I guess when you look at urban legends they come no bigger in Scotland than the Loch Ness Monster. So where did the legend originate and how plausible can it be? Let’s examine it further.

Nessie is said to be a plesiosaur-like creature that lives deep down within Loch Ness in Inverness and the legend dates back to the 6th century when it was allegedly spotted by St Columba, the Irish monk who converted Scotland to Christianity. There were various other sightings over the centuries but the modern hunt for Nessie really began in 1934, when Dr Robert Kenneth Wilson, a London physician, allegedly took a photo of Nessie. When the photo was published, it caused quite a stir in the scientific field and the story of Nessie changed from being a local myth to an international legend. Many, many scientists have descended on the loch and carried out extensive testing in the area and many wild theories have been created to explain the creature, from earthquake activity within the loch itself to a whole family of creatures living in deep caverns.

Dr Robert Kenneth Wilson’s photo

Loch Ness dates back to the last ice age; it is 23 miles long, a mile wide and 600ft in depth. The loch lies along a transcurrent fault that was created millions of years ago and the area is still seismically active with an average of three minor earthquakes a year. The strongest recorded quake happened in 1816 and was felt the length and breadth of Scotland. Recent explorations beneath the surface of the loch have revealed a huge cavern that has been nicknamed “Nessie’s Lair” and those who believe in the legend say it could be the first of a network of caves that contain more than one creature.

So far, there have only been two sightings this year and experts put that down to people becoming more sceptical about Nessie’s existence. Over the years, there have been many alleged photos of the creature, many of which have since been proven to be fake, including that of Robert Kenneth Wilson.

Real or not, the legend of Nessie has created a multi-million tourist industry and thousands of tourists still flock there every year, cameras at the ready.