By Carrie Sanderson aprile 09, 2020

School of ScotlandShop - Week 4: Where's Nessie?

With schools and nurseries shut across the country, we thought it would be fun to create the School of ScotlandShop. Maths and Science may not be our strong points, but we love history and all things Scottish. Join us over the upcoming weeks as we design new tartans, hunt for Nessie, find out about Scotland's past, and so much more! We're glad that you can join us!

What's a Nessie?

The deep and murky waters of Loch Ness are said to hold many secrets. Nestled away in the valley of the Great Glen, near Inverness, Loch Ness is the deepest loch in the whole of the United Kingdom. At over 226 metres deep, it holds more water than all of the lakes in England and Wales combined!

Did you know that 226 metres is the same height as 46 double-decker buses or 57 African Elephants standing on top of one another?

Loch Ness

The loch is said to be the home of an ancient prehistoric monster called Nessie. She was first spotted in the loch's murky waters almost 1500 years ago by an Irish monk but became world-famous when she was photographed for the first time in 1933. Nessie is thought to be an ancient plesiosaur that survived the extinction of the dinosaurs! With four large fins, a long-snakelike neck, and big sharp teeth, she is at home in the loch with plenty of fish to eat.

Nessie 2 Nessie - Photographed in 1933


Although Nessie has been spotted by lots of different people across the years, many grown-ups think she doesn't exist. Today we're going to prove them all wrong as we go monster-hunting on the shores of Loch Ness in search of Nessie. Don't forget your binoculars, the loch is huge, and there are lots of places for Nessie to hide!

Where's Nessie?

Can you be the first to hunt down nessie? We've created a board game that you can print out and play with your family.

What you'll need to play The Hunt for Nessie:
  • We recommend 2-4 players but anyone in the house can get involved & you could even play with friends and family over a video call!
  • Create yourself a playing piece, you could borrow some from another board game or draw your own.
  • You'll also need a Dice, again you could borrow this from another board game, or you could use this online dice roller.
  • Download the Game sheet > We have even uploaded the template so you can colour in and create rules for your very own custom Nessie Hunt.


Nessie Hunt

Exploring Scotland With Nessie

Nessie has been swimming around Scotland to show you some different landmarks, can you complete the jigsaws to see each landmark?

Were you able to find Nessie? She's very good at hiding! If you would like to find out more about Nessie and her home town of Inverness check-out our blog on Inverness tartan. Be sure to come back next week, where we will be finding out all about the Scottish language with our word searches.