Karl WP Beyer A one-week cruise on the Costa Favolosa takes us from Hamburg to destinations in Northern England and Scotland. One of the day's destinations is the small town of Invergordon, located on the sheltered Cromarty Firth.
Oil rig off Invergordon
The small port town is an important service center for the North Sea oil and gas industry and a suitable starting point for our day trip to Inverness and Loch Ness. There – in the heart of the Scottish Highlands – the legendary "Nessie" may be hiding in the 36-kilometer-long and well over 200-meter-deep lake. Below, we report on the highlights of the tour.
Inverness
We start with Inverness. It lies at the mouth of the River Ness into the Beauly Firth on the northeastern flank of the Scottish Highlands. The city, with a population of approximately 50.000, "connects" Loch Ness to the North Sea and is excellently connected to the United Kingdom by rail, road, and Inverness Airport. The city is an ideal starting and ending point for a tour around the loch.
Inverness - the Ness Walk in front of us
The name derives from the Gaelic "Inbhir Nis," which means "mouth of the Ness." Since the Middle Ages, clans, castles, and trade routes have shaped the city. After the Jacobite uprisings at the beginning of the 18th century, Inverness stabilized as a market and garrison town. In the 19th century, industrialization brought economic growth. Today, Inverness is the administrative, educational, and service center of the Highlands—with a vibrant pub and music scene.
Inverness - View of the center
Worth seeing during short stays:
Inverness Castle
The reddish sandstone castle complex stands prominently above a bend in the River Ness. The current castle dates back to the 19th century and was used for many years as a courthouse. From the terraces, you can enjoy sweeping views over the town, the river, and across to the Great Glen, a wide valley in which Loch Ness lies.
Inverness Castle
Inverness Castle
Town House
The Town Hall, centrally located on High Street, is an impressive example of the Scottish Baronial style (late 19th century). It features battlements, corner turrets, and rich decoration, and marks the prestigious beginning of the street.
Inverness - Town Hall
Inverness - St Andrew's Cathedral
The cathedral of the Scottish Episcopal Church, built in the 1860s in a quiet riverside location, stands near the west bank of the River Ness. Its distinctive features are its broad, spireless western towers. For cost reasons, the building was constructed somewhat lower than originally planned. Visitors inside will find sandstone pillars and impressive Victorian stained glass windows.
Inverness - St Andrew's Cathedral
Inverness - St Andrew's Cathedral
Greig Street Bridge
And then there's the Greig Street Bridge, a striking bridge structure worth mentioning. It's a delicate pedestrian suspension bridge from the late 19th century.
Inverness - Greig Street Bridge
River Ness
The wide River Ness, which dominates the city, is another attraction. It is only about twelve kilometers long and connects Loch Ness to the estuary. Riverside promenades lined with plane trees, the Ness Islands (small, wooded islands accessible via wrought-iron bridges), and riverside parks make the river the city's green axis. Salmon swim upstream in summer and autumn; anglers and walkers share the paths, and in the evenings, the bridges are atmospherically illuminated.
Inverness - River Ness
Inverness - Buildings on the River Ness
Loch Ness
The world-famous Loch Ness is a visitor magnet for us, too. It's known for the legendary tale of the Loch Ness Monster ("Nessie"), a creature said to resemble a dinosaur or a sea serpent. The needle-shaped lake is 37 kilometers long and 230 meters deep. It contains more water than all the lakes in England and Wales combined. In our opinion, this would be an ideal habitat for a monster like Nessie.
Loch Ness
The region's most famous unofficial viewing point is located on the southern shore in the village of Dores. Here, at the beginning of the community beach, long-time "Nessie hunter" Steve Feltham lives and observes in a converted van, with unobstructed views over much of the loch. Due to its location, Dores is considered one of the best viewing points on Loch Ness.
View over Loch Ness
Loch Ness - Location of the Nessie Hunter
According to legend, Nessie's first sighting occurred in the 6th century. Saint Columba is said to have encountered an unusual "water creature" on the River Ness, not in the loch. The "first" modern report is considered to be the Idie Mackay incident of April 1933, reported by the Inverness Courier and which triggered the worldwide Nessie craze. The first photograph was also taken in November 1933, but was later exposed as a fake.
The "Official Loch Ness Monster Sightings Register" lists 1.163 registered reports (as of September 2025). The Loch Ness Project, led by naturalist Adrian Shine, has been conducting scientific research on the loch since the 1970s (including sonar surveys / "Operation Deepscan") and presents its findings at the Loch Ness Centre in Drumnadrochit. It is considered Scotland's premier resource for background information and a fact-based assessment of the phenomena.
Falls of Foyers
Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster, may be a fable. The two-stage Falls of Foyers, located on the southern shore of Loch Ness, about halfway across the lake near the village of Foyers, are undoubtedly a fact. The upper falls plunge about 14 meters, the lower about 30 meters into a narrow gorge. The Gaelic name "Eas na Smùide" means "the smoking falls."
Falls of Foyers
Falls of Foyers Café
Since 1895, water from the River Foyers above the falls has been diverted for hydroelectric power, originally to supply electricity to an aluminum plant on the lakeshore, which ceased production in 1967. Today, two plants operate at the Foyers Falls: a conventional 5 MW hydroelectric power station on the River Foyers and the 300 MW Foyers pumped-storage power station, which connects Loch Mhòr (above) and Loch Ness (below). The pumped-storage power station began operation in 1974/75.
Falls of Foyers - Loch Ness in the background
Due to the water drainage and the regulation of the water levels, the discharge of the waterfalls varies greatly: in dry periods the fall can shrink to a much smaller trickle, but after rain or targeted releases from the system it reappears impressively with "smoky" spray.
useful hints
Access:
Signposted entrance in the village of Foyers; parking opposite the entrance.
Ways & Time:
The falls are not visible from the village of Foyers. The upper, elevated viewpoint is about 200 meters away. The lower viewpoint is about 300 meters away (Red Squirrel Trail). The upper viewpoint takes about 20 minutes round trip (steep steps). The longer round trip through the gorge to the lakeshore takes one and a half to two hours (about 4,5 kilometers) – sturdy shoes are recommended.
Falls of Foyers - Steps
Best optical effect:
After rainfall or during periods of heavy rainfall.
The Scottish Highlands – Landscape & Vegetation around Loch Ness
The Highlands present themselves to us and our fellow travelers as a barren landscape. Ice ages carved U-shaped valleys and cirques (cup-shaped hollows) into the rock. The linear depression of the Great Glen (with Loch Ness) separates the Northwest and Grampian Highlands. South and north of the lake, mountain ridges and plateaus rise from gentle to steep. Several mountains surrounding the lake are between 460 and 1.183 meters high.
The predominantly treeless hills were formed by wind, soil poverty, grazing (especially sheep and red deer), and deforestation. Botanically, the region is surprisingly diverse: the mountains feature heath and moorland vegetation, as well as extensive forests and riparian zones.
Fort Augustus and the locks of the Caledonian Canal
A highlight of our tour around Loch Ness is the town of Fort Augustus, located at the southwestern end of the loch. Eye-catching features in the village center include the Caledonian Canal lock staircase (a cascade of five locks arranged in a row) and the currently disused former Benedictine monastery of Fort Augustus Abbey.
Fort Augustus - Houses on the Caledonian Canal
Function of the channel
The Caledonian Canal connects the east coast near Inverness with the west coast near Fort William, using mainly natural lakes (such as Loch Ness); only about a third of the waterway is artificially dug.
Key figures of the Caledonian Canal
Length: approximately 96,5 kilometers (60 miles), of which approximately 35 kilometers are artificial.
Construction time: 18 years
Number of locks: 29
Width (relevant for operation): The lock/ship width is max. 10,67 meters (beam).
Max. ship length/draft: 45,72 meters / 4,1 meters.
Its location on Loch Ness, the attractive lock staircase, restaurants, and waterfront promenades make Fort Augustus a highly frequented tourist destination. Official site-specific censuses are not published regularly, but several indicators demonstrate its scale. The greater Inverness and Loch Ness area, for example, expects approximately 1,6 million visitors annually.
Roberton's Farm near Beauly Firth
The final destination is Robertson's Farm in Tomich. It marks the final stop on our Loch Ness tour. The family-run farm is located not far from Beauly (a small town west of Inverness) and is easily accessible.
Two Highland cows, the bronze-bred Katie-Morag and the black Jamie Mackenzie Fraser, who came to the farm as an orphan at the age of two weeks, alpacas, and curious goats are the eye-catchers for visitors. There is also a farm shop with a wide range of local products.
Conclusion
The stop in Invergordon offers visitors a highly varied day trip: compact city impressions of Inverness, myths and panoramic views of Loch Ness, natural experiences at the Falls of Foyers, the engineering history of the Caledonian Canal, and a visit to an authentic farm at the end. Those who remain flexible, head for the falls after rain, and allow enough time for Fort Augustus will gain lasting impressions of the culture, landscape, and legends of the Highlands within just a few hours.
October 2025