It was a dark and stormy day with sprinkles when we went on a search for Nessie on Loch Ness with CIE Tours. We were ready to make history by spotting the illusive, legendary monster. And possibly Big Bucks$$$. Any object on the lake was fraught with possibilities. Wait. Is that Nessie poking her head out of the water ahead of us!?
I’m continuing our series on our recent bus trip through the Scottish Highlands that Peggy, our grandson Cody, and I did with the CIE Tours. Today we are traveling by boat onto Loch Ness in search of Nessie. Our imaginations did a great job of finding her. Sigh. My super telephoto lens soon showed the Nessie featured above to be a boat. But there would be more opportunities. Plus there was a beautiful lake to enjoy, monster or not. The photos in this post are all taken by either Peggy, Cody or me.
It was sprinkling when we left the small harbor and followed the channel that would take us out to Loch Ness. Many of the boats in the harbor were devoted to also providing Nessie spotting tours on the lake. She does a monster of a job when it comes to attracting tourist dollars.The rain gave a preview of the beauty to come.And history. This is the Dochfour Estate, owned by the same family since the mid 1400s. A bit of sunshine illuminated the waves made by our boat, shore, and warped reflections, like a mirror in a carnival. We soon came to the opening of the lake. So much for stormy. The lake was as unruffled as a marine made bed. The Aldourie Castle could be seen on the shore. It actually has rooms for rent but only rents to groups. So gather 26 of your best friends and prepare to party. It can be yours for only $32,000-42,000 (US dollars) per night! And meals are included!The shoreline stretched off into the distance. If Nessie were around, we would see her for sure!Looking up the right side.And to the left. “Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.”A village along the shore.In addition to keeping a sharp eye out for Nessie and enjoying the scenery, we entertained ourselves by watching the wake and waves made by the boat. Some people note that we are easily entertained, and yes, we resemble that. It’s a good thing.Smooth…Checkered.And straight. But what is that escaping off to the right beyond the waves? Could it be? Is it possible? Don’t know. Didn’t see it until I just uploaded this photo. We will have to go with between highly unlikely and overactive imagination. Eventually, the captain announced it was time to head back toward the harbor. We were ‘making tracks’ but still keeping our eyes peeled.Dark skies continued to hover over us with the boat wake and waves providing interesting views.A wave close up. Surf’s up. Have you ever water skied behind a fast boat crossing back and forth over the wake? Some fun.I was pleased that our cameras could catch the action!It was not hard to turn this wave action into the long, sinuous body of Nessie right down to the tip of her tail! Many a tourist has. Why shouldn’t we? Most eyewitness and folklore accounts put her at around 20 feet long. Does she exist? Most tour operators answer with a resounding yes! Quite happy with our tour even though we came back with no earthshaking photos; we returned to our harbor. We were most of the way back when I glanced off to the edge of the shore and saw this:Had we discovered where Nessie hangs out when she is off duty!? Your imagination is in charge here!On our next post, we will venture to the far north of Scotland to Orkney Island where another Ancient mystery exists, a massive Neolithic stone circle built between 2500 and 2000 BC. Unlike Nessie, however, there is no question of its existence. Its purpose? That’s the mystery.
22 thoughts on “Here Nessie, Nessie, Nessie… The Exotic ‘Now You See Her Now You Don’t’ Illusive Monster of Loch Ness”
As a boy, I came across a blurry video of the Loch Ness monster. It was amazing! Nessie, however, disappeared and has never been spotted after that. Nice photo of the waves!
I think it was. It did generate a lot of attention back then.
Understandably!
“…we are easily entertained, and yes, we resemble that. It’s a good thing.” Reversing the Queen Victoria quote [possibly apocryphal] “We are not amused.”, we often say “we are easily amused … and there are a lot of boat wake photos in my collection. We resemble that.
These photos are stunning, Curt. I absolutely love all the wave shots and I think think a glassy water surface is nice. I still believe in Nessie, and I have since I was about 8 years old. No reason not to believe.
Thanks Crystal. As I said the trip out on Loch Ness is worth it Nessie or not! As for beliefs, I’ll go right along with you. I also like to believe Big Foot in some form or the other may exist, and I have seen a UFO.
The wave photos are terrific. The other thing that caught my attention was the general familiarity of the lake photos. I’ve seen so many over the years I might have recognized them as being of Loch Ness, unless I confused them with very similar views of Glacier Bay.
I didn’t realize you once spotted a UFO. That mention brought back memories of the one I saw in 1964. Our high school band had played at the World’s Fair, and were on our way back home. We were on the Pennsylvania Turnpike when a glowing, greenish cylindical object appeared outside our school bus: about 20 or 30 feet off the ground, and about the same length as our bus. (Hard to say, since it was some distance off the road.) It followed us for a couple of miles, and every single person on the bus was pressed up against the windows watching it. Eventually, it rose straight up into the air and disappeared. Whatever the object was, it definitely was unidentified, it definitely was flying, and it certainly was memorable!
I find waves endlessly fascinating, Linda, because the dynamics that created them are constantly changing.
Wow on your flying saucer! Mine was actually around the same time, in 1968. I had just moved to Sacramento after recruiting for the Peace Corps in the South. My first wife, Jo Ann, and I had rented a condo. Late, one afternoon, we were out on our balcony when a round object flew over us, went into a cloud in one direction, and then flew out of it in another, speeding up and disappearing.
BTW, I was also at the 1964 World’s Fair. Jo Ann and I were on our way to Liberia when we missed our plane flying out of JFK. (We’d mixed up the dates and were partying in Jo Ann’s backyard in Auburn CA when the rest of the Volunteers were flying over.) We had to wait three days so spent one of them enjoying the fair.
Those are beautiful and evocative photos, Curt! The blurry scenes and the different water ripples made me see Nessie everywhere in there. 🙂 It has been decades since I’ve been in Scotland, and we keep talking about going back.
Scotland is definitely worth adding to a bucket list, Lexi. Peggy and I did the Lowlands a few years ago when I was doing genealogical research. This year was all about the Highlands!
Thanks on the photos. It’s always fun for us to catch nature at work.
Beautiful place! And I love the photos of the water, all of them. And the ones you took from the rain speckled windows too! Not jealous at all grrrrrrrrrrr
Indeed. I know.
Our skiing was strictly on the sea. We all avoided fresh water in Africa… very bad for your health.
Good idea!
The Aldourie Castle is spectacular Curt and a drop in the bucket for the night or should I say a lifetime❣️ I’d have a heart attach on the spot. Best to be looked at from afar. You’re photos of the shoreline are spectacular💕
Wandering through Time and Place 
As a boy, I came across a blurry video of the Loch Ness monster. It was amazing! Nessie, however, disappeared and has never been spotted after that. Nice photo of the waves!
I guess that she is just really shy, George. One of those early photos was admitted to being a hoax. Don’t know if it was your Nessie.
I think it was. It did generate a lot of attention back then.
Understandably!
“…we are easily entertained, and yes, we resemble that. It’s a good thing.” Reversing the Queen Victoria quote [possibly apocryphal] “We are not amused.”, we often say “we are easily amused … and there are a lot of boat wake photos in my collection. We resemble that.
I knew you were a good man Ray. Grin.
These photos are stunning, Curt. I absolutely love all the wave shots and I think think a glassy water surface is nice. I still believe in Nessie, and I have since I was about 8 years old. No reason not to believe.
Thanks Crystal. As I said the trip out on Loch Ness is worth it Nessie or not! As for beliefs, I’ll go right along with you. I also like to believe Big Foot in some form or the other may exist, and I have seen a UFO.
Love the movement in the water… mesmerizing
Like watching your waves, Arati!
The wave photos are terrific. The other thing that caught my attention was the general familiarity of the lake photos. I’ve seen so many over the years I might have recognized them as being of Loch Ness, unless I confused them with very similar views of Glacier Bay.
I didn’t realize you once spotted a UFO. That mention brought back memories of the one I saw in 1964. Our high school band had played at the World’s Fair, and were on our way back home. We were on the Pennsylvania Turnpike when a glowing, greenish cylindical object appeared outside our school bus: about 20 or 30 feet off the ground, and about the same length as our bus. (Hard to say, since it was some distance off the road.) It followed us for a couple of miles, and every single person on the bus was pressed up against the windows watching it. Eventually, it rose straight up into the air and disappeared. Whatever the object was, it definitely was unidentified, it definitely was flying, and it certainly was memorable!
I find waves endlessly fascinating, Linda, because the dynamics that created them are constantly changing.
Wow on your flying saucer! Mine was actually around the same time, in 1968. I had just moved to Sacramento after recruiting for the Peace Corps in the South. My first wife, Jo Ann, and I had rented a condo. Late, one afternoon, we were out on our balcony when a round object flew over us, went into a cloud in one direction, and then flew out of it in another, speeding up and disappearing.
BTW, I was also at the 1964 World’s Fair. Jo Ann and I were on our way to Liberia when we missed our plane flying out of JFK. (We’d mixed up the dates and were partying in Jo Ann’s backyard in Auburn CA when the rest of the Volunteers were flying over.) We had to wait three days so spent one of them enjoying the fair.
Those are beautiful and evocative photos, Curt! The blurry scenes and the different water ripples made me see Nessie everywhere in there. 🙂 It has been decades since I’ve been in Scotland, and we keep talking about going back.
Scotland is definitely worth adding to a bucket list, Lexi. Peggy and I did the Lowlands a few years ago when I was doing genealogical research. This year was all about the Highlands!
Thanks on the photos. It’s always fun for us to catch nature at work.
Beautiful place! And I love the photos of the water, all of them. And the ones you took from the rain speckled windows too! Not jealous at all grrrrrrrrrrr
Thanks! No Nessie, sigh, but lots of beauty!
Nice post, Curt.
And nice waves too.
I did a lot of waterskiing as a kid in Africa… (privileged I know)
Now 40k$ a night? 🙄
Cheers
40k$ now! And yes, I would say you were privileged. My association with water in Liberia was mainly how to avoid Schistosomiasis!
Indeed. I know.
Our skiing was strictly on the sea. We all avoided fresh water in Africa… very bad for your health.
Good idea!
The Aldourie Castle is spectacular Curt and a drop in the bucket for the night or should I say a lifetime❣️ I’d have a heart attach on the spot. Best to be looked at from afar. You’re photos of the shoreline are spectacular💕
Thanks Cindy. ❤️