Nessie's home · start here
The Highlands and Loch Ness
Where Nessie really lives! Loch Ness, Ben Nevis, island castles and a famous steam-train viaduct.
See it for real
- Urquhart Castle
- Glenfinnan Viaduct
- Eilean Donan Castle
Welcome to Scotland
Hop on Nessie. Scotland's waiting!
Nessie has left Loch Ness to show you round Scotland! Explore each place with her in 3D, then go and see it for real. Free adventures for children, the best family attractions to visit, and resources for schools.
PlayFree 3D adventures for ages 5 to 10
VisitScotland's best attractions for families
TeachTrips, visits and learning packs
8destinations
9adventures
58real attractions
0adverts
Destinations
Start at Loch Ness, then follow Nessie
Nessie lives in Loch Ness, but in our games she sets off to explore Scotland. Every place she visits is real, so play it in 3D first, then go and see it for real.
Capital city
Edinburgh
A castle on an old volcano, a royal palace and free museums. At Edinburgh Zoo, Pebbles the penguin shows you round Penguins Rock.
See it for real
- Edinburgh Castle
- Arthur's Seat
- Royal Yacht Britannia
- Edinburgh Zoo
City by the river
Glasgow
Free museums, a giant crane and the shipbuilding story of the River Clyde.
See it for real
- Riverside Museum
- Kelvingrove
- Glasgow Science Centre
Capital of the Highlands
Inverness
The River Ness, dolphins in the Moray Firth and 4,000-year-old cairns.
See it for real
- Ness Islands
- Clava Cairns
- Kessock Bridge dolphins
Castles and heroes
Stirling
A castle on a rocky crag, the Wallace Monument and the field of Bannockburn.
See it for real
- Stirling Castle
- Wallace Monument
- Bannockburn
City of Discovery
Dundee
Captain Scott's polar ship, Scotland's design museum and a big hill with a view.
See it for real
- RRS Discovery
- V&A Dundee
- Dundee Law
Seaside town
St Andrews
The home of golf, long sandy beaches and cathedral ruins by the sea.
See it for real
- West Sands
- St Andrews Cathedral
- The Old Course
Islands of the ancients
Orkney
A 5,000-year-old village, standing stones, Viking runes and puffins on the cliffs.
See it for real
- Skara Brae
- Ring of Brodgar
- Italian Chapel
Family trails
Plan a whole trip
Follow a trail that joins up the places in our games, from Loch Ness in a day to a Highland road trip.
Ideas to try
- Loch Ness in a day
- Edinburgh in a day
- Highland road trip
- Fife coast and Dundee
How it works
From your screen to Scotland
Nessie makes a trip more exciting, before you go and while you're there.
Play at home
Explore a place in 3D with Nessie. Splash in the lochs, play mini-games and win a star at every stop.
Learn the stories
Nessie's facts and quick quizzes bring each castle, ship and standing stone to life.
Visit for real
Every place in the games is real (Nessie stays at home in Loch Ness!). Spot them on your trip and tick them off in your Explorer passport.
Choose your adventure
Where to next?
Each adventure has castles, creatures, quizzes and mini-games. No sign-up and no adverts. Pick one and start playing.
For visitors
Top attractions for families
Castles, museums, ships, animals and ancient villages. Tap a place on the map to see what's there and how to get there, then play it in 3D first.
Tap a pin to find out more
Urquhart Castle
Loch Ness, the Highlands
A ruined castle on the shore of Loch Ness, and one of the best spots to keep watch for Nessie!
- Castle
- Loch views
- Boat trips nearby
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh
A castle on top of an old volcano. Listen out for the One O'Clock Gun, fired every day except Sundays.
- Castle
- History
- City views
Edinburgh Zoo
Edinburgh
Meet gentoo, king and rockhopper penguins at Penguins Rock, plus chimps, tigers and red pandas.
- Animals
- Penguins
- All day out
Riverside Museum
Glasgow
Trams, trains, cars and a tall ship on the River Clyde. Perfect for a rainy day.
- Free to visit
- Museum
- Indoors
RRS Discovery
Dundee
Climb aboard Captain Scott's polar ship, built in Dundee for a voyage to Antarctica.
- Ship
- Explorers
- History
Stirling Castle
Stirling
A royal castle high on a rocky crag, with a Great Hall painted golden yellow.
- Castle
- Kings and queens
- History
Skara Brae
Orkney
A Stone Age village by the sea, about 5,000 years old, with stone beds and dressers.
- Ancient
- Outdoors
- Islands
St Andrews Cathedral
St Andrews
Huge cathedral ruins by the sea. Climb St Rule's Tower for a view over the town and the beach.
- Ruins
- Seaside
- History
See all 58 attractions
Every attraction from our games, with family trails, boat trips, tours and help getting there. Run an attraction yourself? Partner with us.
Where Nessie really lives
Welcome to Nessie's home
Loch Ness is a long, deep loch in the Scottish Highlands, surrounded by hills, castles and little villages. It's where Nessie's story began.
The legend of the Loch Ness Monster
For hundreds of years, people have told stories about a creature living deep in Loch Ness. Here's how the legend grew.
- 565
An old book about Saint Columba tells how he met a water beast in the River Ness and ordered it to go away. It swam off!
- 1933
A new road was built along the side of Loch Ness. More people could see the loch, and stories of a strange creature were reported around the world.
- 1934
A famous photo seemed to show Nessie's long neck. Sixty years later, in 1994, people found out it was a model on a toy submarine.
- 2018
Scientists tested the loch water for tiny bits of DNA to find out what lives there. They found no sign of a giant reptile, but lots of eel DNA.
Explore with Nessie
For schools and for tourists
Whether you're planning lessons or a family day out, Nessie can help.
For schools
Educational trips, learning packs and school visits
- Educational trips and school visits, with booking enquiries
- Free downloadable worksheets, quizzes and colouring pages
- Learning resources on Scottish history, wildlife and Nessie folklore
- Group prices, teacher information and risk assessment templates
For tourists
Scotland's best attractions for families
- 58 real attractions from our games, across 8 destinations
- Castles, museums, ships, zoos and ancient villages children love
- Family trails that join up the places in our games
- Boat trips, tours, getting there, and booking enquiries
What's inside
Learning that feels like playing
Nessie has swum all the way from Loch Ness to be your tour guide.
Explore in 3D
Walk, swim and stomp around real Scottish places, built like a toy town.
Amazing facts
Kid-sized facts at every stop, and Nessie can read them out loud.
Mini-games
Fire the One O'Clock Gun, herd the reindeer, carve Pictish symbols, toss the caber and lots more.
Stars and certificates
Answer quizzes, win a star at every place and earn an Explorer certificate.
Dress up Nessie
Hats, kilts, sunglasses and rainbow colours. Make Nessie your own.
Play anywhere
A joystick on phones and tablets, or click and arrow keys on a computer.
For parents and teachers
Safe, simple and free.
Made for children aged about 5 to 10 to learn about Scotland through play. Teachers can get free lesson ideas, worksheets and Gaelic (Gàidhlig) words and phrases on our For schools page. Read the privacy page for details.
- Free, with no adverts or in-app purchases
- No sign-up and no personal data collected
- Progress is saved only on your own device
- Photos stay on the device, never uploaded
- Great for school projects about Scotland
- Best on a recent phone, tablet or computer