Sailing for Nessie

Influencers showcase Scottish canal adventure

VisitScotland and Scottish Canals have teamed up to help top influencers indulge in some Nessie-hunting.

Travel vloggers Kinging-It got behind the helm to sail up the Caledonian Canal in search of the elusive Loch Ness Monster.

This year marks the 90th anniversary of the first “picture” of Nessie (taken by Hugh Gray) which sparked the world’s obsession with the mystery hidden in the loch’s depths. Pre-pandemic, it was estimated that Nessie brought around £11 million to the Scottish economy.* The national tourism organisation and canal custodian have now joined forces to drive awareness of the adventures and experiences that can be enjoyed on and along the Caledonian Canal – which connects to the famous loch.

Kinging-It – vlogging couple Craig Holmes and Aimee Bannister – explored Loch Ness and the Great Glen by boot, bike, and boat to showcase how the area can be enjoyed at slower pace in a responsible way. After going on a tour of Uilebheist Distillery and Brewery in Inverness, the pair collected bikes and cycled to Caley Cruisers on the Caledonian Canal and to board their boat and began their journey to Loch Ness. They moored in Urquhart Bay and cycled to the newly refurbished Loch Ness Centre to learn about Nessie’s history and pick up some hunting tips. A visit to the Caledonian Canal Centre in Fort Augustus, canoeing on the loch, and a cycle along the Great Glen Way, rounded out King-ing It’s epic trip.

Their vlog has already been viewed over 165,000 times just a few days after being posted on YouTube. Kinging-It’s popular channel reaches an international audience with previous videos from their travels in Japan, Canada and India. The content – which is now live - is the latest from the VisitScotland Global Marketing team who have cultivated successful content with Hilton Hotels, ScotRail, Caledonian Sleeper, LNER, Hostelling Scotland, and Citylink over the last year.

Vicki Miller, VisitScotland Director of Marketing and Digital, said: “We are excited to be partnering with Scottish Canals on their first influencer campaign. Identifying and working with key strategic partners is vital for promoting Scotland as a destination and encouraging responsible, mindful travel around some of our most-famous locations. This partnership will encourage more visitors to discover the magic of Scotland’s canals and the communities on their banks – especially when explored at a slower pace by boot, bike, and boat.

“Working with influencers enables us to reach new audiences, tell our stories authentically and give real world social proof to our brand values. We have already seen impressive results with this activity and benefit from our chosen influencers’ storytelling skills and audience engagement. “From sailing and sleeping on a boat in Loch Ness to getting up close with some Highland coos on a bike ride, this activity highlights the range of unforgettable experiences Scotland has to offer and provides a creative way to further support the recovery of the tourism industry.”

Nicola Sturgeon Head of Corporate Communications and Marketing for Scottish Canals said: “It was a pleasure to welcome Craig and Aimee to our majestic Caledonian Canal. Last year we celebrated 200 years of the Caledonian Canal welcoming visitors from across the globe and we were keen to partner with Visit Scotland and engage local businesses to showcase boating holidays as a fantastic bucket list item for any adventurer. As they learned how to drive, navigate, moor and sleep on the boat for the 72 hours we were delighted to hear they both had a ‘trip of lifetime’.

“Their passion, energy and enthusiasm they have shown throughout this trip is infectious and we would encourage everyone to take a journey along the Great Glen Way and experience some #canalmagic for themselves.”

Watch Kinging-It’s adventure here.