# The Loch Ness Monster - Source: Kiddle (kids.kiddle.co), CC BY-SA 3.0, Kiddle encyclopedia, adapted from Wikipedia - Reading level: Grade 5 - Subjects: Weird and Wonderful, Myths and Legends, Animals - Topics: loch, ness, nessie, monster, people, creature - Length: 1222 words, about 9 min - Published: 2026-04-30 - Original: - Page: - Open in Sprouts: ![Loch Ness Monster Surgeon's photograph.jpg](https://sprout.rootsofreason.org/media/kiddle-the-loch-ness-monster-adb8cb8049.jpg) The **Loch Ness Monster**, often called **Nessie**, is a famous mystery creature from Scottish folklore. People say it lives in Loch Ness, a large, deep lake in the Scottish Highlands. Nessie is usually described as a huge animal with a long neck and one or more humps sticking out of the water. Interest in Nessie grew worldwide in 1933. Many people believe it exists, while others think the sightings are just mistakes or even hoaxes. Scientists often explain these sightings as people seeing ordinary things and thinking they are a monster. The study of hidden animals, called cryptozoology, pays a lot of attention to Nessie. ## What's in a Name? In August 1933, a newspaper called the *Courier* shared a story from George Spicer, who claimed to see a strange animal. This made many people curious, and soon, letters poured in with more sightings. People called it a "monster fish," "sea serpent," or "dragon." Eventually, everyone started calling it the "Loch Ness Monster." Since the 1940s, it has been lovingly known as Nessie. ## Stories and Sightings of Nessie ### Ancient Tales of a Water Beast ### Saint Columba's Encounter (565 AD) One of the oldest stories about a creature in the Loch Ness area comes from a book written in the 600s AD. It tells of an Irish monk named Saint Columba in 565 AD. He was near the River Ness when he saw people burying a man. They said a "water beast" had attacked the man while he was swimming, dragging him underwater. Saint Columba sent one of his followers to swim across the river. When the beast came close, Columba made a special sign and commanded, "Go no further. Do not touch the man. Go back at once." The creature stopped as if pulled by ropes and swam away. Everyone was amazed and thankful for what they saw as a miracle. Some people believe this story proves the monster existed long ago. Others think it's a common type of old tale, not directly linked to the modern Nessie legend. ### Modern Sightings Begin ### Aldie Mackay's Sighting (1933) The story that truly made Nessie famous happened on April 15, 1933. Aldie Mackay and her husband were driving by Loch Ness when she saw an enormous creature. She described it as having a body like a whale, rolling and plunging in the water. The water around it was churning like a boiling pot. Aldie reportedly shouted, "Stop! The Beast!" This sighting was published in *The Inverness Courier* newspaper on May 2, 1933. The article used the word "monster" for the first time, and the world began to pay attention to the mystery of Loch Ness. ### George Spicer's Road Crossing (1933) On July 22, 1933, George Spicer and his wife saw something truly unusual. A "most extraordinary animal" crossed the road right in front of their car. They said it had a large body, about 4 feet tall and 25 feet long, with a long, wavy neck. It moved quickly towards the loch, leaving a trail in the bushes. Spicer said it looked like a "dragon or pre-historic animal." He described its neck moving "up and down in the manner of a scenic railway." Some researchers later suggested this sighting might have been inspired by the popular movie *King Kong*, which featured a long-necked dinosaur. ### Hugh Gray's Photograph (1933) The first photograph said to show the monster was taken by Hugh Gray on November 12, 1933. The picture was a bit blurry. Some people think it actually shows Gray's Labrador dog fetching a stick from the loch. Others have suggested it might be an otter or a swan. ### Arthur Grant's Close Call (1934) ![Arthur Grant loch ness sketch](https://sprout.rootsofreason.org/media/kiddle-the-loch-ness-monster-ccdbec6952.png) A sketch of the creature Arthur Grant claimed to see in 1934. On January 5, 1934, a motorcyclist named Arthur Grant claimed he almost hit the creature. It was around 1 AM on a moonlit night near Abriachan. Grant, a student studying animals, said it had a small head on a long neck. He watched it cross the road and go back into the loch. He thought it looked like a mix between a seal and a plesiosaur. Later, experts suggested he might have seen an otter or a seal and misjudged its size in the dark. ### The Famous "Surgeon's Photograph" (1934) Perhaps the most famous picture of Nessie is the "surgeon's photograph," taken on April 20, 1934. It was said to be taken by Robert Kenneth Wilson, a doctor from London. The photo showed a small head and a long, swan-like neck sticking out of the water. For 60 years, many people believed this photo was real proof of the monster. However, in 1994, it was finally revealed to be a clever hoax. The creature in the photo was actually a toy submarine with a fake head and neck made of wood putty! It was created by Christian Spurling and his stepfather, Marmaduke Wetherell, as a prank. They wanted to get back at a newspaper that had made fun of Wetherell. ### Tim Dinsdale's Film (1960) In 1960, aeronautical engineer Tim Dinsdale filmed what he thought was a dark hump moving across Loch Ness. He described it as mahogany red. Experts later analyzed the film. While some initially thought it was an animal, further studies suggested it was likely a boat filmed in poor lighting. ### "Loch Ness Muppet" Photo (1977) In 1977, a magician named Anthony "Doc" Shiels took a picture he claimed was the clearest image of the monster. He even said he "summoned" the creature from the water. Because the photo looked so fake, with no ripples and a see-through appearance, many people called it the "Loch Ness Muppet" and believed it was a hoax. ### Gordon Holmes' Video (2007) On May 26, 2007, Gordon Holmes, a lab technician, recorded a video of a "jet black thing, about 14 meters long, moving fairly fast in the water." Many Nessie watchers called it some of "the best footage ever seen." However, some experts suggested it could have been an otter, seal, or a water bird. ### George Edwards' Photograph (2011) On August 3, 2012, boat captain George Edwards claimed a photo he took on November 2, 2011, showed Nessie. He had spent many years searching for the monster. However, it was later revealed that the object in his photo was a fiberglass hump used in a TV documentary that Edwards had been part of. He admitted in October 2013 that his 2011 photo was a hoax. ### David Elder's Video (2013) In August 2013, a tourist named David Elder filmed a "mysterious wave" in the loch. He believed it was caused by a 4.5-meter "solid black object" just under the water's surface. Skeptics thought the wave might have been caused by a gust of wind. ### Apple Maps Satellite Image (2014) In April 2014, a satellite image on Apple Maps seemed to show a large creature, about 30 meters long, just below the surface of Loch Ness. People wondered if it was Nessie. Possible explanations included the wake of a boat, ripples caused by a seal, or even floating wood. ### Drone Footage (2021) In September 2021, drone footage near the loch reportedly captured a 20-foot creature. However, skeptics quickly said it looked like a digitally altered video, possibly using a stock image of a toy plesiosaur, because it didn't move naturally and was too brightly lit. ## Picture credits - M. A. Wetherell, Public domain () - Anonymous Unknown author, Public domain ()