Press release -
The spirit of Nessie
The "haunting" details of what is possibly the first infrared image of “Nessie” are set to be revealed at a special event to be held in Stirling as part of Scotland’s first everParanormal Festival (30 October – 2 November.
Leading paranormal investigator Jonathan Bright from Greece will travel to Scottish shores to deliver his views on an intriguing image he captured in late 2011 of a strange “monstrous head” coming out of the waters of Loch Ness.
The picture was published in 2013 and has since led to a great deal of discussions and analysis. Its impact on what is known about the legendary monster will be a key theme explored by Mr Bright at “Is Nessie Paranormal” on Friday 31 October at the Albert Halls in Stirling.
As well as delving into the picture itself, the audience will be taken on a journey back into Loch Ness Monster folklore to discover similar views of new and past researchers in their effort to ultimately understand the “Nessie” phenomenon.
Following the Festival, Mr Bright is planning to head back to Loch Ness to launch a new investigation into the dark waters of this famous Scottish landmark.
Jonathan Bright said:
“My travels for exploring legends and investigating mysterious phenomena have taken me to various places in Europe, but although I have gathered a lot of amazing experiences and valuable data from other destinations before, nowhere else have I felt so enchanted and connected with the place as at the mysterious Loch Ness.
“It was only a brief trip in the Highlands, but on the day that I was actually cruising the Loch, my infrared camera had captured a picture that, in my opinion, proves that the ‘monster’ is much more than a tall tale.
“Of course, a picture alone will never be able to stand out as ‘unambiguous’ evidence, let alone provide adequate answers to all of our questions on the exact nature of the phenomenon that we call Nessie.
“This theme I will explore in my presentation, examining the possible scenarios, but mostly focusing on the idea that I find most intriguing, that Nessie may be some sort of a manifestation of the place itself. This idea of course is not new, there is a long tradition of researchers that have understood Nessie as some sort of ‘paranormal’ phenomenon.
“Whatever is the truth, there is no denying that Nessie will continue to intrigue the world for years to come.”
On 14 April 1933, Mrs Aldie Mackay, manageress of the Drumnadrochit Hotel, spoke of seeing a “whale-like fish” in the loch. Alex Campbell, a water bailiff and part-time journalist, recorded the sighting in the Inverness Courier, under the headline: “Strange Spectacle in Loch Ness”.
VisitScotland Chief Executive Malcolm Roughead said:
“It would be difficult to overstate the importance of Mrs Mackay’s sighting of the Loch Ness Monster some 81 years ago to tourism in Scotland. There are few places in the world where people haven’t heard of the phenomenon and many have made the journey to the beautiful mysterious shores of this now famous Loch to catch a glimpse of Nessie herself.
“The Scottish Paranormal Festival is set to be a mystifying and intriguing few days. From ghosts to aliens, UFOs to vampires, it will be a chance to discover the fact behind the fiction and see if the truth really is out there and I would urge everyone to make the trip to Stirling.”
Supported by VisitScotland, the Scottish Paranormal Festival takes place in Stirling from 30 October to 2 November. The festival is a huge celebration of the scary and the unexplained, featuring everything from mediums and UFO experts to classic spooky films and even the first ever Caledonian Vampyre Ball.
As part of the Homecoming Scotland 2014 partnership programme, the festival is set to draw visitors across Scotland and beyond. The Scottish Paranormal Festival has received funding from VisitScotland’s directorate, EventScotland.
Peter Broughan, Scottish Paranormal Festival Director said:
“It would be perverse to hold this first Scottish Paranormal Festivalandnot include a session on Nessie. Jonathan’s involvement highlights both the international scope of the event and the worldwide interest in Scotland as a paranormal place to visit. Maybe the Monster will put in a special appearance at Loch Ness to mark this important inaugural Festival?”
For more information about Jonathan Bright, please visit: http://jonathan-brights-urban-tales.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/my-experience-with-loch-ness-monster_10.html
For more information about the Scottish Paranormal Festival, visit www.paranormalscotland.com
-ENDS-
For further information or interviews contact:
|
Kate Turnbull Corporate Press Manager VisitScotland 0131 472 2325 |
Topics
- Tourism
Categories
- corporate communications
- homecoming 2014
Regions
- Scotland
Notes to Editors:
- Follow us on twitter: @visitscotnews
- VisitScotland is Scotland’s national tourism organisation. Its core purpose is to maximise the economic benefit of tourism to Scotland.
- The organisation has three key roles:
- To market Scotland to all parts of the world to attract visitors
- To provide information – and inspiration – to visitors and potential visitors so they get the best out of a visit to Scotland
- To provide quality assurance to visitors and quality advice to the industry and partners to help the industry meet and strive to exceed customer expectations
- VisitScotland works together with tourism businesses to make tourism a success for everyone and ensure the industry continues to grow.
- The organisation employs 700 people and has offices and VisitScotland Information Centres across Scotland.
- 2014 is the year Scotland welcomes the world, when it hosts the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles and more than 800 Homecoming events throughout the country.For more information on Homecoming Scotland 2014, go to www.visitscotland.com
- The VisitScotland Information Centre network is a unique face-to-face channel engaging with around five million visitors and locals each year. Everyone who uses a VisitScotland Information Centre goes on to spend an additional £5.35, generating over £24 million for Scotland’s economy.
- According to a recent Deloitte study, tourism employs 270,000 people in Scotland in 20,000 diverse businesses. The same study calculates that the industry contributes £11 billion annually (direct and indirect impact, including day visits) and supports around 10 per cent of employment in Scotland. Almost 16 million tourists take overnight trips to Scotland.
- Where possible, a Gaelic speaker will be made available for broadcast interviews on request (Far an tèid iarraidh, agus far am bheil sin nar comas, bruidhinnidh neach le Gàidhlig aig agallamh)
- For holiday information on Scotland go to www.visitscotland.com
- For information about business tourism in Scotland go to www.conventionscotland.com
- For more information on VisitScotland’s annual review please go to www.visitscotland.org/about_us/our_focus/annual_report.aspx
