Loch Ness Monster

Origin and tradition

Nessie is the name given to the supposed creature of Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. Modern interest grew through press reports and photographs in the 1930s. An older story about Saint Columba concerns the River Ness; it should not be treated as a scientific identification of the lake creature.

Illustration in this atlas

A long-necked reptile-like giant, reminiscent of a plesiosaur, with dark gray-green hide and one or more humps protruding from glacial waters.

References and further reading

1. britannica.com — Loch-Ness-monster

These references offer further reading. Accounts and depictions vary; the atlas illustration is interpretive artwork, rather than historical or scientific evidence.