Loch Ness Monster

The Loch Ness Monster popularly known as Nessie is a cultural icon of Scotland, a mythical sea-monster said to haunt the waters of Loch Ness it is usually seen as a tourist attraction and neutral (sometimes even benevolent) figure akin to stories of the Sasquatch/Bigfoot in America.., this is not the case for the earlier folklore of the creature, which was believed to be dangerous and a true "monster".

Legend
Although many tales exist in which "Nessie" is hostile or dangerous the oldest and most popular is by far the 565 folk-tale of the beast's encounter with Saint Columba and its subsequent defeat by the holy man. According to this tale Saint Columba travelled to the "land of the Picts" and encountered locals burying a man by the River Ness, when questioned they revealed the man was a victim to a water-beast that had mauled and drowned him when he had been out swimming - despite efforts to save him by boat.

Deciding to test the locals tale for himself Saint Columba sent one of his followers into the river, where the follower was set upon by the monster - yet as the beast went to maul the would-be-victim Columba stepped forward and used his divine powers to strike terror into the monster and it fled, much to the rejoice of the Picts that it had been terrorizing.