Loch Ness about more than monster

If the first thing you think of when you hear the words ‘Loch Ness’ is ‘monster’, this initiative could be for you.

A Highlands tourism partnership, Destination Loch Ness (DLN), has been awarded more than £27,000 by VisitScotland to promote the message that there’s more to Loch Ness than monster-hunting.

DLN is hoping to use next year’s The Year of Natural Scotland to encourage more visitors to the area from the UK and abroad. The money will be used for several projects including marketing, offers and developing a Loch Ness landing page on www.visitlochness.com, which will summarise the activities, food, produce and attractions in the area including the Great Glen Way and the South Loch Ness Trail.

Almost 40 per cent of tourism spending in Scotland is nature-based, with wildlife tourism estimated to have a value of over £270 million.