Nessie Where Are You?

Loch Ness is possibly not the most picturesque of all Scotland's lochs, but for shear hype and razza-mataz it takes the cake.

The Visitor Centre at Drumnadrochit has an audio visual tour which pretty well debunks the 'Nessie' myth. Hey, we're here to see that monster, how dare you let science get in the way of such a good story! Oh well, it still might be true. Maybe. The gift shop is doing a roaring trade in 'Nessie' paraphernalia, so I'm not the only one who thinks those scientists are a bunch of spoil sports.

Eclipsing everything in the Visitor Centre is what's going on in the car park. I'm parked next to a gorgeous cream coloured Morgan sports car belonging to an ageing German couple. They say yar, I may take a photo. Strapped on the back is real leather luggage! The whole affair is terribly Gatsby! I'm hoping to visit the Morgan factory in Worcestershire when I'm in that direction. You can watch them at work on these hand-made beauties and put in an order perhaps? Delivery time ? One year!

A little further down the loch is the romantic ruins of Urquhart Castle situated right on the loch-side. A piper in full kit is setting the mood and you can almost imagine yourself back to the 15th century when feasting and banqueting were interspersed with fighting off enemy attacks from those pesky MacDonald lords of the Isles.

A trip to Loch Ness would not be complete unless you did the whole length of it and the A82 keeps it in view from top to bottom. Fort Augustus is situated at the southern-most tip of the loch and, leaving Urquhart Castle to watch over the loch for another few hundred years, I proceed forthwith in that direction.

In line with my policy of never paying for parking I ignore the Pay & Display park and sniff around until I find a quiet street to leave the car and haul out the bike.

I cycle along the road that takes you around the bottom of the loch, and there I find a most beautiful picture looking back up the loch where the mountains form a V down to the water. The only residents enjoying this view are a field of sheep and I doubt they appreciate the value of this piece of real estate.

Cycling back into town I cross a bridge which I discover is crossing the Caledonian Canal. Adjacent to the bridge are the Caledonian Locks and I am beside myself with excitement because the roadway is about to be swung out of the way to let a large yacht into the lock. To see a lock in operation is high up on my list of things I must do before I die and here it is, all happening!

The boats motor into the bottom lock, the lock gates close and water pours in until it's level with the water in the next lock, the gates to the next lock open and in go the boats and the process is repeated through five locks until they have 'stepped' up the canal and can sail away out of the top lock and off up the canal. The process is reversed if you're going in the other direction.

The Caledonian Canal connects the Scottish east coast at Inverness with the west coast near Fort William, 100 kilometres in all, utilising lochs as well as man-made canals. Over the length of the canal there are 29 locks, 10 bridges and 4 aqueducts.

I am just one of many onlookers watching this fascinating process. Eventually I cycle away up the canal tow-path keeping pace with the first boat out of the top lock. Holidaying on the canals is very popular and I can understand why, the countryside is quiet and peaceful and the pace leisurely.

Reluctantly I turn back and with a fair breeze aft I hoist the spinnaker and set sail for home.