Here be Monsters!

We’ll jump a bit out of context here, with a trip up to Loch Ness in the middle of the racing. Friday’s Mountain Cross finals weren’t till evening, so we took the chance to duck forty miles north-east to Urquhart Castle, about half way up the northern shore of Loch Ness. The Loch is part of the Great Glen – a fault that runs the full width of the country, and at which Fort William is nearly the southern end.



Urquhart Castle has been around for about a thousand years, built upon and sadly, like many castles, destroyed during the time of the English/Scottish ‘differences of opinion’ a few hundred years ago – in this case the English sympathisers didn’t want the castle in Jacobite hands so they blew it up! The remnants are still pretty flash, and it’s a great place to do a spot of monster spotting. Just up the road are a couple of centers dedicated to the legends of Nessie. We took a look at the one the guide book suggested was the better, and were pretty impressed – but no photos please!

Indi says...

Urquhart castle went of with a bang - literally because years ago it had been blown up. There was a war raging against the Jacobites who were going to storm the castle, so when they deserted Urquhart castle they blew it up so the Jacobites couldn't use it. We went looking for Nessie and got a strange photo that could have been either shallow gravel or Nessie. Then we went to a Nessie discovery center that ended in a gift shop full of Nessies - called Nessie's lair.


Back in the car and back to the racing – details to follow.