Monster spotting guide: How to see the Loch Ness Monster

IF Nessie is out there, where should you be looking?

We analysed more than 1,000 recorded sightings to find the best locations, times, and conditions to maximise your chances.

Where is the most likely place to spot the Loch Ness Monster?

Loch Ness is huge. It’s the second largest loch in Scotland by surface area – so where are the best places to set up camp if you are determined to say 'hello'?

Recent sightings of Nessie have put her in a number of different locations across Loch Ness.

But the best place to set up camp if you’re hoping to see her is near Urquhart Castle, or Urquhart Bay more generally.

Of the 196 Nessie sightings with locations, 34 of them were at Urquhart Castle, while a further 27 of them were at Urquhart Bay.

But before you start scanning the water, pay a visit to the Loch Ness Centre in Drumnadrochit to swat up.

Here you can learn everything there is to know about the Loch Ness Monster through the centre’s exhibition, which features a real-life sonar patrol boat and submarine observation chamber.

After that you can head to the shore.

Climbing up to the peak of Urquhart Castle you will get a gorgeous, panoramic view of Loch Ness where you can keep an eye out for Nessie.

This area accounts for a significant share of recorded sightings. However, it’s not the only place that is popular for seeing her.

The map below shows the general locations of spots throughout the years.

Twenty-five sightings were made at Fort Augustus, on the south side of the loch, while 21 were made at Dores.

From Fort Augustus you can sail out onto Loch Ness via boat trips which provide more history of the loch while you keep your phones and cameras on hand.

There’s also been a host of webcam sightings, so if you can’t get to Loch Ness to try and find the monster yourself you could always watch the webcam.

Twenty-three sightings have been reported via the webcam, two via Google Earth and one on Apple Maps.

When’s the best time to spot Nessie?

Most sightings were made on a Saturday, followed by a Sunday and peak times are between 3pm and 4pm.

We’ll let you decide if that’s because she is more amenable to seeing guests after a hard week in the loch or simply because the loch sees more weekend traffic.

The elusive Loch Ness Monster doesn’t seem to have a specific sleeping pattern, or any form of routine and has also been seen out and about at 3am being a true party monster.

Nessie appears to keep surprisingly sociable hours.

Our analysis shows she generally keeps quite sociable hours with the most spots made between 3pm and 4pm – with 20 different sightings throughout the years.

Who sees Nessie most?

Tourists were by far the biggest group to spot Nessie, with 84 people stating that they were visiting the area.

Twenty-eight people identified themselves as local residents, while nine people said they were a skipper or a captain on one of the boats frequenting the loch.

Six of the spots were from self-proclaimed "Nessie-hunters".

The most prolific spotter of the Loch Ness Monster is photographer Frank Searle. He spotted Nessie more than 20 times and was well known as a Nessie-hunter. He passed away in 2005.

Other successful spotters include Eoin O’Faodhagain, based in Ireland, who has made a number of sightings in recent years via the webcam, as well as some in-person sightings.

What do people actually see?

The more enthusiastic spotters recorded in the register provided descriptions of Nessie, which range from comparing her to creatures such as whales or dolphins, to more vague recollections of heads and humps in the water.

Her shape, size and look have been much debated throughout the years.

What are the most recent Loch Ness Monster sightings?

Recent footage from last month showing a fast-moving object in the loch has once again encouraged both visitors and dedicated Nessie hunters to keep watching.

On April 4 2024, Parry Malm and his family spotted a shape in the water near Urquhart Castle.

He reported that it “looked like a head above the waves” and initially they believed it was driftwood.

And there were several in October 2023. The above image was taken by John Howie, with the spot made on October 8, 2023 and one was shared by The Loch Ness Centre, which was described as the “clearest evidence” of Nessie’s existence that year.

Data for this project was collated from “The Official Loch Ness Monster” website.

📸 Shutterstock and DC Thomson