Up in the highlands of Scotland, in the waters of Loch Ness, there is said to be a monster. There are debates on its colour, there are debates on its size, there is even the debate on whether the monster is real but one thing is for sure, it makes for a fun adventure trying to find it.
Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster. Back in the days when travel was allowed I went on a trip with my group up to the Highlands of Scotland to go searching for the Loch Ness monster. By sheer luck the weather was pretty good and we near had the boat to ourselves on our Loch Ness cruise in the afternoon, braving the icy January weather on our hunt for the sneaky legend.
I will admit I didn’t totally buy into the whole “monster” bit so much but the idea of an afternoon cruise sounded fun and I was determined to see if the rumours were true.
We firstly stopped for supplies at the local gift shop, buying what we might need for the possibly arduous journey. To some this meant cheesy souvenirs, to others copious snacks, and for a brave few there was a need for Nessie themed beanies, to “blend in” apparently. Once we were packed and ready we hopped aboard our vessel keen for a monster sighting.
Ten minutes in and still no sighting. Try as we might we could not spot anything in the water though we searched high and low. As we glided along the freshwater loch, enjoying the sunset view, we passed many beautiful sites of hills and trees but still, the Loch Ness monster was nowhere to be found.
But we would not give up.
At the midway point of our cruise we passed the ruins of Urquhart Castle, a medieval fortress fought over for centuries and thought surely, perhaps, we might see the monster, like a dragon guarding its keep. Though again we looked, there was still no sighting.
Our spirits dimmed. As we made our way back around the loop, still enjoying the last light hour of the day, warm drinks in hand, we began to give up hope of a sighting. What if the sceptics had been right all along? What if there really was no monster? When our boat docked we took one last search of the area. After all, its not every day you find yourself on a monster hunt.
We searched every spot we could find desperate to say that we could join the ranks of those lucky few who had seen her when suddenly, across the road, we spotted Nessie! Unfortunately, it was just a statue, a likeness, but it was something. Our search had not been in vain.
Maybe the monster is real or maybe its just a myth. There are endless conspiracies on the origins of the story, debunking tales and dotted records of sightings but that is not the point. Whether or not you believe , looking for Nessie makes for a fun adventure, as you enjoy a wide and uninhibited view of the beautiful Scottish landscape as you go.
Just, don’t brag about your sighting when you get to a pub in Inverness. There’s this whole need for photo evidence thing.
Little Fish, Bigger Pond 