Anomaly Ledger

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Loch Ness Monster (Nessie)

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The evidence

The 'Surgeon's photograph' (a confessed hoax), April 1934, Loch Ness; published in the Daily Mail
The 'Surgeon's photograph' (a confessed hoax). Captured by Credited to Robert Kenneth Wilson; staged by Marmaduke Wetherell's circle; April 1934, Loch Ness; published in the Daily Mail. Source: Wikimedia Commons ↗. License: Public domain (PD-old, PD-URAA).
Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness, where Nessie sightings are reported
Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness, where Nessie sightings are reported · BIG ALBERT · CC0 (via Wikimedia Commons) · Image source · License
Castle Urquhart on Loch Ness, painting by Hugh William Williams; the loch where Nessie sightings are reported
Castle Urquhart on Loch Ness, painting by Hugh William Williams; the loch where Nessie sightings are reported · Hugh William Williams · Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons) · Image source

A large, long-necked animal said to live in Loch Ness, Scotland.

Disputed Verdict: Nothing found in decades of searching, and the most famous photo was a hoax.

Region
Europe · UK & Europe · United Kingdom
First reports
1933 modern wave; often linked to a 6th-century tale of St. Columba

Key sightings

Best evidence

The Surgeon's photo is a confessed hoax; eDNA sampling found no evidence of a large reptile.

Ledger cases

Sources