I live near to Inverness in Scotland and have often heard tales of the Loch Ness Monster, or Nessie to its friends. The creature has incited wonder and fear in people for centuries, but what exactly is it and does it exist?
Tales of Nessie have existed for hundreds of years, with it depicted in stone carvings by the Picts and described in an account of St Columba, who was said to have stopped it attacking people. Nessie is thought to live mostly beneath the water, only being briefly glimpsed from time-to-time. A photograph was taken in 1934, showing what looked like gigantic creature with a long neck and humps on its back, half immersed in the water, although that has since been proven to be fake.
Because of its appearance and size, it was described in a purported sighting by tourists in 1933 as “a dragon or prehistoric monster”. This could mean that it’s a plesiosaur – a type of dinosaur – that has somehow survived into the modern age. It could also be a mythical wingless water-dragon or serpent.
Is Nessie real or only a myth? Many alleged accounts about the creature have been found to be fake, but others can’t be disproved. I have taken trips across Loch Ness and not seen it so far, but I’ll keep an eye out just in case.
Find out about hundreds more mythical creatures and beings in “Writing Fantasy” (US link).
