There is nothing more mythical in Scotland than the great dark stretch of water at the end of this ride, and nothing quite so crowded in summer. Loch Ness fills the Great Glen, the geological fault line that slices Scotland in two from Fort William to Inverness, and it runs for about thirty-six kilometres. It is deep, cold and peaty brown, and holds more fresh water than all the lakes in England and Wales put together.
The monster story goes back at least as far as the sixth century, when Saint Columba is said to have faced down a beast in the River Ness. Whatever you believe, the loch itself needs no monster to be impressive. Nearby Urquhart Castle, a ruin on a headland above the water, has been fought over for centuries and gives you the classic view down the glen.
The road is the A82, and it is busy. Coach parties, campervans and lorries share it, and the stretch along the north shore is winding and narrow in places, with plenty of blind bends and short overtaking opportunities. Treat it as a road for steady cruising, not racing. Weather matters here, as low cloud and drizzle can blot out the hills, though when the sun does break through the loch is dazzling and the birch woods along the shore turn bright gold in October.
Midges will find you from late spring to early autumn if you stop near the water on a still evening, so keep moving or wear a net. The bigger town of Inverness is about twenty-one kilometres to the north-east and has plenty of fuel, while Drumnadrochit has a pump or two on the main road if you are in a hurry.
Finishing here after a day from Rannoch Moor and Glencoe feels right: the landscape softens, the hills drop away and the great glen opens like a long final chord.