Loch Ness
Loch Ness in the Great Glen of the Scottish Highlands is the most famous lake in the world, its extraordinary dimensions, the depth and darkness of its waters and the enduring legend of the Loch Ness Monster combining to create a destination that draws visitors from every country on Earth. The loch is 37 kilometres long, over 2 kilometres wide in places and reaches a maximum depth of 227 metres, making it the largest freshwater body in Britain by volume and one of the deepest lakes in Europe. The dark colour of the water, stained by peat washed from the surrounding moorland, reduces visibility to a few metres below the surface and creates conditions that have sustained the monster legend with remarkable persistence.
The first modern sighting of a large unknown creature in the loch was reported in 1933 and the story spread rapidly around the world, generating a sustained media interest that has never entirely faded. Hundreds of subsequent sightings, sonar surveys, underwater photography expeditions and scientific investigations have failed either to confirm or conclusively disprove the existence of a large unknown animal in the loch, and the mystery has proved remarkably durable given the resources applied to resolving it. Environmental DNA studies of the loch conducted in 2018 found no evidence for a large reptile but did suggest the presence of large quantities of eel DNA, which has not resolved the debate to anyone's full satisfaction.
The Loch Ness Centre and Exhibition at Drumnadrochit provides a thorough and reasonably sceptical examination of the legend and the scientific evidence, and the ruins of Urquhart Castle on a promontory above the loch provide one of the finest viewpoints over the water and one of the most historically significant medieval fortifications in the Highlands.
The Great Glen Way long-distance walking route follows the loch shore for much of its length, providing excellent access to the loch landscape.