At 39 km (24 miles) long, 1.5 km (1 mile) at its widest and up to 305 m deep, Loch Ness fills the northern half of the Great Glen fault from Fort William to Inverness. It is joined to lochs Oich to Lochy by the 35-km (22 miles) Caledonian Canal, designed by Thomas Telford. On the western shore passes the ruins of 16^th-century Urquhart Castle, which was blown up by government supporters in 1692 to prevent it failing into Jacobite hands.

Did you know that Loch Ness contains more water than all the lakes of England and Wales combined, making it the most voluminous lake in the UK? 

A short distance west, the Loch Ness Centre and Exhibition explores the loch’s environment and the legend of its most famous resident, Nessie. First signed by St Columba in the 6^th century, the legendary creature “Nessie” has attracted increasing attention since ambiguous photographs were taken in the 1930s. thought serious investigation is often undermined by hoaxers, sonar techniques continue to yield enigmatic results: plesiosaurs, giant eels and too much whisky are the most popular explanations. Nessie appears to have a lesser-known close relative in the waters of Loch Morar.