Nessie's back after dearth of sightings hits the headlines
FEARS that Nessie is missing have been allayed following a potential sighting.
Gary Campbell, keeper of the official register of sightings on Loch Ness, was becoming increasingly concerned that the loch’s most famous resident had not been seen for eight months.
But while taking part in a radio programme yesterday to discuss the dilemma causing global interest, he heard of a possible sighting last month by a guest staying at the Loch Ness Clansman Hotel. The close encounter took place near Urquhart Castle.
Mr Campbell is now urging the guest – and anyone else who has spotted anything unusual on the loch – to get in contact.
"If people see things, we want to know what it is," he said. "I take people’s names and details but if they want to remain anonymous I am quite happy. I am more interested in the details of what they saw."
Mr Campbell said the publicity about the recent dearth of reported sightings had prompted one man to report a possible sighting from 1969.
"He didn’t want the details out there," Mr Campbell said, "He didn’t have any photographs but he explained what he and his uncle had seen while fishing in 1969."
Fraser Campbell, director of Drumnadrochit company Cobbs, which owns the Clansman Hotel, confirmed a guest from England had spoken about seeing something unusual appearing to move against the water while she was by the shoreline near Urquhart Castle.
"We knew of Gary’s register but at the time she was on her holidays and didn’t want to do anything about it," said Fraser Campbell, who acknowledged many people were reluctant to report possible sightings.
"There are people living and working in the area who have seen something but don’t really want to say too much in case they look a bit a daft. There are probably just as many sightings which are not reported as are recorded."
He now intends to put cards in the bedrooms at the Clansman as well as the Loch Ness Country House Hotel and Drumnadrochit Hotel to encourage guests to report possible Nessie sightings.
It is not the first time there has been an absence of reported encounters.
In 2013, an appeal was launched after there were no registered sightings that year for the first time in almost 90 years. A Northumberland man later came forward reporting he had seen a large creature just below the surface on Apple’s map app.
Last year was a record year for the 21st century with eight sightings which were entered into the annual best Nessie sighting competition run by the Courier, in conjunction with sponsor bookmaker William Hill.
A photograph appearing to show the shadow of a dark creature under the surface of the water was judged the winner in an online poll.
The image was taken by Texan woman Natasha Heidlage from the stern of a Loch Ness by Jacobite boat on May 1.
She won £1000.
