Loch Ness, Lake in Scotland : UNITED KINGDOM
Loch Ness is a large, deep freshwater lake in the Scottish Highlands extending for approximately 37 km southwest of Inverness. Its surface is 15.8 meters above sea level. Loch Ness is best known for the alleged sightings of the legendary Loch Ness Monster, also known as "Nessie". Loch Ness Scotland - Nessie or not the loch is no monster! Loch Ness is the most famous lake in the world. Loch is the Scottish word for lake and many of you, especially overseas visitors often refer to it Lake Ness, and even Loch Ness Lake! but to all Scots it is Loch Ness, and besides who has ever heard of the lake ness monster! Loch Ness is a substantial body of water about 24 miles long by a mile wide and at its deepest point it goes down nearly 1,000 ft. Loch Ness lies at the northeast end of the Great Glen in the Highlands of Scotland and occupies a large part of the Great Glen fault. The Great Glen is a geological fault running across the entire width of the Highlands of Scotland. It runs southwest from Inverness right down to Fort William and contains three freshwater lochs - Loch Ness, Loch Oich and Loch Lochy. Fort William is situated near the west coast on the sea loch Loch Linnhe. These lochs are linked by the Caledonian Canal which enables boating craft to journey from the east coast to the west through stepped lock gates at Fort Augustus and at Fort William overlooked by Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the British Isles. The Caledonian Canal was built by Thomas Telford in 1803 and eventually opened in 1822. It has 29 lock gates to navigate along its 60 mile route. Loch Ness is about 52 ft above sea level and, because of its depth, it has a larger volume of water than any other Scottish loch - although Loch Lomond has a larger surface area it is not so deep. Loch Ness is said never to freeze - it is the same temperature of about 4C throughout the year. It contains more fresh water than all lakes in England and Wales combined and is the largest body of water on the Great Glen Fault. Loch Ness is about 10,000 years old and was formed at the end of the last Great Ice Age during which The Great Glen had been filled with a huge glacier. The water becomes deep very quickly and the sides of the loch suddenly plunge vertically down into extremely murky water due to the high level of peat content - swimming is not recommended!
Loch Ness - Scotland probably the most famous Lake in the world, extends from Fort Augustus in the South to the narrows of Bona Ferry in the north, a distance of almost 23 miles. The waters of Loch Ness cover an area of almost 22 square miles and at it's deepest has a depth of 754 feet. The most surprising statistic is the volume of water contained in the Loch which is estimated to be 263 000 million cubic feet. This exceeds that of any other Loch or lake in Great Britain and is three times greater than Loch Lomond. Loch Ness is famed throughout the world for its Loch Ness monster, more often called Nessie. There have been numerous monster sightings over many years and the usual description is of a small head at the end of a long neck, with a broad body with humps. Nessie is also described as having four flippers and a long tail with a rounded end. The Loch Ness Monster rises again see this jaw dropping footage and look out for the Jacobite coach witnessing this sighting! Jacobite offers no opinion to the existence of a monster on Loch Ness but we do suggest a visit to the official Loch Ness Exhibition Centre at Drumnadrochit, where all the available 'monster' evidence is displayed. This will allow you to form your own personal opinion of Nessie. But whatever you believe, one of the best ways to test your own beliefs is to join us aboard a Jacobite boat for a Loch Ness cruise and take a close look for yourself! The term "monster" was reportedly coined on 2 May 1933 by Alex Campbell, the water bailiff for Loch Ness and a part-time journalist, in a report in the Inverness Courier.[4][5] On 4 August 1933, the Courier published as a full news item the claim of a London man, George Spicer, that a few weeks earlier while motoring around the Loch, he and his wife had seen "the nearest approach to a dragon or pre-historic animal that I have ever seen in my life", trundling across the road toward the Loch carrying "an animal" in its mouth.[6] Other letters began appearing in the Courier, often anonymously, with claims of land or water sightings, either on the writer's part or on the parts of family, acquaintances or stories they remembered being told.[7] These stories soon reached the national (and later the international) press, which talked of a "monster fish", "sea serpent", or "dragon",[8] eventually settling on "Loch Ness Monster".[9] On 6 December 1933 the first purported photograph of the monster, taken by Hugh Gray, was published,[10] and shortly after the creature received official notice when the Secretary of State for Scotland ordered the police to prevent any attacks on it.[11] In 1934, interest was further sparked by what is known as The Surgeon's Photograph. In the same year R. T. Gould published a book,[12] the first of many which describe the author's personal investigation and collected record of additional reports pre-dating the summer of 1933. Other authors made claims that sightings of the monster went as far back as the 6th century (see below).
Loch Ness & Inverness in the Highlands of Scotland, is one of the most popular holiday destinations in the UK. Wild and beautiful, the surrounding countryside isn’t just scenic, it’s teeming with wildlife and yet a host of visitor attractions and Scotland’s fastest growing city Inverness are all within easy reach. The area boasts a great range of activities and accommodation to suit all tastes. In fact, it’s the perfect base for exploring the Highlands and provides a natural link to Skye and the West Coast. At the loch itself, of course, there’s always a chance to glimpse ‘Nessie’, the world-famous Loch Ness Monster. No holiday in Scotland is complete without a visit to Loch Ness. Over 20 miles long, a mile wide and 700 feet at its deepest, Loch Ness is the largest lake in Scotland by volume. The surrounding area is filled with historic attractions, natural wonders, cosy places to stay, and superb eateries. The Loch Ness Monster is just one of the many myths and legends to be discovered in this particularly beautiful part of Scotland. See our interactive map, click and print walks around Loch Ness, heritage sites, attractions and much more... Loch Ness is a holiday destination full of surprises – whether you want to sit back and take in the landscape, explore the history of the area, visit the charming towns and villages like Fort Augustus, Foyers, Cannich, and Drumnadrochit. Or why not enjoy the fresh highland air on a walk along the South Loch Ness shore or for a bigger challenge take the majestic Great Glen Way through some 70 miles of Scotland’s finest scenery. This website guide will help you find all the information you need to plan your trip to Loch Ness, with travel information on how to get here, where to stay and what to do. You’ll also find plenty of background information on Loch Ness: its history, its myths, its wildlife, its attractions and its most famous resident, the Loch Ness Monster. The Loch Ness Monster is a creature believed to inhabit Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. It is similar to other supposed lake monsters in Scotland and elsewhere, though its description varies from one account to the next. Popular interest and belief in the animal has fluctuated since it was brought to the world's attention in 1933. Evidence of its existence is largely anecdotal, with minimal and much disputed photographic material and sonar readings. The scientific community regards the Loch Ness Monster as a modern-day myth, and explains sightings as a mix of hoaxes and wishful thinking. Despite this, it remains one of the most famous examples of cryptozoology. The legendary monster has been affectionately referred to by the diminutive Nessie (Scottish Gaelic: Niseag). since the 1950s.
