Great Glen with Inverness and Loch Ness

Great Glen with Inverness and Loch Ness Travel Guide

An awe-inspiring valley laced with rivers and streams defines the Great Glen area of rural Scotland. The glen is ringed by Scotland's tallest mountains; it also contains, depending on what you believe, the monster Nessie, who resides in murky Loch Ness. Nearby Inverness -- a town useful mostly as a base for exploring the area -- encourages the hype by selling Nessie paraphernalia. There are prettier lochs in Scotland, but Loch Ness draws the crowds.

Mountaineers and naturalists are drawn to the Great Glen because of Ben Nevis, Britain's tallest mountain. It's an astonishing sight and deserves some of your time, even if you don't plan on climbing it. At its base is Fort William, a town worth stopping in only for supplies. Those interested in Scottish history should head to Glencoe, the haunting location where in 1692 MacDonald clan members were shamelessly massacred by the Campbell clan, or to Culloden, where Bonnie Prince Charlie's forces were destroyed in 1746.