The Loch Ness Youth Hostel goes up for sale

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A number of visitors at The Loch Ness Youth Hostel have seen the creature
The famous 'Surgeon's photograph' was taken from a bank nearby
There were several glimpses of the creature when it was a tea room

Published: 10:19 EST, 30 July 2015 | Updated: 13:32 EST, 30 July 2015

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It's the ultimate home for Nessie hunters.

A Youth Hotsel that boasts some of the most famous sightings of the Loch Ness Monster has just been put on the market. The 16-bedroomed youth hostel sits on banks of the loch, just feet from the depths that Nessie is rumoured to call home.

With windows looking out onto the water, the Loch Ness Youth Hostel has been the location of several significant sightings of the monster over the decades.

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With windows looking out onto the water, the Loch Ness Youth Hostel has been the site of several significant sightings of the monster over the decades

It was from the banks beside the building where the most iconic image of Nessie - known as Surgeon's photograph - was taken. This famous photograph, produced in 1934, was exposed as a hoax by one of the participants, Chris Spurling

The 16-bedroomed youth hostel sits on banks of the loch, just feet from the depths that Nessie calls home

It was from the banks beside the building where the most iconic image of Nessie - known as Surgeon's photograph - was taken.

The hostel, which sits on the north shore, is made up of an original stone building and modern extensions and is on the market for offers over £395,000.

It has two kitchens, a large common room, lounge and laundry room as well as almost an acre of grounds.

The hostel is described by selling agent Savills as as having 'wonderful views over Loch Ness' with the 'opportunity to explore the legend of the Loch Ness Monster'.

And it was from the property's upstairs windows where another famous sighting by a visiting Reverend and his family took place in 1933.

Relax in the property's common room which allows a perfect view of the loch and its famous rumoured resident

Steve Feltham, 52, originally from Dorset, has spent 24 years watching Loch for glimpse of Nessie, but now believes the monster is merely a large catfish

It was from the upstairs windows where a famous sighting by a visiting Reverend and his family took place in 1933.

Nessie Hunter Steve Feltham explained: 'Years ago the youth hostel was a tea room. There was a very famous sighting there from some women having tea.'

He continued: 'At 11am on 23rd September Rev W.E Hobbes arrived at the Half-Way House Tea room, and walked in to find the room deserted.

'He called out and heard 'We can't come down yet, we're looking at the monster'.'

The Reverend, who was with his wife and sister, rushed to the window and saw a creature with two humps, a tail and a 'snake like head and neck,moving from side to side'.

The hostel, which sits on the north shore, is made up of an original stone building and modern extensions and is on the market for offers over £395,000

The hostel has two kitchens, a large common room, lounge and laundry room as well as almost an acre of grounds

According to the records the Reverend said: 'My wife and sister were most excited.'

However, the proprietor of the tea house was less surprised, and even declared she had 'seen the monster three times before'.

Just a few years later, local man John MacLean reported seeing Nessie - also described as a creature with two humps and a tail - from inside the building.

The eye witness account from Tom Harmsworth's Loch Ness information website states it was 'a sighting of a head and neck at a range of only 20 yards'.

It continues: 'Mr MacLean claims that the creature was in the process of swallowing and did so in the manner of a cormorant.

'Shortly afterwards the entire length of the monster with two humps and a tail became visible. The whole animal then lay on the surface for several minutes.'

The bedrooms have views out onto the loch so you can look for Nessie even as you get ready to go to bed

The hostel was also at the centre of one of the most infamous hoaxes.

The iconic 'Surgeon's Photograph' from 1934, a black and white image showing a neck and head coming out of the water, was taken from the banks beside the hostel.

The images were eventually declared fakes, made using a toy submarine and orchestrated by big game hunter Marmaduke Wetherell.

Wetherell had been publicly ridiculed after finding 'Nessie footprints' that turned out to be those of a hippopotamus-foot umbrella stand.

For revenge he allegedly sold his hoax photos to a daily newspaper. However some experts still believe the images are authentic.

More recent sightings in the area include one in 2006 when Mrs Murphy from Inverness, who was driving past the youth hostel, stopped after spotting something in the water.

According to records she saw a black cone shaped creature circle round in a whirlpool like motion which lasted about four minutes.

The hostel, currently in the ownership of the Scottish Youth Hostel Association, is open in the summer time and is run by a team of volunteers.

Keith Legge, Chief Executive of Scottish Youth Hostels Association, said with the youth hostel facing more competition the decision was taken to sell it.

Keith Legge (right), Chief Executive of Scottish Youth Hostels Association, said with the youth hostel facing more competition the decision was taken to sell it