Myths and Legends: St. Columba and the Loch Ness Monster

St. Columba - St. Margaret’s Chapel, Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh, Scotland

Let’s talk about the most famous monster legend of all time…the infamous Loch Ness Monster.

Loch Ness is located in the Great Glen. It is the second largest loch is Scotland, holds more water than all the lakes in Wales and England combined, is more than 745 feet deep, and is filled with murky, peat laden water. Dark, mysterious, murky. A great place for a monster to hide - or so more than 1,100 eyewitness sightings claim.

There are many, many theories about the nature of the creature lurking beneath the dark waters of Loch Ness - the two most famous a plesiosaur or a giant eel.

Let’s take this back to the very first recorded eyewitness sighting of the Loch Ness monster - recorded by 7th century biographer St. Adamnan in his account of the Life of St. Columba.

In August 565 A.D., St. Columba and his entourage were sailing up Loch Ness on their mission to bring the Gospel to Scotland. The story goes that they saw a group of men burying a body on the shore. When asked how the man died, the men on the shore tell St. Columba that he was killed by a lake monster. Reasons vary as to why, but for whatever reason St. Columba orders one of the men traveling with him to swim to shore. When the man does so, a large creature rises up out of the water and charges the unfortunate man with a roar. But - before it can attack the man, St. Columba holds up his cross and commands the creature to leave the man alone and leave, and never return, in the name of Jesus Christ. The creature turns and vanishes beneath the water…and doesn’t return.

Or so the legend goes…

Altar panel depicting St. Columba’s encounter with the Loch Ness Monster - St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Inverness, Scotland

The lore surrounding the Loch stretches back centuries. Legends like the Kelpie (water horse), a magic horse that lived in the Loch and tricked people to their deaths. The Picts etched ruins of creatures in stone, one of which was the water dragon (see image below). Some suggest this is possible proof that Loch Ness has long been the home of a large creature.

Though the loch is connected to the firth and the sea by the River Ness now (a passage too shallow for a large creature), it was once connected to the sea by a wider and deeper body of water.

Pictish Water Dragon - Drumnadrochit, Scotland

Scientist and adventurers, and countless tourists, have searched the murky depths of Loch Ness in hopes of catching sight of the elusive Nessie. Including me. I searched the Loch from Urquhart Castle for two hours in the wind and the cold - but no luck.

Loch Ness Centre in Drumnadrochit, Scotland (definitely worth a visit)

The greatest amount of sightings have occurred from ruins of Urquhart Castle, which looks down on the deepest part of the Loch. (also the location of the most thrilling scene in Steven Alten’s thriller - The Loch).

There have been 16 sightings this year (2021) so far. The most recent of which may even suggest that may be more than one. (Did a chill just run up your spine?)

A local store owner in Inverness shared a story with me about a man who decided to dive the Loch in an effort to find Nessie. He was separated from his friends. They found him several hours later, floating in the Loch. Alive, but in shock. And his hair had changed from dark brown to snow white.

It is a medical impossibility for hair already on a person’s head to change (without chemical help or movie magic), but the story was fun and the man did believe that there was a creature in the Loch.

Ancient marine reptile or giant eel - there is something in the waters of Loch Ness.

1,100 sightings can’t be wrong. Right?

Myths and Legends: St. Columba and the Loch Ness Monster

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