Pretty Cùil!
4.5
4.5
Date of visit: April 2024
I am a disabled person. I have experience of challenges around: a hidden impairment, accessing toilets and moving around.
I use or have experience of: changing places toilet, disabled toilet, hidden impairment, powerchair, toilet with hoist, toilets, walking aid, wheelchair
Overall Rating
Excellent
Café Cùil is a lovely dog-friendly café with equally lovely scenery and views of Loch Harport. We stopped in for coffee and cake one afternoon and returned a few days later for breakfast before our mammoth drive home. They have an extensive menu of both sweet and savoury breakfasts, a selection of fresh cakes, and a gift shop filled with local snacks, drinks, books, candles and tote bags. I'd highly recommend the carrot cake, it's delicious.
Disabled Access In and Around
Good
There are no steps into the cafe, it's all level. There are large automatic doors at the entrance, accessible and non-accessible toilets are first on the left, and the gift shop is second on the left. The cafe is spacious, with a variety of seating options and I was able to sit in my wheelchair at our table. Take-away is also an option. The take-away counter was lowered, making it accessible to most. If eating in, orders are taken at your table. The menus are in standard-sized print, on white paper. Whilst we didn't require it, I'm certain the friendly staff would read the menu for those unable to do so. The dining area is vast, bordered across three walls with large windows.
Parking & Transport
Good
There are two accessible parking bays, on tarmac, close to the door and outdoor seating, however, the rest of the car park is gravel which may cause difficulty for manual and some powered wheelchair users. There doesn't appear to be any local public transport routes, but we drove so this may have been overlooked. There is also a cattle grid at the entrance to the car park - understandable, given the location of the cafe but useful to note if you use a walking stick or wheelchair.
Accessible Toilets
The accessible toilet was of adequate size, however doubled as a baby change. There are appropriate grab rails and plenty of room to manoeuvre. The red cord hung freely with no obstruction, and the sink and mirror are of standard height.
Staff
Excellent
The staff were very accommodating, ensuring we had a comfortable place to sit. They moved chairs for access without being prompted and were attentive and friendly.
Additional Information
Salt and pepper are stored in small (clean) sea shells on each table, rather than in traditional shakers, which is aesthetic but possibly tricky for those with grip or coordination difficulties. The car park could do with some additional accessible parking. I expect the gravel is for drainage purposes but it does exclude potential visitors when the accessible bays are full.
