AMERICAN scientists used millions of pounds of equipment and mini submarines. Screaming Lord Sutch used a haggis and a sandwich. But none of these heroic efforts yielded firm proof of the existence of the Loch Ness monster.
Today, Kevin Carlyon, a self-styled white witch, will focus his mind on Nessie and, where numerous other methods of raising the legendary beast have failed, he believes the power of positive thought can succeed.
Mr Carlyon, a practitioner of Eart
h Magic, believes the famous monster exists but only in a spiritual state having died many years ago. In short, Nessie is a ghost.
"Yes, I believe it is a spook, a ghost, rather than a solid creature. I will try to raise the creature of Nessie by the power of positive thought," he explained. Mr Carlyon, the High Priest of British White Witches, may have to undo his own work. Earlier this year, he travelled to Loch Ness to bless the creature to protect it from hunters, particularly a Swedish team who set out to trap Nessie in a giant trap.
"I shall be trying to contact Nessie - I hate the term monster - and find out once and for all if she really exists in whatever form," he said.
Mr Carlyon believes only certain people can see the ghost of Nessie and that changes in the atmosphere, such as thunder and lightning, can make seeing the beast more likely.
If not, he can always take up the offer of one Japanese enthusiast who contacted him to promote his invention of psychic sunglasses without which the monster could not be seen. "We have attracted a lot of interest from a lot of people," he said, "although some are more interesting than others."
He is called on to tackle many problems, from poltergeist activity to lost pets, and from the healing of animals to financial worries.
Last year he claimed to have removed the curse of Macbeth after a visit to Auldcastle Road, Inverness, the site thought to be where the Scots king once reigned.
Millions of pounds of hi-tech equipment have been used over the years to try to lure the creature, while others have turned to an exorcist, love potions, magic crystals and, once, by the late Lord Sutch of the Raving Monster Loony Party, a haggis and a packet of sandwiches.
