Toymakers create doll inspired by Scotland's Loch Ness monster

The toymakers who introduced the world to the Barbie doll have created a new doll inspired by Scotland's Loch Ness monster myth.

Lorna McNessie is one of the latest additions to Mattel's 'Monster High', a range of characters that also includes zombies, ghosts and werewolves, BBC reported.

She is described as the daughter of the Loch Ness Monster and is from Rotland, Monster High's version of Scotland.

Loch Ness Bid, an organisation that promotes the loch and surrounding area, has welcomed the doll's creation.

"The introduction of the character Lorna McNessie is a testament to the continued interest and drawing power of the Loch Ness Monster," a spokesman for Loch Ness Bid said.

"The monster is shrouded in mystery and perhaps slightly scary in a nice way for children and it is therefore of little surprise that Mattel have chosen to introduce this character, daughter of the Loch Ness Monster."

"I am sure that it will have many children begging their parents to take them to be of benefit to the area," he added.

As well as the doll, Mattel has had an animation made of the tartan-clad Lorna McNessie.

The short film shows her having to leave Rotland for Monster High to avoid publicity caused by her appearance out of the loch.

Other toymakers have drawn inspiration from Scotland in the past.

In 2013, a Scottish island was twinned with a video game's virtual world.

Skye's twinning with the fictional isles of Skylands was done to promote a new version of Skylanders.

VisitScotland said at the time that the move would also boost tourism to Skye, and was the first time a video game "world" had been twinned with a real place.