Camp-site Nessie
From Moriston Matters, Issue 20, August 1980.
It was about high noon or so on Thursday, 14th August that the illuminated headlamp of an oncoming police motor-bike heralded the arrival at the Loch Ness Caravan and Camp Park near Invermoriston (rather than near Fort Augustus as reported in the press) of an expertly constructed model of a Plesiosaur, the ‘near-lizard' of pre-history, which oozed and slithered its progress in the muds and slimes of marine life about 200 million years ago - give or take a half-score million years or so.
The model is the brain-child of Mr Robert Lealand - owner of the Caravan and Camp Park. It is to be the centre-piece of a Loch Ness Monster Exhibit ion, to be gradually built up and housed on the site. 30 x 14 x 7 1/2 feet, this 'Nessie' is made of reinforced glass fibre ensuring that it will live for the next half-century or so. In which time surely Nessie herself will pop up one day her aged head to pay her respects. The model was scaled from measurements taken from a macroplata in the British Museum, was built by a firm of specialists in Scunthorpe in Mr Lealand’s native Lincoln-shire, and transported overland from there by low-loader, arousing much interest on route.
This possible replica of Nessie was scheduled to arrive at the Caravan Park at Rubha Ran at 10 o’ clock in the morning.
Somewhat unfortunately it was late, for at that time that morn Loch Ness happened to be at its monster-best. It was one of these times when the water of this loch of powerful atmosphere, under an overcast sky and sunk in its rift valley bed, is hushed calm and very black. In such conditions the imagination takes over and the most fabulous of submarine life and activity in the murky depths becomes intensely believable.
Low flying supersonic aircraft reminded us briefly from time to time that, monster or no monster, we were in a technological age. But then, a slight breeze having got up, some yachts sailing noiselessly past under full sail took us back to the dawn of human history. And when the Plesiosaur did arrive, so convincing and authentic it was that the imagination was immediately re-fertilised and reinforced.
She was met by the battery of cameras usually reserved for such interesting mortals as Raquel Welsh. The onlookers flowed and ebbed, grouped and re-grouped as the truck manoeuvred its way into the park. At which feverish activity the reptile grinned monstrously and gazed with long-necked arrogance. And it continued, to view its new environment with supreme detachment even as a band of men strong and true carried her to the shores of Loch Ness to be baptized in its waters. Perhaps too Nessie herself lurked nearby, gazing too with age-old arrogance at the activities of the comparatively recent phenomenon of human behaviour.
A refreshing change, this 'model' monster, from - dare we say it? - the monstrosities of Loch Ness monsters one usually sees, the kind of holiday postcard monster seen on tee-shirts, tea towels and in other less pardonable places.
We look forward to doing next summer perhaps a follow-up report on the exhibition proper.