Case file · Cryptid
St Columba and the beast of the River Ness
Adomnán's 7th-century Life of St Columba says that in 565 Columba drove off a 'water beast' in the River Ness that had killed a man, by making the sign of the cross.
565 CE · 57.48, -4.22 · status: legend
The account
It is the earliest text linked to the Loch Ness monster, written about a century after the events. The beast attacks a swimmer and flees at the saint's command.
The sceptical view
Saints' lives often include beast-taming miracles; the story is set in the river, not the loch, and was only tied to Nessie in the 20th century.