I am finishing off part 3 of the Lachlan Stuart series, but came across some small items in the world of Nessie worth putting out.
1. DAY TRIP TO LOCH NESS
The Scottish Screen Archive has a piece called "Ferguslie Mills outing to Inverness, July 1936". You can view it here.
You can slide the film bar to 4:25 for a minute's worth of our works outing surveying Loch Ness at Dores Bay. They have a look out for Nessie and with a group shot at the end you see Dores Pier in a much better state to the few rotten posts that it is now. The blob in our still frame above is not Nessie!
2. THE LOCH NESS SEAL(S)
Well, some people think the Loch Ness Monster is a pinniped of sorts. This photo seems to offer proof of a serpentine seal but is in fact a shot of appropriately lined up seals having some fun at Whipsnade Zoo in 1955. I don't think any seals that ventured into Loch Ness have ever pulled off such a stunt in front of those incredulous humans - but who knows?
3. PHYSICAL PROOF OF NESSIE?
Perhaps, but then again, maybe not. A current eBay entry makes this claim:
Legend has it that these are nose hair from the
legendary Loch Ness Monster. We got these from a guy, who knows a guy, who
knows a guy, who claims to have seen the monster on three occasions. A few
years ago, it reared up next to his boat, its head only inches from him, he
grabbed out at it to fend it off and grabbed some nose hair, before the monster
returned to the murky depths of the loch. This man wishes to remain anonymous
and this is all we know of the story. He passed them on to an ‘aristocratic’
collector who kept the hair for some years, in his collection of weird and
wonderful stuff, he gave it an artist friend of his. He now has decided to sell
them, he also wishing to remain anonymous has asked us to list them for him!
Those who have spent years, nay decades, at the loch looking for that final physical proof may be a bit miffed to be upstaged by an eBay entry beginning bids at £1. But if it's the real deal, expect bidding to go into the tens of thousands. This could be a valuable addition to a cryptozoological museum. No, I am not the seller and I don't plan to bid!
POSTSCRIPT: Nessie's nasal hairs sold for the princely sum of £6.50.
GB, remember that old classic series 'Mysterous World' hosted by the late Arthur C. Clarke? There was one episode I think called 'Monsters of the Deep' which featured sea monster reports all over the globe and the show covered two Scottish reports, one was the 'Stronsa beast' which had been explained as a basking shark carcass. There was also the 'Gourock beast' and there was an interview with the chap who had to dispose of the beastie that had been washed ashore. I have the series on DVD and in that particular episode, he's sitting in front of the camera holding a 'bristle' that he had pulled out from the monster's carcass!
ReplyDeleteI do indeed, I still remember him walking up that beach and musing about the mysteries of life. Must check up on that Gourock beast ....
Delete