Nessie hunter named ‘Ambassador of the Year’ at tourism awards

A Loch Ness Monster hunter who has devoted half his life to searching for the mythical creature has been honoured by tourism leaders for helping to promote Loch Ness. Steve Feltham, who this year marks 25 years as a full-time ‘monster seeker’, was named Ambassador of the Year at the Highlands and Islands Tourism Awards (HITA). He was one of the 16 winners announced, including cafes, cruises, birdwatchers and hotels. The Ambassador title is a special award given by the HITA board to an individual who ‘goes the extra mile’ in contributing to the success of tourism in the Highlands and Islands. Craig Ewan, HITA chairman, said: “Our worthy winner has immersed himself in a narrative which has become as popular as the area, attracting over 1 million visitors annually and generating in excess of £30m to the local economy. “He has contributed to the legend and become part of one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of the world.” Feltham’s fascination for the loch started during a family holiday in 1970 which included a visit to the Loch Ness Investigation Bureau, a team of volunteers who each summer set up a makeshift camp near Urquhart Castle. In 1991, while in his 20s, he gave up his house and job in the family burglar alarm company in Dorset and moved to the Highlands to follow his dream. He settled in the nearby village of Dores, sustaining himself by making model monsters. Feltham’s name has become synonymous with the world-famous loch and he has also been recognised by the Guinness Book of World Record for the longest continuous vigil hunting for the Loch Ness monster. Hospitality businesses around Loch Ness regard him as an “asset to tourism” and the awards organisers said 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. Feltham 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.” Meanwhile, the ‘Most Hospitable Hotel’ award went to Kinloch Lodge, a family-run hotel in Skye with a renowned restaurant that retained its Michelin Star for a sixth consecutive year.