Day: 34 Km travelled: 695.64km Steps: 11,930
October 13th, 2017
No foray into the wilds of The Highlands is complete without partaking in a hunt for its most famous resident: The Loch Ness Monster.
Loch Ness is a large, deep, freshwater loch in The Highlands of Scotland. It is one of a series of interconnected, murky bodies of water in Scotland; its water visibility is exceptionally low due to a high peat content in the surrounding soil. – making sightings of the famed monster all the more difficult and resulting photos understandably undefined. Lucky for me, however, the normally cantankerous Scottish weather was on its best behaviour and sunshine abounded for most of the day.
It is the country’s second longest loch (Loch Lomond is the longest) however it is the largest by measure of depth and volume. It’s deepest point is 755 feet and the loch contains more fresh water than all the lakes in England and Wales combined (plenty of space for a mysterious creature to hide, no?)
Nessie, the Loch Ness monster came to the world’s attention in 1933 with an infamous black & white photograph, however the first recorded sighting of a monster in the vicinity of Loch Ness appears in the Life of St. Columba, written in the sixth century AD. Since then, there has been hundreds of reported sightings, you can look them up on the Loch Ness Sighting Register. This year alone, there has been 9 recorded sightings, even one made by a Canadian woman (no not me!).
Beautiful Loch Ness
Evidence of its existence is anecdotal, with a few disputed photographs and sonar readings. (the original photo was discredited after the photographer admitted he had staged the sighting), yet the public remains captivated with this great mystery. In November 2017 along, there were hundreds of articles writing on this long-necked beast.
When you examine the body of ‘evidence’ on Nessie sightings, including blurry photos, out of focus videos and somewhat credible scientific research, it does leave one wondering if the monster could indeed be real… nonetheless, with a two million pound reward, i made sure to keep my eyes peeled and my camera at the ready!
Wait? Was is that I see in the distance…
There are many activities in and around Loch Ness, including boat tours, a Loch Ness Exhibition Centre and the medieval fortress, Urquhart Castle.
Situated on a gentle slopping hill overlooking Loch Ness, the castle is one of the largest in Scotland in surface area as well as one of the most-visited castles in the country. Founded in the 13th century, Urquhart Castle has had a turbulent history. Once a medieval fortress, then a royal palace, it also played a role in the Wars of Scottish Independence in the 14th century (think Braveheart) as well as in the Jacobite Rising where is was ultimately partially destroyed to prevent its use by the rebel Jacobite forces. Today, visitors can tour the castle ruins, surrounded by immaculate grounds and overflowing with history.
PITLOCHRY
A quaint Victorian town in Perthshire (county of Perth), Pitlochry sits in the geographical centre of Scotland. The town developed largely as a tourist resort because of a visit by Queen Victoria in 1842. After the Queen established Balmoral as an important private royal residence, many in the British high society chose to follow suit and built stately houses in the area, including Pitlochry. Luckily for me, one of Scotland’s reputed best fish and chip stand is in that town. I’m happy to report, The Plaice to Be lived up to its reputation. It took me a while to realize that the restaurant name was a play on words; were you able to catch it? Plaice is a type of fish, from the flounder family…
THE DROVERS INN
Situated in the Loch Lomond area, the historic Drovers Inn has been welcoming patrons for over 300 years. Their website describes the Inn more eloquently than I can:
On arrival at The Drovers Inn you’ll immediately be struck by the imposing architecture and authenticity. Once inside, it’s like taking a step back in time. To an era where folk sang songs and drank their whisky neat by candlelight. Where the fire’s always lit, the food’s always good and the people are always smiling.
With over 300 years’ worth of visitors, you’d expect the walls of the Drovers to be able to tell a tale or two. From the famous to the infamous, this historic building has welcomed hundreds of thousands of people, Rob Roy and Gerard Butler to name just a few.
The most alarming of those tales are of the supernatural kind. There has been so many ghost sightings at the Inn, that it is considered one of Scotland’s most haunted places.
I didn’t pay much attention to the ghost stories ( *rocks slowly in the corner in the foetal position repeating ghosts aren’t real, ghosts aren’t real, ghosts aren’t real*), but for the curious amongst you, you can read all about it here.
Adding to the sinister atmosphere was the fact that the Drovers Inn was all decked out for Halloween. And trust me when I say, they really love the holiday!
O mo chreach!