As the Destination Management Organisation at Loch Ness we regularly get feedback from visitors like the one I received recently from John.

John is a regular visitor and user of Loch Ness and just wanted to say how delighted he was to see the reinstatement of the Aldourie pier by the owners of Aldourie Castle. He also said how good it would be to see the other redundant piers around the loch improved. Could not agree more John – improving of the piers and jetties around Loch Ness has long been an aspiration of Destination Loch Ness and we are trying, improved piers would be great for visitors, great for tourism and great for the communities. Unfortunately it is an issue fraught with difficulties such as ownership and not least, the costs involved. Piers such as Inverfarigaig and Foyers require a huge amount of work if they are to be restored to their former glory and in some instances it’s not entirely clear who actually owns the pier

Personally I would be happy if we even got one restored – the Inverfarigaig pier. Inverfarigaig pier was built in the early 19th century by Thomas Telford one of Britain’s greatest civil engineers. It is one of the best places to stop and view the vast expanse of Loch Ness.

However Visit Loch Ness is doing great work raising funds to repair and restore our beauty spots and historic treasures around Loch Ness. We have a scheme in its infancy, they call it the Voluntary Payback Scheme, I call it the “keep Loch Ness beautiful” scheme as we do lots of work like annual litter pick ups, lay-by regeneration, path clearing and creation and lots of other work that helps the local environment. So when you plan a visit you may see on your booking form a request to donate a £ to the voluntary payback scheme, please say YES. You might just help to restore another Loch Ness gem.

Earlier this year Destination Loch Ness,(DLN)  AKA – visitlochness, in addition to its own efforts to raise money, was awarded funding for the development of a long distance trail on the south side of Loch Ness. This exciting project called the “Loch Ness Trail” will, when completed early next year, provide a trail for all types of users, walkers, horse riders, cyclists etc and which will stretch from Loch Tarff, a few miles out of Fort Augustus, all the way to Inverness, the Highland capital. That is about 27 miles !  Some sections are already well established, such as that over the Fair Haired Lad’s Pass (stunning views of Loch Ness) and the project does not actually involve the construction of much new trail as it’s more a case of linking up some of the existing forest and farm trails to develop an unbroken off road route.

In the long term, the Loch Ness Trail could link up with the Great Glen Way to form a complete circuit of Loch Ness, which is, in parts, pretty spectacular so we look forward to even better long term prospects for walkers and riders in our area. Along the length of the trail, at key points, there will be information points detailing the history, flora and fauna.

Have a look at our interactive Loch Ness map for a great selection of existing printable walks, rides and many more holiday ideas all in one place. The new loch Ness Trail willbe available here as soon as the trail is opened.

Welcome to the new look updated Loch Ness Blog! 

Welcome too, are the blue skies and warm breeze as I write and from my window I can see and envy the holidaymakers gliding past in their luxury cruise boats.  Cruise boat hire has become very popular on the loch in recent years. Note – I refer to cruiser hire, not Loch Ness cruises  where you spend an hour or two on a large boat and get taken for a trip on the loch. No – I mean family holidays in luxury cabin cruisers – you hire a cabin cruiser for a week or so and by navigating the Caledonian Canal, sail all the way down the Great Glen to Fort William, or just “mess about on the water” for a few days and nights – it’s very relaxing, so I am told.  I have never actually done the cabin cruise holiday thing but have always promised myself to give it a go one day.   

I almost decided a long time ago to try a cruising holiday on the Norfolk Broads but then saw the congested waterways which I could only liken to the  waterways answer to the M25 in the rush hour! Heaven knows what it’s like nowadays!  Hey, you don’t get that on Loch Ness – the only time you might have to queue is when you pass through the lock gates on the Caledonian Canal stretches and that’s a great opportunity to say Hi to other adventure cruisers.

Take a look at Caley cruises, the most popular cruiser hire company on Loch Ness and see how much it costs.  Not just cruising though  - you can hire bikes to take with you as there are some excellent cycling trails along the way. You can also hire fishing rods – what better way to fish the waters of the Great Glen.   Thinking back, I am inclined to feel that the Norfolk Broads is a little bit tame for me compared to exploring the whole of Loch Ness and the Great Glen.