Adrian Shine is only one of the characters. What’s going on here? Illustration by Phil Ashworth.
You thought that it was bad among Bigfooters. The battles between Nessie researchers are as brutal and bloody as any you will ever see on Game of Thrones. This is a trick statement, of course, because none of the battlefield scenes are shown directly on the HBO series. Only the results. But those can inflict terrible wounds that last for years, and have deep political intrigue. It appears to be so on the shores of Loch Ness, as we speak of this.
The “Cast of Characters”:
George Edwards
Adrian Shine
Dick Raynor
Tony Harmsworth
While it may have been stealthly raging online, in emails and group forums, now it has popped forth on the mass media.
A MONSTER war of words has erupted over how the world-famous Nessie is promoted. The Loch Ness Monster is one of the Highlands’ biggest assets, but the way the legendary monster is portrayed to tourists is threatening to split the business community on the shores she reputedly roams.
There has been resignations from Drumnadrochit Chamber of Commerce following comments made by one member, George Edwards, of Loch Ness Cruises.
In a letter sent to 70-plus members of the chamber, he criticises those who, he claims, dispel Nessie as a “myth”.
In particular, he said the narrative of staff given to tourists at the Loch Ness Centre in the village, which overlooks the famous stretch of water, for being negative about the monster.
He also accuses veteran researcher Adrian Shine of taking too much of a scientific approach to the legend, which he claims turns tourists off.
Mr Shine, meanwhile, accuses Mr Edwards, who he said operates his business from a rival business in the village called Nessieland, as being a “liar and a fraud”.
The row has led to resignations from the Chamber of Commerce, including Debbie MacGregor of the Loch Ness Centre, and Tony Harmsworth, its former chairman, who has quit as editor of the chamber’s website.
Mr Edwards said: “Just about every time that Mr Shine appears in the media he talks about big fish and big waves.
“I believe they are doing more harm than good in promoting Loch Ness tourism with their negative theories.
“How many people come here to see the Loch Ness Big Fish or the Loch Ness Big Wave?
“In recent years we have seen a decline in tourism across Scotland and maybe it is time for Mr Shine to put up or shut up.
“Mr Shine and his cronies have been making a nice living out of Loch Ness for the past 20-odd years and if they cannot see the logic in promoting Nessie then maybe it’s time they moved on, as they seem intent on destroying our industry.
“I am sure members would see the financial rewards if we were to buy them one way tickets back to where they came from and let Nessie breathe easy again.”
Read the rest of the story at the Scotsman.
Of course, one of the ongoing battles have been between the two museums sited a block away from each other. The “Loch Ness Exhibition” is a debunking museum, while the “Original” Loch Ness Monster museum is very pro, in its mission.
Dick Raynor’s list of “George Edwards’ hoaxes” include references to material discussed here and here. Someone named “Steve Plambeck” writes of George Edwards as an allegedly “known hoaxer.” Adrian Shine is quoted in the Scottish and British press with various unkind words about Edwards.
The battles may not be seen, but the flowing blood is rather obvious. Will it have an effect on the cryptotourism at Loch Ness? Edwards raises some questions about that.
Mr. Harmsworth’s submits the following comment, below.
Some background. Rather foolishly a letter was circulated to the chamber members criticising Adrian Shine (non-member), the Loch Ness Centre (now an ex member), Dick Raynor (non-member), myself (ex-chair and village website editor and business member) and others. It was an extremely unpleasant letter which was derogatory about our past employments and called for money to be raised to send us back to England!
I responded and both the letter and the response can be seen on Dick Raynor’s website here: http://www.lochnessinvestigation.com/georgeedwardsclaims.html which provides both sides.
However, as editor of the local website I was putting up the good news about George Edward’s recent award, but added an editorial which I felt was necessary to balance it. This is the full editorial:
George Edwards tells us, “After 28 years of promoting Loch Ness tourism, being a founder member of the Chamber of Commerce, serving as Treasurer, Vice- Chairman and Director and having served on the Inverness, Loch Ness and Nairn Area Tourist Board, in various positions, Lenora and I were thrilled to hear that Trip Advisor have awarded us a Certificate of Excellence 2013 Winner, for our Loch Ness Cruises business, for consistently being in the top 10% of world wide businesses receiving 5 star ratings from our customers.”
You can see the Trip Advisor Reports here.
Mr Edwards has a controversial approach to tourism and advocates that any negative news about Nessie should be prevented. He takes issue with the views of Adrian Shine (40 years work on the subject), the editor (37 years presenting the subject), Dick Raynor (47 years researching the subject) and others who believe the loch should be properly researched and evidence presented scientifically, whatever the findings.
Background: This TV item from last year branded Mr Edwards as an alleged faker and alleged hoaxer and this website might be of interest to those who would like to know more about his Nessie views.
Mr Edwards deserves congratulations for his Trip Advisor reviews. He says he provides what the tourist wants, fun Nessie stories.
Does it matter if Nessie pictures are faked and tourists go away happy, but with a distorted view of the area?
Are Nessie sceptics damaging tourism? The sceptical Loch Ness Centre and Exhibition has just had its most successful season ever which doesn’t seem to fit in with that view.
Ed.
The battle really began when Mr Edwards insisted my editorial be removed. I looked to the committee to back me and they decided, instead, to back Mr Edwards, which means that the chamber is now a supporter of faked and hoaxed images and not of one of its biggest members, the Loch Ness Centre.
The Centre presents material objectively and scientifically and has had its best season ever in 2012 so it can hardly be hurting tourism. I have also had my best season ever and so has Urquhart Castle.
So a claim that the Centre is negative is actually wrong. It is objective and presents a truthful history and natural history of the subject.
What is amazing is that the chamber of commerce is supporting the presentation of fakes and hoaxes in the interests of tourism.
It is little wonder that there have been resignations.
Hope that adds some background to the story for readers.
Tony Harmsworth – LochNessUnderstood.com
….”War rages among Loch Ness monster researchers”
Actually, it doesn’t!
George Edwards is not a researcher and never has been, despite his advertising claims to be a “foremost authority” and skipper of “The Loch Ness Research Vessel”. He was loaned the real research vessel one day when his own boat had broken down and rewarded the owner’s generosity by “borrowing” the onboard underwater footage videotape and copying it to show on his own boat; that was the closest he came. No, George Edwards is just a trip boat skipper and now a well-known alleged faker of photographs. I have seen no evidence of any research of his own in the entire 25 years he has been running his boat trips. Yes, he allowed me the use of his boat for my own experiments during the ten years that I worked for him, and for that I am grateful, but I can recall no research of his own.
What has just recently happened is that he has criticised the real investigators for NOT faking evidence like HE does, – for “not playing the game” and we are responding purely to defend our integrity. We have put up with his nonsense claims in (near) silence for years and have now had enough. His photographing of the film-crew’s plastic hump and passing it off to the world media as a Nessie sighting should have set media alarm bells ringing, but didn’t. Even the Film Producer’s blog about him seeing the photos being taken – link below – went unnoticed.
http://squatchdetective.wordpress.com/2013/02/08/the-george-edwards-loch-ness-photos-debunked-as-a-hoax/
Observations of strange phenomena at Loch Ness have attracted inquiring minds for decades, and nothing irks the intelligent investigator more than a hoaxer. They are a waste of time and effort. A few days ago one student of the subject penned a perceptive article titled “Stop the Science – It’s Bad for Business” and self-published it. The article has gone global – just Google it; the author is Steve Plambeck, and everyone interested in the Loch Ness story owes him a beer.
The story really is that simple.