Overview

The entrance door was not automatic and did not have a disabled push to open button. There was however a button to press to alert the staff that assistance was needed but when I did this, nobody came to help. This was not a great start although when I gained access through the doors which were more than wide enough, I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of space for the seating areas at the front and rear of the cafe. The service counter was between these seating areas and access between them was quite tight when people were queuing. It should also be noted that it was not hugely busy when I visited on late Thursday afternoon so it may be even more difficult on busier days. It was quite difficult to have a conversation due to the acoustics; this is a huge problem for me as I find it difficult to be heard in noisy places. My two companions also had problems with the acoustics.

Transport & Parking

There are disabled spaces right at the door and throughout the retail park. I've never had any problems getting parked in a disabled space but not always in front of the venue. It depends how busy it is within the retail park. There is a frequent bus service to the retail park from Inverness and the east coast (such as Culloden, Nairn etc.). The cafe is about a four or five minute walk from the bus stop.

Access

On the positive side the entrance itself is quite wide but as per my comments above, it can be challenging if you are in a wheelchair, powerchair or for any reason are unable to open the door manually. The entrance/exit doors have a switch to press for assistance outside but not inside making exiting equally, if not more difficult than trying to get in.

Toilets

The loo is accessed via a fire door which presented the same challenges as the entrance/exit doors. There was no assistance button at this door. This could be potentially dangerous if there was an emergency especially if you were in the toilet side of the door. There was lots of room in the corridor leading to the toilet and the toilet itself was clean, spacious and well laid out with grab rails and a red cord but the sliding door could present similar problems to the entrance/exit/fire doors.

Staff

The staff were not overly helpful and did not respond to the pressing of the assistance button. I can only assume it was working as people in the queue seemed to hear it.

Anything else you wish to tell us?

There was a notice at the front door stating that disabled visitors who are unable to queue should take a seat and attract the attention of one of the staff. This is not much use if you cannot get in. I won't be going back any time soon.

Photos