Hundreds of people flocked to the shores of the famous lake in search of the legend, despite the trepidation of the locals - for them, the supposed, mysterious inhabitant of the lake is their main source of income.
The biggest search to date is underway in north-east Scotland to find evidence of the famous Loch Ness monster. Almost three hundred people came from all over Europe and America, who are now searching for the creature with underwater microphones and heat-sensing drones. A previous DNA test failed to confirm the existence of the mysterious animal, but locals insist on keeping the legend alive.
Even though it's August, the chilly weather has people queuing in coats and hoodies outside the entrance to the Loch Ness Center in north-east Scotland. Although there are many historical monuments around the huge lake, people were drawn here by a completely different attraction this weekend.
More than three hundred people have signed up to take part in the search for the famous Loch Ness monster. Most came from other parts of the UK, the US and Australia.
The volunteers undertook to continuously monitor the lake for two days and immediately record any unusual phenomena.
According to the organizers, there has not been an example of a monster hunt that moved so many people for decades.
“I just heard about a man who slept in the woods last night. He came from France and could not find accommodation here. We have a volunteer who is Cuban. A lot of people come from England too. These visitors are stationed at seventeen different points, from where they monitor the water surface," explained one employee of the Loch Ness Center.
There are records of the Loch Ness monster, usually depicted as a primitive reptile, as far back as the seventh century AD. Since then, thousands have claimed to have seen the creature. Searchers are now hoping that advances in science will help them solve the mystery.
This weekend, the most determined monster hunters in Scotland will gather to find traces of the mystical monster.
"We use new, modern technologies. We record the sounds with underwater hydrophones, which are lowered to a depth of almost twenty meters. Meanwhile, drones with thermal cameras are circling over the lake," said the head of the center, Paul Nixon.
This is not the first time that scientific methods are used to resolve the debate about the existence of the monster. Four years ago, an international research team mapped the lake's fauna and found an extraordinary amount of eel DNA in the water. However, they could not determine whether this indicates the presence of many eels, or whether it could be a sign of a particularly large specimen.
However, the participants of the current research are optimistic. Some believe that they have already heard sounds that could support the existence of the monster.
“We heard four distinctive bubbling sounds and got really excited. It turned out that the audio recording equipment was not working, I did not plug the cord into the outlet," said a volunteer.
Local residents, on the other hand, watch the monster hunt with concern. They don't want anyone to disturb Nessi's peace - regardless of whether she exists at all.
For them, the alleged lake monster is the main source of income: many shops and travel agencies take advantage of the hype caused by the legend. Every year, almost half a million people travel to the area because of the mysterious creature, which means a profit of almost twenty billion forints in one season.
