Deep, dark Loch Ness...

Kildary, Ross & Cromarty, Day 7


If you go down to the woods today...

Home of the Loch Ness Monster.  A beast first reported in the Life of St. Columba by Adomnán, written in the sixth century AD.

In 1987, Operation Deepscan sent twenty-four boats equipped with echo sounding equipment cross the width of the loch, simultaneously sending acoustic waves, resulting in scientists making sonar contact with an unidentified object of unusual size and strength.  Sonar expert Darrell Lowrance, examined a sonar return that indicated a large, moving object at a depth of 180 metres near Urquhart Bay.  He concluded, "There's something here that we don't understand, and there's something here that's larger than a fish, maybe some species that hasn't been detected before. I don't know."

Well after circumventing Loch Ness today, with eyes carefully peeled every second of the amazing journey, we headed back to the Barn disappointed that we did not catch sight of the monster lurking deep within.

That is until I uploaded the final photograph from our loch adventure and there in the bottom left corner, clear for all to see, and the proof the world has been waiting for that Nessie does indeed exist, is the glorious beast herself!  Wow!  

You are welcome!  :-))

Proving the existence of Nessie aside, today has been a corker.  Loch Ness is magnificent!

Fabulous weather (the cloud formations around the Moray and Cromarty Firths are spectacular!) and the most amazing drive around Loch Ness following the A82 south from Inverness to Fort Augustus, then north again following General Wade's old Military Road - the B862, which afforded some amazing views north (see extras). 

Fortuitously we arrived at the Dores Inn just before 5.00pm, when it opened to serve food, so we booked a table and enjoyed our first meal out together since before lockdown started in March 2020.  We could not have picked a better place.  The setting, the friendly service and the food were all excellent.  

We chose to forgo the stunning view down Loch Ness from their outdoor tables, and ate inside instead.  Just as well, as the strong breeze blowing off the loch would have sent our food flying off our plates!

A leisurely drive through Inverness (a lovely city) on the way back to the Barn made up our minds that we will return to explore the it properly, perhaps on our way to Nairn next week.  David's been to Inverness before (on a golfing trip a few years ago) but this is the first time I've been as far north on the East Coast.  I am absolutely loving it.

Back at the Barn, and with no dinner to make, I was full of great intentions of editing my photos, getting my blip uploaded early and having a catch up of journals.  Of course within 10 minutes of being back and getting my feet up, I had conked out again!  There's a pattern emerging to this holiday!  lol  Anyway, thank you for for still popping in and all the lovely starts and hearts, and my sincerest apologies for my complete lack of engagement!  As ever, I shall endeavour to do better tomorrow! xx