Does the Loch Ness Monster really exist?

Our two-day Loch Ness tour from Inverness

On our tour to Loch Ness we keep hearing the question: Does the Loch Ness Monster really exist? Or not? That was the question we asked ourselves on our Loch Ness tour from Inverness. We spent two days looking for clues. Our Loch Ness tour was definitely exciting. Our first impression of Scotland. And our first contact with the Scots.

Facts

It should have a snake body. To resemble a dinosaur from ancient times. Some have even discovered crocodiles on the lake shore. Were they the Loch Ness monster? Or are they still only illusions that a sea surface lashed by the wind shows to onlookers. Even wave crests look from afar like the body of a giant snake. Or the neck of a dinosaur, which is attributed to the monster again and again. The selection is definitely great.

History

A picture from the thirties shows an indistinct figure with a slender neck. The picture reminds me of a Brontosaurus with its long neck. Its body is not visible in the photo. However, the recording is so unclear that the being depicted on it could be anything. Even St. Columba, an Irish monk who was christianizing the Picts in and around Inverness, is said to have saved a man from the Loch Ness monster. That, at least, tells us Cameron, our city guide in Inverness, with a wink in his eyes.

Two days at Loch Ness

In any case, we travel along Loch Ness on both days in Inverness. On the first day we follow the narrow and less traveled road on the east bank. Here we meet only a few cars, cyclists and hikers along the way. The faster road on the west bank the next day is more busy. Here are the tourist buses that bring their passengers to the jetties. From these the boats lay off that offer excursions on Loch Ness.

The Nessiehunter – Does the Loch Ness Monster really exist?

We drive a good eight miles from Inverness to Dores Bay. The Dores Inn car park is located on the shores of Loch Ness, as shown by a sign in front of the long and dark lake. Next to it is a motley camper van, decorated with a weathered tree trunk in front of the entrance. This is where Steve Feltham, one of the bizarre personalities who devote their lives to hunting for Loch Ness's monster, lives. His caravan reminds me a bit of the home of the Eagle Lady of Alaska, whom I met in Homer years ago. Places like these seem to attract exceptional people. Although the Nessie hunter lives at Loch Ness for many years and is on the lookout for the monster, he has not seen it yet. Thus, the hunter of the Loch Ness monster also owes us proofs.

Falls of Foyers – Hiking trails and nature experiences for slow travelers at Loch Ness

So we continue to the waterfalls of Foyers. The falls are below us in the steep hills that surround the lake. From the vantage point on the road, we have a beautiful view of Loch Ness between huge trees down to the lake. The waterfalls, which in Gaelic are called Smoking Falls, plunge a good fifty yards into the depths. After heavy rains, the sight is impressive. Then the spray of the falls extends to the upper vantage point. However strained, we look through the trees to the lake, Nessie does not appear.

After lunch in Cameron's Tea Room we leave the lake shore. The next day, however, we take a taxi to Clansman Harbor.

Did we find the monster?

The Jacobite Cruises boat departs from below the Loch Ness Clansman Hotel. The boat ride to Urquart Castle takes half an hour. These castle ruins are located on a small peninsula that juts out into the lake. It was once one of the largest castles in Scotland. Although it is only a ruin today, you can guess how imposing the castle once towered over the lake. It was exposed to many attacks for 500 years. You can find out more about the history of the castle in the visitor center on the hill above the castle ruins. Time for this is planned during the boat trip. In an hour you can easily climb the hill above the ruins and see them from new angles along the way.

Again, Nessie appears neither during our stay at Urquart Castle nor on the way back to Clansman Harbor.

Our Nessie sightings on our Loch Ness tour

Because of the bustle around the sea monster we had expected to meet it at every turn. In souvenir shops. As a statue. Or on billboards. That was not so. Only when we go for a walk from our bed and breakfast in Drumnadrochit to the Fiddlers Highland Restaurant in the center of the village on the third evening, we get lucky. Suddenly, the striking dinosaur head on the slender neck emerges from the bushes to our left. Is there the Loch Ness monster, after all? However, it quickly turns out that this is a plastic replica of the creature photographed in the XNUMXs photograph.

The question of whether Nessie really exists and what kind of creature it is, is one we cannot answer any more than Steve Feltham, the Nessie hunter. It remains a mystery that is worth exploring. In any case, Loch Ness is worth a visit — regardless of whether you believe in the sea monster or not. Our Loch Ness tour has certainly whetted our appetite, which we satisfy with Scottish specialties.

Latest Discoveries Loch Ness

Scientific Explanations for the Loch Ness Monster

In December 2024, Scottish naturalist Adrian Shine stated that many sightings of the monster are likely due to animals such as swans or other waterfowl. He stresses that Loch Ness does not provide enough food to support a large creature such as the alleged monster. Source

Sonar Discoveries of the Loch Ness Monster

In September 2024, a skipper named Shaun Sloggie used his sonar to discover an unusual object at a depth of 98 meters in Loch Ness. The image shows a shape reminiscent of a creature with a long neck, similar to an aquatic dinosaur. Source

Nessie 2024

In 2024, only three sightings of the monster were officially recorded, which represents a significant decrease from previous years. One of these sightings was the sonar discovery mentioned by Shaun Sloggie.

Movie impressions

Is Nessie really the Loch Ness monster? Check it out! It is worth it! Even though we only saw Nessie as a plastic figure on Loch Ness.

Sources about the Loch Ness Monster

• Wikipedia article about the Loch Ness Monster

This report provides a comprehensive overview of the history, sightings and scientific research surrounding the Loch Ness Monster.

• Articles about scientific research and theories about the Loch Ness Monster

This article examines various scientific approaches and theories that have attempted to solve the mystery of Nessie.

• Report on DNA analyses in Loch Ness

Here you find a report how scientists analyzed DNA samples from the lake to find evidence of the existence of large unknown creatures.

• Investigating the theory that Nessie could be an eel

This article discusses the possibility that sightings of the monster are due to large eels and presents scientific calculations to support this.

• Current research results on microscopic organisms in Loch Ness

Find out more about the use of modern technologies to study biodiversity in the lake and its potential influence on the Nessie phenomenon.

Travel Arrangements:

Parking at the airport

Here you can reserve your parking space at the airport.

Arrival for your tour around Loch Ness

Compare and book flights here*. (Advertisement) There are several airlines that fly directly to Invernessto fly. However, there are currently no direct flights. We traveled with KLM from Munich via Amsterdam to Inverness.

If you book via a link marked *, we receive a commission, which we use to run this blog.

Accommodations:

Lodging, hotels and B&Bs*You can book at booking.com. We spent the first two nights in the Kingsmills Hotel in Inverness *. The third night we stayed at the Glenkirk B&B in Drumnadrochit.

If you book one of these offers, we receive a commission, which we use to run this blog.

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More Slow Travel Suggestions as well as in other regions of the world can be found here. Discover more tips for the Inverness area, for example here. Best starting point for a Tour is Inverness. Complete yours Tour also with a trip to a castle in the area.

Source for the article Tour Loch Ness: research on site. We would like to thank Visit Great Britain and Visit Inverness Loch Ness for inviting us to this trip. However, our opinion remains our own.

Text: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline
Photos © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline
Video © Copyright Petar Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline