For centuries the Loch Ness Monster has held the world gripped with fascination. Nestled in the Scottish Highlands, not too far from your given coordinates, is where this legendary creature is said to inhabit. The monster, often affectionately known as ‘Nessie’, is part of a rich tapestry of Scottish folklore. Stories of Nessie have been circulating for centuries, but the official ‘first sighting’ is usually credited to Saint Columba in 565 AD. As the story goes, the Irish monk was in Scotland to spread Christianity when he came across a group of locals burying a man next to the River Ness. They explained the man was swimming in the river when he was attacked by a ‘water beast’ which mauled him and dragged him under. Columba, upon hearing this, commanded one of his followers to swim across the river. As expected, the beast came out to attack the swimmer but Columba made the holy sign of the cross and commanded: ‘Go no further. Do not touch the man. Go back at once.’ The monster immediately halted and fled. From that day on, Nessie’s fame was sealed and stories circulated from generation to generation, with varying degrees of estimable proof. Regardless of authenticity, the Loch Ness monster remains an instrumental part of Scottish culture, casting a mystery that spans the wild beauty of the highlands and continues to captivate the global community to this day.