Looping Loch Ness - Sunlit Myth and Mystery | Scotland GB

LoriKat
Sep 30
3 min read

Updated: 4 days ago

📅 Mar 2025 | 🗺️ Loch Ness, Scottish Highlands

Loch Ness is Scotland’s largest and most legendary loch, stretching 23 miles through the Great Glen and plunging to depths of over 750 feet. Famous worldwide for the myth of “Nessie,” it is also framed by castles, waterfalls, and Highland villages, making a full driving loop around its shores a journey rich in history, scenery, and mystery.

We packed snacks, charged the cameras, and made a silent pact to keep our eyes peeled for anything large, splashy, and vaguely dinosaur-shaped. Scotland’s most mysterious stretch of water was calling — and we were ready.

Starting and ending in Inverness, we drove the full loop around Loch Ness: part myth-hunting, part scenery swooning, 100% Highland magic.

Here’s how it unfolded…

Woman and boy smile by a large green and white dinosaur statue in Nessie Land. The boy holds a dinosaur toy. Clear blue sky and buildings behind.

📚Journal Spill

A Scottish Unicorn - Sunshine in March

We woke up to blue skies in Scotland — in March. Even the locals were outside taking pictures, like they’d spotted a unicorn wearing sunglasses.

It boded well. Adventure loading…

Drumnadrochit - Nessie Culture

First stop: Loch Ness statue portrait session.

We gave our best believer-with-a-side-of-skeptic poses. It’s impossible not to imagine Nessie scooting past at any moment — even if you’re staring at fiberglass.

Then we hit the Loch Ness Centre and had it almost entirely to ourselves. We soaked up every legend:

St. Columba banished a water beast here in 565 AD
Ms. MacKay’s 1933 sighting was totally real (we believe you, girl)
Sonar scans that look suspiciously like “something”

Some exhibits screamed science, some whispered myth, and some felt like both.

Final takeaway? You don’t come here for proof. You come because what if?

Four people pose beside a large green dinosaur statue by a lake. Clear sky and mountains in the background. Bright, sunny day.

Urquhart Castle - Postcards & Monsters

We rolled up to Urquhart Castle — the ultimate Nessie lookout.

The loch shimmered in the sunshine. E asked where Nessie might hide. G shrugged: “Probably under the boats.” Honestly — solid theory.

We explored towers, climbed stairwells, peered through arrow slits like amateur guards ready to defend against… sea dinosaurs? Still no Nessie sighting. But the views? Ridiculous.

Ruins of a stone castle overlook a deep blue lake. Surrounding green grass and clear sky create a peaceful, historical atmosphere.

Child in red jacket and cap stands in stone castle entrance with wooden stairs. Bright sunlight highlights the rustic setting.

Ruins by a serene lake under a clear blue sky, surrounded by green hills and bare trees. A path and stairs lead through the ancient site.

Fort Augustus - Boats & A Topiary Icon

Next: Fort Augustus — and everyone else in Scotland had the same idea.

Tourists everywhere. Dogs everywhere. Like Nessie’s surprise birthday party and she failed to RSVP. We found our favorite local celebrity: A Nessie-shaped bush with the confidence of royalty.

The buildings wore their moody tones well—it was Highland Gothic with a touch of charm. The Caledonian Canal surprised us: grander than expected, with locks and gates that felt like a quiet marvel. We climbed the stairs, admired the engineering, read every plaque, and still scanned the water for signs of Nessie...because, obviously.

No monster in the loch — just snacks, sunshine, and Highland charm.

Child in red cap holding a toy stands near a bush shaped like a dinosaur in a sunny park. Background of houses, café sign visible.

Three people sit outside Caledonian Canal Centre eating ice cream. A child holds a plush toy. Signs and open doors are in the background.

Boy in a red cap holds ice cream and a toy in a shop. A green dinosaur model with a colorful scarf is in the background. Sign reads "Loch Ness Monster."

Person in a blue jacket stands on a bridge over a canal lock with cascading water. Rustic houses and hills in the sunny background.

Sign with "No Parking" and "An Engineering Marvel" text on a wooden fence. Pathway, green grass, and white houses under a clear blue sky.

Bridge of Oich - A Suspension Bridge Solo Moment

Just south of town, we took a breather at the Bridge of Oich — pedestrian-only and storybook pretty.

Iron chains. Granite towers. Timber planks that creaked juuuust enough to feel cinematic. We walked slowly, letting the River Oich do its dramatic rushing thing below.

Stone suspension bridge over a river, surrounded by trees. Ropes and stone arches create a symmetrical view on a clear day.

Invergarry Castle - Ruins with Attitude

Hidden behind the Glengarry Castle Hotel: Invergarry Castle ruins.

Perched on Raven’s Rock. Fenced off. Weathered. Still refusing to crumble after centuries of fire and chaos. It felt heavy with history — and not the touristy kind.

Ruins of a stone castle amid lush greenery and rolling hills under a clear blue sky. A winding path leads through the tranquil landscape.

Four people stand in front of an ancient stone castle ruin under a bright blue sky. Lush greenery surrounds the scene, creating a serene mood.

Falls of Foyers - Waterfalls & Whispering Winds

The drive toward Falls of Foyers wound through forest and viewpoints that look fake until you blink.

We stopped at Suidhe Viewpoint — hills rolling forever, Loch Ness peeking through the distance, everything green and wide and wow.

Then the waterfall trail: steep, mossy, tree-lined.

The falls thundered into the gorge like a natural lullaby — or maybe Nessie letting us know she was down there somewhere.

Vast Scottish landscape with rolling hills, a lake, and distant mountains under a clear blue sky. A fence lines the foreground. Serene mood.

Waterfall cascading down rocky cliff into a dark pool, surrounded by mossy green foliage and trees, under bright light. Peaceful and natural.

Alpaca Wisdom

Outside Foyers — surprise! Alpaca viewing opportunity. Just a fence, a field, and the most judgmental herd in Scotland. One stared directly into our souls. We apologized and drove away.