Loch Ness contains more water than all the rivers and lakes in the UK put together: it’s over 700 feet deep and 23 miles long, and the local peat makes the water extremely murky and ideal for hiding prehistoric monsters. The size of the Loch can make conditions remarkably sea-like, with waves generally around 3 feet but often
With so much of The Great Glen already navigable by boat it was an obvious opportunity to the Victorian canal builders, who could just link together the lochs to make a coast-to-coast connection and a short-cut from the North Sea to the Atlantic. The northern coast of Scotland has seen more than its share of shipwrecks over the years, not least the remnants of the Spanish Armada which had limped north to escape the British navy in 1588, and while one ship canal across Scotland had been finished in 1790, it was too far south to be useful for ships coming from Denmark, Norway or the other Scandinavian countriesAnyone who has seen a British canal will be thinking of a narrow channel with towpaths for horse-drawn boats unsuited to anything but the calmest water, but here in Scotland when they build a canal they, don’t muck about; and with government money they could afford to think big. The explosion of the wool trade had made the Highlands valuable land, with only the inconvenient presence of local people to disrupt the conversion of the whole area to sheep farming, a situation which was easily resolved through land clearance left a lot of people homeless and provided a usefully-local workforce of over 3000 Highlanders for the construction of this epic sea-canal. Taking almost 20 years to complete, The Caledonian Canal was opened in 1822, but improvements to allow the passage of ships of up to 500 tonnes weren’t completed until 1947. The total length is 60 miles, though 38 of those are through the natural lochs of Locky, Oich and Ness. There are 29 locks, with drops of up to 8 feet at each and 10 bridges – all of which swing or lift to allow the passage of large craft. Immediately after it was completed the first visitors, including Queen Victoria, came to marvel at the scenery and the engineering, but as a commercial project the canal was undermined by the success of the railroad which was already linking the cities of Scotland together before the first boats transversed the country. Ships coming from the Scandinavian countries made use of the short cut, and still do, though today most traffic is pleasure craft and tours, with Loch Ness being a prime destination.
All of the locks on the canal are manned, as are the bridges, and the keepers are generally happy to chat about the local area and lend their experience to weather prediction, particularly important when setting out onto one of the lochs where conditions are much more sea-like. Larger boats have to be careful not to approach the edges of the loch, though where there is any risk a series of buoys clearly marks the navigable channel, and there are dozens of mooring spots on both sides. Most charters start off from Inverness and sail the length of the canal, including Loch Ness, before returning about a week later, but those feeling more adventurous can take their own boat, or a locally chartered seagoing ship, and use the canal as it was intended: to cross from the North Sea to the Atlantic. South of the Caledonian is the Clyde and Forth Canal, which crosses lowland Scotland at its narrowest point, a 35 mile stretch which was also intended as a short-cut for those wishing to avoid the northern coast. This canal fell into disuse and became blocked by developments and bridges, but as part of the millennium celebrations a massive work of reconstruction enabled it to re-open to shipping in 2002. Not only were roads re-routed and locks rebuilt, but one staircase of locks was replaced by the magnificent Falkirk Wheel, an engineering project to rival anything the Victorians devised. The completion of the Clyde and Forth means that a seagoing yacht can now literally go around Scotland, or at least a significant part of it, crossing the country twice and looping back to where it started while passing some of the most spectacular scenery. A more pedestrian approach is to start from either coast and spend some time exploring Loch Ness and the surrounding countryside.
The Loch is popular with all kinds of visitors, and there is a wide range of charters and tours available. Those looking to catch sight of the monster will be best placed on one of the organised tours which feature boats equipped with underwater sonar and sounding equipment; the peat suspended in the water makes visual observation useless, unless the creature decides to surface nearby. The Loch Ness Monster was first recorded in 565, when it was driven off through the power of prayer by St. Columba who was in the region spreading Christianity to the largely-pagan Picts; there are different versions of the story but all culminate in the saint making the sign of the cross and invoking the name of the Lord to frighten off the beast. A book dated 1520 apparently makes reference to the fact that “Fraser (of Glenvackie) killed the last known dragon in Scotland, but no-one has yet managed to slay the monster of Loch Ness lately seen”, though there are no other references until 1933 when the owners of the Drumnadrochit Hotel claimed to have seen “an enormous animal rolling and plunging”; it may be argued that as hotel proprietors they stood to gain significantly from such a sighting, though their reluctance to discuss it would seem to undermine any concern of conspiracy. It was this sighting which sparked off the international interest, and investigations by various august, and some rather less august, bodies which so far have turned up nothing but some clever frauds and some of the best-mapped loch-bed in the world. Despite the lack of appearances “Nessie”, as the monster is affectionately known by the locals, continues to be enormously popular both locally and world-wide, and few people can walk past the loch without taking a moment to check for tell-tale breaks in the surface.
Aside from the organised monster-hunting tours it is also possible to charter research vessels equipped with the latest underwater-sensing equipment, but most people will be happier with a traditional cruiser such as those supplied by Caley Cruisers, who will hire you a comfortable craft for a trip the length of the Caledonian and back, as well as providing guidance and training (essential for some of us). They are based in Inverness, at the top of the canal, and have a range of boats up to 10-berth, though you would want to be amongst very close friends to fill one. If skippering, and crewing, your own boat sounds a lot like hard work, then you might prefer the Hotel Barge Scottish Highlander: fitted out more like a country house than a ship, her crew of 4 provides a full service to 8 passengers including gourmet food and visits to all the important sites around the Loch on a week’s tour, though the itinerary can be modified to suit you. The more adventurous can charter a true sailing yacht such as the Eala Bhan (Gaelic for White Swan), a 50-ton wooden herring drifter which has been refitted to have 5 cabins into which 12 close friends can be squeezed, or fewer less-well-acquainted people can travel in comfort. As a seagoing sailboat the Eala Bhan can leave the confines of the canals and lochs to explore the Scottish islands and coastline, so isn’t limited to in-land monster-hunting, and while being reliant on the wind might be considered a drawback, it’s rare the day when at least a stiff breeze can’t be relied upon. Regardless of the kind of vessel you are standing on, the landscape is formidable and it’s easy to understand what successive armies since the Romans have found it all but impenetrable.
Right on the edge of Loch Ness is Urquhart
Castle, and no spot better demonstrates the struggle between Scot and
Englishman for control of the Highlands. Originally built by Edward I
after his victory over the Scots at Dunbar in 1296, it was used as a
base from which to dominate the whole region with brutal efficiency.
When William Wallace rose against the English, the castle was attacked
and fell; changing hands for the first time as the English were kicked
out of Scotland. Edward didn’t take this well, and with a massive army
he laid siege to the castle and it was once again in English hands.
Over the next 400 years it repeatedly changed hands with the occupants
hardly having time to hang the flags before it fell again. All these
successful attacks might give the impression of a badly fortified
defence, but it was more the enormously important location: overlooking
Loch Ness and able to control shipping on the loch, which made it such
an important prize. The last residents, English, finally blew the
place up to avoid it falling into Scottish hands, though enough remains
to make a picturesque ruin full of history and intrigue. A superb
exhibition covering the history of Loch Ness, and the castle, is
located nearby and there are moorings right beside the castle.While Culloden isn’t actually on the Loch itself, being slightly to the North on the other side of Inverness, no visit to Scotland is complete without seeing the site of the last battle on UK soil and the place where Bonny Prince Charlie’s hopes were finally laid to rest in 1746, even if the Prince himself escaped despite a 30,000 pound reward on his head. The site has been re-created, making it painfully obvious that the Bonny Prince was no tactician as the legendary Highland Charge works best down open hillsides, not across swampy moors covered in knee-high gorse.
There are numerous other sites along the sides of the loch, including stone-age ruins and natural wonders, and we haven’t even mentioned golf. Every golf course around the world is recreating a patch of Scotland, the home of the game, and it is possible to see familiar forms in the landscape. Golf is taken very seriously in Scotland, and some of the courses can trace their history back hundreds of years; in many cases it is still possible to play a round if pre-booked.
For those not bringing their own yacht, Inverness is connected by air to the rest of the UK, including the major London airports, and for those wanting to travel in a bit more style the overnight sleeper train leaves London every evening and enables you to wake up, draw the curtains, and see the mountains sliding by, though the return journey can be depressing. And if Loch Ness grabs you and won’t let go, then you can get a managed apartment from The Highland Club with views of the Loch and its own mooring, for your own monster hunting or just a bit of fishing. Or you can do what I did and just give in to the call of the mountains, glens and lochs, making the Highlands of Scotland my home.
• Caley Cruses: www.caleycruisers.com
• The Highland Club: www.thehighlandclub.co.uk
• The Scottish Highlander: www.hotelbarges.co.uk/scotland/highlander
• Eala Bha: www.highlandvoyages.co.uk