Drunken monks, floating toys, and giant eels: WTF?!
In the misty depths of Loch Ness, an icy, mysterious body of water in the heart of Scotland, people say a creature as elusive as it is monstrous lurks below.
It’s Nessie! Dun dun dun duuuuun!
Want to know how the myth of the Loch Ness Monster began and why, even today, people still debate its existence while some swear it’s all true?
Well, this is more or less how it went...
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Beer is great, but some people overdo it
Legend has it that back in 565 AD, Saint Columba came face to face with a “wild water beast” during one of his missions to convert pagan Scots. And he somehow made it out alive!
How did he do it?
Apparently, the saint managed to drive the beast away with nothing more than the power of his prayers. And maybe also with one of those deadly, never-ending sermons so heavy that not even Nessie could stand it.
Now, we can’t know for sure whether any of this is true. What we do know, however, is that one of medieval monks’ favorite activities was brewing beer. And in Ireland (where our hero came from), it’s pretty easy to imagine how much of it they were making, considering people there still drink like there’s no tomorrow.
So, maybe the monster really was there. Or maybe Columba was simply drunk out of his mind—worse than the guy on the Franziskaner label.
The Surgeon’s Photograph and Nessie’s comeback
After that first “close encounter,” the lake and its creature slipped into legendary sleep until the 1930s, when Nessie apparently decided it was time to make headlines again. Thanks to newspapers of the time, which loved a good mystery (and the sales that came with it), the legend of the Loch Ness Monster spread like wildfire.
1933 is the year to remember, when a married couple, Mr. and Mrs. Mackay, reported seeing an “enormous” creature “thrashing about in the water.”
And then came 1934 and the famous Surgeon’s Photograph.
We’re pretty sure you’ve seen it somewhere too: that black-and-white photo that seems to show some kind of aquatic dinosaur (maybe a plesiosaur) rising out of the water.
The photo was taken by—well, yes—a surgeon, Robert Kenneth Wilson, and it immediately became a huge scoop. It was published in the Daily Mail and went around the world as undeniable proof of Nessie’s existence. Too bad it later turned out to be a toy submarine with a plastic snake head attached to it...
Why stage all this?
Apparently, one of the masterminds behind it was a man named Marmaduke Wetherell, who promoted himself as a monster hunter and wanted to play a prank on the Daily Mail, which had mocked him in the past.
Everyone went crazy for Nessie
Even though the Surgeon’s Photograph was exposed as fake fairly quickly, from that moment on every suspicious movement in Loch Ness was blamed on Nessie.
Weird waves? Nessie.
A floating log? Also Nessie.
A poor eel just passing by and minding its own business? Obviously Nessie in disguise.
Fergus MacSomething decides to cannonball into the lake and sends up a huge splash? Still Nessie.
Its fame grew so much that there are now countless official “sightings”. Tourists flocked to Loch Ness—and still do today—hoping to snap the definitive photo. There have even been scientific investigations using sonar and robotic divers. Honestly, they were one step away from sending CSI to investigate the lake.
But to this day, nothing conclusive has ever come out of it: when it comes to Nessie, all we really have is a pile of theories.
So what the hell is hiding in Loch Ness?
Over the years, loads of people have tried to explain the presence of this legendary creature using every scientific tool available and, as of today, these are the most popular theories.
The giant eel theory
One of the most fascinating leads emerged recently in 2018, when a group of New Zealand researchers made a “surprising” discovery while cataloguing the DNA of species living in the lake. They found an unexpected amount of European eel DNA.
What a shock: eel DNA was found in a lake... Wow...
Still, someone immediately thought: “Eureka! Nessie is a giant eel!”
Why on earth would they think that?
Well, you see, European eels are animals whose life cycle is still not fully understood. What we do know, though, is that if they live long enough, they can grow to a pretty impressive size. Still, we’re talking about around one meter or a little more for the largest specimens.
So yeah, this theory isn’t exactly bulletproof.
The plesiosaur theory
Then there’s the surviving plesiosaur theory: the idea that some kind of Mesozoic marine reptile has been hiding in the depths of the loch, escaping both extinction and curious eyes.
This theory definitely captures the imagination, but paleontologists remain rather skeptical, since a cold, dark lake is far from the ideal habitat for a warmth-loving reptile. Not to mention that the poor thing would have had to survive alone in a lake for millions of years.
The “It’s all bullshit” theory
And then there are more sensible explanations, like the one suggesting Nessie might be nothing more than floating logs, optical illusions, or simply waves caused by unusual currents.
Sometimes, a weird wave is just a weird wave. It’s not that hard, come on.
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In conclusion
If there’s one thing this legend teaches us, it’s that we all see what we want to see—especially after a pint or two.
Maybe the Loch Ness Monster really does exist, or maybe it’s just the product of the imagination of all those people who swear they’ve seen it. Over the years, plenty of people have tried to solve the mystery with advanced equipment and theories ranging from sensible to ridiculous.
But as of today, we still don’t have a definitive answer to the mystery.
How about heading to Scotland to visit Loch Ness and try to spot Nessie for yourself? Worst case, you’ll at least enjoy some truly spectacular scenery and, while you’re there, you can check out loads of other amazing places in Scotland too, like the Isle of Skye, Edinburgh Castle, the Kelpies, and a whole bunch more.
And the best part?
You don’t have to organize a thing, we’ve already taken care of it!
Check out the itinerary for our 8-day trip through Scotland and get your backpack ready.
We’ll be waiting for you at departure!
