Overview

Castle Semple is one of my favourite places to go when the weather allows. With views of Loch Semple, a visitor centre and café, it’s a great place to go when you just need to get outdoors. I was invited along to the Spinal Injuries Scotland BBQ and Watersports Day 2025 as a guest, to meet the people behind the charity and see for myself the accessible watersports on offer at my local loch. The weather was mostly on our side, and the SIS guys showed they know how to throw a barbecue and bring a community together.

Transport & Parking

There are plenty of parking spaces at Castle Semple, with driving being the best way to get here. Closer to the café, there are accessible parking spaces, but I tend not to go that far down. There are three type 2 EV charging units with six bays, but they’re all the size of a standard parking space. For cyclists and handbikers, Cycle Route 7 will bring you to the loch, though make sure you continue with care. Take care on the descending tarmacked paths down to the loch, as if you come off at the wrong point it can get a little rocky. The closest railway station is Lochwinnoch, around a mile away. There’s a hill as you exit the station and an area where you need to cross a busy road, but the rest of the route has a pavement to walk on. Please note that there is step-free access on platform 1 only, which is the Glasgow-bound line. I wouldn’t advise coming from Glasgow as you’ll be stuck on the platform if you can’t manage the stairs!

Access

The visitor centre has level access inside, but there is a long ramp to the entrance, which has a support rail on the right side. Further round, there are a few steps up to the centre, but no rail. There are automatic doors at the entrance, and there are toilets to the right and the main café/gift shop area to the left. There are a few seats and tables, which can be moved as required. I was able to get my knees under the table. There is a reasonable amount of space for most mobility devices, a lowered counter at the information desk, but no hearing loop, large print or braille information. There's a second function room through a set of double doors, which would also be suitable for most mobility devices.

Toilets

The café has three accessible toilets, two designated male and female, though there is no real reason for this as anyone could realistically use them, and a Changing Places toilet. I checked out the male-designated accessible toilet, and while it is perfectly serviceable, there is a lip around the perimeter which juts out quite a bit and takes up vital space. This would be fine for a manual wheelchair user and a second person if you are both willing to wiggle a bit, but with the Changing Places toilet so close, it may be easier for some to just use that. The accessible toilet does not require a RADAR key, and the door opens inwards. There is space for a right-side transfer, but there is a small bin in the space. There are grab rails on either side of the toilet, but they do not contrast with the toilet seat or the white tiled wall. The sink has a button-operated tap, requiring pressure to depress the button. This is another instance where the lip becomes an issue as it prevents you from getting up close to the sink, which makes it challenging if you cannot lean over. Whilst dated, the toilet was clean. The red cord hangs to the left when seated and is free of obstruction. The Changing Places toilet, on the other hand, is far from disappointing. The door opens outwards into the corridor and has much of what you would expect from a Changing Places toilet. There is a ceiling track hoist, an adjustable change bed with a hygienic paper dispenser, and a shower with a contrasting blue wall-mounted shower seat and blue rails on either side, all accessible from the hoist. On the same wall as the shower, you will find a height-adjustable sink with a deep basin and lever-style tap. There is a colostomy shelf to the right, but it is set in a space between the sink and the wall, making it difficult to reach if seated. The shelf was occupied with paper towels and a bottle of disinfectant. Straight ahead as you enter, you will find the large toilet pan, which has a contrasting seat and grab rails on either side. There is space for a left and right-side transfer to the toilet, but the right-side transfer space has several large bins in the way. The room also has wet-room style lino flooring.

Staff

The staff were lovely. They were happy to hear my feedback, took some red cord cards from me and were happy to take a whole bunch of Euan’s Guide leaflets for their display.

Photos