What legendary lake monster is said to inhabit Loch Ness in Scotland?

The legendary lake monster said to inhabit Loch Ness in Scotland is the Loch Ness Monster, also called Nessie.

Loch Ness is a large freshwater loch in the Scottish Highlands, and stories of a water beast in the surrounding area have older roots. A tale recorded by Adomnán in the seventh century describes Saint Columba confronting a water creature in the River Ness, although skeptics note that this medieval account may be independent of the modern monster legend.

Worldwide interest surged in 1933 after reported sightings near the loch. Nessie is usually imagined as a large animal with a long neck and humps rising above the water, but descriptions vary. The famous 1934 “Surgeon’s Photograph,” once treated as evidence, was later exposed as a hoax.

The monster remains a cultural legend rather than a scientifically established animal. Proposed explanations include misidentified waves, boats, logs, seals, eels, and hoaxes. A sea serpent or kelpie may resemble Nessie in folklore, but neither is the standard answer to this question.