DEEP, dark and mysterious, Loch Ness attracts thousands of visitors every year because of its beauty as well as its legend.
But while many know the famous waterway due to the monster, residents and businesses along its route are keen to promote its other attractions, and one organisation, Destination Loch Ness (DLN), is aiming to have it designated a World Heritage Site.
It is hoped an application can be made shortly to UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation. If approved, it would join 162 sites across the world on the World Heritage Committee's list of natural heritage sites because of their outstanding universal value. These include the Great Barrier Reef, the Rocky Mountains, the Grand Canyon, the Galapagos Islands and St Kilda.
Graham Ambrose, chairman of DLN and a B&B owner, said: "The monster legend is a huge part of the area's history and appeal but as a short breaks destination we've got a bigger story to tell. DLN has already identified the area within several of VisitScotland's niche markets such as walking, cycling and wildlife.
"World heritage status would be a significant and exciting accolade for Loch Ness and the Great Glen. The idea has been discussed at length and Destination Loch Ness is currently investigating if the area meets the stringent criteria. As yet, no application has been made and further comment will be made at an appropriate juncture."
A spokeswoman for UNESCO said when an application is made to have a site inscribed, the World Heritage Committee's consultative bodies, made up of experts in natural and cultural heritage, study the site and write a recommendation which is then accepted - or not.
She added: "The World Heritage Committee, a sovereign body of 21 member states that are signatories of UNESCO's World Heritage Convention, does not allow us to comment on the nomination process of any given site before it decides whether to inscribe it or not."
The loch attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors a year and is worth about £25 million annually to the economy, although it is felt there is potential for this to rise to £120 million.
"DLN is making a concerted effort to increase the volume and value of tourism in the area," said Mr Ambrose. "Latest research highlights that day-trip visitors to Loch Ness spend only £14 per trip compared to £54 per trip for the rest of the Highlands. Over-night visitors spend just £83 per trip compared to £123 for the rest of the Highlands."
Loch Ness is the UK's largest body of fresh water and one of the deepest at 754ft, which makes it a vital site for scientists, as well as monster hunters and tourists. Its largely undisturbed mud-beds are a source of important historical, geological and environmental data, giving clues to such phenomena as the formation of the Great Glen.
