Lochaber News, Sept 1996.

IT'S A MONSTER!

Stunned visitors see Loch Lochy's mystery resident

And several people, locals and visitors, confirmed on Thursday the sighting of the water beast - with all the descriptions remiiseent of Nessie. Staff and guests at Corriegour Lodge Hotel watched in amazement as a dark shaped, twelve feet long "something" caused a commotion on the loch which is overlooked by the hotel.

Guests and waitresses at Corriegour Lodge rushed to the picture window of the dining room to get a better view of the creature which had come to the surface. "At first we thought what we were seeing was an upturned rowing boat", said husband and wife, Deric and Lindsey Burney from Hornchurch, who had been having dinner at Corriegour.

"Then it suddenly started moving backwards, and then round in circles, and we noted that it had three humps. It was causing quite a stir. It was very large, about twelve feet in length and it wasn't a seal or any other mammal we've ever seen before. And we've been coming to Loch Lochy on boating and fishing holidays for the past seven years.

Lorna Bunney, joint proprietor with her husband, Rod, of Corriegour Lodge, revealed that she had originally seen a marine animal in the loch three weeks previously. 'I thought at firrst that it was just the wake from a cabin cruiser but it was too fast, and the ripples too close together for that. l ran to look out of the kitchen door and I realised it was some kind of creature. I've never seen any-thing like it before."

Catriona Allen, a 21-year-old psychology at the University of Aberdeen, has been a seasonal waitress at Corriegour for the past two summers. Catriona viewed Lizzie through binoculars and said later: "I watched as this dark shape, with a curved head and a long body, kept turning round and whipping about on the surface of the loch. It was moving on the water like no other marine animal I've seen. It certainly wasn't a seal, otter, porpoise or dolphin. It was a very singular creature - and I can't fathom it out."

In July, 1960, there were reports at Loch Lochy of a creature measuring up to the usual Nessie-type descriptions. And evidence of a monster on the loch was gathered in 1933 by monks at Fort Augustus Abbey. West Highland folklore also tells of water bulls and water horses on Loch Lochy.

Lochaber News, Sept 1996.

'We had a very close view of the creature from the roadside - at Corriegour, too, as it happens - as it was only 100 yards out into the loch," Mrs. Sargent recalls.

"It was definitely an undefined beast and it made an amazing sight, moving at speed through the water and causing an interesting wake."

'Wake' must have been the operative word on this occasion , the September 3Oth of 21 years ago, as several Sargents couldn't sleep that night because of the excitement of seeing the Loch Lochy Monster.

Highland News Group, August 1997.

FIRST it was Nessie of Loch Ness. Then Morag of Loch Morar.
 And now, this week, the monster-hunters' attention focuses on Lizzie of Loch Lochy.
 The first hi-tech sonar sweep of Loch Lochy got under way this week, with phenomena enthusiasts probing the depths of the 10-mile long loch.
 The search team - headed by Gary Campbell, president of the Official Loch Ness Monster Fand Club, and independent researcher, Richard Carter, hope to build up a picture of the underwater features of Loch Lochy.
 The team reckon there could be geographical characteristics in Loch Lochy which are similar to Edward's Deep which was found down at the bottom of Loch Ness earlier this year.
 Last September staff and guests at Corriegour Lodge Hotel, which overlooks Loch Lochy, watched in amazement as a dark-shaped, three-humped, twelve-foot long "something" caused a commotion in the Loch.
 "At first we thought what we were seeing was an upturned rowing boat", said husband and wife, Deric and Lindsey Burney from Hornchurch.
 "Then it suddenly started moving backwards, and then round in circles, and we noted it had three humps."