Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
temperate man, but I am willing to take any oath that we saw this Loch Ness beast. I am certain that this creature
was of a prehistoric species.'
The London newspapers couldn't resist. In December 1933 the
Daily Mail
sent Marmaduke Wetherall, a film dir-
ector and big-game hunter, to Loch Ness to track down the beast. Within days he found ʻreptilian' footprints in the
shoreline mud (soon revealed to have been made with a stuffed hippopotamus foot, possibly an umbrella stand).
Then in April 1934 came the famous ʻlong-necked monster' photograph taken by the seemingly reputable Harley St
surgeon Colonel Kenneth Wilson. The press went mad and the rest, as they say, is history.
In 1994, however, Christian Spurling - Wetherall's stepson, by then 90 years old - revealed that the most famous
photo of Nessie ever taken was in fact a hoax, perpetrated by his stepfather with Wilson's help. Today, of course,
there are those who claim that Spurling's confession is itself a hoax. And, ironically, the researcher who exposed the
surgeon's photo as a fake still believes wholeheartedly in the monster's existence.
Hoax or not, there's no denying that the bizarre mini-industry that has grown up around Loch Ness and its mys-
terious monster since that eventful summer 75 years ago is the strangest spectacle of all.
Sleeping & Eating
LOVAT£££
( 01456-459250;
www.thelovat.com
; Main Rd; d from £121; )
A boutique-style
makeover has transformed this former huntin'-and-shootin' hotel into a luxurious but eco-
conscious retreat set apart from the tourist crush around the canal. The bedrooms are spa-
cious and stylishly furnished, while the lounge is equipped with a log fire, comfy arm-
chairs and grand piano.
There's an informal brasserie and a highly acclaimed restaurant (five-course dinner
£45) which serves top-quality cuisine.
| Hotel
LORIEN HOUSE££
( 01320-366736;
www.lorien-house.co.uk
; Station Rd; s/d £40/70)
Lorien is a cut above your usu-
al B&B - the bathrooms come with bidets and the breakfasts with smoked salmon, and
there's a library of walking, cycling and climbing guides in the lounge.
| B&B
LOCK INN££
(Canal Side; mains £9-14; meals noon-8pm)
A superb pub on the canal bank, the Lock Inn
has a vast range of malt whiskies and a tempting menu of bar meals, which includes
Orkney salmon, Highland venison and daily seafood specials; the house speciality is beer-
battered haddock and chips.
| Pub
Search WWH ::
Custom Search