From 21st-23rd August 1872, a large unidentified animal was seen in the Sound of Sleat. Estimates of its length varied between 45 and 80 feet but was described as a “serpent”. Two church ministers published a report in ‘The Zoologist’ with these diagrams.
At least 13 people reported seeing the same thing, including fishermen who said it was “no seal or porpoise”. This map shows where it was seen over those three days. The colours indicate independent observations. (It was also seen off Eigg.)
Abt. 1770, a supposed “merboy” was caught by Newhaven oyster dredgers and was shown at Leith races, giving weight to merfolk as a “true species” i.e. not all were mer-maids. It was apparently preserved and kept in the museum of Alexander Weir of Edinburgh
In 1500, at Glenconie, Hugh Fraser (Hutcheon Friseal) shot a beast “mair nor twa eln o length, without feet, having ane mickle fin on ilk side, ane tail, an ane terrible head”.
It “brint all to the eird, as it had been muirburn”.
“they callit it ane DRAGON”