Morag

Morag or Mòrag (Scottish Gaelic) is a loch monster reported to live in Loch Morar, Scotland.

Etymology

The name "Morag" is a pun on the name of the lake in which the creatures lives, and of the Scottish female name, "Morag".

Description/Morphology

Physiologically, the creature is alleged to be similar to Nessie, having a relatively serpentine appearance, and frequently being depicted as a plesiosaur. However, plesiosaurs were unable to raise their necks in the manner described of Morag.

Sightings

Sightings date back to 1887, and include some 34 incidents, as of 1981. Sixteen of these involved multiple witnesses.

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.

The Loch Ness Investigation Bureau expanded its search to include Loch Morar in February 1970.

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.

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.

See also

• Loch Ness Monster
• Muc-sheilch

References

• Campbell, Elizabeth Montgomery & David Solomon, The Search for Morag (Tom Stacey 1972) ISBN 085468 093 4
• Peter Costello, In Search of Lake Monsters (Garnstone) 1974
• Michael Newton, Encyclopedia of Cryptozoology A Global Guide
• Janet and Colin Bord, "Alien Animals" (Granada 1980, revised 1985), ISBN 0-586-06469-9, pages 13-14(McDonnell and Simpson sighting).
• "Modern Mysteries of Britain" (Guild Publishing 1987), pp 160-1 (Morag photographs)

External links

• Loch Morar Survey 1970
• Loch Morar Survey 1971
• Loch Morar Survey 1972
• Loch Morar Expedition Report 1975
• Loch Morar Expedition 1976

Sources

Part of this article consists of modified text from Wikipedia, and the article is therefore licensed under GFDL.