There are some great private Scotland tours that we offer, displaying the very different wonders of great cities with fine architecture and some of the most spectacular scenery you could imagine.
Scotland’s scenery, history and culture are incredibly rich and they include some wonderful stories of great battles, folk tales and music, as well as some grand mysteries. The latter category includes a story that has echoed down the centuries and continues to captivate people today, one of the most compelling mysteries in the world.
Loch Ness may not be the largest lake in the world or even (by surface area) in Scotland, although it does contain more water than all the lakes and rivers of England put together. However, it is what may (or may not) lurk in those waters that brings so much attention.
Introducing The Monster
Stories of a monster in and around the loch are not just a phenomenon of the modern world; in 565, the missionary St Columba was said to have encountered the monster in the River Ness, which flows out of the Loch into Inverness, and sent it packing.
However, it is in the loch itself that so many sightings have occurred down the years, with over a thousand formally recorded. The fact there is a website to maintain (and add to) these records adds to the excitement of a visit; as it means anything you do see will be there as a matter of permanent record.
The key question some will have is whether the monster really exists at all. Naturally, the local shops and visitor attractions (such as Nessieland and the Loch Ness Centre at Drumnadrochit) will tell you that it certainly does, as will many locals, some of whom will have claimed personal sightings.
Others are less sure; an Oxford scientist recently said the existence of Nessie was about as likely as that of Chewbacca. The case for the monster has not been helped by the fact that one of the most famous photos of Nessie, the Surgeon’s Photo taken in 1933, was revealed 61 years later to have been a hoax.
Why The Loch Is A Unique Habitat
What we can be sure of is that the traditional depiction of Nessie as a plesiosaur from the age of the dinosaurs (as depicted in a pond at Drumnadroichit) cannot be true, as the loch was completely full of ice until around 10,000 years ago. Curiously, however, the loch was not carved out by the ice like other elongated bodies of water in the Highlands.
Rather, it is a rift valley lake, like the much larger ones seen in east Africa, with the geological faultline that forms the Great Glen running coast-to-coast from Inverness to Fort William and containing other inland lochs, such as Loch Oich and Loch Lochy.
This unusual geology explains why there are no natural islands along the 30-mile length of the loch, which also has very steep sides and is extremely deep, over 800 ft at the lowest point (compared to 258 ft for England’s deepest lake, Wast Water). The water is also quite acidic. Could this unusual environment have created a niche for something very unusual?
No tour of Loch Ness would be complete without a boat ride on the loch itself, giving you a superb vantage point from which to enjoy the wonderful scenery, whether or not you also see anything popping its head or humps up above the water line.
Castles And Distilleries
There are some other great attractions by the loch as well, such as Urquhart Castle, a partially-ruined bastion that stands next to Urquhart Bay, one of the locations where monster sightings have been most frequent.
The castle is a superb visitor attraction in its own right, offering great insights into the life and history of the Highlands, including the Jacobite rebellions.
In nearby Drumnadrochit is a chance to enjoy another classic feature of Scottish life by visiting the Great Glen Distillery, the smallest craft distillery in the whole of Scotland. The very water the whisky is made from is drawn from the loch, meaning you can take home a dram containing some of the world’s most famous water.
No doubt you will have your camera ready to capture the monster if it appears, but don’t miss the chance to capture some of the other wildlife to be seen around the loch. There are herons, buzzards, different types of deer and, if you really get lucky, you may spot an otter in the water or an osprey flying overhead.
It may be that you don’t actually see the monster. But a visit to Loch Ness will still be a wonderful experience as you enjoy this mysterious, beautiful lake and the grand Highland scenery around it.
