WHEN we revealed last year that a scientist from New Zealand was set to test for the DNA of Nessie in Loch Ness, more than a few people were disbelieving.

So we are delighted to report that Professor Neil Gemmell from the University of Otago in New Zealand will lead the scientists who will shortly take part in testing of the loch.

Some 300 samples of eDNA (environmental DNA) will be taken at various places and different depths in the loch, which is the largest single volume of fresh water on the island of Great Britain due to its depth.

The team are hoping to identify the tiny fragments of DNA that skin, feathers, scales and urine leave behind, but – whisper it – Gemmell doesn’t believe they’ll find Nessie. How dare he suggest it’s all a hoax!

Gemmell, from Dunedin, said: “I don’t believe in the idea of a monster, but I’m open to the idea that there are things yet to be discovered and not fully understood. Maybe there’s a biological explanation for some of the stories.

“There’s absolutely no doubt that we will find new stuff. And that’s very exciting. While the prospect of looking for evidence of the Loch Ness monster is the hook to this project, there is an extraordinary amount of new knowledge that we will gain from the work about organisms that inhabit Loch Ness – the UK’s largest freshwater body.”

And maybe, just maybe, they will find something that cannot be explained, as Gemmell admitted: “There is this idea that an ancient Jurassic Age reptile might be in Loch Ness. If we find any reptilian DNA sequences in Loch Ness, that would be surprising and would be very, very interesting.

“In our lives we want there still to be mysteries, some of which we will ultimately solve.That’s part of the spirit of discovery. And sometimes, what you find may not be what you were expecting.”

The National tried to contact Nessie for her view but she wasn’t available for comment.