John Cobb Memorial

While on the look out for Nessie we passed a chunky cairn as we drive down the west banks of Loch Ness. Fortunately there was a layby just over the road from it, so we pulled into investigate.

What we had found was the John Cobb Memorial which stands as a tribute to a man who attempted and held a canny few speed records, but met his untimely end here.

John Cobb - The Speed King

John Cobb was a British racer born in Surrey in 1899 and became renowned for his land speed records. In 1938, he set a new land speed record at 350mph in his Railton Special. He broke his own record in 1939, reaching 369mph. After World War II, Cobb returned to the Bonneville Salt Flats and in 1947, he set another record at 394 mph, holding the title of the fastest man on land for 16 years.

The Loch Ness Attempt

Not content with being the fastest on land, Cobb's ambitions extended to water speed records too. So in 1952, he commissioned a a jet-powered boat called the Crusader, aiming to set a new water speed record. On 29th September 1952, he began his attempt on Loch Ness. His first run clocked in at 206 mph, but during the second run, the Crusader hit an unexpected wake, causing it to disintegrate and resulting in Cobb's death. The attempt required two runs, so the first run now no longer counted.

The Memorial

The John Cobb Memorial, a simple stone cairn, was erected by the people of Glen Urquhart to honour his memory. It sits overlooking the measured mile and serves as a reminder of Cobb's legacy and the risks taken by those who strive to set new records.