What happened
In mid-April 1933, Aldie Mackay was driving with her husband John along the road on the north shore of Loch Ness. According to her account, a large animal “with the body of a whale” appeared on the calm surface of the loch, churned in the water for a moment and then disappeared. The description reached Alex Campbell, a water bailiff and correspondent for the “Inverness Courier,” who on May 2, 1933, published an article about the strange spectacle on the loch. The text used the word “monster,” and the author recalled that Loch Ness had for generations been reputed to be the home of a fearsome beast. In the summer came George Spicer's account of a long-necked animal crossing the road, and a press frenzy broke out. It is 1933 that is regarded as the birth of Nessie as a worldwide phenomenon.
Witnesses
Aldie Mackay and her husband John, residents of the Drumnadrochit area; the account was written up by journalist Alex Campbell.
Explanations and hypotheses
Skeptics point out that the Mackays saw only a disturbance in the water and a dark shape at some distance, and that later versions of the account accumulated details. In the late 1980s, Aldie Mackay admitted that she had known the local tradition of the “beast” long before her sighting. Proposed explanations include waterfowl, otters, a boat wake or a large fish. The rebuilding of the road along the loch in the 1930s meant that more passersby were watching the water, which may have encouraged further reports.
Disputed A likely explanation exists, but some of the facts are still disputed.
More: Wikipedia (pl) Wikipedia (en)