Loch Ness is a long (24 miles), deep (Maximum depth: 755 feet) lake in the northwest of Scotland. Its volume makes it the largest freshwater lake in Great Britain. Reports of a large creature living in the loch date back to the time of St. Columba in the 6th century. Locally known as “Nessie,” the history of the creature is filled with errors, hoaxes, and tantalizing clues. Some believe the creature is some sort of plesiosaur, but how it (or its progeny) could have lived hundreds of years with a relatively small food source is unknown. The tangible and known result of the creature includes tourist trade to the area. Occultist Aleister Crowley once leased a house on the loch.