Tea, biscuits and a life jacket. These items probably won’t save you from the sea monster crossing Loch Ness.
But after a brief training session at the tour office in Inverness, the crew brings these supplies aboard anyway – toast, milk, butter, water and more for four days – and you’re now allowed to drive the boat out on the lake yourself.
The practical training is akin to test driving a new car. Engine maintenance, electricity, water, gas stove, galley, toilet, shower – everything is discussed.
The Caledonian Canal stretches from Inverness to Fort William across the Highlands. Completed in 1822 as a shorter connection between the North Sea and the Atlantic Coast, the waterway meets a chain of natural lakes in what’s known as Great Glen.
On deck, you can experience the full extent of the beauty of the famous lake. Seagulls follow the boat, the sun is shining, and it smells of forest and holidays.
Loch Ness is Scotland’s second largest lake, with a length of approximately 37 kilometres and a width of 1.5 kilometers.
The next day, passengers have to tackle a lock. A good hour and a lot of exhausting work are in store for the tourists. Without the help of the lock team, such a trip wouldn’t be possible. While the pros tell jokes and chat, the tourists are hard at work ensuring the trip goes smoothly.
A little later, the next lock follows, Kytra Lock, where visitors get a sense of Scotland’s picturesque cottages with colourful front doors. Another lock and a swing bridge later, the boat goes out on Loch Oich. The crisp freshwater lake forms the highest point of the route, about 35 meters above sea level. The water flows here from two sides out to sea.
In a checkpoint on the way back, tourists are checked for lifejackets. It’s not clear what happens if you aren’t wearing one. Saying goodbye to a landscape like this isn’t easy. But then again, the tea and biscuits were starting to run out.
