Loch ness is about much more than an elusive beastie here a host of smaller lochs appear to hold the sky beneath their surfaces and ancient ruins languish at the wateraeuro s edge battlefields long silent and castles made famous by shakespeare sit side by side with woodland that is home to a dazzling array of wildlife the misty peaks and vast fern covered landscapes that surround it all only add to the sense that this is a place where history and folklore remain largely inseparable