Explore the Mystery &
Beauty of Loch Ness
FROM INVERGORDON

It’s hard to imagine a lake legend more widespread than that of the Loch Ness Monster. Also known as Nessie, the marine creature was allegedly first sighted back in 1933, when a local couple living in the Scottish Highlands reported seeing “an enormous animal rolling and plunging on the surface” of Loch Ness, a 23-mile-long freshwater lake not far from the charming port town of Invergordon.

A media circus naturally ensued. And for decades after, researchers launched expeditions, unsuccessfully, to try to find and document the alleged creature using everything from sonar operations to underwater photography during their forays into the loch.

Over the decades, more than 1,000 eyewitnesses have claimed to have spotted the Loch Ness Monster. It’s often described as having a snake-like head that breaks the water’s surface as parts of the creature’s body surface behind it, rising above the waves. When Nessie disappears back into the loch, she’s said to leave circular patterns of disturbed water at the surface as she descends. Her stand-out features are often similarly cited by witnesses — a long, thin body of a greenish color with black humps.

It’s safe to say that most travelers who call into port in Invergordon — a small Scottish port town in the eastern Highland region, within easy striking distance of Loch Ness — have likely heard of the mythical creature said to call these waters home. And if you’re looking to learn more about the lore of Nessie, there are all kinds of fun ways to experience her habitat at Loch Ness. Read on for a few adventurous and more mild forays you can make into the region during a port of call in Invergordon.