Morag (loch monster)
| Grouping | Cryptid |
|---|---|
| Sub grouping | Lake monster |
| First reported | 1887 |
| Other name(s) | Mòrag (Scottish Gaelic) |
| Country | Scotland |
| Region | Loch Morar |
| Habitat | Water |
Morag (Scottish Gaelic: Mòrag) is the nickname given to a loch monster believed by some to live in Loch Morar, Scotland. After Nessie, it is among the most written about of Scotland's legendary monsters. "Morag", a Scottish female name, is a pun on the name of the loch. Reported sightings date back to 1887, and included 34 incidents by 1981. Sixteen of these involved multiple witnesses.
The best known sighting, a direct encounter in 1969, involved two local men, Duncan McDonnel and William Simpson, and their boat, with which they claimed to have accidentally struck the creature, prompting it to attack them. McDonnel defended with an oar, and Simpson opened fire with his rifle, whereupon it sank slowly out of sight. They described it as being brown, 25–30 feet long, with rough skin, three dorsal humps rising 18 inches (460 mm) above the loch's surface, and a head a foot wide, held 18 inches (460 mm) out of the water.[1][2]
The Loch Ness Investigation Bureau expanded its search to include Loch Morar in February 1970. Several expeditions with the aim to prove or find the monster have been made, but no evidence for an unknown, large creature has been found as of 2015.
See also
- Muc-sheilch (Loch Maree and environs)
Further reading
- Campbell, Elizabeth Montgomery & David Solomon, The Search for Morag (Tom Stacey 1972) ISBN 0-85468-093-4
- Peter Costello, In Search of Lake Monsters (Garnstone) 1974
- Michael Newton, Encyclopedia of Cryptozoology A Global Guide
- Modern Mysteries of Britain (Guild Publishing 1987), pp 160–1 (Morag photographs)
References
- ↑ Loch Ness Investigation 1969 page 18
- ↑ Janet and Colin Bord, "Alien Animals" (Granada 1980, revised 1985), ISBN 0-586-06469-9, pages 13-14
