If you are planning a trip to Scotland a lot of people may groan :"don't go to Loch Ness, it's a tourist trap!!" -hmm.. Well, initially I was going to scratch the idea of going after hearing that. But I thought, what the heck, I've come this far, why not? And a good thing I had a change of mind, because the Loch itself is stunning. Not to mention Urquhart Castle (try saying that fast over and over.. ! I still have troubles pronouncing where I have been) So you have to pay to visit this 13th Century ruined Castle, but it's worth it. This place is 500 years old! How incredible is that. I touched the cold inlay of the stones in the narrow steps up to one of the intact towers and wondered to myself -which McDonald lived here? Did Robert the Bruce climb these very steps? The Loch is so quiet. So still it's almost eerie. You can see the heavenly clouds mirrored on the still water's surface. Definitely a place to visit if you liked Braveheart and have a wild imagination and fantazise about Castles and Lochs.. (Just bring a windbreaker if you come in the late Autumn -bc it's quite an exposed area, it can get a tad bit chilly and windy..)

Castle ruins on Loch Ness. Beautiful setting, and the castle is fun to explore. At least one castle tower is still intact, and you can go up in it.