Deep in the Great Glen south-west of Inverness, Loch Ness is famous as the home of ‘Nessie’, the legendary Loch Ness Monster. It has less controversial claims to fame. This spectacular loch is 23 miles (37 km) long, with the largest volume of freshwater in Britain. It is the second deepest in Scotland (755 feet/230 metres), second only to Loch Morar on the west coast.
By surface area, it is the second largest loch in Scotland (after Loch Lomond) with a surface of 21.8 square miles/56.4 square km. And it holds more water than all the lakes in England and Wales combined.
The Great Glen
The Great Glen is aligned along the Great Glen Fault that runs from south-west to north-east, between Fort William and Inverness. Loch Ness is one of three basins formed by glacial erosion. The Great Glen is visible from space and provides a natural boundary between the central and northern highlands.
A handful of villages are dotted around its shores. Of these, Fort Augustus lies at the southern end of the loch and Drumnadrochit sits on the western shore near Urquhart Castle. There is only one island – Cherry Island, actually a man-made crannog (a Bronze Age water house) near Fort Augustus.
Nessie, The Loch Ness Monster
In modern times, the legend of Nessie dates from the 1933 sighting,from the newly completed lochside road, of a mysterious object in the water. In the 1960s several British universities launched expeditions to search for a monster using sonar: they detected large underwater objects that were moving and that they could not explain. Some sightings have been explained as natural phenomena, but Nessie-watching has proved an enduring pastime. The discovery that the famous 1934 photograph was a hoax need not deter those who seek mystery in these waters.
Water speed record
In September 1952 a different kind of strange object appeared on the waters near Drumnadrochit. British racing car drives John Cobb in his jet-powered boat ‘Crusader’ attempted to break the world water speed record. Sadly he was killed when his boat struck a surface wave near the Urquhart Castle headland while he was travelling at more than 200 mph. A roadside memorial to him stands by the A82 a few miles south of the castle.
Inquire about a private tour to Loch Ness
Our private tours that visit Loch Ness
Tour Highlights:
- Take the trip north and venture through the Great Glen to mysterious Loch Ness
- Visit Glencoe and learn about the infamous massacre that took place there
- Stop at Urquhart Castle and explore this ruined highland fortress
£750
Tour Highlights:
- Visit mighty Blair Castle and Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness
- Stroll through beautiful Highland scenery, with waterfalls and ancient forests
- Learn about highland culture at The Highland Life Museum
From: £1,680
- Tour through the dramatic scenery of the central Highlands and learn their turbulent history
- Take an (optional) boat trip over Loch Ness to Urquhart Castle
- Experience first hand what life was like in the highlands at the crofters village
£570
Tour Highlights:
- This inspiring 4 day trip takes you through some of Scotland’s most iconic locations
- Travel with like-minded people and dedicated expedition guide in a small group
- Explore Loch Lomond, Glencoe, the Isle of Skye and The Cairngorms National Park
From: £1,400
Tour Highlights:
- Take the trip north and venture through the Great Glen to mysterious Loch Ness
- See 1,000 years of history in a day
- Visit Glencoe and learn about the infamous massacre that took place there
£750