Loch Ness is 23 miles long, up to 755 feet deep, and holds more fresh water than every lake in England and Wales combined. It sits in the Great Glen – a geological fault line running coast to coast across the Highlands – and has drawn visitors for centuries, long before a certain monster became famous.
But Loch Ness is far more than a monster story. Urquhart Castle is one of Scotland’s most dramatic ruins. The Falls of Foyers are among the Highlands’ finest waterfalls. Fort Augustus and Drumnadrochit are charming villages with excellent walking, dining, and boat trips. And the quiet eastern shore road is one of the best drives in Scotland.
This guide covers everything worth seeing and doing, with up-to-date admission prices and opening times for 2026. We run private Loch Ness tours from Inverness daily if you’d rather have a driver-guide handle the itinerary.
Urquhart Castle
Urquhart Castle sits on a rocky promontory jutting into Loch Ness, about 2 miles east of Drumnadrochit. It’s one of Scotland’s largest and most visited castles, and the loch views from the Grant Tower are exceptional.
The castle dates to the 13th century and changed hands repeatedly during the Wars of Scottish Independence. It was deliberately blown up in 1692 to prevent Jacobite forces from using it. What remains – the five-storey Grant Tower, the Great Hall foundations, a prison cell, and a full-sized trebuchet – is remarkably atmospheric.
The visitor centre includes an exhibition, a short film, a café, and a gift shop. An audio guide (via your mobile phone) is included with admission. Allow 1.5–2 hours.
| Ticket | Online | Walk-up |
|---|---|---|
| Adult (16–64) | £14.00 | £16.00 |
| Concession (65+) | £11.00 | £13.00 |
| Child (7–15) | £8.50 | £9.50 |
| Family (2 adults, 2 children) | £40.50 | £46.00 |
Open daily year-round. Apr–Aug: 9:30am–8:15pm. Sep: 9:30am–6pm. Oct: 9:30am–5pm. Nov–Mar: 9:30am–4:30pm. Closed 25–26 Dec. Free parking (must be booked online with tickets).
Boat cruises on Loch Ness
Seeing Loch Ness from the water changes your understanding of the place. The scale is enormous – the loch is deeper than the North Sea in places – and the surrounding hills close in on both sides.
Jacobite Cruises
Jacobite operates from Clansman Harbour (near Urquhart Castle) and Dochgarroch Lock. Their 50-minute guided cruises run year-round and include onboard sonar, commentary on the loch’s history and geology, and a café. Around £20 for adults. Longer cruises combining the boat trip with Urquhart Castle entry are available.
Cruise Loch Ness
Operating from Fort Augustus, Cruise Loch Ness offers the Daily Discovery (50 minutes, £21 adults / £14 children), Evening Discovery cruises in summer (60 minutes, June–mid-August), and high-speed RIB experiences from April to October for something more exhilarating.
Drumnadrochit
Drumnadrochit is the main village on the western shore, about 30 minutes from Inverness on the A82. It’s the gateway to Urquhart Castle and home to the Loch Ness Centre – an exhibition covering the geological and cultural history of the loch, including the full story of the monster search from St Columba to modern sonar scanning.
The village has good options for lunch, several gift shops, and is the starting point for woodland walks and the Divach Falls trail. Highland cow experiences and fishing tours are also available locally.
Fort Augustus & the Caledonian Canal
Fort Augustus sits at the southern tip of Loch Ness where the Caledonian Canal meets the loch through a series of locks. Watching boats rise and fall through the lock system is one of those unexpectedly compelling Highland experiences.
The Caledonian Canal itself is a masterpiece of engineering. Designed by Thomas Telford and opened in 1822, it connects Scotland’s east and west coasts through the Great Glen, using Loch Ness, Loch Oich, and Loch Lochy. Fort Augustus is the best place to see it in action.
The village has several good restaurants and cafés, and it’s the southern terminus for Cruise Loch Ness boat trips. Kayak and canoe trips along the canal are available through local outfitters.
Falls of Foyers
The Falls of Foyers is a 140-foot waterfall on the south side of Loch Ness – one of the Highlands’ most impressive. Robert Burns visited in 1787 and wrote about it; verses from his poem are inscribed on rocks along the path.
A well-made woodland path descends through beautiful forest with steep steps to two viewpoints. The upper viewpoint gives the full panorama of the falls; from the lower viewpoint, you can continue to the loch shore. The surrounding forest is home to red squirrels, roe deer, and pine martens.
Free admission, open year-round. A small café operates at the car park. The falls are on the B852 – the quieter south Loch Ness road from Inverness via Dores. Water flow varies dramatically with the seasons.
Dores Beach & the south Loch Ness road
Dores Beach is the closest point on Loch Ness to Inverness – about 20 minutes’ drive via the B862. It’s a pebble beach at the northeastern end of the loch with wide-open views down the full 23-mile length. On a clear day, it’s magnificent.
The south Loch Ness road (B862/B852) from Dores to Fort Augustus is one of the best scenic drives in the Highlands. It’s quieter than the A82 on the west side, passes through Foyers (with the waterfall), and gives a completely different perspective on the loch. On our private Loch Ness tours, we often take the A82 out and the south road back – or vice versa – so you see both sides.
Walking & the Great Glen Way
The Great Glen Way runs 62 miles from Inverness to Fort William through the Great Glen, with long stretches along the shores of Loch Ness. You don’t need to walk the whole thing – shorter sections make excellent day walks.
Other popular walks around the loch include the trails above Drumnadrochit (Craig Monie for loch views), Divach Falls, and the woodland paths around Fort Augustus. For the ambitious, the Loch Ness 360 is an 80-mile circuit of the entire loch by foot or bike.
The Loch Ness Monster
No guide to Loch Ness would be complete without the monster. The earliest recorded account comes from the 6th century, when St Columba is said to have encountered a water beast in the River Ness. Modern sightings began in 1933 when a couple reported seeing a large creature crossing the road near Drumnadrochit.
Since then, hundreds of sightings have been reported. The loch has been scanned by sonar, submarines, and – most recently – environmental DNA analysis. The mystery endures. We’ve written a detailed guide to the Loch Ness Monster story covering the full history from St Columba to modern science.
Loch Ness facts
- Length: 23 miles (37 km)
- Maximum depth: 755 feet (230 m) – deeper than the North Sea in places
- Surface area: 21.8 square miles – second-largest Scottish loch by area
- Volume: More fresh water than all the lakes in England and Wales combined
- Visibility: Extremely low due to peat content in surrounding soil
- Geology: Sits on the Great Glen Fault, formed over 400 million years ago
- Caledonian Canal: Designed by Thomas Telford, opened 1822, raised the loch’s surface by about 1.2 metres
Private Loch Ness tours from Inverness
Full-day private tours with a driver-guide in a luxury Mercedes. Urquhart Castle, boat cruise, south Loch Ness road, and the Falls of Foyers. Hotel pickup from Inverness, or from cruise ships at Invergordon.
How to get to Loch Ness
From Inverness: The A82 runs along the western shore from Inverness to Fort Augustus (about 45 minutes). The B862 takes the quieter eastern shore via Dores (about 20 minutes to the loch). Drumnadrochit and Urquhart Castle are 30 minutes from the city.
From Edinburgh or Glasgow: Inverness is roughly 3–3.5 hours by car via the A9. We offer private Highland tours from Edinburgh and Glasgow that include Loch Ness.
From cruise ships: Invergordon is the nearest cruise port, about 75 minutes from Loch Ness. See our Loch Ness tours from Invergordon.
Frequently asked questions
How far is Loch Ness from Inverness?
The nearest point of Loch Ness is around 8 miles from Inverness city centre. Dores Beach on the eastern shore is a 20-minute drive. Urquhart Castle and Drumnadrochit are about 30 minutes. Fort Augustus at the southern tip is roughly 45 minutes.
Can you see the Loch Ness Monster?
The Loch Ness Monster is Scotland's most famous legend. While no conclusive evidence exists, hundreds of sightings have been reported since St Columba's account in the 6th century. Jacobite Cruises run sonar on their boats, and the Loch Ness Centre in Drumnadrochit covers the full history of the search. Read our full guide to the Loch Ness Monster story.
Is Urquhart Castle worth visiting?
Absolutely. Urquhart Castle is one of Scotland's most atmospheric ruins, sitting on a rocky promontory jutting into Loch Ness. The visitor centre, Grant Tower views, and the full-sized trebuchet are excellent. Allow 1.5–2 hours. Book online for cheaper admission (adults £14 online vs £16 walk-up).
What boat trips are available on Loch Ness?
Jacobite Cruises operate from Clansman Harbour near Drumnadrochit with 50-minute guided tours (around £20 adults). Cruise Loch Ness operates from Fort Augustus with daily discovery cruises, evening cruises (summer only), and high-speed RIB experiences. Both run year-round.
Can you drive around the whole of Loch Ness?
Yes. The Loch Ness 360 route follows the A82 along the western shore and the B862/B852 along the quieter eastern shore. The full circuit is about 80 miles. The south side road passes through Dores, Foyers (with the famous waterfall), and joins the A82 at Fort Augustus. Allow a full day with stops.
Can you arrange a private tour to Loch Ness?
Yes. We run private Loch Ness tours from Inverness daily with a dedicated driver-guide in a luxury Mercedes. A typical day includes Urquhart Castle, a boat cruise, and the south Loch Ness road. We also run Loch Ness tours from Invergordon cruise port and from Aviemore.