Marcus (7) is Burghead's Covid-19 'Great Loch Ness Monster Hunter'
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AN ENTIRE village is rallying behind an autistic youngster and creating a unique 'monster' hunt to make him and others smile during the Covid-19 crisis.
Marcus Vivian (7), from Burghead, loves Nessie the Loch Ness Monster and she is springing up all over the community.
Pictures, drawings, cuddly toys, ornaments and home-made Nessies are appearing in house windows, vehicles and gardens - some of them with personal messages to Marcus.
His mum Gillian said the family have been blown away with the kindness show by people and his Nessie hunts have been brightening their daily exercise walk around the village.
"It has been really heartwarming and uplifting the way people have responded. I thought a few people might do it but pretty much the whole of Burghead has put pictures up, it has been fantastic," she said.
Marcus' personal assistant Karen Douglas, who provides his mum with two hours respite care per week, came up with the idea and issed an appeal through the Burghead Bulls Facebook page.
Gillian has another son Jake (4) who is also autistic and she was herself diagnosed with autism a few years ago.
Marcus,who celebrated his birthday under lockdown on March 25, has now become known as the 'Great Nessie Hunter' around the village.
"Everybody is just so proud of Marcus. Burghead is a great community and this is something good coming out of a bad situation," added Gillian, who has been self-isolating since March 16 when Jake developed a cough which quickly disappeared. Husband Lee is a technican at RAF Lossiemouth.
Marcus fell in love with Nessie about two years ago when his family went for a Jacobie Cruise of Loch Ness to Urquhart Castle and he took along a new pair of binoculars to look for Nessie.
Marcus' pupil support assistant at Burghead Primary, Lesley Combes, has also put a Nessie in her garden, while his class teacher Jenny Charles-McKeating and head teacher Lesley McLennan have also been in touch with the family.
Marcus' grandmother, Diane Vivian, who lives in Nairn, added: "They were overwhelmed on the first Nessie hunt! Marcus found 40 Loch Ness monsters! He was so excited and exhausted at the same time.
"The whole family have been overwhelmed by the response of the community and would like to thank everyone who has made our special boy so happy.
"The Nessie hunts give Marcus something to look forward to each week as he is missing his school friends and wonderful staff so much. The staff are even writing stories about the very cute Loch Ness monster hunter going around Burghead."
Gillian's mum Isabelle Cannon-Scott and her partner Gill, who live in Suffolk, have been keeping in touch with the family through social media.
Gillian also thanked Rev Peter Turnbull and Chris Tuke from the Burghead Free Church family for their support at a difficult time.
