Like Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster is a cryptid — a creature that people have reported seeing, but has yet to be scientifically proven to exist. Is it real? Well, it depends on who you ask!
Loch Ness is a freshwater lake in northern Scotland ("loch" is the Scottish Gaelic word for "lake"). Reports of an aquatic monster living there date back to ancient times. The legend of the Loch Ness Monster, or "Nessie" as she is affectionately called, began to grow world famous in the 1930s. People have been looking for her ever since.
The descriptions of the Loch Ness Monster are as varied as the people who tell stories about seeing it. No one can seem to agree on its size, shape or colour. Some say it moves quickly and others that it's quite slow. Some report that the monster is friendly and others say it's violent.
Most of these Nessie sightings are probably a case of mistaken identity. People might have seen a bird, otter, seal or even a stick and thought it was a monster. Others were deliberate hoaxes. According to Britannica Library, there has been quite a bit of faked "proof" created over the years. This includes the famous "Surgeon's Photograph" which was exposed as a fake, 60 years after it was first published in a newspaper!
It remains to be proven whether the Loch Ness Monster is a plesiosaur, a long-necked marine reptile that lived millions of years ago. Sea serpent, a floating log, or just a good story? You decide! One thing is for sure: if you really want to find Nessie, you can see her in any souvenir shop in Scotland.