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Steven Duncan, senior north regions sectors marketing manager at Visit Scotland, is among the people who know the real story about this ancient loch and its fascinating, if elusive, creatures. The first step in your Loch Ness wildlife-spotting road trip is to compile a list of animals to look for.
“There’s a huge variety of wildlife to spot in and around Loch Ness, such as the majestic red deer, golden eagles, red squirrels, ospreys and ptarmigan,” Duncan says. “It’s also possible to spot pine martens and otters in the area.”
Loch Ness is 22.56 miles in length, but just over 1.5 miles in width in most spots. If coming from the bigger cities down south, you’ll likely head up highway A9 to Inverness, the main entry point to visiting Loch Ness. It may be worth a detour down the B852, according to Duncan, because South Loch Ness provides better habitat for wildlife.
“South Loch Ness is perhaps a wilder but more tranquil spot for wildlife watching and the area has a rich and varied birdlife,” Duncan says. “Loch Ruthven RSPB Reserve is a great location for seeing the Slavonian Grebe, one of Britain’s rarest breeding birds. In the UK, they only breed around Inverness, so it makes Loch Ruthven a very special wildlife watching spot.”
In particular, plan to spend some time at Loch Ruthven RSPB Reserve, a major nature reserve near Inverness — especially if you’re into bright, fluttering animals.
“Farigaig Forest and Inverfarigaig are great places to keep an eye out for red squirrels and red deer, with the stunning Falls of Foyers close by, and Loch Bran is one of Scotland’s top locations to see dragonflies and damselflies,” says Duncan.
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Once you’ve settled into Inverness, set your eyes to the northeast. Here, you can spot the world’s northernmost population of bottlenose dolphins, and do so from a guided tour that (hopefully) takes you right to them. By touring with a local guide, you can avoid having to guess where the animals might be and instead rely upon the expertise of someone who quite literally tracks the dolphins for a living.
“Slightly farther afield at Chanonry Point on the Black Isle, you can search for the bottlenose dolphin, where around 200 reside in the Moray Firth,” Duncan says. “A guided tour is a great way to enjoy wildlife spotting and there are many companies offering this service, including Dolphin Spirit with boat trips departing from Inverness Marina.”
Touring with a reputable outfitter also ensures your trip won’t cause harm to the local wildlife or otherwise negatively impact the destination.
“Wild Scotland, a membership organization representing wildlife, adventure and activity tourism operators across Scotland, requires its members to commit to its Wild Scotland Best Practice guidelines and code of conduct as part of a commitment to responsible and sustainable tourism,” Duncan says.
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Duncan recommends visiting in the latter half of the year for the best chances at spotting wildlife around Loch Ness.
“Spotting wildlife at any time of year is never guaranteed, so selecting the best time of year depends on what you would be hoping to see based on the seasonal changes in the area,” he says. “The autumn and winter months are a particularly unique time of year to visit thanks to the rich autumn colors and crisp winter days. Autumn is the season of roaring stags, hunting eagles, and rare migrant birds. Red squirrels can be spotted harvesting their nuts for the winter and fluffy gray seal pups bask in the sunshine by Kessock Bridge in Inverness.”
Beyond spotting wildlife, Duncan notes that autumn is also a great time of year for stargazing. Northern Scotland is largely rural and free of light pollution, and once the summer rains have moved on the skies open up to the wonders of the cosmos.
“Scotland’s dark skies burst to life and limited light pollution in the high moors above Loch Ness makes this an excellent spot for stargazing,” he says.
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As is the case with the rest of Scotland, slow travel is the best way to enjoy wildlife watching around Loch Ness. Duncan recommends at least three to five days, and longer if you can.
“The longer you have here, the more you will be able to immerse yourself into the local way of life, discover hidden gems, and spend quality time searching for wildlife,” Duncan says. “Loch Ness has so much to offer, from exploring the Loch Ness 360° Trail by foot or on two wheels and taking in loch views from the Suidhe Viewpoint, the highest point on the trail, to discovering waterfalls like Plodda Falls, which is especially powerful after an autumn downpour.”
If you have time, Duncan recommends rounding out your Loch Ness trip by exploring the ancient mysteries of the region at locations like Corrimony Chambered Cairn. And of course, no matter when you’re in the area, don’t forget to keep your eyes peeled for the monster herself.
“In amongst all the wildlife spotting and outdoor adventures, there’s always an elusive monster to keep track of,” Duncan says.