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Home to much more than just Nessie 鈥� 5 things you might not know about Scottish lochs

29 December 2017

Paul Murton explored these iconic features of Scotland in . Here are a few things you might not be aware of...

1. Nessie ain鈥檛 the only monster. Meet Morag

2. The Italian press said they destroyed Nessie during World War Two

A Fascist newspaper said that the Italian air force blew Nessie up in 1941. This propaganda claim was thoroughly disproved by documentary evidence to the contrary, such as .

3. Not all bodies of water in Scotland are lochs

The only lake in Scotland: the Lake of Menteith

Paul visits the banks of the most famous lake in Scotland.

4. Lochs sometimes disappear (for good reason)

Princes Street Garden in Edinburgh was once home to Nor鈥� Loch before the water was drained. It probably wasn鈥檛 a good place for a picnic back then, as it was 鈥榚ffectively a effectively a large open cesspit and its stench must have been overpowering鈥�, according to David McLean of Lost Edinburgh.

5. We used to live on lochs

Archaeologists have identified over 600 crannogs in Scotland. These were thatched, timber roundhouses were supported on huge, wooden piles driven deep into the bed of the loch. The surrounding water was the inhabitants鈥� defence.

  • Paul Murton sets out to explore the lochs of Scotland, travelling from the wilds of the west coast to the Grampian Mountains, discovering the secrets of these iconic features of the Scottish landscape

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