The Quest: Loch Ness Short Story Competition – Winner Announcement!

As part of The Quest Weekend celebrations, The Loch Ness Centre invited local primary schools to take part in a very special challenge: The Quest: Loch Ness Short Story Competition. We asked P4 classes (or multi-composite classes) to unleash their imaginations and work together to write and illustrate a collaborative tale all about our mysterious loch and its most elusive resident—Nessie.

We were absolutely thrilled to receive five brilliant entries from local schools: Balnain, Dochgarroch, Farr, and two entries from Cannich Bridge Primary. Each story was packed with imagination, colour, and heart, and we were genuinely blown away by the creativity and care poured into every one of them.

The competition was judged by Alison Skelton, a local author from Balnain, who shared some lovely words about the entries:

“All the stories were so good that it really was very difficult to choose a winner. Although they were very different, common themes were shared—the importance of friendship and caring for others, and the desire to protect the environment and keep Nessie safe from harm.

I loved the idea of Nessie being protected by law—she is, by the way, thanks to a 1970s Act of Parliament that protects wildlife.

I was especially touched by the awareness shown around topics like poverty, with one story featuring ‘Old Man Stuart’ living in a tent on the lochside—aged 50 (I love it!).

These children are not only wonderful writers, but thoughtful, kind young people. They are a credit to their families, teachers and to themselves.”

We’re delighted to announce that the winner of the competition is:

Dochgarroch Primary School – who have won a class cruise on Loch Ness and a tour of The Loch Ness Centre!

Our runner-up is:

Balnain Primary School – who have won a class tour of The Loch Ness Centre!

All participating classes will receive a certificate to celebrate their fantastic storytelling efforts.

We were so impressed by all of the entries that we’ve decided to share one story each week for the next five weeks on our website and social media. These stories deserve to be read and enjoyed far and wide.

Here’s the winning story by Dochgarroch Primary – enjoy it, share it, and if it inspires you to write your own Nessie tale, send it to us at thequest@lochness.com!

Let’s keep the magic of Loch Ness alive through young imaginations and local storytelling.