Who has not heard of Nessie, the monster of Loch Ness and wanted to go hunting for it? Well since I was little, I wanted to visit Loch Ness and looking for the mysterious monster Nessie.

Loch Ness is the second largest loch in Scotland with a surface of 56 km² but the largest by volume in the British Isles. This is mostly because of its depth. The deepest point in Loch Ness is 230 meters, which is really deep. It is deeper than the sea around the United Kingdom.

Although Loch Ness is mostly known for the cryptozoological monster called Nessie, it is a magical and beautiful place in the Highlands. It is a lake surrounded by mountains, which makes it really charming. Sadly, this place is overcrowded by people who only want to be at Loch Ness because of the monster but do not appreciate the beauty of nature. There are so many beautiful spots around the loch, so just go for a hike.

We stayed in Drumnadrochit, a small village in Scotland. This place is perfect for exploring Loch Ness and its surroundings.

Loch Cruise

Although it is very touristic, I also wanted to do a Loch Cruise. It is a really amazing activity to explore the loch and to go for Nessie hunting. I have to admit that I got really excited when we drove outside on the loch to be on the lookout for the famous monster. Unfortunately, we didn’t saw Nessie but the cruise was amazing.

The loch is so large that you don’t see the end of the loch on both sides. You simply see the mountains surrounding you. This is really amazing. We were really lucky with the weather, so we had nearly no swell. Although the sun was shining, it was incredibly windy on the boat, so be sure to put on a jacket and maybe a cap.

We booked our loch cruise at the VisitScotland Drumnadrochit iCentre and I can only recommend it. You can also booked your tour at the Loch Ness Centre and Exhibition. There you have a parking space and also a souvenir shop. I also recommend you to visit the exhibition because you will get a lot of information of the whole Loch Ness story.

Even if you don’t believe in that whole Nessie monster story, I think that everyone gets a little exited when entering the boat. You will never know what will touch your boat from the bottom.

Urquhart Castle

Beside the Nessie monster, Loch Ness hosts also the remains of an old castle, called Urquhart Castle. It is one of the largest in Scotland. The present remains date back to the 13th and 16th century and were built on the site of an early medieval fortification. Urquhart Castle played a significant role in the Wars of Scottish Independence. The name Urquhart dates back to the 7th century and is a mix of Gaelic and Old Welsh. Vitrified stone have been discovered at the south-west corner of the castle, which dates back to an extensive fort between the 5th and 11th century.

When you approach the castle, it gives the impression that you can visit the remains for free but actually you have to pay for entrance tickets and descend to the remains of the castle. You will only reach Urquhart Castle via the visitor center.

Urquhart Castle is one of the most visited castles in Scotland. I can totally understand this because as soon as you enter the castle, it will let you speechless. You immediately start to imagine how the castle looked like at its best times. As the castle is very large, there are a lot of different places to discover.

When entering the castle, you can either turn right, left or walk straight forward. On the left you will walk up a little bit on the more higher located part of the castle. From there you will have an amazing view over the lower part of the castle and the Loch Ness. Everywhere in the castle are signs with the description of the part of the castle where you are standing. In the castle itself, you can also walk down to the water of Loch Ness. I really liked this place because you are really standing with your feet in the water of the monster of Loch Ness.

Finally you can explore the iconic part of the castle, the tower and its surroundings. Once you are up the tower, you will have an amazing view over the whole castle and Loch Ness itself. But be aware, it was so windy up there that you could almost not look out over the wall. So be sure to put enough warm clothes when you are climbing up that tower.

Although Loch Ness is really touristic and super crowded in the high season, it is absolutely worth a visit, even if you are not believing in the monster of Loch Ness. If you want to avoid the crowds, go and visit it off season.

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