Not All Scottish Lake Monsters Are Seen In Loch Ness

A new article from me: Everyone has heard of the Nessies of Loch Ness, but what of the other lake monsters reported in Scotland?

Morag: Nessie's Lesser-Known Cousin

And also got this book in the mail today. An old one (1972) I've been meaning to get for years. On Morag, the lake-monster of Scotland's Loch Morar.

Profiling The Linton "Worm"

A study of British folklore will reveal a number of intriguing, centuries-old reports of giant "worms" roaming around the countryside - and usually causing mayhem and death and doing battle with valiant knights and heroes of old.

Over at Mysterious Universe, I profile one such story, that of the wriggly beast of Linton, Scotland. And here's how it begins: 

"Our world has no shortage of modern day monsters – Bigfoot, the Chupacabra, and the Yeren of China make that very clear. The world of the past had no shortage, either, as the strange saga of what became known as the Linton Worm makes very clear. It’s a tale that has fascinated me for many years, and which dates back to the 1100s.

"It tells of a horrific, man-eating, giant, worm-like beast that terrified the good folk of Linton, Roxburghshire, which is located on the Southern Uplands of Scotland. Interestingly, and as will soon become apparent, the monster has parallels with a number of Scottish lake monsters, and particularly so Nessie of Loch Ness and Morag of Loch Morar."

Morag the Monster

And another new Mysterious Universe article from me. This one is on a certain Scottish lake monster. And, no, it's not Nessie...

The Beast of Loch Morar

Everyone  has heard of Scotland's most famous cryptid: Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster (or, monsters, if they exist - since there clearly can't be just one).

But, it's a seldom discussed fact that Loch Ness is not the only Scottish lake with a monster tradition attached to it. Take, for example, Loch Morar, said to be the home of the menacing Morag.

In some respects, the stories coming out of Loch Morar are more intriguing than those from Loch Ness.

And here's a newly surfaced account from Loch Morar. It describes an incident that occurred many years ago, but which was recently provided to Roland Watson, who shares the facts at his excellent Loch Ness Mystery blog.

A Scottish Monster That's Not Nessie

The Scotsman newspaper profiles the Loch Ness Monster's little brother (sister? cousin?), Morag of Loch Morar...

Lake Monsters Or Giant Eels?

My latest Mysterious Universe article focuses on the theory that at least some so-called "lake-monsters" may actually be giant eels. It starts like this:

"When it comes to the matter of lake monsters, two things can be said with a high degree of certainty: (a) sightings have been reported from pretty much all around the world; and (b) the theories for what they may be are as many as they are varied. Ogopogo, Champ, Morag, and the monsters of Loch Ness, Scotland have all captured the collective imagination of the public and the media, as well as the attention of cryptozoologists, the scientific community, and monster-hunters. But, if lake monsters really do exist – and I think they do – then what are they? That’s a good question…

"Certainly, and beyond any shadow of doubt (and particularly so when it comes to the matter of what lurks within Loch Ness) the most popular theory is that the creatures are plesiosaurs: marine reptiles that lived from the Triassic Period, thrived in the Jurassic Period, and finally met their demise at the end of the Cretaceous Period. If such beasts did survive extinction, such a discovery would not just be amazing – it would be beyond amazing!" (END OF EXTRACT)

The giant eel theory is one that has interested me for a long time and you can find other material on this very subject from me in my 2012 book Monster Diary (which includes an entire chapter on the subject, titled "The Great Eel Hunt"). The photo below relates to the story in the book.

Also check out this 2012 article from me (also at Mysterious Universe), one (from 2008) at my now-closed down blog, There's Something in the Woods, and a second one at the same blog, this one from 2007.

Expeditions of the Monstrous Kind

My newly-posted Lair of the Beasts article at Mania.com lists the top three expeditions of the cryptozoological kind I'd like to go on if I had the chance.

It starts like this...

"Now and again I get asked something along the lines of: 'What strange creature, which you haven’t yet searched for, would you like to chase down?' Well, it’s a good question. The world is a very big place and there are a lot of weird beasts out there. But, there are a few specific and amazing animals I’d like to go looking for which, so far, I haven’t had the opportunity.

"Imagine coming face to face with a ferocious, carnivorous monitor lizard with a length of somewhere between fifteen and twenty feet – maybe even closer to twenty five feet – and a weight in excess of at least a ton.

"Not in times long past – since the creature under the microscope is widely assumed to have become extinct around 40,000 years ago - but right now, deep in the heart of the sub-tropical rainforests of Australia. You think it couldn’t happen?"

And here's the rest of the article, and the lowdown on those three...