'˜Record year' for alleged sightings of Loch Ness monster

Fans of Scotland's favourite mythical beast have enjoyed a bumper 2017, with Nessie enthusiasts claiming a record number of sightings have been made.

Loch Ness. Picture: Jane Barlow

Dr Jo Knight, a lecturer at Lancaster University, spotten an unexplained “fin” shape when looking pictures of Loch Ness taken by her and son Sam while on a recent holiday.

She forwarded her image to a website dedicated to alleged sightings of the monster.

After analysis, the site agreed it could indeed be a picture of the famous beast - and it became the eighth sighting recorded in 2017.

The mythical Loch Ness monster has captivated generations of spotters

Gary Campbell, the recorder of the Official Loch Ness Monster Sightings Register said the sighting had been accepted as the eighth of Nessie this year.

“This is the most we have had this century,” he said.

“We had some debate if the Knights’ sighting was a wave or possibly an animal. After a lot of discussion we were split 50-50 but on that basis we have given the benefit of the doubt to it being accepted as an official sighting. It certainly is very interesting and raises many questions.

“In recent years the most sightings in a year we have had is 17 - and that was in 1996. Before that the 1960s and 1930s were the times that had most sightings - sometimes more that 20 in a year.”