The Scottish Crannog Centre

We had a wonderful day at the Scottish Crannog Centre! We were welcomed and guided around by some very kind and knowledgeable people. The whole place has been built to be accessible for wheelchair users and people with disabilities in many different ways. The staff are also very interested in receiving honest feedback and good ideas for improvement. Our visit started with a walk around the outdoor greenhouse and sensory garden. Both of these are wonderfully accessible. The beds of flowers and herbs are all at an accessible height, as are the tables and other interactive and useful features .After that, we had a guided tour of their indoor museum, which provided a valuable learning experience, taking us on a journey through time and history. This was followed by spending some time at the outdoor museum, which is absolutely amazing. It's an Iron Age village where you can walk from one building to another. Once you visit each building, there are people ready to welcome you and demonstrate a craft. From cooking and pottery to woodwork and storytelling, you have the chance to try your hand at making something yourself, learn about the buildings and chat with the friendly locals. We also had the chance to take part in weaving a bull for the Samhain festival, which was great fun! Oh, and we mustn't forget to mention that we had a delicious lunch at their café, which serves a variety of soups, sandwiches, cakes and drinks. We also had a wander around their small craft shop. We definitely recommend a visit, and we can tell you that we felt confident and safe walking around and talking to people there. If you encounter any difficulties, there will be staff on hand to help you.

Spent an enjoyable and informative afternoon at the centre. Laid out as an Iron Age village with staff/volunteers filling various roles and demonstrating how people lived and worked. Lots of opportunities to get hands on with various crafts etc. Good cafe for lunch and snacks and excellent gift shop. Although surfaces were really hard packed earth there were no issues for wheelchair

The crannog centre ticks a lot of boxes for accessibility but it's not without flaws. The museum displays are not easy to peer into from a wheelchair but are glass cases so can be seen side on however are displayed to be viewed looking down. The ramp exiting the museum is very short and very steep. The outside space is packed hardcore and well trodden earth so I had no issues navigating the chair. There is one paved area for historical accuracy which is difficult for a wheelchair or unsteady walking and aids. The accessible entrance to the cafe is round the building and past the front reception which may be busy at times. It seems an oversight to have two stairs but no ramp for this potion of the building. There is a short walk to a sensory space and the loch edge which is accessed by a wooden walkway, it is suitable for wheelchair access but steep. At the base there is unfinished paths made of hardcore rubble which is impossible to navigate but this seems unfinished. There is two accessible bathrooms and staff were friendly and helpful. In the bathroom was a waste bin which can only be opened with foot pedal. Outside is some EV chargers but screens high for accessible users to read and no dipped kerbs to get onto that portion of path. Disabled parking lacked boxed markings to allow ramps to be laid.