Be a tourist on Loch Ness this autumn!
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
We are heading into autumn and the visitor numbers continue to rise. It’s lovely to see so many enjoying our destination, so long as they are doing so respectfully of course. We really have it all – a loch that has the largest volume of fresh water in Great Britian, fantastic trail networks, a vibrant city with plenty of life and a growing food and drink scene in and around Inverness and Loch Ness.
Of course, this time of year means more traffic queues, less food in the supermarket for locals and less fuel but feeding our local economy post-pandemic is a real plus point, no matter how difficult it is to see that just now.
Ensuring people are having a great time in our destination is important to keep the businesses in the area alive and to keep visitors coming back. Hopefully, you’ll agree that our offerings are becoming more and more appealing, proven in the number of room bookings this summer. Through such busy times, it’s easy to forget that once the tourist season is over, these businesses, albeit not them all, but most, are still open for business and as locals, we are their number one customers. With this theory in mind, I’ve explored some of the best tourist activities surrounding the Loch with the hope it may inspire others to book themselves a staycation and enjoy what we have right here in much quieter months.
Try local food and drink for yourself
It shouldn’t just be tourists that can spoil themselves, and there are some (award winning) fantastic restaurants in the area and extremely memorable cafés. Heading in a clockwise direction starting from Inverness, you can make your way to Dores around the loch and up to Foyers. Foyers Lodge is open year-round, offering dinner reservations and a rather luxurious place to stay. The lodge has appeared in many magazines for its unique location and offerings. If you’re looking for a getaway, Foyers Lodge peers over Loch Ness and has a varied, exquisite menu to try, but the dinner menu itself is worth the drive.
Following on from there, Cameron's Tea Room lies at the bottom of Foyers hill and offers some absolutely delicious lunches and cakes. Popular with cyclists in summer, this is a little haven of baked goods and a great place to be when the weather is turning colder with its gorgeous log burner crackling away in the background. If you’re looking for Sunday roasts through the autumn months, Craigdarroch Inn and Whitebridge Hotel are just the ticket, and make great stop off points for walking too (though, on the other side of the loch, there’s a rumour that Coul House Hotel has the best Sunday lunch on the Loch, that’s for us to judge!) Soon after Whitebridge, you’ll see Fort Augustus which makes a lovely day trip to explore the canal and the woodland in the area.
Amongst the woodland is The Lovat, home to chef Sean Kelly experimenting with local produce and many visitors flock here for their legendary tasting menu. Another gem in the region, and a treat for a special occasion. Their afternoon tea offerings are seriously creative, taking the usual components and putting their own stamp on them. No drive around the loch is complete without popping into Quila Cridhe for a toastie and scone – I could rave about those for weeks. Though, An Talla also offers a very memorable experience with plenty for all, and in a lovely spot next to the canal. Back in Inverness, you’re spoilt for choice with the likes of Velocity for a hearty breakfast or sumptuous lunch, or head to Hou Hou Mei for an Asian treat. These are just the tip of the iceberg – we are living in a foodie haven.
Explore the Loch Ness 360 route by bicycle or foot
Autumn is a perfect time of year to go on an adventure. The leaves are falling and the areas in and surrounding Inverness are a perfect combination of glistening red and orange. This is an ideal time to explore Loch Ness and the Loch Ness 360 is just one of the routes to choose of many (Walk the Highlands has some great tips). Though a long route that can be shortened, the Loch Ness 360 starts and finishes in Inverness, working its way through Abriachan, Drumnadochit, Fort Augustus, Foyers and Dores over mostly trail terrain. This route is unspoilt and one you will instantly fall in love with. If you don’t own a bike, there are E-bike rentals available from 42 Cycling, as well as Ticket To Ride based at Bellfield Park and Loch Ness Hub in Drumnadrochit. If you have the time, splitting the route up into bite-size chunks and staying around the route would be a perfect autumn ‘getaway’ without the added costs of any fuel.
Visit places you wouldn’t usually
With the newly opened Loch Ness Centre in Drumnadrochit, you could treat yourself or the family to hear more about the history of the Loch Ness Monster with brilliant stories and concepts. Hear from explorers that claim to have seen the monster and decide for yourself whether a monster exists or not. Autumn is also a great time to explore Abriachan Gardens and Abriachan trails to wander around and see the many figures. Wasps studio in Crown is also a lovely place to browse the ever-changing free exhibitions by local artists. Culloden Battlefield is also another hotspot in the summer, but an absolute pleasure through the autumn, as well as Urquhart Castle of course. Taking a Loch Ness cruise is another example of feeling like a tourist, without the long journey to go with it.
Book an outdoor activity in the area
Thankfully, outdoor activities don’t tend to shut after peak season which means that us locals can try their offerings when it's lovely and quiet. Check out In Your Element to book yourself onto a kayaking or climbing trip just outside of Inverness, or even try archery at Bowhunter Archery. Bike rides by 42 Cycling are pretty epic and you will learn more about the power of the bike and will be taken to see local gems. Though a little out of Inverness, Cairngorm Activities offers full-day packages for families too. It’s not always something we think to do on our weekends off, but why should we be missing out on all the good fun? It’s the destination we live in after all!
For more ideas to plan a trip in your local area, please visit www.viln.com
Sponsored by Visit Inverness Loch Ness.
