Linked to the History & Myth episode about Loch Ness Monster, here are some interesting facts about Loch Ness (the lake) and the Monster that resides within it, Nessy.

Some interesting facts about the Loch and its monster

1. Rain around Loch Ness carries peat or turf from the surrounding hills down into the water. These little particles mean that visibility under the water is poor, with the darkest of depths and perfect condition for a mythological creative it hide.
2. Loch Ness is one of the four lochs on the Great Glen; which is a valley carved by glaciers during the last Ice Age. Underneath the valley is the Great Fault Line, formed 390-430 million years ago and it can be seen from space.
3. The Loch Ness Monster has featured in Doctor Who twice, once in 1975’s Terror of the Zygons, when Tom Baker’s Doctor met the creature and was revealed to be Skarasen, an alien creature which was the pet of the Zygons, a shape changing race and second in 1985 Timelash, when Colin Baker’s Doctor showed how the cruel alien Borad, ruler of the planet Karfel, escaped into the loch.
4. Several songs over the years have been made about or with reference to Loch Ness Monster in the popular culture, with my favourite being Lochness by Judas Priest in their 2005 album Angel of Retribution.
5. Files from the Natural History Museum suggest that the now late Prince Philip was so interested in the Loch Ness Monster, he proposed the Royal Navy be enlisted to help him search for the elusive creature.
6. Part of a 2005 triathlon included a swim through Loch Ness. Each participant was insured £1 million against bites from the monster.
7. In 1979, a pair of bottlenose dolphins were outfitted with vests holding lights and small cameras in order to help search for Nessie. The plan was called off after one of the dolphins died on a stopover at Hull Aquarium.