get behind the scenes of Loch Ness tours
Loch Ness Day tour
There are a few variations on the Loch Ness day tour theme.
Most companies Loch Ness day tours depart the historic Royal Mile in Edinburgh at around 8am daily. Enjoy about half an hour touring through the fine city of Edinburgh hearing quirky tales and hostiry of this world heritage city.
Once past the suburbs the tours head North West out of Edinburgh past Linlithgow, famous for Catholic Mary Queen of Scots, who after a turbulent life of affairs and murders of people close to her she was locked up in a tower on an island on Loch Leven by the mostly Protestant Scottish people. After charming the jailor Mary managed to escape to England to be under the protection of her cousin Queen Elizabeth (did you see Judy Dench play Elizabeth in Shakespear in Love? - she went to the same school as me in York). She was put under house arrest by her Protestant cousin Queen Elizabeth who was worried that her cousin Mary would try and take the throne off her. Catholics in England wanted Mary on the throne because they were being persecuted by Protestants. Mary tried to take the throne or was framed and 'caught' in a plot to take the throne so Elizabeth locked her up in the tower of London for 15 years then has her head chopped off.
But - here is the important point - Mary's son James inherited bothe the throne of England and Scotland so for a while there was peace.
So then onwards and north westwards past Stirling (as opposed to £Sterling) where Scotland hero William Wallace lead the Scots into battle and beat 'proud Edwards army, and sent him home to think again) do you know the Flower of Scotland song? click here if you would like to see it sung on youtube in Black and White
There are a few variations on the Loch Ness day tour theme.
Most companies Loch Ness day tours depart the historic Royal Mile in Edinburgh at around 8am daily. Enjoy about half an hour touring through the fine city of Edinburgh hearing quirky tales and hostiry of this world heritage city.
Once past the suburbs the tours head North West out of Edinburgh past Linlithgow, famous for Catholic Mary Queen of Scots, who after a turbulent life of affairs and murders of people close to her she was locked up in a tower on an island on Loch Leven by the mostly Protestant Scottish people. After charming the jailor Mary managed to escape to England to be under the protection of her cousin Queen Elizabeth (did you see Judy Dench play Elizabeth in Shakespear in Love? - she went to the same school as me in York). She was put under house arrest by her Protestant cousin Queen Elizabeth who was worried that her cousin Mary would try and take the throne off her. Catholics in England wanted Mary on the throne because they were being persecuted by Protestants. Mary tried to take the throne or was framed and 'caught' in a plot to take the throne so Elizabeth locked her up in the tower of London for 15 years then has her head chopped off.
But - here is the important point - Mary's son James inherited bothe the throne of England and Scotland so for a while there was peace.
So then onwards and north westwards past Stirling (as opposed to £Sterling) where Scotland hero William Wallace lead the Scots into battle and beat 'proud Edwards army, and sent him home to think again) do you know the Flower of Scotland song? click here if you would like to see it sung on youtube in Black and White
So onwards towards Loch Ness past Callendar. There is a fantastic bakery here called Mhor Bread. Mhor in Gaelic means Big. Incidentally beg means small. The drivers get a freebee at the bakery whether you go in or not so don't feel that you have to - but do go because it is superb quality. I love the macaroni cheese pie. The folk that own it run a 5 star hotel a bit further up the road past Balquidder where Rob Roy Macgreagor spent many of his years. The middle part of his life he spent at Glengyle on Loch Katrine over the hill. He was a proper highland rogue, romanticised in the book Rob Roy by Sir Walter Scott.
Up and onwards to the Highlands, over Rannach Moor through dramatic Glencoe with its bloody history of the massacre of the Macdonald Clan. Along the edge of Loch Leven and past the Pap (breast - tee hee!) of Glencoe.
Through Fort William (no fort) - at least Stromeferry (no ferry) sometimes has a ferry - so the best thing about the place is passing through along the stunning shores of Loch Linhe, one of the 4 loch's on the great Glen. Loch Linhe, Loch Lochy. Loch Oich and Loch Ness.
Only a little bit more to go and 4 hours later you are on the shores of Loch Ness!!! in the town of Fort Augustus. Have an optional boat trip here, get your photos and crap souvenirs then head back via Inverness. Phew!
For your amusement here is a photo of the dashboard of a 16 seater sprinter minibus that was used for touring Scotland's amazing highlands and Islands. Loch Ness you ask? Of couse we went to Loch Ness a lot. Is there such a thing as too many trips to Loch Ness? probably. You may consider taking a shorter day trip to Loch Lomond to save your sanity because Loch Ness is a really long way. 8 hours in a bus? fine if window gazing tours are your thing. Just take photos of Loch Lomond and tell you friends back home that either 1) Loch Ness is painfully far in a bus after tavelling to the wonderful city of Edinburgh or 2) lie.
That's an idea - go to Arthurs seat and take a photo of your friend by the loch up there. There are ducks which would kind of look like a monster?
Up and onwards to the Highlands, over Rannach Moor through dramatic Glencoe with its bloody history of the massacre of the Macdonald Clan. Along the edge of Loch Leven and past the Pap (breast - tee hee!) of Glencoe.
Through Fort William (no fort) - at least Stromeferry (no ferry) sometimes has a ferry - so the best thing about the place is passing through along the stunning shores of Loch Linhe, one of the 4 loch's on the great Glen. Loch Linhe, Loch Lochy. Loch Oich and Loch Ness.
Only a little bit more to go and 4 hours later you are on the shores of Loch Ness!!! in the town of Fort Augustus. Have an optional boat trip here, get your photos and crap souvenirs then head back via Inverness. Phew!
For your amusement here is a photo of the dashboard of a 16 seater sprinter minibus that was used for touring Scotland's amazing highlands and Islands. Loch Ness you ask? Of couse we went to Loch Ness a lot. Is there such a thing as too many trips to Loch Ness? probably. You may consider taking a shorter day trip to Loch Lomond to save your sanity because Loch Ness is a really long way. 8 hours in a bus? fine if window gazing tours are your thing. Just take photos of Loch Lomond and tell you friends back home that either 1) Loch Ness is painfully far in a bus after tavelling to the wonderful city of Edinburgh or 2) lie.
That's an idea - go to Arthurs seat and take a photo of your friend by the loch up there. There are ducks which would kind of look like a monster?
