The one on the left I picked up at Edinburgh Airport a few days ago. The one on the right I picked up at Loch Ness in the early 1980s. Can you spot the difference already? The latest one has no mention of Loch Ness' most famous attraction, the right leaves you in no doubt about it. This is what I call the "denessiefication" of the place formerly known as "The Official Loch Ness Monster Exhibition".
In fact, looking inside the new brochure, they seem to go out of their way to not say much about Nessie at all. The tenor of the exhibits is certainly gauged to steer visitors away from any notion that Loch Ness may harbour a large creature. It was no surprise to learn that Adrian Shine, Nessie Skeptic, wrote much of the exhibit material. In fact, the only time the word "Nessie" appeared was in connection with the shop which visitors are inevitably funnelled into at the end of the exhibition.
Contrast with the old brochure which can't stop talking about Nessie! The opening words are these:
"Opened in 1980, the Exhibition has forced sceptics to take Nessie SERIOUSLY."
Ironically, the Centre has now joined the sceptics and leads them!
Ah, the good old days of childhood mirth and mystery. I remember visiting Loch Ness for the first time in the mid 70's when I wasn't quite yet a teenager. I was on a highland coach tour with my Granny Reed from Edinburgh and we stayed at the Drumnadrochit Hotel along the way. [Is this hotel the exhibition site now?]Anyway Granny Reed toured the highlands each day while I toured the loch with my super 8 camera held (too) firmly in hand. Despite not seeing much of Nessie (on that trip) my granny and I enjoyed numerous shandies together each evening at the hotel bar where we happily traded stories about our daily ramblings. God bless you, Granny.
ReplyDeleteP.S. My point is that when we give up on Nessie and trade it all in for something more "Shine-y" we've given up on the wonder, mysteries and secret pleasures that make life worth living!