The Monster of the Deepest Loch

Loch Morar is Scotland’s deepest lake at over 1,000 feet. It also hosts Morag—a creature similar to Nessie but less famous. Sightings date to the 1880s, and in 1969 two men physically struck the creature with an oar. It was solid. It was alive.

The Loch

Loch Morar facts:

• Deepest loch in Scotland
• 1,017 feet deep
• 11 miles long
• Western Highlands
• Remote location

Why Less Famous

Compared to Nessie:

• Less accessible
• Fewer visitors
• Less media
• Same creature type?
• Second fiddle

The Name

“Morag”:

• Traditional name
• Local folklore
• Celtic origin
• Female entity?
• Ancient

Physical Description

What’s reported:

• Long neck
• Humps
• Dark color
• Large size
• Plesiosaur-like

Early Sightings

Historical reports:

• 1887 onwards
• Local fishermen
• Boat encounters
• Consistent accounts
• Pattern established

The 1969 Encounter

Key incident:

• Duncan McDonell
• William Simpson
• Boat strike
• Physical contact
• Fled after

The Details

What happened:

• August 16, 1969
• Speedboat
• Hit something
• 25-foot creature
• Brown/black

The Oar Strike

Physical proof:

• Simpson hit it
• With oar
• Solid impact
• Not log or debris
• Living creature

Its Reaction

What it did:

• Sank down
• Swam away
• Under boat
• Deliberate movement
• Escaped

Their Testimony

Witness accounts:

• Never wavered
• Reported immediately
• Local men
• No profit motive
• Credible

Scientific Interest

Research:

• Elizabeth Montgomery Campbell
• Wrote book
• “The Search for Morag”
• Documented sightings
• Serious study

Other Sightings

Additional reports:

• Regular over decades
• Various witnesses
• Fishermen
• Tourists
• Consistent description

Connection to Nessie

Same creature?:

• Similar description
• Both deep lochs
• Underground connection?
• Same species?
• Scottish phenomenon

The Depth Factor

Why significant:

• Deepest loch
• More hiding space
• Less explored
• Could contain
• Large population?

Sonar Searches

Technology used:

• Some attempts
• Less than Loch Ness
• Anomalous returns
• Inconclusive
• More needed

Current Status

Today:

• Still reported
• Less attention
• Active mystery
• Fewer researchers
• Morag waits

Significance

Scotland’s second lake monster in its deepest loch—with a 1969 physical encounter that proves something large lives there.

Legacy

Morag proves that Loch Ness isn’t unique—Scotland’s deepest loch holds its own monster, and in 1969 two men struck it with an oar and felt it push back.