Mysterious Nessie signs get approval of tourism bosses
Watch out, Nessie could be about – at least that’s what a newly installed road sign at a layby on the A82 near Drumnadrochit is warning motorists.
Amused tourists have been posing for selfies since the triangular sign, depicting Loch Ness’s most famous but elusive resident, mysteriously appeared in recent days.
One theory is that the sign was an April Fool’s joke, but tourism leaders are asking whether it should become a permanent feature.
Willie Cameron, a director of Loch Ness Marketing, had no idea who was behind it but described the sign as very clever.
"I would be delighted if it could remain – in fact, we could do with more around the loch," he said.
"It looks very well done and I would like to congratulate whoever is behind it.
"It is a lot better than some of the signage which has been in place for years, including ‘no overnight parking’ which is not a very welcoming sign for our tourists."
He felt the Nessie sign gave the location a sense of place. "Symbols can explain things more than words," Mr Cameron said.
Graeme Ambrose, chief executive of VisitInvernessLochNess, the area’s tourism business improvement district, had not seen the new sign but was intrigued.
He also wondered whether similar signs could become a permanent feature around the loch.
He said: "You have to be careful about health and safety especially on the A82 but I like the idea.
"Perhaps they could be around Loch Ness wherever there has been a major sighting of Nessie over the years and to give people a feel of where to look out over the loch.
"There are plenty of locations on the south side famed for Nessie sightings.
"Why not? It’s a great bit of fun and maybe a chance to highlight key sightings of Nessie over the years and give the history of it."
