Looking for Nessie!

Our Loch Ness experience was aboard the Jacobite Warrior, a catamaran with a seating capacity of 250. This morning just eleven passengers boarded at a landing between Wellington Bomber & Drumnadrochit.

Loch Ness measures 22.8 miles in length, it averages 1.3 mile in width & has depths measuring up to 754 feet. It is Britain's second largest expanse of fresh water by surface area. The loch's water is extremely dark due to its depth as well as the high peat content of the surrounding soil. Its depth helps it to maintain a consistent temperature of around 6*C.

We came in search of Nessie, the legendary monster that is so much part of Loch Ness mythology. The first recorded sighting was in 565 AD. Since then more than one thousand sightings have been lodged. While we may not have seen Nessie lurking in deep waters, we did capture some amazing reflective images on Loch Ness.

Our destination was Urquhart Castle, a ruin dated 512 AD. While information boards provided a guide as to the layout of what once was, that which remained looked like a giant jigsaw puzzle with most of the pieces missing!

The weather deteriorated before we reached Fort William, so we have yet to glimpse the peak of Ben Nevis, Britain's tallest mountain. At 4406 feet, we expect its peak may well remain hidden during our two day visit.

 

This is Ben Nevis

because the directional  marker tells me so!

On our approach to Fort William we noted the presence of a Rio Tinto Alcan smelter & the acrid smell of sulphur dioxide fouling the air.

We enjoyed a late afternoon visit to a leisure centre & welcomed the opportunity to indulge in a sauna & swim. While we didn't venture into the gym nor did we use the squash courts, we considered £6.50 good value for unlimited use of the facilities.

Our accommodation at the Distillery Guest House is lacking the space we enjoyed while staying in Inverness. It also lacks grandeur, but it's clean & comfortable & given it is situated at the back of the building, we are hoping for an uninterrupted night's sleep.