The Beholder
“Wow.”
It’s the first thing that came out of both of our mouths when we saw the vastness of the loch, the first stop of the tour. Sounds of crunching pebbles shifting under the group’s shoes felt intrusive to the dense mirror ahead of us…as if we might awaken something resting under the undulating glass that we were told was actually water. Only the presence of a boat was there to persuade us into believing that may be true. Eyes wide, with hands positioned on the cameras strapped around our necks, resting on raincoats, we took in the scene. Then drawing in the fresh highland air, we looked around at the others. For me, the scene brought up an intense feeling of enchantment. After all of the legends throughout my childhood of the Loch Ness Monster, being convinced they were real, I grew up and forgot about how much I had believed the tale to be true. Seeing the blackness of that water…how even just a few inches below the surface everything disappeared; the rocks, the hull of the boat, my hand…I was reminded of the strength of believing. Zoe, however, didn’t need to be persuaded. She was a believer. In fact, instead of being told the tales, she was the one telling them. Nessie was out there somewhere, for sure. No doubt.
How could that not be true?
Throughout the day, our small tour group got to know each other quite well. The whole experience felt incredibly special- like something decided that we should all be there together, witnessing a view of Loch Ness in the morning stillness, walking the Battle of Culloden, meandering through the Fairy Glen, playing “Outlander” at the Clava Cairns, and observing the pure Scottish magic in the nature surrounding us.
“The Beholder” is a collection showcasing the scenes that two different people, one a young person on vacation with her parents and the other an adult (?) on a trip with a friend, decided couldn’t go unnoticed and left for our memories to decide was okay to lose.
Photos were taken by Zoe and Estella on May 1st of 2022 during a trip with the Highland Experience Tours out of Inverness, Scotland.
Thank you to everyone involved in making this trip and this collection possible! Especially thanks to Zoe, who trusted me with her pictures to present them on this platform.
Zoe, Zoe’s family, Megan, Alana from Highland Experience Tours, and the rest of the group we spent the day with <3
“I had so much fun with everyone and I even found some rocks with Fairy Dust!” - Zoe, upon reflection on her experience on the excursion.
