Callum: Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English, I'm Callum Robertson and joining me
today is Kate, hello Kate.
Kate: Hello Callum.
Callum: Now Kate, something which we both have in common is that we are both
Scottish, though you couldn't tell from my accent and today's programme is all
about what is perhaps the most famous mystery associated with Scotland. What
do you think that is?
Kate: Mmm, let me think. Is it perhaps Nessie? The Loch Ness Monster?
Callum: Yes, it is, indeed. What is Loch Ness, Kate?
Kate: Well Loch Ness is a lake, called Ness, Loch Ness. And loch is the Scottish
word for lake.
Callum: We'll hear more about the loch and the monster shortly, but first, our question,
which should be an easy one for you Kate, I think. Loch is the Scottish word
for Lake, but what is the Scottish word 'dreich' used to describe:
a: cold wet weather
b: deep dark water
c: deep soft snow
Kate: Ah, well I know this one. I love this word 'dreich'. It means a: cold wet weather.
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Callum: We'll find out if you're right at the end of the programme. Now back to Loch
Ness. Could you tell us a bit more about it?
Kate: Well Loch Ness is a very big loch; it's about 37 km long and holds the largest
amount of water of any lake in UK. The water is very deep and very dark.
And it's also known as the home of the Loch Ness Monster.
Callum: When did all this talk of a monster in the loch begin? Let's listen now to part of
a report about new information which has been revealed regarding the monster.
Listen out for this information. When did the legend start and when did it
become world famous? Here's the BBC's Colin Blane:
Colin Blane
The legend of the Loch Ness Monster goes back more than a thousand years but the story
attracted world-wide attention in the 1930s after a Scottish newspaper reported the beast had
been seen crossing the road.
Callum: So Kate, when did the legend begin and when did it become known around the
world.
Kate: Well apparently the legend began over 1000 years ago. But it's really been
since the 1930s that the modern legend has developed.
Callum: Let's listen again to Colin Blane. And what other word does he use to describe
the creature apart from monster, and what happened in the 1930s to make the
legend internationally known?
Colin Blane
The legend of the Loch Ness Monster goes back more than a thousand years but the story
attracted world-wide attention in the 1930s after a Scottish newspaper reported the beast had
been seen crossing the road.
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Callum: So Kate, what word did he use for the monster.
Kate: He called it 'the beast'
Callum: And how did the modern legend start back in the 30s?
Kate: Well he said that there was a report in a newspaper that 'the beast' had been
seen crossing the road.
Callum: It seems such a bizarre thing for the monster to be crossing the road like a
pedestrian, doesn't it?
Kate: I know, I always though it was a bit bigger than that.
Callum: Now have you ever been to Loch Ness and if you have, have you seen the
monster.
Kate: I have been to Loch Ness, but unfortunately I've never seen the monster. I think
I stood looking for it for about half-an-hour once, but that was it, no luck.
Callum: I've been there a couple of times and I've looked across the water. Again,
nothing. My feeling is that it's a bit of a myth and I think these days it's
considered by many people really just to be a legend, something for the tourists.
But back in the 1930s even the police thought it was real. Here's more of the
report from Colin Blane talking about new information that's been revealed.
What was the police chief worried about and we alsohear another word to refer
to the monster. Not beast - what is it?
Colin Blane
Even the local police chief took the monster seriously. He expressed concern about a hunting
party - led by Peter Kent from London - who planned to tackle the monster with a harpoon
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gun. In an official letter from 1938, Chief Constable William Fraser said the creature should
be preserved.
Callum: So what was the police chief worried about Kate?
Kate: The report said that he 'expressed concern about', which means he was worried
about, a hunting party. That's A group of people from London were coming to
hunt for the monster.
Callum: And what other word did we hear for the monster?
Kate: Colin Blane used the word 'creature'. He reported that Chief Constable William
Fraser said the creature should be preserved – which means it should be
protected.
Callum: So we've got 'monster' and we've got beast and we've got 'creture'. All referring
to the same thing, there. Let's listen again.
Colin Blane
Even the local police chief took the monster seriously. He expressed concern about a hunting
party - led by Peter Kent from London - who planned to tackle the monster with a harpoon
gun. In an official letter from 1938, Chief Constable William Fraser said the creature should
be preserved.
Callum: Well the monster has been preserved; at least it's never been caught! Could that
be because it doesn't exist? Or because the waters of Loch Ness are so deep and
dark that Nessie remains hidden? ….. perhaps, we'll never know.
Anyway, that's about all we have time for in this week's programme. Time
though to give the answer to this week's question which was - what is the
Scottish word 'dreich' used to describe:
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Kate you said:
Kate: I said a: cold wet weather
Callum: And indeed that of course is the right answer. It is a great word, a lovely word.
Kate: And it perfectly describes the weather in Scotland for most of the year, I'd say.
Callum: Well that's all from today's programme, but do join us next time for another 6
Minute English. Goodbye.
Kate: Goodbye
