Thursday 1 June 2017

Back at Loch Ness




I have arrived at Loch Ness for a few days camping and once again seek a sight and perhaps a picture of its most elusive inhabitant, the Loch Ness Monster. I will be at Loch Ness Shores campsite at Foyers through to Sunday if anyone cares to drop in for a chat (probably evening is best). With the death of my father on Monday, the trip was ready to be shelved as funeral arrangements proceeded, but a delay has allowed the trip to proceed and provide some relief from such events. 

So here we are and you may wonder what the photograph above depicts. It is from the Aberdeen Press and Journal from the 26th December 1933 and a caption below it reads:

The beach of Loch Ness near Foyers where the spoor of the "monster" is alleged to have been found.

Given the date and the incident, you would correctly guess that this refers to the infamous Marmaduke Wetherell monster tracks which turned out to be no more than the footprints of a Hippopotamus foot attached to an ashtray or some other artefact.

The question is how far is this location from the campsite I currently type this from? Doubtless the area has changed in appearance in the last 83 years, so is the photo of any use in locating that noted beach? An article of the time said the beach was difficult to gain access to which suggests to me it may be to the south of the spot where Hugh Gray took his picture of the beast.

Or perhaps it is located nearer to the place where Peter O'Connor took his snap? If the picture looks familiar to any local reader, send me a line. Otherwise, I will root around in the vain hope that the contours of 1933 line up with those of 2017!


The author can be contacted at lochnesskelpie@gmail.com


16 comments:

  1. GB, my condolences for the loss of your father.

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  2. That's some sad news Roland.

    Sorry for the loss.

    Sadly I'm away overseas at the moment otherwise I'd have dropped by the campsite and taken you for a swim.

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  3. I always loved this photo. It makes the shore appear very steep...http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7XzwzkiZ3fU/VT9tA1JfoJI/AAAAAAAAMp0/kDrWibnGD1w/s1600/wetherell-prints.gif. This is what was used to produce the "spoor"; a hippo foot ashtray...http://lochnessunderstood.com/book-images/ashtray.gif

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  4. My sincerest condolences, Roland.

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  5. Sorry to hear about your Father Roland. Hope you have a peacful trip at loch ness.

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  6. Roland, please accept my heartfelt condolences on the passing of your Dad. I am thinking of you in this, your time of grief.
    Steve B.

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  7. Poo would be a start.

    (Though it might be redundant since most of the photos are all sh1t!)

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  8. No sandy beaches per se but quite a few areas by the shore of mud and finely grained gravel where indentations would certainly show and be preserved for a bit.

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  9. Also sending my condolences, Roland.

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  10. Thank you for your condolences, everyone.

    I am back from Loch Ness now and will type up a report soon. Suffice to say the old girl decided not to put in an appearance for me, but still plenty to write up about!

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  11. Sending my condolences GB. I hope one day I can bump into you one day at the Loch and we can chat over a tennents or two. I might be up in a couple of weeks but defo early September as our cabin is booked. Hope u had a good time

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  12. Sorry for your loss Roland. I don't know you butb I've enjoyed this blog greatly for a number of years though rarely comment and always appreciate your efforts. I'm at the side of the Loch right now staying at Old Pierhouse B&B just up from Fort Augustus. I don't believe in the monster anymore. It either never existed or died in the 70s... and yet, I cannot stop scanning the Loch looking for it and hoping to see it.

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