Loch Ness: On the Lookout for Nessie (Scotland)

On my solo trip to Scotland, I had the Golden opportunity to visit Loch Ness, the lake that is rumoured to house the legenedary Loch Ness Monster. Loch (Pronounced Lock), in Scottish Gaelic and Irish means Lake. Loch Ness itself is the second largest lake in Scotland after Loch Lomond though it's great depth makes it the one with the maximum volume of water, enough to feed the River Ness. No wonder then that in its depth Nessie (the pet name for the monster) is supposed to be living for ages now.

You will always, without fail find this van parked on the beach of Loch Ness. This is Nessie-sery Independent Research, a brain-child of Steve Feltham, who has spent the last 9 years of his life living on the beach of the lake, desparately scouring the waters for any odd sign of the Monster. To sustain himself, Steve, makes and sells Nessie Models and memorablia. Unfortunately, he was out when we visited, else I would have definitely bought something from him.  

This is a model of Nessie's head stuck in the ground outside Steve's "home". I suspect that this is the natural shape of this log and it uncannily resembles what Nessie is supposed to look like. There are various versions of what Nessie looks like. According to one, Nessie is a plesiosaur, a creature that lived during the age of dinosaurs, that has somehow evaded extinction and evolution for all these years. 

A child is playing on the edge of the inky waters of Loch Ness. Even though the water seems clear in the photograph, it is actually quite murky because of the extensive presence of peat in the surrounding areas.

Sometimes, ducks are mistaken to be the monsters. There even have been hoaxes based on them.

 A little cafe and a souvenir shop on the Loch. Right next to it is a little stream flowing into the Loch. hundreds of such streams supply water to the Loch. The area is very wet with a very high amount of rainfall.

An indication of water quality across the year. I guess it is safe to bathe in the Lake when the water quality indicator is a blue smiley.

 Well Said!  No Mess at Loch Ness. And true to the warning, the area was unbelievably clean considering the amount of tourism it sees each year.

 This is the Inverness Castle, sitting on the cliffs on the banks of the River Ness. I stayed in Inverness for a couple of days so that I could cover the surrounding areas, including Loch Ness, easily.

A bridge across the River Ness. The bank opposite to this one (the one with the Castle) is much more picturesque.
 

The full view of the River Ness flowing through the Town of Inverness. A stroll along the banks was just what I needed at the time. Days were long and there was plenty of daylight in the late evening. This particular picture was shot after 7 PM.

 Apart from the monster, the lake in itself is quite picturesque and suitable for lonely musings. The weather can get quite rough with frequent and heavy rains. Do check the place out if you can.