SCOTLAND. 2011. Loch Ness Monster, Loch Ness, Highlands. The first sighting of this otherworldly water beast dates from the 6th century when an Irish monk is said to have come upon a sea creature in the River Ness. Modern-day Nessie lore took hold in the 1930s, starting with a now famous sighting by a London couple who reported seeing the creature crossing the road with an animal in its mouth. Since then, sightings have occurred regularly.