In a further blow to monster hunters, early survey findings have revealed that claims made earlier this year about a “Nessie trench” in the northern basin of the loch are incorrect.
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A robot used to scan the lake for the monster instead found a model of it at the bottom of the lake.
Rather than the fabled Loch Ness Monster itself, the probe has discovered a 30-foot (9 meter) replica used in the 1970 film “The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes”, which sank almost 50 years ago after its buoyant humps were removed.
It is part of tourist board supported project called Operation Groundwater, and the survey has also found a sunken boat as well as evidence the loch may be even deeper than previously thought.
“The model was built with a neck and two humps and taken alongside a pier for filming of portions of the film in 1969”, he told BBC News Scotland.
These images show the recognisable shape of one of the most famous creatures in the world that has mystified the world for almost 100 years.
The discovery of the model reflects the plot of the film which starred Christopher Lee and included a monster that turned out to be a hidden naval submarine.
A state-of-the-art underwater robot is carrying out what has been described as “the most in depth survey of Loch Ness ever”.
As Loch Ness has a reputation of being hard to survey, the MUNIN is expected to reveal brand new information regarding the Loch. The highly accurate underwater vehicle features groundbreaking sonar and camera equipment, which provide the ability to map vast areas up to a depth of 1,500m at incredibly high resolution.
The lake has been notoriously hard to survey due to its depth and steeply sloping side walls.
Craig Wallace, senior subsea applications engineer at Kongsberg Maritime Ltd explains that Kongsberg Maritime Ltd began surveying Loch Ness with some of the world’s first multibeam sonar back in 1987.
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Despite no conclusive evidence of the famed monster, the mystery and interest surrounding Nessie is worth an estimated £60 million to the Scottish economy, with hundreds of thousands of visitors travelling to Loch Ness every year in the hope of catching a glimpse.
