EXACTLY the refection of the white building immediately above it on shore, and the second building next to it also has a reflection but it is obscured by the trees on the near shore (our side)

There were asome possibly valid "Loch Ness Monster" photos many years ago but nothing of any much substance since then. And even in the cases I am thinking of, the critics were calling "Hoax." I rember when the photos marked "Gilles" turned up on the internet several years back and in fact I had a dialogue going with both critics and promoters of the photos then (including the person who allegedly took the photos). I had no reason to doubt they were genuine and some good reasons for saying they were Plesiosaurian. Those photos were taken in 2002, within a span of a few years either way of some other Longnecked-Periscope photos. However, if there was a "Monster" in the Loch then it may have died since.

http://www.inverness-courier.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/13910/Mystery_surrounds_Loch_Ness__91humps_92.html

In search of Nessie in Scotland

By ALICE THERESA SUN - CUA
10/04/2010 | 01:35 PM

Who has not heard or read about the mysterious creature in Loch Ness, Scotland? Our imaginations had been fired since childhood with stories about this long-necked dragon-like sea serpent supposedly living in the deep waters of this Scottish lake.

Many photos were published about her (the gender seemed to have stuck, somehow!) showing a shadowy silhouette of a small head, and a long neck with an undulating back emerging from the center of the lake. And yet nobody could really say what it was, and how it really looked like.

There have been many tales and testimonies since 1933 (or even as early as the 6th century, in written accounts), of sightings in the lake, and some even “seeing" it cross the street before slithering/lumbering towards the water. Based on its long neck and aquatic preference, scientists pegged it as a plesiosaurus, a pre-historic monster.

Named as one of the mysteries of the world, it figured in many scientific and pseudo-scientific studies, and theories abound as well. Some submersible sonar pictures and hydro-echoes showed a live animal, 20-30 feet long, moving and swishing in the lake. Eel, dragon, fish, magic horse, serpent --- the Loch Ness creature’s very identity had certainly reached mythological proportions. Books and articles about the sea creature filled shelves upon shelves but until now nobody really knew what it was— that is, of course, if it really existed.

Thus, it was with great excitement that my husband Alex and I signed up with the Jacobite Tour for Loch Ness at a shop in downtown Inverness. The shop sold cute little stuffed toys of the “monster" called “Nessie," an endearing name for the creature, and many a child came away from that shop clutching yellow, pink and green beribboned smiling Nessies in their hands.

The trip started early in the morning, and our bus driver/tour commentator was Simon, a local Scot who was born and who grew up beside the Loch Ness. Did he himself witness this creature arising from the sea? Well, yes, he answered. Sometimes at night when he had one drink too many, he said, he could certainly conjure up Nessie! It was about an 8 hour drive to the quay where we were to board a motorboat that will bring us to the center of the lake. Remember folks, Simon reminded us, be on the lookout for her, and don’t forget your cameras!

After about 30 minutes I noticed that the water had become dark, almost black, and Alex said it was because of its depth — the deepest part was around 800 meters. Would we see even part of the creature? Would that day be a special one perhaps, when Nessie would decide to show herself? Would it be like some disaster movie, where a boatful of unwary travelers would be suddenly but silently stalked by a giant sea serpent, its front flippers the size of their puny boat? Everyone was on their toes, scanning the water, the horizon. A little commotion in the water brought little screams of excitement, and laughter. The boat was swift and, in its wake, spumes of water sprayed all over us — a hat brought to cover the face from the sun became a shield in the intermittent showers from the lake.

On and on the boat roared until suddenly from the distance we saw the ruins of a castle nestling at the foot of a hill. This was the Urquhart Castle, a popular place for Nessie sightings as its great tower had a very good vantage point, facing the lake. When we drew near I realized that the castle was made of stones laid on top of each other, and that the remains of the fortress stretched out as far as the eyes could see.

Upon disembarking, we had the grassy knoll to walk around with many loose stones from the castle ramparts lying about, and a fresh wind coming in from the lake. Many intrepid souls clambered up the ruins of the tower fortified by steel bars. From a higher area I traced the curving line of the remains of the fort, the quiet making one pensive, thinking about the people who might have lived here during medieval times. There were many vantage points to look at the lake, and as I stood there by the decaying ramparts of the castle, a cool wind came up to whip against my cheek. I looked out into the loch, and noted its colors changed from time to time, dark greenish blue near the quay, and almost black at the center. From where I was, the water appeared calm, except when the wind blew, riffling the surface. Alas, nothing that resembled a sea creature arose to frighten us.

And where was Alex? I found him in one part of the castle grounds examining something that looked very strange indeed —a tall triangular wooden structure about five stories high, with long arms, round wheels with intricate carvings, and a row of huge stone balls at its foot. An upright detailed description at the side said this was a Trebuchet, considered as an important siege engine during the middle ages, “equivalent to the big guns today".

Using counterweights (think catapult), it could fling missiles (the large stone balls) to a distance at high speed to destroy enemy fortifications. This modern replica —based on the work of Villand de Honnecourt, a 13th century French architect —had a counterweight of “6 tonnes" and the throwing arm was 12.5 meters long; it could hurl a stone ball weighing about 11 kg a distance of 140 meters with good accuracy. Trebuchets went “out of style" after gunpowder was discovered (and traveled to the West). Nowadays, these medieval siege engines were constructed for historical re-enactments or, for their architectural challenge.

There was a Visitor’s Centre built into the hollow of an outcropping rock, and there we learned that the Urquhart Castle was built during the 13th century, and had changed hands so many times when Scottish clans fought and died for it. The castle now belonged to the National Trust of Scotland. We were invited to watch a documentary about the castle and it included clan wars, mainly by the McDonald’s clan to claim the castle. Drawn-out battles, bloodshed, scorching, looting, until finally the castle was left alone, and it fell into ruins. Sometimes people took away the loose stones, too, for their own use. We filed out of the audio-visual room into the bright afternoon sun, replete with Scottish lore, and realized that even if we didn’t really see Nessie herself, she had practically been with us throughout the day. - GMANews.TV

With photos at: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/202562/in-search-of-nessie-in-scotland

In search of Nessie in Scotland

By ALICE THERESA SUN - CUA
10/04/2010 | 01:35 PM

Who has not heard or read about the mysterious creature in Loch Ness, Scotland? Our imaginations had been fired since childhood with stories about this long-necked dragon-like sea serpent supposedly living in the deep waters of this Scottish lake.

Many photos were published about her (the gender seemed to have stuck, somehow!) showing a shadowy silhouette of a small head, and a long neck with an undulating back emerging from the center of the lake. And yet nobody could really say what it was, and how it really looked like.

There have been many tales and testimonies since 1933 (or even as early as the 6th century, in written accounts), of sightings in the lake, and some even “seeing" it cross the street before slithering/lumbering towards the water. Based on its long neck and aquatic preference, scientists pegged it as a plesiosaurus, a pre-historic monster.

Named as one of the mysteries of the world, it figured in many scientific and pseudo-scientific studies, and theories abound as well. Some submersible sonar pictures and hydro-echoes showed a live animal, 20-30 feet long, moving and swishing in the lake. Eel, dragon, fish, magic horse, serpent --- the Loch Ness creature’s very identity had certainly reached mythological proportions. Books and articles about the sea creature filled shelves upon shelves but until now nobody really knew what it was— that is, of course, if it really existed.

Thus, it was with great excitement that my husband Alex and I signed up with the Jacobite Tour for Loch Ness at a shop in downtown Inverness. The shop sold cute little stuffed toys of the “monster" called “Nessie," an endearing name for the creature, and many a child came away from that shop clutching yellow, pink and green beribboned smiling Nessies in their hands.

The trip started early in the morning, and our bus driver/tour commentator was Simon, a local Scot who was born and who grew up beside the Loch Ness. Did he himself witness this creature arising from the sea? Well, yes, he answered. Sometimes at night when he had one drink too many, he said, he could certainly conjure up Nessie! It was about an 8 hour drive to the quay where we were to board a motorboat that will bring us to the center of the lake. Remember folks, Simon reminded us, be on the lookout for her, and don’t forget your cameras!

After about 30 minutes I noticed that the water had become dark, almost black, and Alex said it was because of its depth — the deepest part was around 800 meters. Would we see even part of the creature? Would that day be a special one perhaps, when Nessie would decide to show herself? Would it be like some disaster movie, where a boatful of unwary travelers would be suddenly but silently stalked by a giant sea serpent, its front flippers the size of their puny boat? Everyone was on their toes, scanning the water, the horizon. A little commotion in the water brought little screams of excitement, and laughter. The boat was swift and, in its wake, spumes of water sprayed all over us — a hat brought to cover the face from the sun became a shield in the intermittent showers from the lake.

On and on the boat roared until suddenly from the distance we saw the ruins of a castle nestling at the foot of a hill. This was the Urquhart Castle, a popular place for Nessie sightings as its great tower had a very good vantage point, facing the lake. When we drew near I realized that the castle was made of stones laid on top of each other, and that the remains of the fortress stretched out as far as the eyes could see.

Upon disembarking, we had the grassy knoll to walk around with many loose stones from the castle ramparts lying about, and a fresh wind coming in from the lake. Many intrepid souls clambered up the ruins of the tower fortified by steel bars. From a higher area I traced the curving line of the remains of the fort, the quiet making one pensive, thinking about the people who might have lived here during medieval times. There were many vantage points to look at the lake, and as I stood there by the decaying ramparts of the castle, a cool wind came up to whip against my cheek. I looked out into the loch, and noted its colors changed from time to time, dark greenish blue near the quay, and almost black at the center. From where I was, the water appeared calm, except when the wind blew, riffling the surface. Alas, nothing that resembled a sea creature arose to frighten us.

And where was Alex? I found him in one part of the castle grounds examining something that looked very strange indeed —a tall triangular wooden structure about five stories high, with long arms, round wheels with intricate carvings, and a row of huge stone balls at its foot. An upright detailed description at the side said this was a Trebuchet, considered as an important siege engine during the middle ages, “equivalent to the big guns today".

Using counterweights (think catapult), it could fling missiles (the large stone balls) to a distance at high speed to destroy enemy fortifications. This modern replica —based on the work of Villand de Honnecourt, a 13th century French architect —had a counterweight of “6 tonnes" and the throwing arm was 12.5 meters long; it could hurl a stone ball weighing about 11 kg a distance of 140 meters with good accuracy. Trebuchets went “out of style" after gunpowder was discovered (and traveled to the West). Nowadays, these medieval siege engines were constructed for historical re-enactments or, for their architectural challenge.

There was a Visitor’s Centre built into the hollow of an outcropping rock, and there we learned that the Urquhart Castle was built during the 13th century, and had changed hands so many times when Scottish clans fought and died for it. The castle now belonged to the National Trust of Scotland. We were invited to watch a documentary about the castle and it included clan wars, mainly by the McDonald’s clan to claim the castle. Drawn-out battles, bloodshed, scorching, looting, until finally the castle was left alone, and it fell into ruins. Sometimes people took away the loose stones, too, for their own use. We filed out of the audio-visual room into the bright afternoon sun, replete with Scottish lore, and realized that even if we didn’t really see Nessie herself, she had practically been with us throughout the day. - GMANews.TV

With photos at: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/202562/in-search-of-nessie-in-scotland

Witch attempts to wake Loch Ness monster

A white witch and self-proclaimed ‘protector’ of Nessie is setting up a radio station to try and wake the monster.

17 September 2010 15:38 GMT

The high priest of the UK's white witches announced plans to set up a private pirate radio station aimed at just one listener: the Loch Ness Monster.

Paranormal researcher Kevin Carlyon, self-styled "protector" of Nessie, will blast out monster music songs on the banks of Loch Ness in a bid to summon her.

He will transmit ten hits which he believes will get her "in the mood" to make an appearance.

Mr Carlyon, from Sussex, plans to play the music in an illegal FM broadcast and will "strategically place" half a dozen radios around the banks of Loch Ness where he believes the spirit of the monster will be listening

The date is being kept secret because of the illegal nature of the broadcast. The songs haven't yet been chosen but will all have a monster theme tune.

Mr Carlyon has been involved in a series of strange events on the loch over the years.

He said: "I believe the monster is a spirit that lives in the loch. By transmitting the songs via the pirate radio transmission, the spirit, which I believe is telepathic, will pick up on it and hopefully stir into life.

He added: "I've got over 30 years experience in pirate radio, and I'm confident we'll be able to do this without many problems

"The hits will be broadcast on 106.8FM for 20 miles in each direction. We won't be asking people to come along to the broadcast, for obvious reasons, but we also hope to broadcast it over the Internet."

A ritual to actually summon the spirit of the Loch Ness Monster to the surface will be carried out after the broadcast.

Mr Carlyon said: "The radio broadcast will hopefully stir the monster into awakening but the ritual will be done on the beach later that evening, or the next morning."

It has been a quiet year so far for sightings of the elusive Nessie, but a local business operator said: "At least he may cause a ripple at the end of the tourist season."

Possible songs to summon Nessie:

1. Monster - The Automatic

2. Monster Mash - Bobby "Boris" Pickett

3. Monster - Lady GaGa

4. Monster - Steppenwolf

5. Water Beastie - Sensational Alex Harvey Band

6. Loch Ness - Some Velvet Sidewalk

7. Ol'e Nessie - Mastodon

8. Monster - Skillet

9. Monster - Meg & Dia

10. Beautiful Monster - Ne-Yo

11. Monster - REM

12. Daydream in Blue - I Monster

13. The Monster is Loose - Meat Loaf

14. The Boogy Monster - Gnarls Barkley

15. My beloved Monster – Eels

Do you have a song you think Nessie might like? Then let the news team know by leaving a comment on our facebook page.

http://news.stv.tv/scotland/198063-witch-attempts-to-wake-loch-ness-monster/

Witch attempts to wake Loch Ness monster

A white witch and self-proclaimed ‘protector’ of Nessie is setting up a radio station to try and wake the monster.

17 September 2010 15:38 GMT

The high priest of the UK's white witches announced plans to set up a private pirate radio station aimed at just one listener: the Loch Ness Monster.

Paranormal researcher Kevin Carlyon, self-styled "protector" of Nessie, will blast out monster music songs on the banks of Loch Ness in a bid to summon her.

He will transmit ten hits which he believes will get her "in the mood" to make an appearance.

Mr Carlyon, from Sussex, plans to play the music in an illegal FM broadcast and will "strategically place" half a dozen radios around the banks of Loch Ness where he believes the spirit of the monster will be listening

The date is being kept secret because of the illegal nature of the broadcast. The songs haven't yet been chosen but will all have a monster theme tune.

Mr Carlyon has been involved in a series of strange events on the loch over the years.

He said: "I believe the monster is a spirit that lives in the loch. By transmitting the songs via the pirate radio transmission, the spirit, which I believe is telepathic, will pick up on it and hopefully stir into life.

He added: "I've got over 30 years experience in pirate radio, and I'm confident we'll be able to do this without many problems

"The hits will be broadcast on 106.8FM for 20 miles in each direction. We won't be asking people to come along to the broadcast, for obvious reasons, but we also hope to broadcast it over the Internet."

A ritual to actually summon the spirit of the Loch Ness Monster to the surface will be carried out after the broadcast.

Mr Carlyon said: "The radio broadcast will hopefully stir the monster into awakening but the ritual will be done on the beach later that evening, or the next morning."

It has been a quiet year so far for sightings of the elusive Nessie, but a local business operator said: "At least he may cause a ripple at the end of the tourist season."

Possible songs to summon Nessie:

1. Monster - The Automatic

2. Monster Mash - Bobby "Boris" Pickett

3. Monster - Lady GaGa

4. Monster - Steppenwolf

5. Water Beastie - Sensational Alex Harvey Band

6. Loch Ness - Some Velvet Sidewalk

7. Ol'e Nessie - Mastodon

8. Monster - Skillet

9. Monster - Meg & Dia

10. Beautiful Monster - Ne-Yo

11. Monster - REM

12. Daydream in Blue - I Monster

13. The Monster is Loose - Meat Loaf

14. The Boogy Monster - Gnarls Barkley

15. My beloved Monster – Eels

Do you have a song you think Nessie might like? Then let the news team know by leaving a comment on our facebook page.

http://news.stv.tv/scotland/198063-witch-attempts-to-wake-loch-ness-monster/