Steve Challice's Loch Ness snap caused a stir online (Image: Steve Challice) Join thousands in getting the latest
Scotland Now stories sent straight to your inbox More Newsletters Subscribe Please enter a valid email Something went wrong, please try again later. More Newsletters We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info Thank you for subscribing! We have more newsletters Show me See Our Privacy Notice See Our Privacy Notice × Group 28 Join thousands in getting the latest Scotland Now stories sent straight to your inbox Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign Up No thanks, close We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info × Group 28 Thank you for subscribing! We have more newsletters Show Me No thanks, close See our Privacy Notice The Loch Ness Monster is arguably Scotland's most famous legend. The mythical water beast draws Nessie spotters in from all across the globe. And the story of the fabled creature dates back to St Columba in the 6th Century. Sightings are becoming more and more common, with new technology meaning anyone with a phone can snap a pic while watching from the lochside. One such person was holidaymaker Steve Challice, who was visiting the historic site from Southampton during a holiday in 2019. He was at Urquhart Castle with his brother on the banks of Loch Ness when he noticed a "sort of ripple in the water". Read More Related Articles Highlander star Christopher Lambert opens up on cult movie and love for 'beautiful' Scotland Read More Related Articles David Bowie's drummer opens up on groundbreaking fan confrontation after 1973 Glasgow gig He had been taking pictures of the opposite shore when he thought he saw a large fish and immediately took some photos. Steve had forgotten about the incident until he started looking through pictures from the two-week trip during the first lockdown in 2020. He told the Record: "I started taking a couple of shots and then this big fish came to the surface and then went back down again. "It only appeared in one shot and to be honest that was something of a fluke. I watched for a while as you can see from the last picture but didn't see it again." Top news stories today Grieving parents demand justice for tot Dad's knife threat after school fight Mum threw weedkiller in cop's face Scots paedophile
prison death probe After finding the snap of the creature he had spotted, which he believed to have been around 8ft long, he shared the photo online . The post was flooded with comments from
Social Media users convinced Steve had seen Nessie. But the budding photographer thinks it may have just been a large catfish or a seal, and only shared the snap so people could help him identify it. Steve said: "Personally I know there has been some interest and some people are saying it's the monster but I don't believe that. I have to say I don't believe in the Loch Ness Monster and frankly I think if anything is there then there is a logical explanation for most of the sightings. Steve is not convinced it is Nessie (Image: Steve Challice) "My guess would be that what I captured was a catfish or something like that. As seals get in from the sea then I expect that's what it is and that would explain why these sightings are so few and far between." Roland Watson, who runs the Loch Ness Mystery blog, had spoken to Steve after seeing the snaps online. Roland said: "If this is a genuine picture of a creature in Loch Ness, it would easily rank in the top three of all time. "At this point, I am in an ongoing conversation with Steve as to the objections and concerns I have about this being a photoshop picture. So we will see where that takes us." Join the Daily Record
WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on
BREAKING news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile , select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. A digital photography expert was also sceptical about the image, saying that the photo appears altered due to the colour saturation and indistinct lining of the supposed animal in the main picture. Steve, however, defended the images, stating that they are genuine. He said: "There are pics on
Google showing large monsters with lots of loops like a snake or something and my image is nothing like that. I genuinely think, to this day, it's just a big fish." Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond. Sign up to our daily newsletter . Story Saved You can find this story in My Bookmarks. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Follow Daily Record
Facebook Twitter Comment More On Loch Ness monster Social media