Mike Merritt
The Sun
Lynn Locke’s report has now been accepted by the Official Loch Ness Monster Sightings Register – the seventh of the monster this year, which is heading for a record
A school secretary has captured Nessie on her mobile phone – just hours before a schoolgirl photographed a similar image 12 miles away.
Lynn Locke’s report has now been accepted by the Official Loch Ness Monster Sightings Register – the seventh of the monster this year, which is heading for a record.
The 54-year-old elementary school secretary from Ontario in Canada was on holiday with her husband and daughter – visiting family in Glasgow – when they took a trip to the Highlands for a few days.
While at Loch Ness, Mrs Locke saw Nessie for about a minute about 50 yards offshore near Urquhart Castle, said to be a favourite haunt of the monster.
Mrs Locke captured the dark object on her iPhone.
She said: “On our last day we visited Urquhart Castle and went on a cruise on Loch Ness. While we were visiting the castle I noticed something moving in the water, with trails of bubbles leading up to it. It went under the water a couple of times and reappeared.
“It seemed strange, and of course I’ve heard of the story of Nessie, so I took a few pictures.
© Lynn Locke
“This was the first time we all had been to the area around Loch Ness.
“I believed in Nessie before this so I was excited when I saw something strange in the water. My family is a bit sceptical about Nessie but I think this sighting – as well as the other one the same day further south – has made them change their minds a little bit.
“I do think I saw Nessie – maybe the tail. I’ve seen a stick floating in the water before and that didn’t look like one to me. Of course I didn’t think I would see anything going to Loch Ness that day, so it was a surprise!”
Her sighting came at 9.40am last Friday week and at around 7pm a similar object was seen 12 miles away by Charlotte Robinson who took with her iPhone what experts say was the “best picture” of the Loch Ness Monster “for years.”
© Charlotte Robinson
Charlotte, 12, from Leeds in Yorkshire was staying at Loch Ness Highland Lodges at Invermoriston when Nessie popped up about 50 feet away – and on the first day of her vacation!
The creature surfaced for about a minute before re-surfacing about ten feet further away some seven minutes later – but for less than 60 seconds.
Charlotte was on holiday with parents Kat, 41, a business intelligence data analyst, and father Dave, 52, a factory worker.
Gary Campbell, keeper of the official Nessie sightings register, said: “I think it is more than a coincidence that the same unexplained but moving object has appeared near the same shore but 12 miles apart on the same day. The pictures were taken some time apart which would allow it to swim that distance.
“Interestingly, a similar sighting was reported the day before. We’re waiting for verification but again, it appears that it might be the same thing. It too was at a different location so it looks like Nessie’s on the move.
“We’re up to a likely total of seven sightings for this year which is fantastic – it could be another record year as we’re not even at the end of August yet.”