| They were fierce hill tribes in what is now | | | | from the water with a small head, diamond |
| Scotland, and we called them Picts. The name | | | | shaped flippers and three distinct humps on |
| seems to mean "The Painted People" for they | | | | her back followed by a tail. Sone say that |
| were known to love bright body art and | | | | she lives under or around Urquhart Castle and |
| multi-coloured clothing. They were artists, | | | | many photographs (mostly fake) have been |
| prolific carvers of stone and from the carved | | | | taken of her in the vicinity.The sedimentary |
| standing stones still found in the region | | | | rocks which cradle Loch Ness are some of the |
| around Loch Ness, we can see that the Picts | | | | oldest in the world. The sandstones were |
| were fascinated by animals, carefully etching | | | | originally laid down in warm seas when |
| their likeness into the surface of the stone. | | | | Scotland was located in the latitude where |
| And they left us a mystery.For all the | | | | Australasia is today. As the continents |
| animals depicted on the Pictish stones are | | | | drifted northwards the land became squeezed |
| lifelike and easily recognisable, except for | | | | into the dry centre of the super-continent |
| one. This exception is a strange beast with a | | | | Pangaea.400 million years ago, the Great Glen |
| long elongated beak or muzzle, a head spout, | | | | side slip fault was created. This Great Glen, |
| and with flippers instead of feet, somewhat | | | | almost cutting Scotland in two, is home to |
| like a swimming elephant. This Pictish beast | | | | the black waters of Lochs Ness, Oich, Lochy |
| is the earliest known reference to the belief | | | | and LinnheAs the continents began to break up |
| that took hold in the Scottish Highlands at | | | | and cluster around the north pole, great |
| least 1,500 years ago, that Loch Ness is home | | | | Scottish mountains, which would have been |
| to a mysterious underwater animal. The Loch | | | | Himalayan in size were gradually worn down to |
| Ness Monster.Columba stood for no nonsense, | | | | the stumps which you see today. Scotland was |
| even from a monster. He had ordered one of | | | | still in the grip of the ice twelve thousand |
| his monks to swim across the loch to fetch a | | | | years ago, but the main advances were over |
| boat when, halfway across, the beast appeared | | | | and the land was beginning to rebound from |
| and rushed at the swimmer, roaring in a most | | | | being depressed into the mantle. The surface |
| frightening way. The Saint himself jumped in | | | | of Loch Ness would have been at a similar |
| the loch crying out at the monster "Go no | | | | elevation to sea level.Anything living in the |
| further, nor touch the man! Go back!". Thus | | | | Loch today must have arrived from the |
| commanded, the monster fled. The great | | | | freezing North Sea up the River Ness after |
| Columba converted most of Scotland to | | | | the final retreat of ice.Many scientists and |
| Christianity and apparently converted Nessie | | | | zoologists will admit to half- believing that |
| too, for it is said that until he went out on | | | | a large aquatic animal does in fact exist in |
| the waters and soothed the beast, she had | | | | Loch Ness. There are numerous theories as to |
| been a murderess.In Scottish folklore, large | | | | her identity, including a snake-like |
| animals are associated with many bodies of | | | | primitive whale known as a zeuglodon, a type |
| water from small streams to the largest | | | | of long-necked aquatic seal, giant eels, |
| lakes, often labeled Loch-na-Beistie on old | | | | walruses, floating mats of plants, giant |
| maps. These water-horses, or kelpies, are | | | | molluscs, otters, a "paraphysical" entity, |
| cousins of the Irish Pooka and have similar | | | | mirages, diving birds and most popularly, a |
| magical powers but often malevolent | | | | plesiosaur. Nessie was even given a |
| intentions. They are dragons under water, | | | | scientific name "Nessiteras rhombopteryx" |
| lurking with ravenous intent, waiting for the | | | | named by Sir Peter Scott so that Nessie could |
| onset of darkness in the long Northern nights | | | | be added to the British Register of |
| before they come forth and devour the | | | | officially protected wildlife.The name, |
| Innocent.The monster, sea serpent, kraken and | | | | translated from Greek means "The wonder of |
| other mythological creatures have formed a | | | | Ness with the diamond shaped fin". Over the |
| part of folklore since the beginning of time. | | | | years many have noted that if you rearranged |
| Around the world there are reputed to be sea | | | | the letters of Nessiteras rhombopteryx, it |
| serpents or monsters in many bodies of fresh | | | | can be made to read "Monster hoax by Sir |
| water. Nessie in Loch Ness, Morag in Loch | | | | Peter S".This may mean something - or it may |
| Morar, Shielagh in Loch Shiel, Lizzy in Loch | | | | mean nothing at all.Nessie is either there, |
| Lochy, Champ in Lake Champlain, Ogopogo in | | | | or she's not. I like to think she has |
| Lake Okanagan and, quaintly, Wally in Lake | | | | outwitted our efforts to trap her, pin her |
| Wallowa.While research has been conducted at | | | | down, categorise her, tame her and turn her |
| many of these lakes, Loch Ness is the icon | | | | into tea towels. And one day you may get to |
| for monsters and Nessie, the Loch Ness | | | | see her yourself. Long may she live in the |
| Monster is, without doubt, the grandmother of | | | | loch !Susanna Duffy is a Civil Celebrant, |
| them all. It is to Loch Ness where myriad | | | | grief counsellor and mythologist. She creates |
| researchers have flocked with their cameras | | | | ceremonies and Rites of Passage for |
| and sonars, webcams and mini submarines, | | | | individual and civic functions, and |
| their hopes, fears and dreams of solving the | | | | specialises in Croning and other celebrations |
| mystery of Nessie.She is reported to have an | | | | for women. |
| elongated neck that quite often protrudes | | | | |