Seeking Nessie

The Falls of Foyers

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Attraction | "Falls of Foyers - With Thanks to Nessie"

Upper Foyers Photo - Inverness, Scotland

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You might say that we owe a debt of gratitude to the Loch Ness Monster for our discovery of the Falls of Foyers. We were peacefully eating breakfast at our hotel on the east side of Loch Ness when we mentioned to our host that, although our 11-year-old grandson doubted the existence of Nessie, we (and he) wanted to spend a bit of time looking for the elusive beast. After all, who goes to Loch Ness and does NOT look for Nessie?Our host responded that perhaps we ought to pop over to Foyers and take a look from there. He then shared that there had recently been a sighting from Foyers—by a local of impeccable character. So if we were in search of Nessie, we should give Foyers a try before ...Read More

You might say that we owe a debt of gratitude to the Loch Ness Monster for our discovery of the Falls of Foyers. We were peacefully eating breakfast at our hotel on the east side of Loch Ness when we mentioned to our host that, although our 11-year-old grandson doubted the existence of Nessie, we (and he) wanted to spend a bit of time looking for the elusive beast. After all, who goes to Loch Ness and does NOT look for Nessie?

Our host responded that perhaps we ought to pop over to Foyers and take a look from there. He then shared that there had recently been a sighting from Foyers—by a local of impeccable character. So if we were in search of Nessie, we should give Foyers a try before making our way all the way around the loch to Drumnadrochit. By the time we finished with breakfast, our host had printed off a copy of the article about the sighting and handed it to our grandson as we walked from the dining room.

Left to our own devices, we proceeded to read the article and check our maps. Along with the account of the sighting, the article mentioned not only Foyers, but the Falls of Foyers. Viola! Being fond of waterfalls, the quest for the falls provided a legitimate and respectable cover for keeping our eyes peeled for Nessie.

First, we scouted out the lay of the land—a delightful task in and of itself. The east side of Loch Ness is dominated by magnificent mountains, a series of smaller lochs strung loosely across the landscape, and a sky that reaches down to touch the earth in an astonishing manner. After making our way down to the loch by means of mostly one-track roads, we stopped along the shore and scanned the surface of the coffee-colored water for telltale humps and long necks. Discovering nothing more or less than a number of lovely views up, down, and across the loch, we departed in search of the much-less-elusive Falls of Foyers.

The trailhead for the path down to the falls is signposted on the B852 and is located directly across the road from the Foyers post office and general store. There is a small car park along the roadway opposite the trailhead. Foyers itself is a tiny village located roughly 10 miles northeast of Fort Augustus.

Reaching the falls requires a trudge down a steep woodland path to a viewpoint across the gorge of the River Foyers, along with a spectacular view of the waterfall as it cascades 165 feet down the sheer face of the gorge. The upper falls trail begins at a stile in a fence running perpendicular to the road and proceeds along a steep, sometimes narrow path that often consists of wooden steps, wooden walkways, or steps carved into the rock of the gorge. Handrails are sometimes present, but by no means always. On the whole, the trail is characterized by switchbacks and steps. The upper trail is also interspersed with markers engraved with excerpts from a 1787 poem written by Robert Burns in admiration of the falls--Burns did seem to get around! The lower trail leads down closer to shore of Loch Ness, providing views of both the falls and the River Foyers as it joins the loch. Remnants of a British Aluminium factory built in the 1890s and closed in 1967 can occasionally be seen along the trail.

The excursion up and down the upper trail required less than an hour for our little party—including time for oohing and aahing at the waterfall, snapping photos to record its beauty and power, reading the Burns markers, and (at least for the older folks) stopping to catch a breath on some of the steeper assents. During or after any of Scotland’s frequent rains, one should take extra care not to slip on wet surfaces.

We didn’t take the lower trail, as we had a busy schedule for the day—including a bit of Nessie scouting at other points around the loch. Still and all, the side trip to the Falls of Foyers was time well spent, not least in that it was a spontaneous diversion to visit an attraction we had not known about, much less anticipated. Had we had a bit longer, we might have stopped in at the Waterfall Café next to the Post Office and general store to ask about that Nessie sighting. On second thought, perhaps we should have made the time. Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on September 5, 2011

The Falls of Foyers
Southeast Side Of Loch Ness
Loch Ness, Scotland

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Urquhart Castle

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Attraction | "Urquhart Castle – aka, Nessie Central"

Urquhart View Photo - Urquhart Castle, Drumnadrochit, Scotland

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Urquhart Castle is an impressive ruin on the western shore of Loch Ness, near the village of Drumnadrochit. For those driving along the A82 between Fort Augustus and Inverness, Urquhart can quite simply take the breath away. It sits beautiful and serene on a small spit of land extending into and slightly above the loch. The ruins are graceful, honed by time into a tranquil scene that belies their original purpose as a stronghold for waging the endless clan wars of the region—not to mention the wars between the Scots and the English.Pass the castle at night and it will be floodlit, its stones appearing golden in the surrounding darkness. Pass it in spring, and the bright yellow accents ...Read More

Urquhart Castle is an impressive ruin on the western shore of Loch Ness, near the village of Drumnadrochit. For those driving along the A82 between Fort Augustus and Inverness, Urquhart can quite simply take the breath away. It sits beautiful and serene on a small spit of land extending into and slightly above the loch. The ruins are graceful, honed by time into a tranquil scene that belies their original purpose as a stronghold for waging the endless clan wars of the region—not to mention the wars between the Scots and the English.

Pass the castle at night and it will be floodlit, its stones appearing golden in the surrounding darkness. Pass it in spring, and the bright yellow accents of gorse dot the surrounding landscape. Pass it in winter after a snowfall, and its outlines are draped under a white blanket to create a fairyland effect. Any time one passes Urquhart there will be a reason to pay attention. Like the effects created by the seasons, the surface of the loch will add drama to the surroundings. Whether catching rays of sunlight, reflecting an overcast sky, or dancing under a deluge of rain, the loch dominates the mood of the view.

Himself and Yours Truly have passed the castle several times, but until this summer when we took our grandson on a tour of British castles, we had never actually toured the grounds. Since Urquhart is also what you might call "Nessie central" (with most of the sightings occurring near here), it was on our list for two reasons—as a site to visited in its own right and for its Nessie lore.

Nessie folklore experienced an unprecedented explosion during the 20th century, and Urquhart was often at its heart. One of my favorite tales, one picked up by popular culture and the film industry, has Nessie (and possibly her children) taking refuge in partially submerged caverns beneath Urquhart. Some of the tales suggest that a hidden stairway led down from the castle into the caverns, and that local folk knew the secret of communicating with the legendary beast. All this is relevant only to the degree that even a skeptic must bow to the lure of the legend.

Our visit to Urquhart therefore concentrated primarily on the castle, beginning with an orientation video in the visitor centre. This is one orientation video not to be missed. It provides a relatively standard history of the castle, its former residents, and its eventual destruction. But at the end of the film, the screen rises, a set of drapes in front of the auditorium open to reveal a wall of windows, and the castle is revealed as a sweeping panorama. It is an unexpected moment of pure magic. (The visitor center, by the way, is tucked largely into the hillside facing the castle and is as understated as a full-fledged facility of this sort can be.)

After viewing the orientation video, Himself, Yours Truly, and our 11-year-old grandson walked down to the castle itself. Although most of the ruins can be freely accessed, a few areas are restricted to protect either the safety of the visitor or the integrity of the structure. The best-preserved portion of the castle (and our grandson’s favorite) is the so-called Tower House. This structure originally served as the residence for the baronial families that ruled here. What remains of the tower has been stabilized, and a stairway allows visitors to climb up to a magnificent view of Loch Ness. Our grandson spotted nesting birds in the ground-level chamber, and he was almost as excited by these modern-day residents as he was by the tower and the view.

A ground-based platform and surviving walls on the southern end of the castle provide 360-degree views of the whole area, particularly of land-based accesses to the castle. This feature is located on a small hill and is believed to have once been occupied by the smithy and the dovecot.

Of course, our wanderings about the grounds at Urquhart included obligatory scans of the loch for evidence of Nessie. We saw boats from the nearby marina, boat wakes seemingly disembodied from their source, the opposite shoreline, and occasional bits of floating debris (leaves and such). We found a small projection extending out of the water near the shore—a tiny Nessie perchance? No, when viewed through a telephoto lens, it turned out to be nothing more than the end of a small pipe. The fabled staircase to Nessie's underground lair also eluded us—possibly it was hidden away among those areas with restricted access! The only Nessie we found was, alas, in the gift shop.

Speaking of gift shops, the Visitor Centre has a fine one with a wide range of merchandise. It also has a cafeteria, exhibit space, the auditorium where we viewed the orientation film, and excellent loos. And there is a sizable car park that can accommodate coaches as well as automobiles.

At Urquhart as at other locations around Loch Ness, we failed to find Nessie. Nevertheless, we had a excellent time exploring the castle grounds, learning about its past, and allowing Nessie lore to enhance our perceptions—not to mention selecting just the right mementos from the gift shop.

You’d be hard-pressed indeed to carry away disappointment of any kind from an outing at Urquhart Castle.
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Member Rating 5 out of 5 on October 4, 2011

Urquhart Castle

Drumnadrochit

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Cruise Loch Ness

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Attraction | "Cruising the Loch"

Urquhart Reflections Photo - Cruise Loch Ness, Inverness-Shire, Scotland

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No self-respecting Nessie hunter, regardless of how skeptical he or she might be, can wander off in search of the elusive monster without venturing out onto the surface of Loch Ness itself. So it was that Himself, Yours Truly, and our 11-year-old grandson boarded the Deepscan to take an up-close and personal look at what might rightfully be regarded as the world’s most mysterious lake.Our journey began at the front desk of the Drumnadrochit Hotel (the new one), where we paid our fee and were advised when to return for our spin around the loch. At the appointed hour, we boarded a shuttle that took us to the local marina, then embarked on the craft itself. The Deepscan is a smallish cruis...Read More

No self-respecting Nessie hunter, regardless of how skeptical he or she might be, can wander off in search of the elusive monster without venturing out onto the surface of Loch Ness itself. So it was that Himself, Yours Truly, and our 11-year-old grandson boarded the Deepscan to take an up-close and personal look at what might rightfully be regarded as the world’s most mysterious lake.

Our journey began at the front desk of the Drumnadrochit Hotel (the new one), where we paid our fee and were advised when to return for our spin around the loch. At the appointed hour, we boarded a shuttle that took us to the local marina, then embarked on the craft itself. The Deepscan is a smallish cruise boat with a record of scientific service on the loch. As a research vessel for the Loch Ness Project, it and its skipper John Minshull have worked a variety of endeavors to better understand the loch and its secrets.

As passengers, the lot of us, 10 or 12 passengers, sat on benches built into the stern of boat behind the cabin. There we listened to the entertaining commentary provided by our skipper on a wide range of topics related to Loch Ness—including expeditions to recover lost vessels, to gather core samples from the lake bed, to map its depth, and to ferry media and film makers on their various errands.

In the process, we learned a bit about the geology of the murky loch and of the Great Glen in which it is located. Did you know, for example, that the waters of Loch Ness never freeze over? That its murky, dark color comes from the tiny particles of peat suspended in the water? Or that its depth (about 876 feet at its deepest) is greater than that of the North Sea?

We also learned about the physical causes of some of those Nessie sightings we’ve all heard about: floating logs, animals swimming, boat wakes and wind slicks disturbing the surface, boats seen from a distance in bad weather, mirages, and—of course—deliberately fabricated hoaxes. But for all this, our host admitted, there were still small bits of ‘evidence’ for which science had yet to find an explanation. Debunk the legend as he might, he left a door slightly ajar for the true believer—or for the romantic skeptic.

Our spin around Loch Ness took place on a cool afternoon in early July. The clouds in the sky were plentiful, though not completely overcast, which meant that the sun occasionally crept through to add a bright accent here or there. Our views of Urquhart Castle and the surrounding tree-covered mountains were spectacular. And we were a bit humbled to learn that we were passing swiftly over some of the loch’s deepest waters.

It may come as no surprise that we failed to spot Nessie. We did take loads of photos—including several of the boat wakes in hopes that some would be worthy of minor Nessie fabrications. Alas, all merely looked like boat wakes.

As we began our final approach to the marina, the skipper called the children on board into the cabin and gave each one a chance to steer the Deepscan. Our grandson was last up and was aided in pulling the boat alongside the pier. He was, and remains, the acting captain of a boat on Loch Ness. Not bad for a young lad who came to Loch Ness from all the way across a much larger Pond!
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Member Rating 4 out of 5 on October 5, 2011

Cruise Loch Ness
Knockburnie
Fort Augustus
01320 366 277

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Loch Ness Exhibition Centre

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Attraction | "Where's Nessie?"

Loch Ness Exhibition Centre Photo - Loch Ness Exhibition Centre, Drumnadrochit, Scotland

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Himself, Yours Truly, and our 11-year-old grandson visited the Loch Ness Exhibition Centre in hopes of learning a bit more about Nessie lore. What we found was something entirely different. To the diehard Nessie enthusiast, it will likely be a great disappointment. That’s because, as its name clearly states, the primary focus of the Loch Ness Exhibition Centre is on the loch itself—not the famous monster that is its namesake.Don’t misunderstand. It’s not that Nessie isn’t mentioned. It’s a bit more subtle than that. What the Centre does is to explain the mythology surrounding the elusive beast in the light of scientific inquiry and exploration. So instead of viewing the evidence ‘for...Read More

Himself, Yours Truly, and our 11-year-old grandson visited the Loch Ness Exhibition Centre in hopes of learning a bit more about Nessie lore. What we found was something entirely different. To the diehard Nessie enthusiast, it will likely be a great disappointment. That’s because, as its name clearly states, the primary focus of the Loch Ness Exhibition Centre is on the loch itself—not the famous monster that is its namesake.

Don’t misunderstand. It’s not that Nessie isn’t mentioned. It’s a bit more subtle than that. What the Centre does is to explain the mythology surrounding the elusive beast in the light of scientific inquiry and exploration. So instead of viewing the evidence ‘for’ Nessie, the visitor is given a multimedia presentation on evidence that effectively argues ‘against’ her existence.

The Centre is housed in a Victorian structure that once served as hotel. The old hotel has been modified into a series of seven exhibit chambers, each with its own theme. The tour begins in the lobby in front of the fireplace, and I confess to wondering momentarily if I would be commanded to toss flue powder up the chimney ala Harry Porter. Instead, we stood in the middle of the room while we were given an introductory film projected on the wall above the mantle. The light in the room was not really suitable for this purpose, but that didn’t affect the narrative. The narrator and creator of the Exhibition was Adrian Shine, head of the Loch Ness Project, who has been exploring the mysteries of the loch since 1973.

In general, the subsequent chambers are arranged around specific topics related to the history and exploration of Loch Ness. These include everything from fossils, to photos and film footage, to authentic equipment used in the depths of the loch’s murky waters. Lighting effects include colored bulbs, backlighting, and reflections off surfaces coated with iridescent paint. The result was sometimes surreal and sometimes downright kitschy. On the whole it was more informative than entertaining, and our grandson would clearly have preferred a few hours at the more fanciful Nessie Land down the road.

We exited the Exhibition through an expansive gift shop—also featuring a maze of chambers—that quite possibly featured every Nessie-related souvenir currently known to man, woman, or child. After gathering our goodies, we took cold drinks to the small but pleasant garden next to the Centre. It is prettily landscaped with flowering plants and includes a few picnic tables. It also includes a small yellow submarine and what was probably a fishing boat, both used for exploring the loch. The nearby pond that once featured a statue of Nessie is now empty, and the statue has been moved to Nessie Land.

Do I recommend the Loch Ness Exhibition Centre? Yes, but rather reluctantly and with qualifications. For our grandson’s sake, we were chasing myth more than substance—a fairy tale, not a scientific explanation. This was not what we expected and not really what we wanted. Nonetheless, the attraction is rated 5 stars by the Scottish Tourist Board, and it is well organized and reasonably well done—if a bit garish at times.

Admission for the 2011 season was £6.50 for adults, £4.50 for children, and £5.50 for seniors (or concessions). Parking was ample when we visited in early July, but it might get a bit crowded during August. If you know what you’re getting and that’s your cup of tea, then it’s a good value. If you’re after the legend of the Loch Ness Monster, go elsewhere.

© BawBaw, LovesTravel, DAnneC - 2011 Read Less

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on October 8, 2011

Loch Ness Exhibition Centre
Drumnadrochit
Inverness, Scotland

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Whitebridge Hotel

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Hotel | "Lodging East of Loch Ness"

Dining Room with a View Photo - Whitebridge Hotel, Loch Ness, Scotland

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When Himself and Yours Truly planned our trip to Britain earlier this year, a visit to Loch Ness was high on the itinerary agenda. This trip was for our 11-year-old grandson, and it was his wish to see castles. Urquhart Castle was on the short list of must-see attractions. A secondary attraction in this particular region, of course, was Nessie herself—the infamous Loch Ness Monster. None of us could be classified as Nessie diehards, but the mythology of the illusive beast was definitely appealing, particularly for our grandson.Finding a place to stay in this area is never easy, especially if you require a triple or quadruple accommodation. The obvious choice would have been the Drumna...Read More

When Himself and Yours Truly planned our trip to Britain earlier this year, a visit to Loch Ness was high on the itinerary agenda. This trip was for our 11-year-old grandson, and it was his wish to see castles. Urquhart Castle was on the short list of must-see attractions. A secondary attraction in this particular region, of course, was Nessie herself—the infamous Loch Ness Monster. None of us could be classified as Nessie diehards, but the mythology of the illusive beast was definitely appealing, particularly for our grandson.

Finding a place to stay in this area is never easy, especially if you require a triple or quadruple accommodation. The obvious choice would have been the Drumnadrochit Hotel, which is located just around the bend from the castle and next to the Loch Ness Exhibition Centre. Our problem with this option was that it is a new facility. We wanted something with a bit more character, even if it wasn’t quite as convenient.
Eventually we settled on the Whitebridge Hotel, east of the loch in a relatively remote location. The adults in our company were attracted by both the remoteness and the apparent charm of the hotel, which was built at the end of the 19th century and seemed to sit pretty much in the middle of nowhere—albeit a rather beautiful nowhere, which was just our cup of tea.

The Whitebridge was built on the site of an old military hostel, a King’s House, which housed soldiers traveling along the old military road—now part of the B862. The setting is magnificent, with glorious views of two peaks in the Monadhliaths. The pub side of the hotel is close to the road, but views toward the back roll off into the surrounding wilderness—well, maybe not entirely wilderness, but certainly close.

The ground floor houses reception, the breakfast room, a country pub, and a residents lounge complete with television, a small selection of books, and a computer station (an older Mac desktop that worked perfectly well). Everything was attractive and neat, but nothing was fancy—as befits a 2-star rural hotel. Wireless is available throughout the hotel, and the host will provide the password on request. Parking is plentiful for both the hotel (which has only 12 rooms) and the pub.

Check-in was extraordinarily easy. We gave our reservation and were presented with a key—no fuss, no bother. Simple pleasantries were exchanged, our host announced the timeframe for breakfast, gave directions to our room, and we were off to settle in.

Our triple room was a bit on the snug side. It contained three twin beds, one located is a small alcove next to the en-suite. A built-in wardrobe partially divided the room, separating the alcove from the larger portion of the room that contained the other two beds. The bathroom, clearly a modification added to the original room layout, was small but contained a shower over tub and a toilet. Water pressure in the shower was somewhere between low and moderate, but the water was hot. The basin was on the opposite side of the room, in the area where the two beds were located. There were also small bedside tables, a dresser with mirror, collapsible luggage stand, TV, and hospitality tray. Fortunately the mirror on the dresser was freestanding and could be removed to the floor of the wardrobe. This meant that we could place our grandson’s bag on the luggage stand and our own two on the dresser. In the end, this arrangement allowed us sufficient moving-around space to feel less cramped, and the alcove provided our grandson with a touch of privacy. The room was clean and simply decorated with tartan bedspreads, and the beds were comfortable. Some of the furniture was a bit tired, but it was sturdy and sufficient to our needs. The windows opened to fill out room with fresh mountain air as we slept.

The tariff, £90 per night, included a full Scottish breakfast cooked to order. Cereal, fruit, cups of packaged yoghurt, a selection of juices, and milk were set up on a buffet. Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and the cooked breakfast were served from the kitchen. The food was of good quality, well prepared, and attractively presented. Service was pleasant and professional. Our host served as waiter (or server, if you prefer). He asked after our plans, offered assistance, then left it to us to pursue the offer. Ultimately, it was he who told our grandson about a recent Nessie sighting at the village of Foyers—and even provided us with a computer printout of the article describing the event.

The in-house pub is almost a stereotypical country tavern. Listed in the CAMRA guide for several years running, it serves ales on tap from the Cairngorm and Isle of Skye breweries in addition to a good selection of bottled beers and ales. Patrons may choose to sit at the small bar or at a handful of tables and booths. The food is largely traditional, tasty, and plentiful. Service is friendly and casually efficient. Children are welcome, and the pub never seemed to lack for patrons. We took our evening meals here for two of our three-night stay.

Check-out was as simple as check-in. Our host simply processed our credit card and presented an itemized bill for our approval. At our request, he allowed us to access his office printer to obtain boarding passes for our flight to London. He also found us a scale to help balance our bags in order to avoid extra airline fees. We left as satisfied customers. We happily recommend the Whitebridge to other travelers, so long as they understand the charms and the limitations of staying at an accommodation of this type. Read Less

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on October 9, 2011

Whitebridge Hotel
Whitebridge
Stratherrick Nr. Inverness
44 (0)1456 486226

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