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Published: 26 May, 2008-Nessie - relocated to Lake Lucerne in a Swiss tourist brochure.
IT'S like Scotland laying claim to chocolate and cuckoo clocks. The Loch Ness Monster has been hijacked by the Swiss in a bid to boost visitors to the alpine state. A new brochure features a beast suspiciously similar to Nessie swimming across a lake in a famous Swiss beauty spot. It invites readers to 'Explorez la Suisse primitive' with the darkened and moonlit image. The illustration is almost identical to the famous 'surgeon's photograph' of the elusive animal. But the hijacking of Nessie to promote the wild side of Lake Lucerne could spark a monster-sized row between the Scots and the Swiss. One angry fan living on the shores of Loch Ness said: “What a cheek. You'd think they would have someone famous of their own to promote their country. “They'll have Nessie yodelling next.” Alison Leisk, supervisor at the Loch Ness Lodge Hotel, added: “It is a bit cheeky of the Swiss. Everyone knows there's only one Nessie and I don't think she's swum that far.” Swiss Federal Railways, who are using the brochure to boost the number of travellers to the area, proved to be almost as shy as Nessie when pressed for an explanation. No one was available for comment and calls were not returned. But Switzerland Tourism, who endorsed the publication, were a little more forthcoming. Spokesman Roland Minder said: “It certainly looks like Nessie, I agree. “They have decided to put Nessie in Lake Lucerne - I don't know why - to advertise their excursions around the area. “If you ask me why they used Nessie, I haven't a clue. You'll have to ask them.” VisitScotland said it was clear the monster in Lake Lucerne was Nessie, or at least a creature like her. A spokeswoman said: “The image is an interesting choice for Switzerland, as I'm sure many people who see the advert will think of Scotland and the legend of the Loch Ness monster. “Nessie is one of our major icons and is known and loved around the world. “The Loch Ness area is one of our major tourism draws, attracting visitors from home and abroad. “Other countries have their own monster legends but none has gained the international recognition of our very own Nessie.” A recent survey by VisitScotland in Madrid showed more than 70 per cent of Spanish people believed in Nessie. Thousands of monster hunters from all over the world - some of them respected scientists - have probed the dark waters of Loch Ness in a bid to find her. One of them, Steve Feltham, from Dorset, has scanned the loch from a caravan for 17 years. The global stampede to find Nessie was sparked by the 1934 photo credited to London doctor Robert Wilson. But in 1994, it was revealed the monster was, in reality, a toy submarine with the attached head of a sea serpent made out of putty and cardboard. All content copyright 2008 Scottish Provincial Press Ltd.
Source & References:
http://www.inverness-courier.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/6188/Swiss_hijack_Loch_Ness_Monster.html
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