Although 78% of Britons have heard a great deal or a moderate amount about the Loch Ness Monster over the course of their lives, only 17% believe that it is definitely or probably real, rising to 24% among Scots and 27% of Scottish National Party voters.
This is according to an online poll into myths conducted by Angus Reid Public Opinion (ARPO) between 15 and 29 February 2012 among a sample of 2,011 adults aged 18 and over. Results were published on 4 March at:
http://www.angus-reid.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/2012.03.04_Myths.pdf
3% of Britons said that Nessie was definitely real, 14% probably real, 41% probably not real, 33% definitely not real, with 8% unsure. Women (18%) were rather more likely than men (15%) to believe in the Monster, but no differences were detected by age cohorts.
ARPO undertook simultaneous comparative research in the United States and Canada, where respondents were questioned instead about their belief in Bigfoot (also known as Sasquatch). This ran at 29% for Americans and 21% for Canadians, thus surpassing Britons’ belief in Nessie.
