Nine facts you probably don’t know about Loch Ness

Having walked and paddled the length of Loch Ness, I can tell you one thing for certain: there is so much more to Loch Ness than the Loch Ness Monster! I hope that after reading this article, you can see Loch Ness differently. Rather than simply hoping to catch a glimpse of its most reclusive inhabitant, you can see Loch Ness as a place of human exploration, history, science, engineering, and, of course, quintessential Scottish highland beauty!

The Loch Ness Monster

We can’t begin this article without addressing the elephant in the room, more specifically, the monster in the loch. The Loch Ness Monster, or Nessie, as the locals call…him/her?

To be honest with you, I don’t believe in the Loch Ness Monster. Call me a stickler for truth, but I like to see evidence before I accept something as true. Great Glen Canoe Trail, I regularly had to remind myself, "the Loch Ness Monster does not exist!” as I looked over the side of the canoe into the dark abyss below, hoping not to see a dark, looming shadow appear beneath my canoe!

What evidence is there for the Loch Ness Monster, and how did the legend start?

To answer that question, we have to go back to the 6th century AD. The earliest documented evidence of a monster in the loch comes from Saint Columba (521-597), an Irish priest who described his encounter with a creature in the loch.

The modern myth of the Loch Ness Monster didn’t begin until the early 20th century. In 1934, a photograph known as the “Surgeon’s Photograph” was published in newspapers. It allegedly showed a large creature in the loch. This photograph sparked widespread interest and speculation that has persisted to this day.

Numerous expeditions and investigations since 1934 have sought evidence of the Loch Ness Monster. Using sonar and underwater photography in 1987 and 2003, as well as DNA analysis of the water in 2019, no evidence of a ‘monster’ has ever been found.

Despite this and other evidence of a 'Loch Ness monster', such as a lack of available food to support such a creature, there are still regular ‘sightings’ of the Loch Ness Monster.

1 - The Great Glen Fault line

Take a look at a satellite image of Scotland you will notice something peculiar. Scotland appears to be cut in half from Fort William to Inverness. This ‘cut’ is the Great Glen Fault line, and Loch Ness is its most prominent feature, along with the Calladonian Canal and numerous small lochs that sit within the fault line.

This might at first glance seem a trivial fact. Scotland isn’t known for its fault lines, even less earthquakes. However, this geological feature holds some fascinating and surprising secrets!

• The faultline is still active and moving in opposite directions!
• The Great Glen can be seen from space
• Formed 430-390 million years ago
• It was eroded by glaciers as recently as 10000 years ago

2 - Loch Ness is bigger (and smaller) than you realise

Loch Ness is the largest loch in Scotland by volume, containing 7425 million cubic meters of fresh water. To put that into perspective, that's more water than every lake in England and Wales combined!

However, Loch Ness isn't the largest by area. That record goes to Loch Lomond. Nor is Loch Ness the deepest at 240 meters. The deepest loch in Scotland is Loch Awe at 310 meters. To put that depth into perspective, the English Channel is only 140 meters deep at its deepest.

3 - Loch Ness has its own Royal National Lifeboat Association (RNLI) station

The Loch Ness lifeboat station is Scotland's only inland RNLI lifeboat. After a review by the coastguard (who provided rescue services since the mid 1980s), the RNLI took over in 2008, giving Loch Ness a dedicated, specialist rescue service.

RNLI Loch Ness is located on the north shore of Loch Ness, just above Drumnadrochit. Staffed by volunteers 24/7, funded by donations, they have responded to over 300 ‘shouts’. You can support the RNLI by donating to them on their website.

4 - Loch Ness had its own lighthouse

Designed by Thomas Telford in 1815 for the Calladonian, Bona lighthouse was the smallest inland manned lighthouse in Britain. The lighthouse sits at the entrance to Loch Dochfour and remained operational for 100 years before falling into disrepair. Today, Bona Lighthouse is used as accommodation for wealthy holidaymakers and tourists seeking a unique stay on the banks of the iconic Loch Ness.

5 - The water in Loch Ness is very dark

Looking into Loch Ness, you would be fooled into believing the water is black. In fact, lots of people think it is black! The truth is, the water of Loch Ness has an extremely high peat content.

Loch Ness is located in a basin surrounded by hills and mountains that have an extremely high organic peat content. The runoff from these hills and mountains, caused by precipitation, carries with it some of this peat that eventually ends up in the Loch. Due to the volume and depth of Loch Ness, the peat gets trapped and lingers for a long time, giving the Loch Ness its dark, mysterious water! Below the surface, visibility is very poor, and at just 9 meters, it is nonexistent! 

The poor visibility, along with the size and depth of Loch Ness, is what has made the search for the Loch Ness monster so difficult! So you never know, there could be something down there lurking in the dark depths!

6 - Loch Ness can’t freeze

Loch Ness can’t freeze due to the Thermocline effect. Loch Ness, due to its volume and depth, creates some of the same physical processes as those that occur in the ocean! 

The amount of energy (heat) the loch can store due to its size prevents it from freezing. As the temperature of the surface water drops, it becomes denser and sinks, forcing the warmer water up from the depths. The Thermocline in the transition between the warmer surface water and the colder water below. This water cycle prevents the surface from freezing over and is vital to entire ecosystems, enabling fish and other aquatic life to survive in bodies of water that do freeze over!

7 - Loch Ness is tidal

Loch Ness is 16 metres above sea level and landlocked, with no direct connection to any ocean. In 2012, scientists from the National Oceanography Centre placed pressure sensors in the loch and measured a 1.5 mm rise and fall. I agree that doesn’t sound like much of a tide, and you wouldn’t notice it by simply looking at the loch. However, this is the first time any lake (or loch) in Western Europe has been measured as having a tide! Another first for Scotland!

8 - Loch Ness has one island. It’s man-made!

Cherry Island (Eilean Muireach), named after the wild cherry trees that grew on the island in the 18th century, is the only island on Loch Ness. The island, located near Fort Augustus, is a crannog built during the Iron Age, 2500 years ago. Some evidence suggests it could be as much as 4000 years old.

A Crannog is an island built on a platform of wooden beams (oak) and filled with rubble. Underwater investigations in 1908 found the wooden beams. In the 15th century, the island supported a small castle, a late prehistoric house, and a medieval castle. With the construction of the Caledonian Canal in the 19th century, the level of Loch Ness was increased, reducing the size of Cherry Island. It also submerged a causeway and, more interestingly, a second island, ‘Dog Island’ (Eilean Nan Con).

9 - Scotland's longest inland Waterway

Construction of the Caledonian Canal began in 1804 and wasn’t completed until 1822. It was 12 years over schedule and cost £14 million over budget (in modern money). Designed by Thomas Telford and William Jessop, the project aimed to create a quicker and cheaper route across Scotland. Linking Fort William to Inverness, the Caledonian Canal allowed shipping to avoid the dangerous voyage around the north of Scotland. The Caledonian Canal made use of existing waterways, including Loch Ness, Loch Oich, Loch Lochy, and Loch Dochfour. The Canal also used 22 miles of man-made waterways, bringing the total length to 60 miles, making it the longest inland waterway in Scotland!

I hope you enjoyed reading about Loch Ness as much as I did writing it. If you enjoyed it or just found it interesting to read, please consider buying me a coffee. Thank you.

Buy Me a Coffee