| (Mòrag (Scottish Gaelic)) | |
|---|---|
| Creature | |
| Grouping | Cryptid |
| Sub grouping | Lake monster |
| Data | |
| First reported | 1887 |
| Country | Scotland |
| Region | Loch Morar |
| Habitat | Water |
Morag or Mòrag (Scottish Gaelic) is a loch monster reported to live in Loch Morar, Scotland. After Nessie, it is among the best known of Scotland's legendary monsters.
The name "Morag" is a pun on the name of the Loch, and of the Scottish female name, "Morag". Sightings date back to 1887, and include some 34 incidents as of 1981. Sixteen of these involved multiple witnesses.
In 1948 "a peculiar serpent-like creature about 20 ft long" was reported by nine people in a boat, in the same place as the 1887 sighting.[1]
The best known encounter, in 1969, featured two men, Duncan McDonnel and William Simpson, and their speedboat, with which they accidentally struck the creature, prompting it to hit back. McDonnel retaliated with an oar, and Simpson opened fire with his rifle, whereupon it sank slowly out of sight. They described it as being brown, 25-30 feet long, and with rough skin. It had three humps rising 18 inches (460 mm) above the loch's surface, and a head a foot wide, held 18 inches (460 mm) out of the water.[2][3]
A pair of photographs taken in 1977 by Miss M Lindsay show an object in the loch which is claimed to be Morag. The object appears to have moved several yards from one picture to the other. The first picture shows a round back, while the second picture seems to show two humps.
The Loch Ness Investigation Bureau expanded its search to include Loch Morar in February 1970.
Several expeditions with the aim to prove or find the monster have been made, but no evidence for an unknown, large creature has been found.
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