Drumnadrochit lies on the north side of the 27–mile long Loch Ness, above a sheltered bay 15 miles from Inverness. If you want to make your own mind up about the monster you will have to visit Drumnadrochit.
Nessie, as the monster is affectionately known, or Nessiteras rhombopteryx to more serious fans, has been around for a very long time.
The first reference to her was written in St Adamnan's 7
th century biography of St Colomba, in which he allegedly calmed the monster after she attacked one of his monks whilst on their way from Urquhart Castle to evangelise the pagan inhabitants of Inverness.
More recent interest came about however, when the A82 road was built along the western shore of the loch on the tracks of General Wade's road and the loch became more easily accessible.
There have been many stories of encounters with Nessie but one of the more famous was when in 1961, thirty hotel guests saw a figure break the surface of the water and cruise for about a half mile before disappearing again. All of this information with photographs and more stories, together with the geology and history of the loch can be found at the Official Loch Ness Monster Exhibition, where boat cruises on the loch can also be booked.
Many local people now choose to keep their personal experiences to themselves for fear of ridicule from the never-ending invasion of sceptics and self proclaimed experts! But the area does have a mystical essence in the air and this undeniably attracts even the most cynical of people with a seemingly infinite quest to be proved wrong.
The area is of spectacular beauty with many woodland areas, mountains and glens surrounding the huge loch.