Creatures, Myths & Legends

Nessie sketch among Scotland's 'Monster Files'

By T.K. Randall
April 26, 2022 ·  10 comments

What is this creature ? Image Credit: National Museums Scotland Stories of a mysterious creature in the depths of Scotland's enigmatic Loch Ness have been told for centuries and even to this day, sightings of the monster continue to be reported.

While records of most of the recent sightings are kept by the Loch Ness Monster Sightings Register, a lot of historical sightings of the creature - those dating back several decades - have either been lost or are locked away in archives where it is almost impossible to access them.

Now though, a cache of previously confidential files dubbed Scotland's 'Monster Files' has been published for the first time by the National Museums of Scotland, revealing to the public a treasure trove of historical reports, articles and sketches.

One of the most interesting inclusions concerns a sighting of the monster in 1936 on the shores of Loch Ness near Drumnadrochit - a village which lies on the north-western side of the loch.The witness - a man from Galloway - drew a sketch of what he had seen (see above).

"I was quite staggered when I first saw the sketch," Ian HJ Lyster of the Royal Scottish Museum department for natural history later wrote.

"My first reaction was that such a creature would explain a lot of the apparently odd descriptions of the Loch Ness Monster and also such photographs as the three humps taken by Lachlan Stuart in 1951."

"The odd fleshy lobes hanging from the head have also been variously described by witnesses."

Source: Inverness Courier | Comments (10)

Tags: Loch Ness Monster