Inverness "snooty" about Nessie

LOCH Ness and its monster may be world-renowned, but its city neighbour is less impressed, it has been claimed.

A conference to discuss tourism and economic development around the famous waterway was told Inverness had a "snooty" attitude towards the iconic visitor magnet.

City councillor Thomas Prag said: "Inverness has always been a bit ambivalent about Loch Ness. People don't talk about it and they certainly don't go abroad and say 'what a great place' and talk about the monster. They pretend it's not there somehow.

"We are snooty. When we were looking for a logo for Inverness some years ago, anyone who mentioned the idea of the monster was laughed out of court.

"And yet that's the thing that people around the world love about the place."

He joined calls from the meeting for groups in Inverness and around Loch Ness to work closer together to market the area, which already attracts about 500,000 visitors a year.

The meeting was chaired by tourism minister Jim Mather, pictured left, who said one of the main messages was collaboration was needed to optimise tourism business.