Nessie wasn’t home
4.5
4.5
Date of visit: February 2019
I am a disabled person. I have experience of challenges around: moving around and seeing.
Overall Rating
Excellent
The Loch Ness Centre sits in the village of Drumnadrochit and we found lots to do and see. An Exhibition learning more of the history of the Loch tells of its history as you walk around the ‘galleries’ and hear of the events of the past. It’s not all about a monster yet to be found!
Disabled Access In and Around
Excellent
The exhibition has two entrances with the side entrance being the nearest to the accessible parking area. Both entrances have ramps and wide doors. The Centre is tucked away on the edge of the village and is best visited with a car or your own vehicle. There are public bus services that run along the main road from Inverness and a bus stop is nearby. The Centre is based around several buildings that are all next door to each other so you don’t have too far to walk. There are plenty of opportunities to pause and take a rest. The main exhibition is located in the main ‘house’ - a large and imposing building that nestles in the hillside and looks out toward the Loch. There are two doors to get in and once inside the seven gallery areas are level access and easy to move around. You start your journey with a trip back in time looking at the formation of the Loch. As you can imagine legends and myths run strong in the Loch Ness story and you can find out about the “Water Horse” and what local folk say. Over time there has been many projects researching the secrets beneath the water and the exhibition tells the stories from these and the discoveries made. You end with modern day stories and events as the Loch played host to history. Leaving the exhibition you can explore the shops, dip into the whisky shop, grab a coffee in the cafe or explore the garden areas. Don’t forget to visit the Nessie Shop where you can get all the monster souvenirs you can imagine!
Parking & Transport
Good
The Centre is on the main road running down from Inverness alongside the Loch Ness. It’s about fourteen miles until you reach the village of Drumnadrochit. There are plenty of parking spaces and a row of accessible parking bays can be found as you enter the one way route. From here it’s a short stroll across the garden area to the entrance to the exhibition.
Accessible Toilets
Good
There are toilets in several areas but the main accessible toilets, the largest, are in the dedicated toilet block adjacent to the entrance paths. The toilets include the accessible toilet, spacious, clean and well laid out.
Staff
Excellent
The staff were welcoming, friendly and very helpful. We were particularly impressed with the pre-visit information as we were nervous about visiting.
Additional Information
The Centre and Exhibition has something for everyone. It wasn’t hurried and with a choice of places to visit, plenty of seating sports, a picnic area, was enjoyable for all.
