Google Maps mixup falsely identifies Moray Firth as ‘Loch Ness Lake’

We’ve all heard about the Loch Ness Monster, which according to legend is a cryptic lake monster that roams through the waters of the Scottish Highlands. While the creature has never been proven to exist, it appears that the Google Maps team has decided to name a lake in Scotland after it in what amounts to a strange mistake. 

Google has falsely identified Scotland’s Moray Firth as the “Scotland Loch Ness Lake,” when in fact the Loch Ness Monster is suspected to live 30 miles away. For tourists that are hunting the elusive creature, that could mean ending up at the wrong destination on their journey to find the mystical beast.

Inverness Labour councillor Bet McAllister told The Guardian that the mix up is “shocking”:

“A lot of people come here on holiday and they could end up in the wrong place, if they go by that information,” McAllister told the Guardian. “Google is such a huge company. Surely they should have someone there who can read a map,” she said. “I don’t understand how they can make such an error. They should apologise to the people.”

Google says the mixup likely stems from an incorrect entry in Map Maker, a feature that allows users to enter geographic information themselves.

It is unknown when the mistake will be fixed.