Nessie to enter the dragon's den

Dragon dancers outside the Beijing Olympic Stadium

A mock-up of the Loch Ness Monster is to appear in a parade of floats during a Chinese tourism fare that could potentially be watched by millions.

Highland businesses hope Nessie's appearance in the land traditionally associated with dragons will attract thousands of new visitors to Scotland.

Edinburgh-based Galink have organised the Highlands Loch Ness Limited delegation's trip to Shenyang.

The company's John Melvin said the parade is televised throughout Asia.

Highlands Loch Ness involves tourism-related businesses across the region and has support from public bodies such as Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Highland Council and Highlands and Islands Airports.

China is an emerging market and has big potential to everybody involved Robbie Bremner Highlands Loch Ness

Shenyang is a large city north east of Beijing and its Olympic stadium hosted the games' football preliminaries.

Mr Melvin, who runs Galink with his Chinese business partner Chen Zhang, said the parade of floats is held during the city's annual tourism festival.

He said as well as having a Scottish float built, its organisers were keen to have Scottish pipers following an amateur pipe bands performance of four songs at the opening ceremony of the Olympics.

The 16 musicians from the Mains of Fintry Pipe Band were asked to perform by Chinese officials who spotted them during a tour of France.

Good opportunity

Mr Melvin said: "A big Nessie's head is being built out there for the float, which might have a wee castle on it and a golf club.

"The parade is watched by 500,000 people on the streets and is televised. I think it is watched by 10 million people in China, Japan and Korea."

He added: "We've managed to get one piper so far, but there is a club for ex-pat Scots in China and from that we are hoping more pipers will be able to attend."

Robbie Bremner, of Highlands Loch Ness, said the festival would be a good opportunity to showcase the area.

He said: "China is an emerging market and has big potential to everybody involved."