Scottish Road Trip: Loch Ness, from Fort Augustus to Inverness

Day three of campervanning around the Highlands of Scotland found us driving the A82 along the shore of Loch Ness, between Fort Augustus and Inverness. It’s a journey full of stunning highland scenery, with Highland Cattle and pine trees and miles upon miles of moorland.

Fort Augustus

Our first stop was Fort Augustus. Parking can be a bit difficult depending upon the time of year. But there is a large car park across the bridge, just past the Londis supermarket. From there, if you walk back into town (about 200 yards) you pass a number of souvenir shops. The bridge affords great views of the start of Loch Ness and the Caledonian Canal locks.

Lunch can be taken at a few good restaurants such as the Loch Inn, the Bothy Restaurant and Bar, the Moorings, or Monster Fish and Chips. We recommend the Canalside Fish and Chip shop, where you can buy anything battered with chips (and I mean anything!)

The Caledonian Canal Centre is just by the side of the bridge and tells the story of the community, as well as selling Highland attire such as kilts and brogues. One of the best souvenir shops in the centre is the Clansman Centre, which surprise surprise, sells everything Scottish.

After taking some photographs of the town and checking out the locks (a lot of barges sail from here up to Inverness and down to Fort William, which is at the other end of the Caledonian Canal, a three-day journey). We picked up some supplies at the supermarket, then headed back to our campervan to continue the journey along the A82.

Invermoriston

Continuing along the A82 we looked for Invermoriston Falls, which is definitely worth a visit on a nice day. The carpark is about 15 to 20 minutes along from Fort Augustus. There is a car park on the right-hand side before the nasty bends. You can park there and then take a leisurely 10-minute walk down to the falls and you can get some beautiful pictures of the water cascading from the rustic and slightly weather-beaten stone bridge. A really pleasant spot for a picnic.

Back on the road, we headed towards Drumnadrochit. At the sign to the village of Bunloit, about 4.5 miles further along the A82, you will find the Loch Ness Clay Works and Pottery. Here you can get a lovely cup of coffee and one of Marion’s cakes (whoever Marion is!) It is a very pleasant and interesting stop, with great pottery and shop and really nice people.

Drumnadrochit

Drumnadrochit, or Drum as the locals call it, comes from the Gaelic ‘Druim na Drochaid’ – meaning ‘Ridge of the Bridge’. Drum is most famously known as the ‘Capital of Loch Ness’ as it lies on the west bank of this famous stretch of water. It is on the A82 running up to Inverness (25-minute drive) in the east, with Fort Augustus back in the west. The town is a tourist centre, especially in the summer, with cafes and souvenir shops selling ‘monster’ memorabilia. Nessieland is a great visit if you have young children. They can find out about the resident monster and burn off some energy in the Nessie playground!

Loch Ness Centre and Exhibition

But Drumnadrochit is really all about the Loch Ness Monster. Here we visited the Loch Ness Centre and Exhibition. This is an interactive audio-visual tour. We learned everything about Loch Ness – how it was formed, it’s geology, sedimentation, and about the scientific exploration to map the Loch and look for the monster. Since 1930 people have tried to prove or disprove Nessie’s existence.

Here’s a gallery of photos from our Loch Ness Centre visit:

If the weather is acceptable, you should combine the visit with a boat ride on the Loch to look for ‘you know who’. From the boat you’ll spot Urquhart Castle, Drumnadrochit’s second claim to fame.

Urquhart Castle

This was one of Scotland’s biggest castles, with a very busy history as it switched between English and Scottish control. Built in the 13th century on the base of a previous medieval fortification, it played an important role during the Wars of Scottish Independence. In 1692 it was partially destroyed by English gunpowder to prevent the Jacobites taking it over. Today, it is an Instagrammers vision on a sunny day … castle ruins with the expanse of the Great Glen and Loch Ness behind it. You can take guided tours. Children can opt to do one of four different Discover Missions while they explore the castle ruins.

Leaving Drumnadrochit, we continue along the A82 on the final leg of our road trip, as we reach Inverness.

Inverness

Inverness is a cathedral city, on the east coast of Scotland; it is the Capital of the Highlands and the northernmost city of the United Kingdom. We didn’t spend much time in Inverness. We were keen to settle for the night close to the Black Isle. However, we were there long enough for one definite recommendation … Harry Gow. Harry Gow Bakery, established in 1979, bakes and sells the most amazing cakes. Not just cakes, but also bread, filled rolls, paninis and pizza. We bought some cakes as a treat to have with our cocoa that evening!

During the day we discussed the Loch Ness monster – a lot. Did it exist? Well, having looked at all the evidence, we’re torn! Deep down I think we just want to believe that there’s an underwater swimming brontosaurus enjoying the cold water depths, occasionally popping up to add fuel to the mystery!

The Caledonian Canal and Loch Ness is probably the most scenic drive in the UK. It is unbelievably stunning and should be on everyone’s bucket list.