Searching for Nessie!

We have now headed inland to Loch Ness, the famous lake said to be home to "Nessie" the Loch Ness Monster. Loch Ness itself is the largest body of freshwater in the UK and contains more fresh water then all of the lakes in England and Wales combined. It is deep enough to hold the entire population of planet earth three times over. That right there should be enough to convince people to go and see it!

However, it becomes obvious when you approach Loch Ness that people are looking for something else...dum-da-dum.....With binoculars hanging around their necks, fancy cameras with telescopic lenses and tripods they are there to go "Nessie Hunting", a rather embarrassing tourist activity whereby tourists are trying to catch a glimpse of the Loch Ness monster itself!

We started in Drumnodrochit at the Loch Ness Exhibition centre, an interpretive centre which takes you through all of the sightings and research done in the area. The centre was brilliantly done in terms of the exhibits themselves, but I had to question their marketing strategy. One would think that because the majority of the tourists in the area are there to see Loch Ness as the home to a potential sea monster that you would kind of play this up? I was hoping for pictures of sightings, underwater views of Nessie's cave, and looks of horror from witnesses of close encounters (for the children of course). Instead, I left feeling as though my imagination was a bit squashed, and feeling a bit silly. Most upsetting to me and my mystical imagination was that each picture of "sightings" was then explained by saying "This one cold be a log", "This one could be an overturned boat". I began to feel as though it was an inkblot test.

As we were leaving the centre we were chatting about which of us believed that Nessie exists - it was 50/50. My conclusion was that, like many other things in life, the scientific community refuses to accept that there are thing out there that they cannot explain, so a photograph becomes a floating log.

We then headed to Urquart Castle on the shores of Loch Ness to experience the much talked about views of the loch. The castle was wonderful and worth the visit, as were the views! And as I glimpsed out at the Loch I could have sworn I saw something ripple in the water....

Urqhart Castle

Yay Scotland!

.