Could the Loch Ness monster be hiding in Moray Firth? Google Maps seems to think so.

The web giant has left locals scratching their heads when it was spotted that the inlet at Inverness is labelled "Scotland Loch Ness Lake".

The real home of the mystical beast, Loch Ness (of course) is in fact 30 miles away, leading some to question whether tourists or visitors may have been led astray on their hunt for the elusive creature.

"A lot of people come here on holiday and they could end up in the wrong place, if they go by that information," said Inverness Labour councillor Bet McAllister, who branded the mix up as "shocking".

"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."

Loch Ness researcher Adrian Shine, added: "Loch Ness is a lake but Loch Ness lake is incorrect and even less correct when attributed to the Moray Firth."

"Interestingly there are people who arrive at the Loch Ness Visitor Centre at Drumnadrochit and they ask where Loch Ness is. It's clear they must have been travelling by it for at least five miles.

"So yes, it's conceivable that some visitors may indeed be confused. Google is what we live by."

According to Google, the mix up is most likely to have happened as a result of an incorrect entry on Map Maker - which allows users to update geographic information themselves.

They are also keen to point out that searches for Moray Firth will still take map users to the right location.