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Coined in 1933, the expression Loch Ness monster designates a large creature said to live in the deep waters of Loch Ness, in Inverness-shire, Scotland.

However, Loch Ness had been associated with sightings of some unknown creature(s) long before 1933. I have found two nineteenth-century humorous texts that were already deriding those sightings:

1-: From The Inverness Courier, and General Advertiser (Inverness, Inverness-shire, Scotland) of Thursday 1^st July 1852 [page 3, column 1]—this story illustrates how people will react when spotting one or several unidentified creatures in Loch Ness:

A Scene at Lochend.—One day last week, while Lochness lay in a perfect state of calm, without a ripple on its surface, the inhabitants of Lochend were suddenly thrown into a state of excitement by the appearance of two large bodies steadily moving on the loch, and making for the north side from the opposite shore of Aldourie. Every man, woman, and child turned out to witness the extraordinary spectacle. Many were the conjectures as to what species of creation these animals could belong; some thought it was the sea-serpent coiling along the surface, and others a couple of whales or large seals. As the uncanny objects approached the shore various weapons were prepared for the onslaught. The men were armed with hatchets somewhat in the style of the Lochaber battle-axes of old, the young lads with scythes, and the women principally with pitchforks. One fierce-looking amazon, wielding a tremendous flail about her head, commenced to flagellate a hillock by way of practice. At last a venerable patriarch came to the conclusion that they were a pair of deer, and off he set to fetch an old “Nic-coiseam” (a rifle), which appeared not to have been used since the luckless days of Blar-nam-magal. As the supposed deer came within range our hero took aim, and was just on the eve of firing, when suddenly he dashed the gun to the ground, exclaiming in the true mountain tongue, “Dia mu’n cuairt duinn, ’s iad na h-eich-uisg’ a th’ann!” Though not actually the much dreaded “kelpies,” they proved to be a valuable pair of ponies belonging to Aldourie, which, probably from the intense heat of the day, had bethought themselves of indulging themselves with a dip in the cooling waters of Lochness. The loch is fully a mile in breadth at this point.

2-: From In Quest of the Sea Serpent, by ‘Q.’, published in the East Aberdeenshire Advertiser (Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, Scotland) of Thursday 6^th October 1892 [page 3, column 5]—this text mocks the many alleged sightings of the sea-serpent at that time:

Last week the present writer and some lady friends started for Oban by way of Elgin, Inverness, and the Caledonian Canal. We spent a few hours in Elgin to visit the Cathedral, the only “lion” of the place. We wandered through this glorious remnant of antiquity, admiring its beauty and its grandeur; visited the Chapterhouse, saw General Anderson’s cradle, mounted the tower, and explored the various passages leading therefrom. Before leaving, I enquired of our guide whether he had ever, by day or night, come across any monstrous form, unlike anything else in heaven or on earth. “Oh! no,” was the reply. “You see, there is no water about here except the neighbouring Lossie, and it is much too small to harbour the sea-serpent, I guess it is the serpent you refer to, as this is the season when it is pleased to manifest itself to the world.” “It was the sea-serpent,” said I sadly, and bade him “good day.” It was somewhat disappointing to find so little good taste in this strange animal. […]
[…]
Well, we embarked on the canal boat. Soon we came to a loch, and I watched narrowly for any living shape; none was to be seen. The same may be at once said of all the lochs on the canal. In short time came Loch Ness, bordered by its wooded mountains. A stop was made at Foyers Pier, and an opportunity given the passengers of paying a visit to the famous falls of that name. Now, thought I, here we shall see something. We did. We saw a small stream running down the face of a rock for 90 feet, and could discern it flowing along its narrow rock-bound channel into the lake. But, on soul and conscience, Mr Editor, we could see nothing more, except some heather. It seems almost incredible, and we came back to our boat quite dispirited. Some were heard to mutter that it was all a swindle, while others, more reasonable, remarked that the poor beast could not be everywhere.

—Cf. also Nessie (a name for the Loch Ness monster).