Book excerpt: There is no scientific evidence whatsoever for the existence of the Loch Ness Monster. That is the conclusion reached by Ronald Binns in his book, The Loch Ness Mystery: Solved. "The real mystery of the monster," writes Binns, "is why it should periodically seize the wider public imagination and continue to be given credence, even when much of the evidence can be shown to be suspect." Loch Ness, the most famous stretch of water in the British Isles, is a strange and compelling place. Its dark waters are shadowed by mountains, it shores craggy and inhospitable. Loch Ness provides a gloomy, romantic setting for what has come to be known as the greatest riddle of modern natural history. Since 1933, there have been hundreds of sightings of the alleged monster. This is the definitive account of the alleged monster and its curious environment. Ronald Binns takes a new look at the enigma by investigating the original sightings of the beast and scrutinizing the eyewitness evidence for its existence. The book explains precisely what the monster is, and publishes for the first time many remarkable photographs. These pictures are shown alongside the "classic" pictures of the monster. Binns' pursuit and analysis of the evidence and his convincing solution of this great mystery are as enthralling as a detective story.