Great day out
5
5
Date of visit: May 2026
I have experience of challenges around: a hidden impairment, accessing toilets, hearing, moving around, seeing and understanding.
I use or have experience of: autism, autism, disabled toilet, hard of hearing, limited vision, powerchair, wheelchair
Overall Rating
Excellent
We visited the sea life centre as a family with one adult who uses a powered wheelchair and is autistic. We booked online and there are free carer tickets available Parking was easy with amble disabled parking in a nearby shared carpark with Lochlomond Shores. Getting from the carpark to the Sealife Centre was flat and paved. The entrance was ramped and there was a staff member on the door to welcome you who opened the doors wide for us to enter with the wheelchair. There is step-free access via a very easy slope at the accessible entrance. There is step-free level access throughout the majority of areas and there were several lifts available througout to give you access between the floors. Lifts were plenty spacious for a powered wheelchair. We didn't use the Octonauts Cinema or top floor so can't comment on these. The main route through the ground floor which is the aquarium and cafe on the top floor was easy to navigate in a wheelchair with plenty space. Some areas were dimly lit or varied in lighting. The staff were all incredibly helpful and kind and helped us to access any of the activities like the rockpool. They really were exceptional. On the day we went there was a special event happening for Animal crossing where you could meet a character and when we arrived at the queue they immediatly changed the queueing system to make it more wheelchair accessible to save us wiggling through and reassured us we were under no pressure to rush for the photos etc. The disabled toilet we used was on the ground floor. It was large enough to enter with a powered wheelchair but not turn around in the space. There is another disabled toilet on the 2nd floor by the cinema but we did not use this. To access this from the cafe would mean going down a flight of stairs or using the lift to go back to the ground floor. The rockpool was quite high for a wheelchair user but the staff member was really helpful at supporting accesses as best could and there wasn't really anywhere for a wheelchair user to park to watch the shark feeding without blocking the walkway which made our young adult feel really awkward so we didn't stay long for this. But other than that it was over all a great day out and highly accessible and the staff were brilliant.
Disabled Access In and Around
Excellent
All of the main aquarium areas and cafe are step free. We didn't use them but I think there are some steps for the VIP experiences. On their website they advertise access to a sign language interpreter service
Accessible facilities: Lift to all areas, Step-free entrance, Step-free access to most areas
Parking & Transport
Excellent
I travelled to this place by personal vehicle
Disabled parking available in a shared carpark with loch lomond shores there is a parking charge for the carpark stay. We were charged £4 for the day.
Accessible facilities: Dedicated on-site parking
Accessible Toilets
Average
We only used one of the accessible toilets, there was space to enter the toilet in powered chair but not turn around. We did not use the other toilet. There was no accessible toilet on same floor as cafe you had to go down a flight of stairs of down to ground floor in lift
Facilities: Accessible toilet
Staff
Excellent
I couldn't rate the staff higher, they were so helpful and understanding
Additional Information
We had a really great day out!!
Comments
remus
21 May 2026
Thank you for your very informative review and for praising the staff for their help that they gave you. I am glad you had a good visit.
