Ninety years ago today, Sir Edward Mountain employed a team of 20 workers to go in search of 'Nessie', Scotland’s legendary freshwater monster.
Since that first ‘Watchers of the Monster’ mission, there have been 1,157 Nessie sightings logged on the Official Loch Ness Monster Sightings Register.
To commemorate the anniversary, The Loch Ness Centre is holding a four-day event from 30 May to 2 June to try and solve the mystery of Loch Ness and its secretive monster – and they're asking the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for a little extra help.
"We are hoping that Nessie hunters around the world will help us reach the people at NASA,” says Aimee Todd from the Loch Ness Centre.
The earliest written record of Nessie dates from 565AD when Irish abbot St. Columba is said to have driven a monster-like creature back into the water. Between the 1500s and 1800s there were a further 21 potential sightings.
The formation of ‘Watchers of the Monster’ 90 years ago, and the 1,000 plus sightings since, has added new vigour to the quest to find Nessie – and the Loch Ness Centre’s bid for NASA to join the hunt suggests they’re more determined than ever to finally solve the mystery.
"We are hoping to reach them (NASA) through the power of social media,” says Todd, who hopes that the space agency might have some “advanced imaging technology to scan the loch”.
"We would have to sit down and talk to them about how to get it here."
NASA aren’t the only volunteers being asked to join the hunt. A four-day event – based at the Loch Ness Centre in the Drumnadrochit Hotel, Scotland – aims to unite individuals and organisations in a collective exploration to solve the monster mystery.
During the new search, people are being asked to “keep an eye on the surface, looking for breaks in the water”. They will be briefed on what to look out for and how to record findings.
Nessie enthusiasts can also take a trip on a boat captained by Alistair Matheson. During the trip, Matheson and his colleague Mr McKenna will be using a state-of-the-art hydrophone to listen out for mysterious sounds from the deep.
“Those unable to make the search in person can get involved through the live cameras on the Visit Inverness Loch Ness website,” says the Loch Ness Centre website.
"Last year, we captured the world's attention with one of the biggest-ever searches for Nessie,” says Paul Nixon, General manager of the Drumnadrochit Hotel, “with participants joining us from America, Canada, France, Italy, Japan and more.
"With unexplained noises heard, alongside possible sightings, this year we are determined to find out more about the elusive Loch Ness Monster."
The four-day event runs from Thursday 30 May to Sunday 2 June. Find out more about how to get involved.
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