75 years ago on May 2^nd 1933, the modern legend of the Loch Ness monster was born when a sighting made the local news. There had been accounts of an aquatic beast living in Scotland’s Loch Ness that dates back over 1,500 years.

Every year thousands of visitors come to Loch Ness to see if they can catch a glimpse of the most famous lake or loch dweller in the World. Some have even stayed on to live on the shores of Loch Ness to continue to search for her and any sighting of Nessie makes new around the world!

Nessie has been immortalised in film, television, advertising, postcards, cartoons and music.

In fact mention Scotland any where in the world and Loch Ness and the Loch Ness monster is sure to be one of the first things that people think about.

The Loch Ness Monster has entered international parlance for something that is elusive or unbelievable. Perhaps in a world where so many things appear black and white - Nessie fills a need to believe in something that may never be proved.

Debate will always go on about whether or not the Loch Ness Monster is real….but if she is, she couldn’t have picked a more beautiful place to live!

Happy Birthday Nessie!

It’s one of those things - the world has taken Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster to their heart

‘Her’ latest incarnation is in New York where Artist Joshua Allen Harris pieced together some garbage bags and taped them to a New York City subway grate. Now every time an underground train zooms by, the Loch Ness monster attacks.

To view the video click HERE

 Love it! 

Many dream of coming to Scotland with hopes of spotting the elusive Nessie, the legendary monster said to reside here.

But if you just cant wait you may be able to view the mythic beast at home in the wee hours of the morning.

Set your alarm to 3:14 a.m. and your browser to the beach-themed iGoogle page.

At precisely that time each day, Nessie allegedly surfaces for 60 seconds, then takes a deep breath and dives back under the dark loch’s surface. Why that time of the morning? Well, according to programmers’ lore, Google developers did it to pay homage to the mathematical quantity Pi.

Some things you just cant make up…..

Recently in the news it has been reported that as a conservation measure, any angler witnessed catching and releasing a spring salmon in the Ness system will receive a side of smoked salmon in return.

This has been prompted by a marked decline in spring fish stocks, so as part of its efforts to reverse this, the Ness District Fishery Board is issuing a detailed Catch and Release policy for the system.

To ensure those who return A fresh run “springer” prize fish from Loch Ness and its rivers do not go away empty handed, the board has introduced the reward scheme to emphasize the importance of releasing as many spring salmon as possible.

To claim their reward anglers should fill in one of the forms, available from either the licence issuer or beat representative.

Further, to encourage and promote catch and release the board has introduced a draw incorporating the spring fishing on all rivers within the system.

Names of angler and witness should be submitted to the licence issuer, gillie or angling club president who will keep them until the end of the spring fishing (16th June). The winners will be announced at the beginning of July 2008.

The prizes are: 1 – A Daiwa fly rod; 2 – £50 voucher for Graham’s tackle shop; 3 – two bottles of malt whisky and various other prizes. A shield will awarded to the angler releasing the biggest spring fish.

There have been no details reported of what the prize would be should a lucky angler manage to hook Nessie, but I’m sure that the rewards would be huge!*

* Please note - this Blogger would like to stress that if Nessie is caught, she should, of course, be released.

In my daily web trawl for all things Loch Ness I come accross some odd places where our beloved Loch Ness monster pops up.

The latest incarnation seems to be as an omelet in Las Vegas. Thier self named ‘Loch Ness Monster’ is a exciting concotion of Gulf shrimp, avocado, cheddar cheese and …wait for it….6 eggs! I’m not quite sure why this combination leads to it being named after our most famous resident (the shores of Loch Ness are not known to be groaning under the weight of avocado trees, and it ’s not the eggs - all of this place’s 41 types of omelets are made with 6 eggs!). Still - when one of our local hoteliers takes his holiday to the casinos of Las Vegas shortly - Ill know where to send him! (Ah heck - see the menu here )

Keeping to the theme of eggs… The Waterhorse: Legend of the deep will be released in UK cinemas on Feb 8th 2008. As of Jan 29th it has taken $39,580,173 at the US box office.

And now for something completley different.

The AA has included Loch Ness in one of its top 10 drives around the UK

10. Highland Scotland From the shores of Loch Ness to the west coast fishing communities of Wester Ross

Route: Inverness-Drumnadrochit-Invermoriston-( <the Loch Ness Route) Dundreggan-Eilean Donan Castle-Stromeferry-Strathcarron Station-Lochcarron-Applecross-Fearnmore-Shieldaig-Torridon-Gairloch-Inverewe Garden-Gruinard Bay-Ardessie-Garve-Contin-Strathpeffer-Moniack Castle-Reelig Glen-Inverness.

Details of all 10 drives are contained in the book The AA Best Drives Britain, £11.99.

Coming to the Sci Fi Channel in the USA on Saturday January 5th 2008, this film is the antithesis of the recent release of the family film The Water Horse.

No cuddly Kelpies here! Previously called ‘Loch Ness Terror’ (scroll down to a previous post to see an ace cheesy trailer ) ‘Beyond Loch Ness’ is American TV’s 2008 contribution to the B-movie horror fare for lake monsters.

The ‘Plot’ : As far as we can tell - Nessie has relocated to Canada, possibly after an internet romance, has shacked up with Champ and has bred lots of little monsters. This happy family unit then appears to try and eat everyone in sight - which they kind of deserve as the main character is out to kill them after his dad was allegedly munched by Nessie 20 years earlier. Probably in retribution for really bad acting.

Screenings in Scotland may have to wait until after we can sort out Nessie’s repatriation and give her counselling to work through the trauma of being involved in such scurrilous activities . It is yet unclear if Champ & the kids will be moving back with her.

To our American cousins - Happy Viewing!

Loch Ness Monster found in New York

A mysterious creature floating in the waters of a Brooklyn nature reserve has caused passers-by to do a double-take in recent weeks.

But it’s not the mythical Scottish beast, the Loch Ness Monster - it’s the creation of US sculptor, Cameron Gainer which is at the Salt Marsh Nature Preserve and is one of 40 temporary art installations in parks and playgrounds in New York’s five boroughs.

Mr Gainer said the work was inspired by the pose of the iconic ‘surgeon’s photograph’ of Nessie taken in April 1934 at the Scottish loch, taken by Robert Wilson . That photo at least was later revealed as a hoax.

Passers-by think the 600-pound, 12-foot by 12-foot fiberglass, aluminum and foam replica of the mythical monster is real - if only for a moment.

The Parks Department commissioned Nessie and other works for ‘Art in the Parks,’ the 40th anniversary celebration of its public art program.

Gainer’s sculpture is modeled after the plesiosaur, a long-necked, aquatic reptile that became extinct, ‘It looks good,’ said John Fritz, a local resident. ‘The artist did a very good job. I was even expecting it to move. The only thing giving it away is its stillness.’

‘Nessie’ will be on view in New York until December 15, when it moves to Florida.

There has been to date no comment from Nessie herself on how she feels about this likeness.

Find out more about the Loch Ness Monster HERE

Ahhhhh - its the run -up to everyone’s favorite (?) time of year…..

Christmas lights are going up all around Loch Ness and the Great Glen which is a boon on the long winter nights on the run up to the winter solstice on December 21st (The ’shortest’ day) .

Luckily with the clear (COLD!) nights nature has been putting on some spectacular lights of her own with some wonderful moon-rises and gorgeous starry nights.

Fingers crossed that we will get a repeat of the awe inspiring the northern lights / aurora borealis that we were treated to a couple of years ago.

*

The Forestry Commission is again selling local sustainable Christmas trees which are available from Forestry Commission Scotland, Strathoich, Fort Augustus, Loch Ness, Scotland. Opening hours are 8.30 - 16.00 Monday to Friday till 24 December (Apart from 20/12) Call 01320 366322 for more info.

White Christmas?

We already have snow on the high hills here around Loch Ness - and bets are being laid to see if we are going to get another white Christmas in the UK.

William Hill White Christmas Betting: 4/1 Aberdeen, 4/1 Glasgow, 9/2 London, 6/1 Cardiff.
16/1 that the lowest recorded temperature in England will be beaten (-26.1C, Jan 10 1982, Shropshire).
16/1 that the lowest temperature in Scotland will be beaten (-27.2C, Jan 10th 1982, Aberdeenshire).
22/1 for the record in Wales to be beaten (-23.3C, 21st Jan, 1940 Powys).
100/1 that the Thames will freeze over between Westminster Bridge and Tower Bridge.
100/1 Big Ben Fails to chime due to being frozen solid.

I haven’t found odds yet for a White Cristmas at Loch Ness, but The bookies have put up a Nessie Reward of £1 Million to anyone who can convince experts at the Natural History Museum that Nessie exists -with odds of 250/1 about it happening in 2007.

I wonder if this is the year!?! (what is left of it!)

* Can’t find who to credit for this photo…tell me if its you!

To see what special offers are  on this Christmas and Hogmanay in the Loch Ness area click HERE  - check out events HERE

Waterhorse mania is about to hit - so as I was finding out about the author I thought I would share the following with you…

Dick King-Smith (born 27 March 1922, March Bitton, Gloucestershire, England) is a prolific English children’s author, who has, up to know, been best known for writing The Sheep-Pig, retitled in the US as Babe the Gallant Pig, upon which the movie Babe was based. He was a farmer for 20 years before he became a teacher and author.

Dick King-Smith’s first book was The Fox Busters, published in 1978. He is one of the UK’s most prolific authors and has written over a hundred books, which have sold over five million copies in the UK alone and been translated into twelve languages. A list of all his books is below - but have a look at this clip with an interview with the Author.

Books by Dick King Smith

1. The Fox Busters (1978)
2. Daggie Dogfoot retitled in the US as Pigs Might Fly (1980)
3. Magnus Powermouse (1982)
4. The Queen’s Nose (1983)
5. The Sheep-Pig retitled in the US as Babe, The Gallant Pig (1983)
6. Saddlebottom (1985)
7. Noah’s Brother (1986)
8. The Hodgeheg (1987)
9. Tumbleweed (1987)
10. Farmer Bungle Forgets (1987)
11. Friends and Brothers (1987)
12. Cuckoobush Farm (1987)
13. George Speaks (1988)
14. The Mouse Butcher (1988)
15. Emily’s Legs (1988)
16. Water Watch (1988)
17. Dodo Comes to Tumbledown Farm (1988)
18. Tumbledown Farm - The Greatest (1988)
19. The Jenius (1988)
20. Sophie
21. Sophie’s Snail (1988)
22. Sophie Hits Six (1991)
23. Sophie’s Tom (1991)
24. Sophie in the Saddle (1993)
25. Sophie Is Seven (1994)
26. Sophie’s Lucky (1995)
27. Alice And Flower And Foxianna (1989)
28. Beware of the Bull (1989)
29. The Toby Man (1989)
30. Dodos Are Forever (1989)
31. The Trouble with Edward (1989)
32. Jungle Jingles (1990)
33. Ace: The Very Important Pig (1990)
34. Blessu (1990)
35. Paddy’s Pot of God (1990)
36. Alphabeasts (1990)
37. The Water Horse (1990)
38. The Whistling Piglet (1990)
39. The Jolly Witch
40. The Jolly Witch (1990)
41. Mrs. Jollipop (1996)
42. Mrs. Jolly’s Brolly (1998)
43. The Cuckoo Child (1991)
44. The Guard Dog (1991)
45. Martin’s Mice (1991)
46. Lightning Strikes Twice (1991)
47. Caruso’s Cool Cats (1991)
48. Dick King-Smith’s Triffic Pig Book (1991)
49. Find the White Horse (1991)
50. Horace and Maurice (1991)
51. Lady Daisy (1992)
52. Pretty Polly (1992)
53. Dick King-Smith’s Water Watch (1992)
54. The Finger Eater (1992)
55. The Ghost At Codlin Castle And Other Stories (1992)
56. Super Terrific Pigs (1992)
57. The Invisible Dog (1993)
58. All Pigs Are Beautiful (1993)
59. The Merrythought (1993)
60. The Swoose (1993)
61. Uncle Bumpo (1993)
62. Dragon Boy (1993)
63. Horse Pie (1993)
64. Harry’s Mad (1993)
65. Connie and Rollo (1994)
66. The Schoolmouse (1994)
67. Triffic: A Rare Pig’s Tale (1994)
68. Mr. Potter’s Pet (1994)
69. Harriet’s Hare (1994)
70. The Excitement of Being Ernest (1994)
71. I Love Guinea Pigs (1994)
72. Three Terrible Trins (1994)
73. Happy Mouseday (1994)
74. Bobby the Bad (1994)
75. The Clockwork Mouse (1995)
76. King Max (1995)
77. Omnibombulator (1995)
78. The Terrible Trins (1995)
79. Warlock Watson (1995)
80. All Because of Jackson (1995)
81. The Stray (1996)
82. Clever Duck (1996)
83. Dirty Gertie Macintosh (1996)
84. Smasher (1996)
85. Godhanger (1996)
86. King Max the Last (1996)
87. Winter Wonderland (1996)
88. Treasure Trove (1996)
89. Mixed-up Max (1997)
90. What Sadie Saw (1997)
91. The Spotty Pig (1997)
92. A Mouse Called Wolf (1997)
93. Robin Hood And His Miserable Men (1997)
94. Thinderella (1997)
95. Puppy Love (1997)
96. The Merman (1997)
97. Round About 5 (1997)
98. Mr Ape (1998)
99. How Green Was My Mouse (1998)
100. The Big Pig Book (1998)
101. Creepy Creatures Bag (1998)
102. The Robber Boy (1998)
103. Pig in the City (1998)
104. Charlie Muffin’s Miracle Mouse (1999)
105. The Witch of Blackberry Bottom (1999)
106. Babe’s La-La-bye (1999)
107. The Crowstarver (1999)
108. Dinosaur School (1999)
109. Poppet (1999)
110. The Roundhill (2000)
111. Spider Sparrow (2000)
112. Just in Time (2000)
113. The Magic Carpet Slippers (2000)
114. Julius Caesar’s Goat (2000)
115. Mysterious Miss Slade (2000)
116. Billy the Bird (2000)
117. Lady Lollipop (2000)
118. Back to Front Benjy (2001)
119. The Great Sloth Race (2001)
120. Fat Lawrence (2001)
121. Funny Frank (2001)
122. Chewing The Cud (Autobiography) (2001)
123. Titus Rules! (2002)
124. Billy the Bird / All Because of Jackson (2002)
125. Story Box (2002)
126. The Golden Goose (2003)
127. Traffic (2003)
128. Clever Lollipop (2003)
129. The Adventurous Snail (2003)
130. The Nine Lives of Aristotle (2003)
131. Aristotle (2003)
132. Just Binnie (2004)
133. The Catlady (2004)
134. Under the Mishmash Trees (2005)
135. Hairy Hezekiah (2005)
136. Dinosaur Trouble (2005)
137. Nosy (2005)
138. The Mouse Family Robinson (2007)

Adaptations

1. Harry’s Mad (1993-1996): TV series based on Harry’s Mad
2. The Queen’s Nose (1995-2003): TV Series based on The Queen’s Nose
3. Babe (1995): film based on The Sheep-Pig a.k.a. Babe, the Gallant Pig
4. Babe: Pig in the City (1998): film sequel using King-Smith characters
5. The Foxbusters (1999-2000): TV cartoon loosely based on The Fox Busters
6. The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep (2007): film based on The Water Horse

This information is from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Monsterness - October 2007, organised by the Calman Trust.

The launch of a 65m long model of the Loch Ness Monster, constructed from 60,000 balloons, over 2 days by young people and volunteers from across the Highlands, along with Dutch balloon artist Guido Verhoef and his team. Launched onto Loch Ness from near Bonar Lighthouse…due to strong winds the monster didn’t last long, but the experience inspired everyone involved.(and all the balloons were biodegradable)!

A cracking vid clip below. Well done all!