Loch Ness Monster: Biggest search in 50 years for Scotland's mystery creature

Loch Ness contains more water than all the lakes in England and Wales combined, making it one of the UK's deepest and potentially most mysterious lakes.

Nessie fans will be out in force this weekend as a new hunt takes place.

The Loch Ness Centre in Scotland is asking volunteers to help out with a huge search for the lake's mythical monster.

According to the famous legend, a giant beast, the Loch Ness Monster, lives in the lake in the Scottish Highlands - despite zero concrete evidence of such a creature being found... so far!

Locals, visitors and even international scientists are divided about whether a long necked dinosaur, a giant eel or a different kind of monster named Nessie really does reside beneath the lake.

Well, we could have more answers soon as the biggest search in 50 years will use new technology and volunteer research teams to try to prove whether the Loch Ness monster is fact or utter fun fiction.

Where did the tale of Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster, begin?

Steve Feltham has spent over 30 years hunting for Nessie

It's one of the world's biggest unsolved mysteries: Does 'The Loch Ness Monster' exist?

Tales of Nessie have stretched back for hundreds of years - starting as early as the year 565 with the spotting of a 'river monster' near the loch.

But the first modern sighting was 90 years ago. Hotel manager Aldie Mackay reported seeing a black "whale-like" creature "churning" in the loch whilst she was on a car ride round the water.

The story spread through the newspapers and there was even a TV documentary.

A hoax photo of the Loch Ness monster from 1934 - fake news goes way back!

People have debated whether a creature resides in the loch for years, coming up with all kinds of theories.

One man, Steve Feltham, has even dedicated his life to cracking the case - he's waiting for a second sighting, saying he caught "one glimpse" 30 years ago.

The search for the Loch Ness Monster

A member of the Loch Ness Investigation Bureau during a search for the creature

The Loch Ness Centre is calling on "budding monster hunters" to get involved and "search the waters in a way that has never been done before" over the weekend of 26-27 August.

Scientists and volunteers will scour the waters in the biggest search since the Loch Ness Investigation Bureau studied the loch back in 1972.

The plan is to combine new technology to scan and listen to underwater signals from Nessie whilst volunteers watch the surface of the water to spot any monster moves.

The Loch Ness Centre wants to solve the age-old mystery once and for all. But, if Nessie is not found, they hope to at least inspire "a new generation of monster hunters" to carry on the search.