The Man Who Filmed Nessie: Tim Dinsdale and the Enigma of Loch Ness

by Angus Dinsdale

Overview

The story of the dedicated family man who left his successful career as an aeronautical engineer to search for proof of the existence of the Loch Ness Monster. The chance reading of a magazine article led family man and aeronautical engineer Tim Dinsdale on a lifelong quest to prove the existence of an elusive creature said to live in the murky waters of Loch Ness in Scotland. He planned his first visit to the loch in spring 1960 and struck monster gold when he unexpectedly caught on film a large, animate creature swimming in the loch. From that moment, his life and that of his family was changed forever. The BBC broadcast his film and he quickly became known around the world. He ultimately gave up his promising career so he could devote his time and energy to pursuing the creature. He took up a career as an author, publishing several books, and was in demand as a lecturer; he toured the US on two occasions, appearing on several well-known television programs. Over twenty-seven years he made fifty-seven expeditions to the loch, during which time he met a cast of colourful and interesting people, among them many serious scientists. His work with them yielded some very interesting results, culminating in the formation of a scientific symposium at the House of Commons in London, its purpose to gain acceptance of Nessie as a living entity and therefore be given a level of protection. Ultimately, this effort failed, much to Tim's disappointment. Tim's dedication to unravelling the Loch Ness riddle is captivating, his reasoning for finding the truth for truth's sake compelling. His life ended before he was able to solve the mystery that held him in its thrall, but his film continues to intrigue monster seekers and researchers around the world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780888397270
Publisher:	Hancock House Publishers
Publication date:	08/08/2012
Edition description:	UK ed.
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.00(d)

About the Author

Angus Dinsdale has monster hunting in his blood. Born the very day his father presented his famous film of Nessie to the British nation on the BBC program, Panorama, Angus grew up in a household where searching for the Loch Ness monster was his father's full-time- and perfectly acceptable-occupation. Subsequently Angus's childhood was full of adventure as he took part in many monster-hunting expeditions to Scotland. He developed a love of the outdoors, sport and travel, interests that have taken him all over the world, turning his two key passions of skiing and rowing into adventures all of their own. He now lives in Vancouver, Canada where he has found the inspiration to write, surrounded as he is by the essential playground of an adventurous life: majestic mountains, elemental wilderness and stunning lakes-which might even have a Canadian Nessie of their own...

Table of Contents

Foreword. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Preface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Chapter 1: Not Your Typical Summer Holiday . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Chapter 2: Slow Boats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Chapter 3: Captive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Chapter 4: Canada’s Haunting Chill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Chapter 5: Th e Monster’s Grip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Chapter 6: A Cameo Appearance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Chapter 7: Th e Hunt is On. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Chapter 8: A Very Important Piece of Equipment. . . . . . . . . . 88

Chapter 9: Aboard Cizara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

Chapter 10: Alone On the Loch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

Chapter 11: Subs & Sonars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

Chapter 12: Shortening the Odds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162

Chapter 13: Achnahannet Antics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166

Chapter 14: Th e Clear Waters of Loch Morar . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172

Chapter 15: “What’s that?” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177

Chapter 16: American Enthusiasm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180

Chapter 17: Brock’s Brush with the Beastie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183

Chapter 18: Monster Fever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193

Chapter 19: Nutter’s Nook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202

Chapter 20: Nessiteras Rhombopteryx . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206

Chapter 21: A Monster’s Smile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216

Chapter 22: Recognition, Ridicule & Dry Dock . . . . . . . . . . . 220

Chapter 23: “I am richer for it.” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228

Epilogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232

A Gallery of Monster Hunters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239

Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246

Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247

Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253

About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255

Editorial Reviews

Tim Dinsdale was one-of-a-kind. A special man from a special generation. He combined a sense of adventure, incubated by his early travels and hardened by his wartime service, with an infectious curiosity about life and a bloody-minded determination to puncture establishment pomposity. In 1960 he found a focus for these instincts and his long and determined quest at Loch Ness was launched. I met Tim for the first time in 1970. That was the summer when he was running the Loch Ness Investigation Bureau site at Achnahannet. It was my first visit to the loch. I'd become intrigued by the mystery. Looking back, I realise these were the first stirrings of that journalistic instinct which was subsequently to take me to a working life with BBC News. Loch Ness was such a good story. It had everything: romance, mystery, adventure and the prospect of a startling discovery. Tim was one of a band of wartime veterans who were drawn to it. I suspect they may have found civilian life a little dull. Loch Ness was a marvellous diversion - except that, for Tim, it became so much more. He was a delightful man whose life took an extraordinary turn. It was a pleasure to have known him, his wife Wendy and his family, and to have been able to re-live his great adventure through the pages of Angus Dinsdale's absorbing biography. -- Nicholas Witchell

BBC News Royal Correspondent May 2013

Tim Dinsdale's filming of a Loch Ness monster in 1960 set off more than two decades of intense searching and enormous publicity; this book recaptures the excitement of those years and reminds us of the wealth of solid evidence that Nessies are real creatures. Through three decades of expeditions, Dinsdale kept a clear-headed, critical appreciation of that evidence despite the staggering frustration of not bettering the 1960 film. Tim's integrity and strength of character stand in stark contrast to the frustrated others who try to explain away the evidence as sturgeons, birds, otter-boards, etc., and who, saddest of all, claim that the 1960 film shows only a boat. Tim's film is now available at this book's website, allowing everyone to see what nonsense this boat explanation is. Tim was always clear about the importance of his quest and he took it with appropriate seriousness, but he never took himself seriously. He was a delightful companion, full of good humor, a wonderful exemplar of free spirit coupled to conscientious responsibility. Tim's dedication and integrity influenced innumerable lives. His work stimulated a career change for me, very much for the better; and I find myself still grappling with the conundrum that floored Tim 50 years ago: Why does science ignore so much that's of such great interest? -- Dr. Henry H. Bauer, emeritus professor of chemistry and science studies Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University May 2013

From the Publisher