For decades, myths and tales of the Loch Ness Monster have intrigued visitors, causing them to take a trip to Scotland. To this day, supposed sightings continue to excite fans and frustrate cynics.

For decades, myths and tales of the Loch Ness Monster have intrigued visitors, causing them to take a trip to Scotland.

Sailing through the cold Scottish water, this cruise boat is on a mission.

Here in the Scottish Loch 150 miles north of Edinburgh, tourists head out across the blustery open water, while keeping a keen eye on its rolling waves. They're looking for a legend and perhaps one of Scotland's most famous residents: the Loch Ness Monster.

Just this year, the latest supposed sighting of the monster occurred onboard a cruise boat. Skipper John Askew spotted a supposedly strange reading on his sonar equipment, something he has never seen before.

"John's seen this image that came on the screen and he took a photograph of that image - which was well done by John - and I had never seen it or any of the other skippers have seen it here before or ever since. We have never seen that," Boat skipper John Peterkin said.

Sighting or not, the loch itself boasts a mysterious quality. Not only because of the tales of monsters and serpents, but also because of its unique geographical makeup. It holds over 8 cubic kilometres of water, more than all the lakes in England and Wales combined.

"There is a mystery because people have talked about it for hundreds of years now. And the water's so dark, below ten feet you can't see a thing and divers don't like going down there because they can't see anything. It's the volume of the water as well, there's more water in this loch than all the lakes in England and Wales put together," John Peterkin said.

Although according to author Tony Harmsworth, there's only one thing on the minds of many tourists. (He wrote 'The Loch Ness Understood', and has worked in the tourism industry there for 35 years.

"I think if you think about Scotland as a tourist destination, you have whisky, scenery, heritage of course, the tartan and the Loch Ness monster. It's one of the big five," Author Tony Harmsworth said.

Here at The Loch Ness Centre and Exhibition's gift shop, these green stuffed 'Nessie' toys are usually the closest visitors get to the monster itself. For many that's enough, since they've taken the chance and peered out across the water in the hope of spotting something out of the ordinary. And as long as the legend continues, thousands of visitors will be drawn to the loch's shores, inspired and excited by its age-old tales.

For decades, myths and tales of the Loch Ness Monster have intrigued visitors, causing them to take a trip to Scotland.

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