Triathletes will be on their guard while making waves in Loch Ness

Insurance company NIG is providing cover for more than 100 athletes taking part in the VisitScotland Adventure Triathlon on 23 July.

Competitors will have to swim two laps of Urquhart Bay, the scene of many "sightings" of Nessie.

The insurer conceded it was an "unusual risk" which many insurance companies would not consider.

Teams from the UK, France, South Africa, Italy and Germany are due to take part in the event, which is being organised by sports marketing agency Nova International and will be televised on Channel Five.

'Monster appetite'

Competitors face a 1,500m swim in Loch Ness, a 19km mountain bike race and an evening 10km run.

NIG's David Parker said: "From an insurance perspective, this is a very unusual risk and a lot of insurers wouldn't want to deal with it.

"We're providing up to �1m of cover in case any competitor sustains injuries that can be proven to be the result of an attack by the Loch Ness monster."

Nova director David Hart said: "These competitors will all be very psyched up and very driven so there's going to be a lot of noise and a lot of splashing going on - just the sort of thing that might annoy a prehistoric lake monster.

"Or even worse, it might give it an appetite."