LOCH NESS

Think of Loch Ness and you'll probably picture the mythical monster that, according to legend, has made this amazing loch home for countless centuries. Nowhere does a better job of fuelling the legend than the Loch Ness Exhibition at Drumnadrochit Hotel with its exhibits of the famous "beastie" and the surrounding area. Then, of course, there's the much-photographed Urquhart Castle standing on a strip of land jutting into the loch. The center of many ancient myths, the 12th Century castle fell victim to a fire some 500 years later. Despite its condition (perhaps even because of it), the castle and Loch Ness remain some of the most visited of Scotland's numerous attractions, and are easily accessible from Inverness.