Boat Yard

bellrock

30 Nov 2022

Refurbished restaurant, formerly called The Loch House

4.5

4.5

Date of visit: November 2022

I am a carer or friend of a disabled person. I have experience of challenges around: accessing toilets, hearing and moving around.

I use or have experience of: changing places toilet, disabled toilet, hearing aid or cochlear implant, walking aid, wheelchair

Overall Rating

Excellent

The refurbishment has improved disabled access at the entrance and in the interior.

Disabled Access In and Around

Excellent

The steps at the front door have been removed. There was previously a narrow ramp but now the whole entrance has a very gentle slope up to the doors. The interior is now all level, whereas formerly some tables were up steps. We did not investigate the outside seating so I'm not sure if it is accessible.

Parking & Transport

Excellent

There is a large tarmac car park with some Blue Badge spaces near the entrance.

Accessible Toilets

Good

Roomy enough for wheelchair user and assistant. It is also the baby change. Grips on both sides. Previously you had to get a key from staff but now it is open. The red cord was so tightly knotted up that I could not release it.

Staff

Good

Staff at the restaurant were very good. However, I emailed the owners before we went to check that the refurbished toilet had grips on both sides and got no reply. (I feel I need to check as two places we used to visit are now not an option because when their toilets were refurbished they removed one of the grips and my relative cannot manage with only one.)

Additional Information

After eating here we like to drive the mile or two down to the loch at Lochwinnoch which I've shown in the last picture. This is not the nature reserve (which others have reviewed) but the public parking near the village. It's a very pleasant place to watch the wild life. There is a cafe and the car park has an accessible toilet (grips both sides.) The toilets in the cafe itself have been closed. The loch is part of the Castle Semple Country Park and there is further information e.g. about cafe opening times on the the Clyde Muirsheil website.