No visit to the Scottish Highlands would be complete without a boat ride on Lochness. Not only the largest lake in Scotland by volume, it’s also home to famed Nessie the Lochness Monster. And, whether or not you believe, most people hold a romanticized vision of the creature that, legend has it, plumbs the depths of the Lochs dark waters. Her story will live on for generations in everything from folklore, to pop culture to children’s imaginations and she will provide cash flow to the quirky gift shoppes that dot the banks of the Loch (I did contribute by buying a Nessie children’s book for my granddaughter). Our search for her that dreary day turned up nothing more than a few good laughs, great views of Urquhart Castle, and some pretty remarkable scenery but I am still a believer.