We went to visit Nessie!
Loch Ness is huge! It is 26 miles long, so around 42 km, and 200 meters deep at the deepest point. It’s amazing to see, you look along and cannot even nearly see the end. The loch is surrounded by rolling hills and small stone cottages.
We didn’t spot Nessie but we did visit the information centre and learnt all about the investigations into whether or not the monster is real.
About halfway down the loch is the ruin of Urquhart Castle. Built in the 1200’s, the castle was fought over for hundreds of years before it was destroyed around the 1600’s. Few parts of the castle remain untouched, most of the ruins have been repaired to make them more stable and hopefully last for another few hundred years. Standing at the top of Urquhart Castle there are spectacular views of Loch Ness and the mountains that surround it.
After a bit of a drive we made it to Altass, a tiny village (really only a few houses) near a larger town called Lairg. Neil McInnes, a friend of Dad’s from when he lived here, lives in Altass with his wife Anne and children Kirsty and Callum. The area is spectacular, with views of the rolling hills and greenery all around. Neil and his family were extremely hospitable and made us feel more than welcome in their home. Although they had not seen each other in 25 years, Dad and Neil picked it up where they left off.
We even had the pleasure of meeting Neil’s parents, who I had also heard so much about.
The next day Dad took us to explore the Northern Highlands. We drove up to the Northern Coast, first to the town of tongue and then along to Durness for lunch. The coastline up there was amazing. The water was dark and still, looking quite welcoming, although we knew the water of the North Sea would definitely be a nice experience.
We saw Smoo cave, which holds a beautiful waterfall inside, and a lovely looking beach. We watched as someone confidently stripped off into their bathers and strode towards the water, however when they reached the waters edge and the cold water hit they were out of there pretty quick.
Loch Ness is huge! It is 26 miles long, so around 42 km, and 200 meters deep at the deepest point. It’s amazing to see, you look along and cannot even nearly see the end. The loch is surrounded by rolling hills and small stone cottages.
We didn’t spot Nessie but we did visit the information centre and learnt all about the investigations into whether or not the monster is real.
About halfway down the loch is the ruin of Urquhart Castle. Built in the 1200’s, the castle was fought over for hundreds of years before it was destroyed around the 1600’s. Few parts of the castle remain untouched, most of the ruins have been repaired to make them more stable and hopefully last for another few hundred years. Standing at the top of Urquhart Castle there are spectacular views of Loch Ness and the mountains that surround it.
After a bit of a drive we made it to Altass, a tiny village (really only a few houses) near a larger town called Lairg. Neil McInnes, a friend of Dad’s from when he lived here, lives in Altass with his wife Anne and children Kirsty and Callum. The area is spectacular, with views of the rolling hills and greenery all around. Neil and his family were extremely hospitable and made us feel more than welcome in their home. Although they had not seen each other in 25 years, Dad and Neil picked it up where they left off.
We even had the pleasure of meeting Neil’s parents, who I had also heard so much about.
The next day Dad took us to explore the Northern Highlands. We drove up to the Northern Coast, first to the town of tongue and then along to Durness for lunch. The coastline up there was amazing. The water was dark and still, looking quite welcoming, although we knew the water of the North Sea would definitely be a nice experience.
We saw Smoo cave, which holds a beautiful waterfall inside, and a lovely looking beach. We watched as someone confidently stripped off into their bathers and strode towards the water, however when they reached the waters edge and the cold water hit they were out of there pretty quick.
The next stop on our tour was Kinlochbervie. Personally this was my favorite place in Scotland, along with Doune Castle. There were small white cottages spread all through the tiny village and the beaches were spectacular. It was as if we were looking out onto a tropical island beach, white sand and beautiful blue water. Here, a little further south, Sam and I dared to dip our feet into the freezing ocean, and boy was it cold! The picturesque look of the beach was definitely deceiving!!
Dad also loves this place, I can see him retiring to a small, broken down cottage on the beach. I think he can see that himself too!
We spent another night with the McInnes’ in Altass, it was a beautiful spot, and a very good sleep!
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