The Loch Ness Monster

[guohua]

Loch Ness Monster 'might' be real, according to new scientific study

Okay, Really? Or is this the Bureau of Tourism making a claim of new Evidence to keep the story alive so the tourists keep bringing their Cash to be spent there?

Researchers analyzing the biodiversity of Loch Ness are unable to rule out the existence of the Loch Ness Monster. After taking DNA samples from the lake's many water-dwelling creatures, scientists could not conclude that the elusive monster is purely mythical.

They couldn't or are they holding out for a Documentary Deal with a Big Payday? 

A major scientific study of Loch Ness has sensationally discovered Nessie 'might' - be real.


Experts traveled the length of the famous loch on research vessel Deepscan taking water samples from three different depths.

The scientists collected DNA left by all creatures from their skin, scales, feathers, fur, feces.

The DNA samples were then sent to labs in New Zealand, Australia, Denmark, and France to be analyzed for the final findings.
Professor Neil Gemmell of the University of Otago, New Zealand and his team who carried out the project have now concluded their research.

The prof - an expert in genomics, ecology, population, conservation and evolutionary biology - now says the results were 'surprising'.

Surprising??? How Surprising were they? You can't tell us right now? Why   ?

Prof. Gemmell says while the full details will be released at a later stage one of the theories 'might' be correct.


Two main theories about the monster are it is a long-necked plesiosaur that somehow survived the period when dinosaurs became extinct, or it is a sturgeon or giant catfish.

Prof Gemmell said he hoped to announce the full findings of the study in Scotland next month - but would not confirm which hypothesis might be right.

He said: "Is there anything deeply mysterious? Hmm. It depends what you believe. Is there anything startling? There are a few things that are a bit surprising.
Source

Sorry but if Old Nesses was real, there would have to been more baby nesses by now or the old thing would have died of old age.


OK, let us see what are the longest living sea creatures.
 Red Sea Urchin a life span of 200 years. 
  Long Finned Eel a life span of possibly 105 years.
 Galapagos Giant Tortoise  152 years.
  Bowhead Whale 200 years.
 Greenland Shark between 200 and 400 years.
 Immortal Jellyfish this is interesting, A very unique jellyfish which can revert back to its premature state when exposed to stress or injury. Whilst this means it is biologically immortal, in practice they don’t live forever and get injured and eaten just like other animals.

OK, so do you think it is a Sturgeon, Large Catfish or one of these?
OR is it REALLY Old Ness!!!???

 

[BIAD]

I nearly posted the article myself, but as the story rolls through, the reader finds that
there's nothing really to it.

When The Sun newspaper contracts Gordi and his fishing net to hunt the beast, as
seen in The Inverness Courier (below), then I'll take notice!

[guohua]

I nearly posted the article myself, but as the story rolls through, the reader finds that
there's nothing really to it.

When The Sun newspaper contracts Gordi and his fishing net to hunt the beast, as
seen in The Inverness Courier (below), then I'll take notice!

Gordi the Nessie Whisperer / Wrestler 

[gordi]

Is it THAT time of the year ALREADY?? LOL

Click-Bait, Teaser Headline SHOCK HORROR... Maybe! Possibly, Might, Sort of be... something Surprising!
Surprisingly, it might be a plesiosaur, a catfish, a sturgeon.... or it might not.... oh kaaay then.

As MrsG has alluded to... a single creature couldn't really have been the source of all of the sightings over many hundreds of years. If there is a "creature" (of any sort) in Loch Ness, then there must be a breeding population of creatures there.
AFAIK there are no Catfish or Giant Sturgeon on the loose in Scottish waters, and I've never came across any specific evidence to suggest that there is a breeding population here. (It's too cold for Catfish to breed here!)

There's no doubt that Loch Ness is deep and mysterious.
There is a even a possibility that there are underwater tunnels which link the Loch to the Sea.
Everyone has heard of Sea-Monsters.... right?

Many of the "sightings" are likely mis-identifications of other things, whether rolling waves from far-off boats, swimming deer, seals/porpoises/salmon/logs...

Does that mean that a population of unknown creatures doesn't exist there?

or that some other mysterious force is at play?
A Time-Slip giving glimpses into the Loch as it was millions of years ago perhaps?
A rift in space-time showing witnesses a peek of some other place/time?

If we knew that......



PS - I had to invent the main body of text in the Inverness Courier article (regarding wrestling the beast) as I had been photographed atop said creature and needed to come up with a valid reason for doing so that didn't involve the smooth yet abrasive skin of Nessie's back being the ideal surface texture for easing sporran rash issues.... for a friend... aye...

[BIAD]

Is it THAT time of the year ALREADY?? LOL

Click-Bait, Teaser Headline SHOCK HORROR... Maybe! Possibly, Might, Sort of be... something Surprising!...

At first I thought you were implying that the photograph from the Inverness Courier was fake, which is a
laughable suggestion as I work with Photoshop software and can see that this is clearly your face!
(Most RN members recognise your 'guitar-playing sunglasses', mate!)

The person in the picture is you Gordi, newspapers don't lie. Just ask Piers Morgan.

Another thing is that an adult who wasn't familiar with the beast, wouldn't climb on the back of a Plesiosaur
in the such cold temperatures of Loch Ness, the chilling calefaction would reverse time and turn a man's testicles
into those of a ten year-old boy.
(It's the same as when you're getting ready on a Saturday night and after leaving the shower naked, you lean over
the cold sink to reach for your razor... same thing)

So the conclusion drawn is that this isn't the first time you've done this with Nessie and thank heavens the
trustworthy Press were on-hand to grab the photo.

...As MrsG has alluded to... a single creature couldn't really have been the source of all of the sightings over many hundreds of years.
If there is a "creature" (of any sort) in Loch Ness, then there must be a breeding population of creatures there.

A fair assumption and it only falls down when we insert our selfish perception of what the strange creature must be.

We tend to believe that since elusive un-scientifically recognised animals cannot comprehend guile or that ability to
problem-solve in the way we THINK we do, such a creature would surely show itself more often than it does.

Who's to say the monster doesn't regularly break the surface of the loch? Life isn't a movie where everything is
catered for -for the viewer. In 1987, Operation Deepscan trawled the length of Loch Ness and detected three unidentified
separate objects opposite Urquhart Castle at depths of between 256 and 590 feet.

Twenty-four boats covering sixty percent of the loch and receiving sonar readings in an area where 'Nessie' has been
most observed. After re-scanning that area of the water the next day, the objects could no longer be detected.
Three objects there one day, not there the next day. Not one single object.

Adrian Shine's conclusion... probably seals that had wandered in from the Inverness-Caledonian canal.
And nobody laughed or used the usual degrading insult of the product of a whisky-soaked imagination.

...AFAIK there are no Catfish or Giant Sturgeon on the loose in Scottish waters, and I've never came across any specific
evidence to suggest that there is a breeding population here. (It's too cold for Catfish to breed here!

You can forget catfish and even though sturgeons are cold-water northern hemisphere fish of very large size,
I'd think that fishing residents around the loch would've caught one by now -or at least acknowledged the presence
of one.
The scientists can't.

Of course, to even rule-in the idea of catfish or sturgeon, we have to rule-out the land sightings and assume that the
witnesses were all liars.

There's no doubt that Loch Ness is deep and mysterious.
There is a even a possibility that there are underwater tunnels which link the Loch to the Sea.
Everyone has heard of Sea-Monsters.... right?

Again, this proposal is often scoffed at in favour of a giant invisible land-walking sturgeon or long-necked catfish
that are only nosy about summer tourists or lazy journalists.
The scientists wear white coats -for God's sake, stop doubting them.

...Many of the "sightings" are likely mis-identifications of other things, whether rolling waves from far-off boats, swimming deer,
seals/porpoises/salmon/logs... Does that mean that a population of unknown creatures doesn't exist there?

And right there amongst the many unusual behaviors of the large body of water, those same scientists assure the
believers is where the monster resides.

All of Gordi's examples are rational and yet, every year a witness comes forward to report a dark-coloured, long-necked,
mottle-skinned humped object appearing at the surface, moving against winds, submerging, avoiding water-traffic and on
very rare occasions, coming ashore.

All accounts from half-witted, duplicitous people who live in a world where they believe monsters exist...?
Or simply long-term loch-shore residents, tourists and keen enthusiasts who see something that they cannot rationalise?

PS - I had to invent the main body of text in the Inverness Courier article (regarding wrestling the beast) as
I had been photographed atop said creature and needed to come up with a valid reason for doing so that didn't
involve the smooth yet abrasive skin of Nessie's back being the ideal surface texture for easing sporran rash issues....
for a friend... aye...

I read the Courier's piece and it was quite illuminating.
Like many here on Rogue Nation, I had no idea you had other property along the 26 mile-long loch and partook in the hobby
of riding large-finned natives of that water. Don't get me wrong, I'm not judging. I've heard there are movies involving humans
and... well, this is a family-friendly website, so I'll drop it.

You out of idle curiosity of said-members, would you like to expand on other experiences of 'sporran rash'?
 



From The Inverness Courier. Converted into text.

       Local Man Seen Interacting With Summer Favourite Just Off Shore Of Drumnadrochit.

                                                   (By our correspondent B. Dress.)

Local residents pretended to be astonished on Sunday, when tourists reported to the proprietors of the nearby
gift-shops of a man spotted behaving in a unusual manner in the nearby bay.

Where the rivers Enrick and Colltie meet to flow into Loch Ness, onlookers seemed bemused by the handsome,
althletic-bodied gentleman that those -who sell their low-quality metal king-rings and Hong-Kong-made bumper
-stickers to daily visitors, recognise as 'Gordi McGordi', gamboling in the peaty waters with the fabled beastie
-just north of Urquhart Castle.

Gordi, who strums to tourists and wrestles the occasional ox that strays near his property, recently caused a stir when
he invaded a meeting at the Unesco World Heritage site in Edinburgh and disrupted Scottish Parliamentary discussions
on whether the London Cockneys were worth hanging on to.

Straddling the imaginary animal with his firm un-rashed thighs, Gordi performed a couple of folk tunes accompanied by
his guitar and something beneath his sporran that kept the beat. Sadly, the gratuities tossed at him sank beneath the
waves, but the applause certainly made-up for any fiscal mishaps.

Asked later by the media on why he engages in this day-of-rest activity, Gordi was reported to have smiled and told the
Reporter to f*ck off. Obviously, Scottish humour is sometimes lost on southern scriveners and so to clear the air, Gordi
ceded to the Journalist's old ruse of abusing their expense account.
...............................


In other news.

Public House Landlord Beats Reporter Half-To-Death  For Inability To Pay Bar-Bill.

Innkeeper Bruiser McTavish was severely reprimanded by the local constabulary on Sunday evening, when he was
suspected of being involved in an assault. McTavish of Drumnadrochit...

[BIAD]

I've been surprised to the lack of 'silly-season' images of Nessie in the papers and on television,
maybe it's due to the Brexit-gossip is more convenient to the London-based media.

Anyway, the scientific survey of those peaty waters has ended and here's the result.
I wonder if Professor Neil Gemmell feels any better for killing a legend?

Loch Ness Monster may be a giant eel, say scientists.

'The creatures behind repeated sightings of the fabled Loch Ness Monster may be giant eels,
according to scientists. Researchers from New Zealand have tried to catalogue all living species
in the loch by extracting DNA from water samples.

Following analysis, the scientists have ruled out the presence of large animals said to be behind
reports of a monster. No evidence of a prehistoric marine reptile called a plesiosaur or a large fish
such as a sturgeon were found.

Catfish and suggestions that a wandering Greenland shark were behind the sightings were also
discounted. The aim of the research was not to find Nessie, but to improve knowledge of what plants
and animals live in Loch Ness.

European eels are among the creatures in the loch, and whose DNA was picked up by the new research.
Juvenile eels, known as elvers, arrive in Scottish rivers and lochs after migrating more than 3,100 miles
(5,000 km) from the Sargasso Sea near the Bahamas, where the animals spawn and lay eggs.

Prof Neil Gemmell, a geneticist from New Zealand's University of Otago. said: "People love a mystery,
we've used science to add another chapter to Loch Ness' mystique. "We can't find any evidence of a creature
that's remotely related to that in our environmental-DNA sequence data.
So, sorry, I don't think the plesiosaur idea holds up based on the data that we have obtained."

He added: "So there's no shark DNA in Loch Ness based on our sampling. There is also no catfish DNA in
Loch Ness based on our sampling. We can't find any evidence of sturgeon either,

"There is a very significant amount of eel DNA. Eels are very plentiful in Loch Ness, with eel DNA found at
pretty much every location sampled - there are a lot of them. So - are they giant eels? "Well, our data doesn't
reveal their size, but the sheer quantity of the material says that we can't discount the possibility that there may
be giant eels in Loch Ness.
Therefore we can't discount the possibility that what people see and believe is the Loch Ness Monster might
be a giant eel."

DNA from humans, dogs, sheep, cattle, deer, badgers, rabbits, voles and birds were also identified by the
researchers. The Loch Ness Monster is one of Scotland's oldest and most enduring myths. It inspires books,
TV shows and films, and sustains a major tourism industry around its home.

The story of the monster can be traced back 1,500 years when Irish missionary St Columba is said to have
encountered a beast in the River Ness in 565AD. Later, in the 1930s, The Inverness Courier reported the first
modern sighting of Nessie...'

So basically speaking, mainstream media cannot be relied on to tell the truth?!!

'...In 1933, the newspaper's Fort Augustus correspondent, Alec Campbell, reported a sighting by Aldie Mackay
of what she believed to be Nessie. Mr Campbell's report described a whale-like creature and the loch's water
"cascading and churning".

The editor at the time, Evan Barron, suggested the beast be described as a "monster", kick starting the modern
myth of the Loch Ness Monster. In 1934, highly respected British surgeon, Colonel Robert Wilson, claimed he took
a photograph of the monster while driving along the northern shore of Loch Ness.


Nessie made an appearance in the 1969 film The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes.
Young eels arrive in the River Ness and Loch Ness every year as part of their life cycle.

Known as the "Surgeon's Photograph", 60 years later it was confirmed as a hoax hatched in revenge after a
newspaper ridiculed journalist Marmaduke Wetherell for finding "Nessie footprints" on the shore.
The "monster" caught on camera was apparently a toy submarine bought from Woolworths, with a head fashioned
from wood putty. The hoaxers then gave the photo to Wilson, a friend who enjoyed a good practical joke.



Explanations for the monster offered in the past include it being swimming circus elephants.
In his research of Nessie, Glasgow-based palaeontologist Neil Clark found fairs and circuses were a common
occurrence in the Inverness area, particularly from the early 1930s.

He said elephants may have been allowed to swim in the loch while the travelling carnivals stopped to give the
animals a rest. Another theory is that large fallen branches floating in the loch are the cause of monster sightings....'

BBC:

[guohua]

An eel????
That was One Big Damn EEL!

[Ninurta]

Following analysis, the scientists have ruled out the presence of large animals said to be behind
reports of a monster. No evidence of a prehistoric marine reptile called a plesiosaur or a large fish
such as a sturgeon were found.

Now I'm curious to know where they got a sample of plesiosaur DAN to compare the Loch DNA against so they could rule out plesiosaurs..

European eels are among the creatures in the loch, and whose DNA was picked up by the new research.
Juvenile eels, known as elvers, arrive in Scottish rivers and lochs after migrating more than 3,100 miles
(5,000 km) from the Sargasso Sea near the Bahamas, where the animals spawn and lay eggs.

European eels spawn in the Bahamas? Never knew that!

DNA from humans, dogs, sheep, cattle, deer, badgers, rabbits, voles and birds were also identified by the
researchers. The Loch Ness Monster is one of Scotland's oldest and most enduring myths. It inspires books,
TV shows and films, and sustains a major tourism industry around its home.

Humans, dogs, sheep, cattle, deer, badgers, rabbits, voles, and birds live in the Loch? Over here in the colonies, those sorts of critters live on land, and we don't have any aquatic versions of them. What ARE your scientist types experimenting on over there?

[/quote]

[BIAD]

Now I'm curious to know where they got a sample of plesiosaur DNA to compare the Loch DNA
against so they could rule out plesiosaurs..

Another example of lazy Journalism along with their location of the Sargasso Sea. The research was basically to
reference the biological contents of the loch to analyse natural or forced changes in the evolution of water-dwelling
creatures.

Gemmell and his associates weren't looking for Nessie, they are more interested in the migratory and resident
biology of Loch Ness with research primarily focused on effects on a genetic level.

'...Our research blends ecology, population, conservation and evolutionary biology with recent
technological spin-offs from the various genome projects. 

A recurring theme is that of reproduction, with past and current projects spanning mating systems
and mate choice, sperm-egg interactions, sperm function, sex determination, sex allocation, and
inter-sexual genomic conflict. 

We also have interests in the evolution of the mitochondrial genome, the evolution of microsatellite DNA,
the evolution of sex determining mechanisms and the processes that lead to speciation...'
Source:

'..European eels spawn in the Bahamas? Never knew that!

It would be fair to say the Sargasso Sea is nearer you than the Bahamas! It's just with the hurricane story, it's
trendy to say it.

'...Humans, dogs, sheep, cattle, deer, badgers, rabbits, voles, and birds live in the Loch?...

Yeah, the many streams and becks that enter the loch bring down all sorts of shite from the surrounding land
and I know for certain there's a broken model of the monster down there along with a wheelbarrow and the
remains of John Cobb's jet powered speedboat.

He 'hit' an unexplained wake during an attempt at a world speed record and he died in the incident.
Probably an eel.

[BIAD]

It's certainly a sign of the times when The Times aligns itself with the click-bait media outlets that propagate news
that we could call... fishy?! In fact, the use of the word 'boffins' should alert any serious Journalist -assuming there's
any left, that this story is dubious at best.

Take note, there's no mention of the location of the camera in relation to the depth of the water, no reference to the
size of the fish in the foreground and The Ness Fishery Board's twitter account only offers a light-hearted nod to the
legendary creature.

I don't think it can be categorised as 'Fake News', but it's not really a genuine story, especially when the recording
took place in the River Ness, not the loch.

Boffins believe they’ve finally got video proof that Nessie exists…and is actually a giant eel.

'A huge eel-like creature has been filmed in the murky waters of Loch Ness —and experts reckon it really is the monster.
It comes after scientists claimed that sightings of Nessie were actually a giant eel.

The video, shared online by the Ness Fishery Board, captured the outline of a long, slender creature in the Scottish Highlands
loch. Amazing footage from an underwater camera shows the “serpent” slithering through the water from the left and dwarfing
fish in its path.

In contrast to the iconic 1934 image of Nessie — which proved to be fake — boffins believe this is the real deal.
The video was taken two weeks ago on the River Ness near where it flows into Loch Ness by a camera set up to
monitor trout and other fish...'

Two weeks ago. Two whole weeks have passed since the discovery of an unknown creature that academia has assured the
public does not exist and yet only now, the Ness Fisheries Board decided to reveal it to... oh wait, it's been sitting on their
Twitter account since the 1st of September!
Hardly news.

THE EEL NESSIE
It was shared online by the Ness Fishery Board, which tweeted: “Let’s be honest, when you see a large, eel-shaped object
passing your camera in the River Ness, the first thing you think of is the Loch Ness Monster.”
We have enhanced the image, which emerged after a team of scientists claimed sightings of Nessie were actually a giant eel.

Richard Freeman, of the Centre for Fortean Zoology which has tried to solve the 1,000-year-old monster mystery, believes the
creature in the video is an eel. He said: “I don’t believe the eel theory has killed off the Loch Ness Monster, quite the reverse.
“A giant eel which can grow up to 30ft is a monster in every sense of the word.”


(The bottom image is take from The Times website)

Gary Campbell, the keeper of the Official Loch Ness Sightings Register, added: “We know Nessie is not a prehistoric monster
—Loch Ness was a block of ice 10,000 years ago during the last Ice Age.
"Nothing would have survived. A fish or an eel was always the most plausible theory.”

Mikko Takala, 51, who has been hunting Nessie for 27 years, said the latest footage counts as an “excellent sighting”.
Many theories have already been discounted including that the monster could be a shark, catfish, sturgeon or a plesiosaur.
Last week experts from New Zealand suggested the monster was a giant eel after studying DNA extracted from the 23-mile
long fresh­water loch in the Scottish Highlands.

They took 250 samples and identified 15 species of fish and 3,000 types of bacteria.
The international team of scientists that trawled the waterway was led by Professor Neil Gemmell, of the University of Otago in
New Zealand. He said there was a significant amount of eel DNA.

He added: “Our data doesn’t reveal their size, but the quantity of the material says we can’t discount the possibility that there
may be giant eels in Loch Ness. “Therefore we can’t discount the possibility that what people see and believe is the Loch Ness
Monster might be a giant eel.”

Hundreds of thousands of visitors travel to the loch each year hoping to spot the monster...'

The Sun:

Give me a break.

[guohua]

  They have nothing more on staff than Millennial, Basement Dwelling Adults as reporters, who are afraid to leave mommie's basement and see the daylight.

[BIAD]

With the UK's weather being bad and the MSM heavily relying on social media and regional outlets
to provide the London-based news companies with something to fill their websites and columns that
isn't coronavirus-related, good-old Nessie rears her head once more.

Gigantic rotting 'Nessie' skeleton washes up off Scottish beach during Storm Ciara

Some social media users joked that the carcass was actually the remains on the Loch Ness
Monster as they washed up near Aberdeen.

'A gigantic skeleton has mysteriously washed up on a Scottish beach as the country was battered by Storm Ciara.
Residents have been left baffled after the huge rotten carcass was discovered near Aberdeen.


The giant skeleton washed up on a beach near Aberdeen, could it be Nessie?

The snap shows a young lad posing with the remains of the beast, which are still clinging to some decaying flesh.
Its humongous spine can be seen curving round as it lays in the surf following the storm.
Locals spotted the creature just hours after Storm Ciara battered Britain with huge 80mph gales.

Some social media users joked that the carcass was actually the remains on the Loch Ness Monster.
Facebook page Fubar News posted: "Came across this weird creature today near Aberdeen.
Any ideas what it could be?".

One wrote: “Whales spine, big one from the look of it.”
Another joked: “Oh me it’s Nessie the Loch Ness monster.”
And one added: “Dead whale probably drifting about for few month weather washed it up on the beach.
“They stink seen a few over my career as a trawler man.”...'

Cue the usual bollocks of the past to give the fluff-piece some credibility!

'...It is not the first time people have speculated over Nessie – who was first “spotted” back in 565.
Loch Ness’s native monster was mentioned in the biography of Irish monk St Columba mentions a giant
"water beast" dragging a man to his death.

Interest peaked in the 1930s when a road was built along the loch, allowing monster seekers to come hunt Nessie.
And the following year the infamous “surgeon’s photograph” was taken, which appears to show Nessie poking her
head out of the water.

However, in 1975 it was revealed the famous picture was a hoax made using a fake monster’s head.
Scientists mostly agree that it is very unlikely there is a giant prehistoric marine monster living in the lake.
Sightings have been dismissed as just misidentifications of more mundane creatures, such as eels, catfish or otters.
Pictures still occasionally surface of the beast, but evidence proving the existence of Nessie remains elusive...'

The Daily Star:

[BIAD]

If we accept that when it comes to large bodies of water, poor identification of known animals, weather interaction and
other effects observed by humans from a distance, can result in a false-discerning of something we wish to see, more
than we actually see.

Loch Ness is an expert in this field. A vast peat-ridden lake surrounded by vegetation and and enjoys frequent boat traffic.
A wake from a vessel long passed by an observer can ricochet from the banks of the loch and return to meet its counterpart
and give the notion of undualting humps moving at a rapid pace. A fallen log, a far-off-seen canoe, a water-fowl and the list
can go on, shapes in a lake that already holds the suspicion of an unknown aquatic animal of large size.

But what if this mythical beastie comes ashore...? Most people can distinguish from a familair animal known in the world
to one that is scientifically said to be non-existant. Such an appearance on land would surely add weight to the belief that
something that should be, lurks in the deep waters of the Great Glen.
..........................................................

In standard articles regarding the mystery of Loch Ness, most authors begin with the never-doubted account of how Saint
Columba demanded the water-beast to return to its depths of the River Ness after killing a local. However, this legend has
also be attributed to Saint Patrick of Ireland as well. 
..........................................................

But the first 'modern' accounts of land sightings started in 1527 when Duncan Campbell and several others were at the
lochside enjoying the serenity of the early summer morning. Suddenly, the monster set 'upon them' and with a swish of
its tail, delivered lethal blows to three of the men before slipping away into the sombre waters of the loch.
..........................................................

In 1879, a group of children were playing near a now-long-forgotten graveyard named after a small crofting community of
Aldourie on the north-eastern side of Loch Ness. Terrified by what they witnessed, the youngsters raced home to report
that they'd seen the legendary creature ‘waddling’ down the hillside towards the Loch.
Their description was of a small head on long neck turning from side to side and the beast's body was grey in colour.
..........................................................

A year later (1880), Mr E.H. Bright and a cousin were wandering the woods around the north-west bay of Drumnadrochit,
when something 'left wooded area and waddled to water on 4 legs. Long neck, dark grey in colour.' It was also reported
that the creature left a disturbance in the water after entering loch.
..........................................................

Over a decade would pass before the beastie would chance its flipper at taking a stroll along the banks of Loch Ness.
In 1912, Mr William MacGruer and five or six children were on the shore of Inchnacardoch Bay the other end of the 23
mile-long stretch of water, when they witnessed something they described as 'queer'.

Mr MacGrue compared the peculiar animal to a camel but smaller and with a long neck, humped-back and fairly long legs.
He further stated its skin tone was a sandy pale yellow colour.
..........................................................

In 1919, Mrs Peter Cameron and her two brothers observed something similar to MacGruer's queer animal in an unknown
spot on the lochside. Their description was of a small head like a camel, long neck, humped-back and 4 limbs. Again, the
coulour was like a camel.
..........................................................

It was the same year in February, when Jock Forbes and his father were riding their cart and pony back from Inverness during
some stormy weather. Nearing the hamlet of Inverfarigaig -a village on the east shore and in a central area of the loch, their pony
suddenly started and backed away. Attempting to calm the frightened mare, Jock and his dad stared along the road and became
aware that there was something crossing the road, coming out of the forest and ambling towards the Loch.

Whatever was traversing the remote road was big and Jock later stated that they heard it splash into the loch. Jock's father then
murmured to himself in Gaelic and urging the pony forward, the pair rushed home. Being of a time when such things could bring
bad luck, they never spoke of the incident again.
..........................................................

In April 1923 and at night, Alfred Cruickshank reported that during a lochside journey in his car from his home in Buckie, Banfffshire
to Speanbridge (further south in the Great Glen), he saw a creature of around ten-to-twelve feet long bearing a tail of similar
proportions. Cruickshank added that the body five-to-seven feet in diameter and it's back was arched. With large webbed feet on
thick elephant-like legs, the beast was khaki green in colour and lighter at its belly.

The location of the Model T headlight-lit sighting is estimated to be near Invermoriston on the lower-mid western shore of Loch Ness,
but Alfred's odd remark that the creature gave out a sharp bark, like a dog, as it disappeared over the road into the water only adds
another strange factor to the mystery.
..........................................................

In 1932 Colonel Fordyce and his wife reported a shaggy-furred, long-legged, long-necked camel-like creature as it crossed a road
to get to the loch. After breakfast on this sunny spring day, the good Colonel and his Missus began their trek back to Kent in England.
Where the road on the eastern side of the loch moves away into the dense surrounding woods, the Fordyces came across the most
unexpected of pedestrians crossing their path.

To quote Colonel Fordyce, " It had the gait of an elephant, but looked like a cross between a very large horse and a camel,
with a hump on its back and a small head on a long neck. I stopped the car and followed the creature on foot for a short
distance.

From the rear it looked grey and shaggy. Its long, thin neck gave it the appearance of an elephant with its trunk raised.
Unfortunately. I had left my camera in the car, but in any case I quickly thought discretion the better part of valour and
returned to the vehicle.

This strange animal occupied our thoughts and conversation for many, many miles and we came to the conclusion that
it was an escaped freak from a menagerie or zoo. We felt that a beast of such tremendous proportions would soon be
tracked down and captured."
..........................................................

As the media realised Nessie held an intrigue to the readers of their newspapers, other accounts appeared on their pages.

1933 and on the same day Wiley Post became the first person to fly solo around the world and "Machine Gun Kelly" -with a
cohort, kidnapped Oklahoma oilman Charles Urschel, Mr and Mrs George Spicer were travelling back to London from a Scottish
holiday.

It was July and a British public were just becoming aware of an aquatic monster that supposedly lived somewhere in Scotland.
When the Spicers reported what they'd seen, it would change the paradigm of what Nessie was, into what Nessie sometimes did!

Just south of where the Aldourie children played in the cemetery, there's a slight bend in the eastern shoreline of the loch where
the small village of Dores resides. The shore-hugging road that the Spicers were travelling on -by car, from Dores to a southern
village called Foyers still exists, but today, most traffic use the B852.

But on the 22nd of July in daylight, George Spicer and his wife became alarmed when the observed a long elephant trunk-like
object stretch across the narrow road. This long appendage was followed by a large grey connected body undulating its way
across the thoroughfare. Mr Spicer is quoted as saying 'it looked like a scenic railway' in regards of its size.

The couple realised that whatever it was it was a living being, and watched in fascinated horror as it jerked across the road and
vanished into the water. The vegetation the creature had passed through was flattened; locals later stated that large patches of
crushed bracken and weeds were commonly associated with the monster.
..........................................................

1933 seems to be a favourite of Nessie as a lady called Mrs M. F MacLennan reported that she'd seen a dark grey mass on a
beach close to Dores again. Estimating the mass to be twenty-to-twenty five feet in length, Mrs MacLennan said its back looked
ridged, but had several humps on it. Mrs MacLennan added it had short, thick, clumsy legs with a kind of hoof very like a pigs, but
much larger.
..........................................................

Arthur Grant felt what the Spicers and Mrs MacLennan went through in January of the next year, but for the Veterinary student,
it was at night. For Grant on his motorcycle, it was around 1.00 a.m and the road back to Inverness held no illumination except
for the moonlight above. Out of nowhere, Arthur's motorbike-lamp suddenly shone on something ahead crossing the road.

It was fleeting for the young man, but Arthur Grant stated he saw 'a animal's small head with large 'eel-like eyes', long neck, large
body, flippers and tail'. The startled animal fled back into the loch and another land-sighting had come and gone in seconds.
..........................................................

In 1944, Margaret Munro spotted the animal out of the water. Margaret was a housemaid at Kilchuimen Lodge and presumably
enjoying a day off, she watched an odd creature through her binoculars as it rolled about on the shingled beach of Borlum Bay.
Borlum Bay is near Drumnadrochit on the western shore where the rivers Enrick and Colitie empty into the Urquhart Bay.

Miss Munro described the animal as grey in colour and having a long neck, small head, large body, flippers and humps.
It was quite happy sunning itself on the shore and after a period of around twenty-five minutes it slipped back into the water.
Reporting the sighting to her employers, they later walked down to the beach and noticed that the shingle was flattened, as
if something of considerable size had been lying there.
..........................................................

Then Nessie called it a day with his adventures from his watery home. It would be the sixties before he dared venture out into
the world of The Beatles, free love and going to the moon. Maybe we could look at some of the land-sightings from that period
too, huh?!


Several images of what people reported.
(R-L) Arthur Grant on his motorbike.
A different Arthur Grant's sighting.
Torquil Macleod's observation during the 60's.
Colonel Fordyce & a rendering of what he saw.

[Kenzo]

   

If we accept that when it comes to large bodies of water, poor identification of known animals, weather interaction and
other effects observed by humans from a distance, can result in a false-discerning of something we wish to see, more
than we actually see.

Loch Ness is an expert in this field. A vast peat-ridden lake surrounded by vegetation and and enjoys frequent boat traffic.
A wake from a vessel long passed by an observer can ricochet from the banks of the loch and return to meet its counterpart
and give the notion of undualting humps moving at a rapid pace. A fallen log, a far-off-seen canoe, a water-fowl and the list
can go on, shapes in a lake that already holds the suspicion of an unknown aquatic animal of large size.

But what if this mythical beastie comes ashore...? Most people can distinguish from a familair animal known in the world
to one that is scientifically said to be non-existant. Such an appearance on land would surely add weight to the belief that
something that should be, lurks in the deep waters of the Great Glen.
..........................................................

In standard articles regarding the mystery of Loch Ness, most authors begin with the never-doubted account of how Saint
Columba demanded the water-beast to return to its depths of the River Ness after killing a local. However, this legend has
also be attributed to Saint Patrick of Ireland as well. 
..........................................................

But the first 'modern' accounts of land sightings started in 1527 when Duncan Campbell and several others were at the
lochside enjoying the serenity of the early summer morning. Suddenly, the monster set 'upon them' and with a swish of
its tail, delivered lethal blows to three of the men before slipping away into the sombre waters of the loch.
..........................................................

In 1879, a group of children were playing near a now-long-forgotten graveyard named after a small crofting community of
Aldourie on the north-eastern side of Loch Ness. Terrified by what they witnessed, the youngsters raced home to report
that they'd seen the legendary creature ‘waddling’ down the hillside towards the Loch.
Their description was of a small head on long neck turning from side to side and the beast's body was grey in colour.
..........................................................

A year later (1880), Mr E.H. Bright and a cousin were wandering the woods around the north-west bay of Drumnadrochit,
when something 'left wooded area and waddled to water on 4 legs. Long neck, dark grey in colour.' It was also reported
that the creature left a disturbance in the water after entering loch.
..........................................................

Over a decade would pass before the beastie would chance its flipper at taking a stroll along the banks of Loch Ness.
In 1912, Mr William MacGruer and five or six children were on the shore of Inchnacardoch Bay the other end of the 23
mile-long stretch of water, when they witnessed something they described as 'queer'.

Mr MacGrue compared the peculiar animal to a camel but smaller and with a long neck, humped-back and fairly long legs.
He further stated its skin tone was a sandy pale yellow colour.
..........................................................

In 1919, Mrs Peter Cameron and her two brothers observed something similar to MacGruer's queer animal in an unknown
spot on the lochside. Their description was of a small head like a camel, long neck, humped-back and 4 limbs. Again, the
coulour was like a camel.
..........................................................

It was the same year in February, when Jock Forbes and his father were riding their cart and pony back from Inverness during
some stormy weather. Nearing the hamlet of Inverfarigaig -a village on the east shore and in a central area of the loch, their pony
suddenly started and backed away. Attempting to calm the frightened mare, Jock and his dad stared along the road and became
aware that there was something crossing the road, coming out of the forest and ambling towards the Loch.

Whatever was traversing the remote road was big and Jock later stated that they heard it splash into the loch. Jock's father then
murmured to himself in Gaelic and urging the pony forward, the pair rushed home. Being of a time when such things could bring
bad luck, they never spoke of the incident again.
..........................................................

In April 1923 and at night, Alfred Cruickshank reported that during a lochside journey in his car from his home in Buckie, Banfffshire
to Speanbridge (further south in the Great Glen), he saw a creature of around ten-to-twelve feet long bearing a tail of similar
proportions. Cruickshank added that the body five-to-seven feet in diameter and it's back was arched. With large webbed feet on
thick elephant-like legs, the beast was khaki green in colour and lighter at its belly.

The location of the Model T headlight-lit sighting is estimated to be near Invermoriston on the lower-mid western shore of Loch Ness,
but Alfred's odd remark that the creature gave out a sharp bark, like a dog, as it disappeared over the road into the water only adds
another strange factor to the mystery.
..........................................................

In 1932 Colonel Fordyce and his wife reported a shaggy-furred, long-legged, long-necked camel-like creature as it crossed a road
to get to the loch. After breakfast on this sunny spring day, the good Colonel and his Missus began their trek back to Kent in England.
Where the road on the eastern side of the loch moves away into the dense surrounding woods, the Fordyces came across the most
unexpected of pedestrians crossing their path.

To quote Colonel Fordyce, " It had the gait of an elephant, but looked like a cross between a very large horse and a camel,
with a hump on its back and a small head on a long neck. I stopped the car and followed the creature on foot for a short
distance.

From the rear it looked grey and shaggy. Its long, thin neck gave it the appearance of an elephant with its trunk raised.
Unfortunately. I had left my camera in the car, but in any case I quickly thought discretion the better part of valour and
returned to the vehicle.

This strange animal occupied our thoughts and conversation for many, many miles and we came to the conclusion that
it was an escaped freak from a menagerie or zoo. We felt that a beast of such tremendous proportions would soon be
tracked down and captured."
..........................................................

As the media realised Nessie held an intrigue to the readers of their newspapers, other accounts appeared on their pages.

1933 and on the same day Wiley Post became the first person to fly solo around the world and "Machine Gun Kelly" -with a
cohort, kidnapped Oklahoma oilman Charles Urschel, Mr and Mrs George Spicer were travelling back to London from a Scottish
holiday.

It was July and a British public were just becoming aware of an aquatic monster that supposedly lived somewhere in Scotland.
When the Spicers reported what they'd seen, it would change the paradigm of what Nessie was, into what Nessie sometimes did!

Just south of where the Aldourie children played in the cemetery, there's a slight bend in the eastern shoreline of the loch where
the small village of Dores resides. The shore-hugging road that the Spicers were travelling on -by car, from Dores to a southern
village called Foyers still exists, but today, most traffic use the B852.

But on the 22nd of July in daylight, George Spicer and his wife became alarmed when the observed a long elephant trunk-like
object stretch across the narrow road. This long appendage was followed by a large grey connected body undulating its way
across the thoroughfare. Mr Spicer is quoted as saying 'it looked like a scenic railway' in regards of its size.

The couple realised that whatever it was it was a living being, and watched in fascinated horror as it jerked across the road and
vanished into the water. The vegetation the creature had passed through was flattened; locals later stated that large patches of
crushed bracken and weeds were commonly associated with the monster.
..........................................................

1933 seems to be a favourite of Nessie as a lady called Mrs M. F MacLennan reported that she'd seen a dark grey mass on a
beach close to Dores again. Estimating the mass to be twenty-to-twenty five feet in length, Mrs MacLennan said its back looked
ridged, but had several humps on it. Mrs MacLennan added it had short, thick, clumsy legs with a kind of hoof very like a pigs, but
much larger.
..........................................................

Arthur Grant felt what the Spicers and Mrs MacLennan went through in January of the next year, but for the Veterinary student,
it was at night. For Grant on his motorcycle, it was around 1.00 a.m and the road back to Inverness held no illumination except
for the moonlight above. Out of nowhere, Arthur's motorbike-lamp suddenly shone on something ahead crossing the road.

It was fleeting for the young man, but Arthur Grant stated he saw 'a animal's small head with large 'eel-like eyes', long neck, large
body, flippers and tail'. The startled animal fled back into the loch and another land-sighting had come and gone in seconds.
..........................................................

In 1944, Margaret Munro spotted the animal out of the water. Margaret was a housemaid at Kilchuimen Lodge and presumably
enjoying a day off, she watched an odd creature through her binoculars as it rolled about on the shingled beach of Borlum Bay.
Borlum Bay is near Drumnadrochit on the western shore where the rivers Enrick and Colitie empty into the Urquhart Bay.

Miss Munro described the animal as grey in colour and having a long neck, small head, large body, flippers and humps.
It was quite happy sunning itself on the shore and after a period of around twenty-five minutes it slipped back into the water.
Reporting the sighting to her employers, they later walked down to the beach and noticed that the shingle was flattened, as
if something of considerable size had been lying there.
..........................................................

Then Nessie called it a day with his adventures from his watery home. It would be the sixties before he dared venture out into
the world of The Beatles, free love and going to the moon. Maybe we could look at some of the land-sightings from that period
too, huh?!


Several images of what people reported.
(R-L) Arthur Grant on his motorbike.
A different Arthur Grant's sighting.
Torquil Macleod's observation during the 60's.
Colonel Fordyce & a rendering of what he saw.

i'll tell y'all , there`s many monsters in Scotland .




Picture


And then there is Kraken , thought she is not in Scotland .....dont ask how i know!

[gordi]

I can neither confirm nor deny any involvement in the creation, fabrication, perpetuation or otherwise of these creature related incidents. And anyway... it was raining and I was bored.

  Nessie Gu Brath!

PS - You can find Kraken in Scotland!
I've drunk it many times and it's very good. (It's a Dark Rum)

G

[Ninurta]

I can neither confirm nor deny any involvement in the creation, fabrication, perpetuation or otherwise of these creature related incidents. And anyway... it was raining and I was bored.

  Nessie Gu Brath!

Is that the Scottish version of Irish "Nessie go bragh"?

PS - You can find Kraken in Scotland!
I've drunk it many times and it's very good. (It's a Dark Rum)

G

I second that assessment - I've drank many a liter of Kraken. Matter of fact, I have an empty 1.75 liter Kraken bottle right here next to me that I filled with water to give it some weight and then sealed off to keep green crap from growing in the water. I use it for a door stop in the summer so I can have a breeze whilst drinking more Kraken. See? Kraken is a versatile commodity!

.

[Ninurta]

i'll tell y'all , there`s many monsters in Scotland .




Picture


And then there is Kraken , thought she is not in Scotland .....dont ask how i know!

Interesting map. I noticed something called a "wisp" in or around Ayrshire, and it reminded me of a tale my granny used to tell (but this happened in the Appalachians, rather than Scotland) of seeing a "ball of fire" float to a house, climb the outer wall and sink through the roof. The next morning it was reported that an inhabitant of that house had died in the night.

.

[gordi]

Is that the Scottish version of Irish "Nessie go bragh"?

PS - You can find Kraken in Scotland!
I've drunk it many times and it's very good. (It's a Dark Rum)

G

I second that assessment - I've drank many a liter of Kraken. Matter of fact, I have an empty 1.75 liter Kraken bottle right here next to me that I filled with water to give it some weight and then sealed off to keep green crap from growing in the water. I use it for a door stop in the summer so I can have a breeze whilst drinking more Kraken. See? Kraken is a versatile commodity!

.

Very probably. (Scots Gaelic for "Nessie Forever" borrowed from the Scots Gaelic toast "Slainte gu brath" which is literally "Health forever" or really just wishing your drinking buddy Good Health in the future.)

Kraken is da Mutts Nuttz! Nom Nom Nom! LOL

[VioletDove]

I can’t believe I now know of 2 people that like Kraken. I bought some a couple of years ago because I thought the bottle was cool. I didn’t like it, so that’s what I’d bring out whenever the husband’s mooching friends came over. They usually wouldn’t stick around after the first pour. 

That map @"Kenzo" posted looks to have a whole bunch of terrifying creatures on it. I guess Scotland may not be somewhere I’d want to visit. I’m afraid I’d run into that cu sith and not knowing any better may try to bring it back with me.

[BIAD]

I noticed on Kenzo's map 'The Beast of Barrisdale' and on The Calum Maclean Project website, there's an account of
the creature and may I say, it brings a warm glow to my heart.
...............................................................

'This is the story of the Beast of Barrisdale that I got some years ago, when I was in Inverie, and I was taking the place
of the priest for a time, for a week or two or a month. And I got a sick call to Inverguseran.

I was riding on horseback and Alan MacMaster was walking beside me. And, of course, it was not a very swift journey,
as you can understand. But Alan began to tell me of an extraordinary thing that happened away up at a smearing burn
at the end of Loch Hourn.

Something wild began roaring there, in that part of the world, and frightened the people, the whole of the people, I believe
that lived along the north side of Loch Hourn, were in terror for many weeks and months.
But the story of the smearing house was this.

The men were in at their dinner one day and then came out and began telling stories on the stone dykes round the barn.
And they are as a rule, you know, when the men are gathered together at a smearing place, there are many good stories
and songs, and in fact when they are gathering them in for the work they generally get one a two who are good at that,
telling stories or singing songs and so forth, And they were listening to their jokes and so on, when suddenly this terrific
roaring commenced.

And every man was immediately silent and there was no trying who would be first. Right they went into the barn and every
man on his own seat. And now the extraordinary thing about it was this: all the dogs were more frightened than the men
and got under the seats hiding for all they were worth.
Well that’s one side of it.

Now I must tell you: this wild roaring, whatever it was, commenced, in the year 1845 and Macdonald – I think he was Alasdair
Macdonald – told me that he was there at Arnisdale; near Arnisdale, on the north side of Loch Hourn and a number of them
had got together to push a boat out to go fishing.

And they had just got the boat on its keel and were ready to shove, when the wild roaring was heard. The boat was dropped
and every one of the men went away into the house frightened, terribly frightened. Now that, I said, was in 1845. The thing went
on, heard frequently all along the south side of Loch Hourn mostly and sometimes over to Loch Nevis but not so commonly.

Now I had service at Barrisdale one day and after service we had breakfast together quite a number of us. Among other there
was MacMaster – Ronald MacMaster particularly. He was the gamekeeper at Barrisdale. And he told me his experience.

He had to go up to the moor above Barrisdale to get some blackcock or grouse or some bird of that kind to send to the people
who had the shooting there, to send it down to London. He got up very early in the morning so as to be at the moor just as day
was breaking.

There was a little snow in the ground, about half an inch, and when he got close, got up towards the top of the moor, the level of
the moor, he heard the crooning of some birds, the very birds that he was after. So he backed a little to get the shelter of a rock
because he knew that there was some snow coming – what you might call a shower of snow, translating the Gaelic.
And he waited there with his gun ready.

And then suddenly without any warning off the birds go with a shriek of fright. He had some few words to say then, but he sat down
on the rock. He took out of his pipe and had a smoke because “My shot is lost today.” He sat there for a time. And then when daylight
came after the snow was over he walked out to where the birds had been.

And there he saw the tracks of the birds all round and showing on the snow. And right through the middle of the snow. He thought it
was a fox that had frightened them, but it wasn’t the tracks of a fox at all. The tracks are very interesting as described by him and
described by another later on, us I shall tell you.

The tracks left were about four inches each way, across each way. And there were four blunt toes towards the front and then in the
centre where there would be the ball of the lost there was left a cone of snow - showing that there was no ball there. And then – most
extraordinary – four inches behind that was the mark of a great claw that went in through the snow and when coming up picked up little
specks of peat

“Huh!” he said, “this is the wild beast – Biast Mhór Bhàrasdail. It spoilt my shot today and I’m going to give him something before I finish
with him.” So he got his gun ready, followed in for several hundred yards. The thing was going one step after the other. The hind foot mark
was going into the fore foot and it looked almost as if it was something with only two legs.

But then he got to a fault in the hillside. It was a rock going right away down and facing him as he come to it. It was a fault.
Part of the mountain was lower, the other part higher. He said, "That rock there was at least fourteen feet high.” Well now I often say
“Leave it at twelve.” And when he followed on the track there was no halt or pause or looking at it but four marks of four paws at the top
of the rock cleared the leap.

“Huh! I don’t like this. I think I’ll go home.” And he put, his gun away and made straight down the hill. He was away down some hundreds
of yards when a shepherd whistled to him. “Raghnaill, come here The wild beast has gone into the wood just below.” 
“Huh, tha gu leòr agam-sa ri dhèanamh ris a’ Bhiast Mhòr an-diugh.” [I’ve had enough to do with the Wild Beast today]
And marched home.

The shepherd had been there taking sheep out of the corrie, afraid that the snow was going to come heavy and perhaps get his sheep
buried. But Ronald didn’t pay any attention – went home. Now he told me the story and there was a John MacMaster there too,
a gamekeeper, a nice fellow too.

And Ronald said something: he thought it was something preternatural, not of this world at all because the marks of the paws were only seen
on the beautiful heavenly snow that had come down. “Oh!” John MacMaster says, “No, I saw it in the peat.” Then he described how he was one
day going up a hill in the usual way of the men with his stick across his back under his arms or something, and he passed a place where the
peat was bare of heather.

And there was a mark of a paw and he went on and: “Huh! That’s bigger than a dog’s paw.” And came back and measured it and found the
same measurements as Ronald had given in the snow. “Oh, well,” he says, “this is rather out of the ordinary.” But nothing happened.

Now on that same day after the men stopped speaking Mrs. MacMaster began talking. And she and someone else there began recounting
the tale of a day on which the Wild Beast had come from the mountain top to the east and had come right down the valley past the house
and away up on the other side.

That was about two o' clock in the morning when her husband was away towards Mallaig for a doctor, because she was very sick upstairs
and some other women with her. And they were mortally terrified. The house seemed to shake with the roaring of this animal.

And then another thing. They said to me that when a girl who was working in the house, an oldish maid, she went out, and they said to me:
“That girl was sixteen years in the Inverness Mental Hospital with the fright she took when this creature was heard at the village of Airor on
the west coast.

The people were around. It was about mid-day. The people were about their houses and some working and women gossiping over their
fences and so on. And the cows were around the different crofts and so on, when suddenly about mid-day this creature, whatever it was,
began roaring on a small hill just above the houses.

Then everybody was into the house terrified. And this is the extraordinary thing: all the cows gathered together and the bigger the older
cows put the young cattle into the middle of a ring. And there they were with their heads out bellowing for all they were worth in mortal
terror. And that girl was one of those who was terrified and, as I said, she was in the Mental Hospital in Inverness for sixteen years after.
Now it was one of the things that was very noticeable, the terror of dogs, yet the deer were not afraid.

Now I’ll tell you one part of the story that’s not first hand. What I am saying to you I heard from the people who heard the creature, but this is
only second hand. Murdoch Maclennan. I am told, saw a certain creature that he was rather alarmed at. And a friend of his was there with
him.

They were both fox-hunters, brocairean. And the friend had a gun and said: “I’m going to fire at this creature.”
Murdoch tried to prevent him, but it was no good. The man fired and apparently missed, because the wild beast went off with the deer.
He was with deer at the time and he ran away roaring for all he was worth and the deer went with him as companions.
Now another instance that is only second hand was that a man was walking along a road going towards the west along the north side of
Loch Hourn, Arnisdale way.

And he came almost to a point where the road was turning round and there coming up the other way was the Wild Beast. They both gazed
at one another and then began to back each of them. As soon as the man got out of sight he ran for all he was worth, went to bed and was
in bed for a week with the fright. Now those are the two points – that I have got – of second hand sight.
But the end of the whole thing comes like this.

As I said, it began in 1845. The last time it was heard was in 1903, when John MacMaster and John MacGillvary were away up on a
mountain towards the east end of Loch Hourn. I can’t now remember the name of the mountain. I knew it some time ago. And they were
well up-over – two thousand feet.

And below them there was a mountain barn and green pasturage beside the loch, this little loch. And in that there were a number of deer
feeding. They were sufficiently far away to have their spy-glasses out. And they were looking at the deer. Some of the deer were lying down,
others were standing up and feeding and so on: And then a thing that happens any time at all; if a raven crosses from one mountain top to
another and goes over a bunch of deer, the deer, each ear will go up and try to place the raven, find out.

Now, at that time the two men were lying on the ground with their spying-glasses watching the deer.
There were about six little dogs that they had. They were sitting on the grass beside them. And this wild creature began its roaring in a
corrie about three miles across the valley. That’s what they thought. And the deer didn’t notice it at all.

There was not a movement in the ear of any deer. But the dogs, the dogs tried to get under the legs of the two gamekeepers, hiding
with their hair standing on end, frightened out of their wits. And then after a time it stopped. And that’s the last time it was heard.
Both these gamekeepers promised to send me a telegram, if it was ever again heard, and we were going out after it.

The description that was given to me by many of the people. As I said before I did not meet the two who actually saw it, but it was well
known among the people what it looked like. The description given to me was this. It was about the size of a donkey but with a mane
and a tail like a horse. The head was broad at the top like that of a wild boar but there was no snout. It was a heavy over-hanging jaw
and terribly, terribly ugly.
The Beast did not attack anyone and nobody knows what it fed on.

MacMaster and MacGillvary would not tell me a lie. That I knew. None of those would. I knew them well and as God is my witness,
what I tell you is true. That was the usual thing. Father MacDonell died in a Glasgow nursing home in 1958. Three years earlier
– aged eighty-five – he had received an MBE in recognition of a lifetime’s involvement in the recruitment of emigrants to Canada.
He had connections with Aird and Invergarry and his pen-name when contributing to newspapers such as The Oban Times was
Creagan-an-Fhithich...'