It had to be done, just so that we didn’t have to come back and do it some other time: Loch Ness.
If I make it sound as if we were dreading it, that’s deliberately misleading. Actually, Loch Ness is very beautiful, and indulging in a cruise of the loch is as good a way to kill an hour or two as any, particularly if the weather plays along.
If you can ignore the hordes of oddly-shaped people piling out of the buses, some of whom perhaps really do hope to catch a glimpse of the elusive Nessie, and the naffer-than-naff tourist tat shops — Nessie fridge magnets, bagpipe CDs and a tartan execution of just about any garment you care to mention — you can enjoy your time at the loch.
We drove a loop of the loch in anticlockwise direction, since that supposedly results in the best views. It was also the only way we could get to the departure point for our cruise on time.
Just outside of Drumnadrochit, we pulled off for our cruise of the loch, which lasted an hour and passed by Urquhart Castle. We had a few drops of rain on the return leg, but nothing bad. We even had sun for some of the cruise.
After lunch, we continued by car. The journey is nicely broken up by Fort Augustus at the south end of the loch, a pretty little town that is a big hit with the tourists, and a good place for a waterside drink. Unfortunately for Sarah, both children were sleeping when we arrived — one of whom on her lap — so she had to remain in the car while I ambled around for twenty minutes or so.
Fort Augustus has a fascinating series of locks that allow the Caledonian Canal, which runs from Fort William to Inverness, to step down to Loch Ness. If you don’t know your locks from your lochs, this is a good place to learn. I watched with interest as a yacht and several smaller boats were floated upwards from one of the lochs to the next. Very impressive, like watching a boat climb a flight of stairs.
Back at the car, an understandably envious Sarah listened as I explained the working of the lock that I had just witnessed. Lucas was still asleep, and that slumber is valuable driving time, so we headed back towards Inverness along the very scenic and equally windy B852. Luke would almost certainly have vomited if he’d been awake for that.
I haven’t given many food plugs on this trip, but one is certainly due for The Kitchen in Inverness. Both the food and the service were excellent, but if you’re going to go, be sure to book ahead. We were turned away yesterday evening.