I heard it on the grapevine recently that George Edwards has been making some news again, albeit at a more local level. You may remember that George grabbed the Nessie headlines for 2012 with his photograph of a hump like object in the water. As it turned out, he was not generally believed as the headline above shows.
Returning to the present day, the Drumnadrochit Chamber of Commerce held their AGM last Monday and George sent a letter to them bemoaning the scepticism expressed by Adrian Shine and others towards the existence of the Loch Ness Monster. He felt that this would be bad for business and the businesses around the area should be making more of Nessie.
It seems that this letter was met with a robust reply from Tony Harmsworth (who is also sceptical of the traditional view of the Loch Ness Monster) along the lines of fakes doing more harm to the cause than expressing a sceptical view. Tony was also confident that business in general was up in the area.
So that was that and I don't know how that AGM went but it got me thinking about how the Loch Ness Monster is presented to the many tourists who pass by Loch Ness. I have already posted some observations on a recent visit to the Loch Ness Centre which was designed by Adrian Shine but I have not been along to the competing "Nessieland" exhibition centre for years and so cannot give an up to date opinion on that.
However, George's pessimism regarding sceptical exhibitions should not be so burdensome. The debate regarding the existence and nature of the Loch Ness Monster requires the participation of both sceptics and believers. If the debate is dominated by one side, then one tends to get a stagnant silence in terms of pushing the subject forward. Lively discussion always requires at least two sides and this subject is no different.
So the solution for George Edwards and any others who are like minded at Loch Ness is simple. The Nessieland Castle Monster Centre just down the road from the Loch Ness Centre claims to be pro-Nessie. That place is run by a Donald Skinner and George's boat trips are based there.
If they are indeed pro-Nessie and a bunch of 100% resolute believers in a monster then their exhibition should be geared towards promoting that cause. In that way, tourists will have a perfect balance at Loch Ness between the sceptical view and the traditional view.
Does the Nessieland Castle Monster Centre live by that creed? I will tell you next time I visit it but if they are wanting someone to offer them advice on how to present the traditional monster view and critique the sceptical view, I am at their service. Just email me at lochnesskelpie@gmail.com
POSTSCRIPT: Loch Ness researcher, Dick Raynor, has posted further details of the aforementioned letters at his website - link (scroll to bottom of page).
It seems that this letter was met with a robust reply from Tony Harmsworth (who is also sceptical of the traditional view of the Loch Ness Monster) along the lines of fakes doing more harm to the cause than expressing a sceptical view. Tony was also confident that business in general was up in the area.
So that was that and I don't know how that AGM went but it got me thinking about how the Loch Ness Monster is presented to the many tourists who pass by Loch Ness. I have already posted some observations on a recent visit to the Loch Ness Centre which was designed by Adrian Shine but I have not been along to the competing "Nessieland" exhibition centre for years and so cannot give an up to date opinion on that.
However, George's pessimism regarding sceptical exhibitions should not be so burdensome. The debate regarding the existence and nature of the Loch Ness Monster requires the participation of both sceptics and believers. If the debate is dominated by one side, then one tends to get a stagnant silence in terms of pushing the subject forward. Lively discussion always requires at least two sides and this subject is no different.
So the solution for George Edwards and any others who are like minded at Loch Ness is simple. The Nessieland Castle Monster Centre just down the road from the Loch Ness Centre claims to be pro-Nessie. That place is run by a Donald Skinner and George's boat trips are based there.
If they are indeed pro-Nessie and a bunch of 100% resolute believers in a monster then their exhibition should be geared towards promoting that cause. In that way, tourists will have a perfect balance at Loch Ness between the sceptical view and the traditional view.
Does the Nessieland Castle Monster Centre live by that creed? I will tell you next time I visit it but if they are wanting someone to offer them advice on how to present the traditional monster view and critique the sceptical view, I am at their service. Just email me at lochnesskelpie@gmail.com
POSTSCRIPT: Loch Ness researcher, Dick Raynor, has posted further details of the aforementioned letters at his website - link (scroll to bottom of page).
