Eagerly-awaited Scottish emojis to include Loch Ness Monster
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THE area’s most famous resident is to get her own emblem in a new set of images for mobile phone users.
Highland business and tourism leaders are waiting in anticipation for the unveiling of a new app featuring 100 Scottish emojis – including one of Nessie.
UK tech company Fanmoji plans to launch the images, which will also feature the Saltire and a thistle, later this month.
The company, based in London, spotted a gap in the market and commissioned Kayleigh Dempster, a 24-year-old second- year student at Glasgow Caledonian University, to come up with a set of designs.
Willie Cameron, a director of Loch Ness Marketing, welcomed the inclusion of Nessie in the collection. He believed it would be another boost in raising the region’s profile across the globe.
"I am absolutely delighted she is going to be in there –- the Loch Ness Monster is one of the great icons of Scotland," he said.
"I hope everyone in the Highlands will use the symbol. Tourism is everyone’s business –- not just those working in the tourism business. From that point of view, I hope everyone in Inverness and Loch Ness will send the Nessie emoji with their texts."
He is keenly awaiting the unveiling of the Nessie symbol. "The idea of a Scottish emoji is very clever," he said. "I am sure they will do extremely well."
Long-time Nessie hunter Steve Feltham is also delighted by the inclusion of Nessie, describing her as being emblematic of Scotland.
"Internationally, Nessie is such a Scottish icon," said Mr Feltham. "This is about branding Scotland with that icon. All power to it."
Mr Feltham, who lives in a coverted mobile library van parked on Dores beach, is also urging people to attach the emblem to their text messages.
He was intrigued to know what it will look like.
"It will be interesting to anyone with an interest in the Loch Ness Monster to see how Nessie is depicted," he said.
"Some people think she is a fish. Some people think she is a dinosaur. Some people think it is a space ship."
Mr Feltham believes the depiction of Nessie should not just stop at an emoji and that she should be adopted as the national animal for Scotland.
"In a few years, she might be adopted as a badge in the middle of the Saltire. We need to campaign for this next."
Fanmoji, which is in the process of launching a Welsh emoji app, came up with the idea of a Scottish version after the flag was left out of the standard emoji set.
Tim Webber, of Fanmoji, expected the app to be launched just before Easter.
