Company History – The Drumnadrochit Hotel & The Loch Ness Centre & Exhibition
1916
Mr James Cameron, head keeper of the Balmacaan estate, comes into the Drumnadrochit Hotel with "his face as white as paper". He said that while he was fishing from a small boat an "enormous animal" had surfaced very near him. The shock caused him to go dizzy and he rowed ashore as quickly as he could.
1933
Mrs. Aldie Mackay, manageress of the Drumnadrochit Hotel was on the road from Inverness when she saw something resembling a whale. She did not publicise her story but it was picked up by Alex Campbell, water bailiff and enthusiast of the legend. He gave the story to the Inverness Courier. The story published on 2nd May is seen as the birth of the modern legend. Over the next 65 years, there will be over a 1000 recorded sightings.
1952
On 29th Sept. John Cobb leaves the Drumnadrochit Hotel for his fatal water speed record attempt. Next day Capt. George Eyston opens an enquiry into Cobb’s death. The enquiry was reopened fifty years later in the same building and resulted in the discovery of the wreckage of that endeavour.
1964
The Bremner family come to the Drumnadrochit Hotel.
1980
In June, Ronnie Bremner founds The Loch Ness Centre & Exhibition at the Hotel. In the winter he meets Adrian Shine, leader of the Loch Ness Project and they agree to collaborate. The Project results and equipment are brought to the Centre. This collaboration remains firmly today.
1984
The Drumnadrochit Hotel suffers a devastating fire. The Loch Ness Exhibition was moved into the grand baronial building and a new modern hotel was built on site.
1987 October
Based at the Loch Ness Centre & Exhibition, the "Operation Deepscan" fleet draws a "sonar curtain" along the loch. Three contacts seemed to be moving. They are still unexplained. Over 326 accredited press attend during the week firmly placing Loch Ness on the world stage. The Clansman Harbour was used to operate all the boats and remains in the ownership of The Loch Ness Centre & Exhibition today.
1994 April
The famous long necked icon of 1934, the "Surgeon's Photograph", is exposed as a hoax at the Loch Ness Centre & Exhibition.
1994
The Swatch ROSETTA Project is launched from the Loch Ness Centre & Exhibition. A machine built here drives 6m sediment cores through the whole span of human civilisation, into the clays left by the melting ice. The whole history of the loch is there, like an open book. The ROSETTA corer is now in the Exhibition.
2000
The Loch Ness Centre & Exhibition undergoes a £1.5M facelift for the Millennium. This radical investigation brings the mystery up to date, examining the monster question by exploring the loch itself.
2001
The Loch Ness Centre & Exhibition wins a prestigious ‘Dynamic Place Award’ for innovation.
2002
The ‘Zulu’ Pansy is discovered, This 80ft wreck is one of the last class of sailing fishing vessels in Scotland
2007
The Loch Ness Centre & Exhibition is awarded 5 Stars by the Scottish Tourist Board as a Visitor Attraction. This award remains in place today.
2011
The Loch Ness Centre & Exhibition is crowned ‘Best Visitor Attraction’ in the large business category at the Highlands and Islands Tourism Awards.
2013
The Loch Ness Centre & Exhibition is runner up in the ‘Best Visitor Experience’ in the large business category at the Highlands and Islands Tourism Awards.