Nessie hunter handed Highlands tourism award

Steve Feltham has dedicated half his life to looking for the elusive monster.

Published 8th Nov 2016

A man who's spent 25 years looking for the Loch Ness Monster has been given a tourism award.

Steve Feltham moved to the Highlands from Dorset, giving up his house and job in the family burglar alarm company, in a bid to find the elusive creature.

And while he's yet to succeed, he's been named Ambassador of the Year by the Highlands and Islands Tourism Awards.

He has been recognised by the Guinness Book of World Record for the longest continuous vigil hunting for the Loch Ness monster.

Businesses around Loch Ness regard him as an asset to tourism and the awards organisers say he is a walking PR company for the promotion of Loch Ness as a tourist destination, having featured in countless media programmes and articles about Nessie and the area.

He said: “Winning this award makes me realise that what I’ve been doing for two and a half decades doesn’t just make my heart sing, it has a knock-on effect for the tourism industry in the Highlands of Scotland.”

The Ambassador title is given to an individual who ‘goes the extra mile’ in contributing to the success of tourism in the Highlands and Islands.