It has been faithfully recording Nessie’s movements for two decades.
And now after logging more than 1,000 sightings, the Official Loch Ness Monster Sightings Register is celebrating its 20th anniversary this month with one of the world’s greatest mysteries still unsolved.
Sightings of Nessie were at their highest in more than a decade last year – and already there has been the first of 2016, recorded by a visitor from Texas, who took pictures of a “dark creature” just under the surface following the boat she was on.
Gary Campbell, keeper of the register, said the fascination of Nessie was showing no signs of abating.
He accepted five sightings for 2015 – the most in 13 years.
Mr Campbell stressed that the majority of claimed sightings do not get included on the register – as most can be explained.
“Anything that is later proved to a hoax or can be subsequently explained is removed from the register,” said Mr Campbell, 51, a chartered accountant from Inverness.
“When I started the register I never expected to be doing it this long but after 20 years nobody has still solved it – so I expect I will be doing this to the day I die.
“The sightings are getting more credible all the time because everybody seems to have a smartphone with a camera these days. The best two credible accounts are from Richard White in 1997 who took a series of photographs of something coming out of the water – and Glasgow postman Bobbie Pollock who in 2000 took a video of an object swimming in Invermoriston Bay.
“The worst ones have usually involved publicity campaigns – most notably when a submarine was used and somebody put Nessie’s head on it so it looked like the monster swimming along, sparking lots of ‘sightings’.”
“It has been a good start to the year already. I think that this proves that Nessie’s not gone anywhere. We were a bit worried in 2013 when no-one saw her but it looks like she was just keeping her head down at the time.
“The reports also show that Nessie doesn’t just hide out in one part of Loch Ness – she’s just as likely to appear at either end so I suppose the message for monster hunters is to keep your eyes peeled no matter where you are at the loch.
“It’s 1450 years now since the first report of a monster in Loch Ness – it doesn’t look like Nessie’s going anywhere just yet.
“Everybody has their own theory what Nessie is and I doubt anybody will come up with a definitive answer soon.”
