Latest news with #Nessie-hunting
Daily Record
27-05-2025
- General
- Daily Record
What should a person do if they find Loch Ness Monster?
The Nessie Contingency Plan, drawn up by NatureScot, is a real guide for what to do if the monster ever appears For nearly a century, people have been scouring the dark waters of Loch Ness near Inverness in search of the legendary monster. Strange humps have been spotted gliding across the surface, and eerie sounds have echoed from the depths below, yet Nessie herself has never been definitively found. But what if, against all odds, the Loch Ness Monster actually turned up? As it turns out, authorities in Scotland are already prepared. A set of official guidelines, known as the Nessie Contingency Plan, was quietly drafted years ago by the government's nature agency, NatureScot. It sounds like something straight out of The X Files, but the document is real, and it outlines exactly what would happen if Nessie were to surface. A NatureScot spokesperson told the BBC: 'The Nessie Contingency Plan was produced back in 2001, at a time when there was a lot of Nessie-hunting activity on the loch. 'We were regularly being asked by the media and others what we would do if or when she, or he, was found. 'The code of practice, which was partly serious and partly for a bit of fun, was drawn up to offer protection not just to the elusive monster, but to any new species found in the loch.' Under the plan, any new creature discovered in the loch would be subject to scientific investigation, including a DNA sample, before being safely released back into the water. Crucially, the creature would also receive full legal protection, just like native Scottish species such as golden eagles and wildcats. That means if Nessie were real, it would be illegal to harm, kill or even capture her. Concerns for Nessie's safety aren't new. Back in 1938, a senior police officer wrote to the Scottish Office warning about a group of men intent on hunting the creature 'dead or alive'. The party, he said, was allegedly having a special harpoon gun made and planned to descend on the loch with 20 'experienced men'. The legend of the Loch Ness Monster stretches all the way back to the Middle Ages. According to ancient lore, it was Irish monk St Columba who first encountered a mysterious beast in the River Ness, which flows out from the loch. But the modern version of the myth only really began in the spring of 1933, when Aldie Mackay, manageress of a local hotel, reported seeing a whale-like creature thrashing through the water. The Inverness Courier picked up the story and its editor, Evan Barron, cemented Nessie's name in pop culture by describing the creature as a 'monster'. Since then, sightings have trickled in with remarkable consistency. The Official Loch Ness Monster Sightings Register has logged 1,161 reports since launching in 1996. There were three sightings last year, and already one for 2025, a pair of humps said to be gliding across the loch. Over the decades, eyewitnesses have described everything from a creature with crocodile-like skin to fast-moving shapes that defy explanation. Many have tried to solve the riddle. The Loch Ness Investigation Bureau conducted multiple searches throughout the 1960s and 70s. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Then in the late 1980s, Operation Deepscan brought more than 20 boats equipped with sonar technology to sweep the loch in a bid to detect large underwater animals. And then there's Steve Feltham, arguably the most committed monster hunter of them all. He gave up his job, sold his house in Dorset and moved to the shores of Loch Ness in 1991 to dedicate his life to cracking the mystery. Some researchers believe Nessie might not be a monster at all. In 2019, a team of scientists from New Zealand analysed environmental DNA from water samples across the loch. Their conclusion? There was no evidence of giant reptiles or prehistoric creatures like plesiosaurs. Instead, they suggested the sightings could be explained by something much less mythical: giant eels.
The Independent
31-03-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Camera trap set up to snare Nessie is discovered after more than 50 years
A robotic submersible undergoing engineering trials in Loch Ness has discovered a camera trap left by Nessie hunters more than half a century ago. The camera, which is thought to be one of the earliest attempts to catch the Loch Ness monster on film, was found about 180 metres deep in the water during trials of the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) Autosub vessel. It is believed to be one of six cameras placed there in 1970 by Professor Roy Mackal of the Loch Ness Investigation Bureau and the University of Chicago, three of which were lost in a gale in the same year. The camera was encased in clear plastic waterproof housing and was found to be in good condition, and an NOC engineer was able to develop the film. However, the loch's most famous inhabitant does not seem to have made an appearance. Adrian Shine, who founded the Loch Ness Project in the mid-1970s, helped to identify the camera as one of those placed in the water by Professor Mackal. 'It was an ingenious camera trap consisting of a clockwork Instamatic camera with an inbuilt flash cube, enabling four pictures to be taken when a bait line was taken,' Mr Shine explained. 'It is remarkable that the housing has kept the camera dry for the past 55 years, lying around 180 metres deep in Loch Ness.' The Autosub vehicle – popularly known as Boaty McBoatface – made the discovery when part of the mooring that was holding the camera system in place got caught on its propellor. The NOC has been testing its underwater robotics, including running multi-day, 24-hour, endurance tests, in Loch Ness for more than a decade. Sam Smith, of NOC's marine autonomous robotics systems (Mars) group, said: 'At 230 metres deep, Loch Ness is an ideal location to test our robotics, their sensors and systems, before they're deployed in the deep ocean to help answer the big questions we have. 'While this wasn't a find we expected to make, we're happy that this piece of Nessie-hunting history can be shared and perhaps at least the mystery of who left it in the loch can be solved.' The film, camera and its housing have been handed to the Loch Ness Centre in Drumnadrochit to allow it to be put on display as a part of the loch's Nessie-hunting history. Nagina Ishaq, the centre's manager, said she hoped people would be inspired by what could be hidden in the loch. 'It's been over 90 years since the first sighting of Nessie, since then there have been many expeditions to find the elusive beast,' she said. 'We are guardians of this unique story and, as well as investing in creating an unforgettable experience for visitors, we are committed to helping continue the search and unveil the mysteries that lie underneath the waters of the famous loch. 'We want to say a big thank to NOC for handing over the film and camera, that we believe has been hidden for over 50 years, for everyone to come and discover and be inspired by what could be hidden in the mysterious loch.' NOC's latest robotics trials in the loch involve testing two Autosub vehicles, one used for mapping seabed habitats and another used for long-range, autonomous operations. These vehicles can go down to as deep as 6,000m water depth, collecting a wide range of ocean data that it would be 'extremely difficult' to get in any other way. Mr Smith added: 'With our robots we're also helping to map and monitor marine life to understand how our actions, such as offshore renewable energy development, fishing and deep-sea mining change habitats and ecosystems. 'So the work we do here, developing the technology to help us better understand the ocean, is critical'.
