Great boat tour with Loch Ness by Jacobite! We enjoyed the views, especially of the Urquhart…read moreCastle! And being able to see the depth of the loch underneath us and the trajectory of the boat on the monitors as the boat moved about the very deep loch was interesting. The narration was informative and helped us learn more about the loch and its history. The legend of Nessie was leaned into, in a fun way!

We took this ride as part of our Highland Tours trip…read more After shopping at the gift shop we made our way under the bridge to the dock. You have some great views from here but it just gets better. The boat has both in and outside seating. We did go outside to the front to take some pictures but spent most of the time inside as it was about 45 degrees. The ride from Inverness to Urquhart castle is 1/2 hour. The boat ride which includes admission to the castle (one way) was 20 GBP & well worth it. The Whisky hot chocolate is a must try! Well worth it given the multiple breathtaking views as well the chance to search for Nessie

This is where our tour guide dropped us off to take an hour cruise on Loch Ness. My friend and I…read moretook a bunch of pictures before our boat arrived. Great views of the lake, the clouds and the hills, but no Nessie in sight. :( There is a small kiosk where you can buy your ticket. There is also a small covered waiting area for the boat. Even if you weren't taking a cruise, this would be a good place to stop and take pictures by the Loch. The last time I was in Loch Ness was 24 years ago, so it's been a while for me. It was nice to be back and see Loch Ness again!

10/10 recommend this tour service!! My wife and I were visiting on our honeymoon, and had been…read moretraveling through Scottland for a few days before. Before the cruise we were feeling a little burnt out, and although we made every effort we missed our cruise reservation!! Be sure to get there early for your tour, the boat left at the advertised time, which is great for travel planning, we were just late! We were pretty bummed, but we took a beat and had some coffee in their café, which was a very nice relaxing experience on its own. We each had an Americano and they were very good. Once we gathered our thoughts we checked back in with the cruise staff, and they were able to bump our reservation to the next cruise time!!! We were thrilled because we were specifically looking forward to the "contemplation cruise", and the cold clean air of Lochness. The cruise itself was marvelous. Very smooth, only a few moments of choppy water. The guide was funny, educational and relaxing. He had some hilarious silly jokes which I loved. Being on the water refreshed our spirits completely!! The boat had a bar with coffee, snacks and alcohol. While we didn't partake in anything on the boat, I imagine if we had it would have been pretty satisfying. We brought snacks of our own on board. There were 3 restrooms on board which were clean and maintained. Be sure to bring some layers, it was pretty chilly, but then the sun would peek out and sitting in the sun it would warm up all of a sudden. Seating was available above deck and in the cabin. This was one of my favorite activities of the trip. I recommend for travelers of all ages and abilities.

This was a fun tour and what you'd expect. You travel up the channel and around the Loch. They…read moreprovide a lot of interesting history to keep you entertained. Of course, you don't see the Loch Ness monster. The tour is disability accessible. Bring lunch as they only have snacks for sale. With your purchase, you get a " Highland hot chocolate", that's hot chocolate with whiskey. We were there at the same time as a gray and blue haired bus tour and they should consider renaming this the "Loch Ness booze cruise" as there a good amount of semi-rowdy 70 year old women hitting the bar.

After hearing the horror stories of the various boat tours of Loch Ness, and the fact that our boat…read moretour was cancelled the day before, we scrambled for something a little more off the beaten path. I'm glad we did. A goodly portion of the boat tours that I heard negative things about took off from the Northern part of the loch. Nary a bad word was spoken about the tour(s) that took off from the Southern part of the loch. A quick Google search later, and I found Cruise Loch Ness. They had availability, good prices, and decent reviews. Sounded like a winner to me. I have no complaints! It was an hour-ish long boat ride around the Southern part of the loch. There was a person on a microphone describing what you were looking at. The boat wasn't too crowded, which was a major plus. I really have no complaints at all! This boat ride was exactly what I was hoping for! Traveler's Tip: If driving down from Inverness, drive down along the West side of the loch, and drive back along the East side of the loch. The drive along the East side of the loch is much more rural and will take longer, but the views you will experience along the way are utterly breathtaking.

The boat tour lasted less than fifty minutes including boarding and offloading passengers, and it…read moretook time to departure and arrive the port, so the actual time in the Loch Ness is approximately only half an hour. I checked map, and according to the gps coordinates, the cruise barely touched 1/8 of the Loch Ness. I think it's a rip off, not worth £22 per adult. The view wouldn't be much better than driving along the road and stop at vista points.

Is this place a tourist trap? Yes. Should you still come? Also a yes. We had no idea or…read morepreconceived notions about what we were going to experience here. It is a total vibe filled with a sense of excitement and mystery. I was captivated by the lore of it all. If you don't take it too seriously you will have a good time. I thought it was a bit expensive but other than that worth a visit at least once. I want to believe! Ha!

Oh, the cutest little Nessie that ever lived. The Loch Ness Centre & Exhibition as it existed on my…read morevisit on Tuesday 9 July 2019, focused on the dynamic of in-person reports of a Loch Ness "monster", a big friendly giant named Nessie, and scientists/people armed with technology trying to discredit those accounts. Much of the displays provided helpful historical context both of a supposed "monster" and sea creatures in the area that carried/carry cultural significance before their numbers started to dwindle due to poaching by humans and death by marine technology (like fishing nets and getting hit by motorized boats). Moving forward, scientists these days would probably just mutilate Nessie in the name of discovery if they found it. They would probably even say the original discovery was theirs - an attempt at erasing the voices and consistency of many reports by everyday people that have existed for decades before my writing this on Thursday 8 June 2023. Just kind of the flavor of science these days, take what everyday people have done and say it was science all along. In the name of fairness then, did/does this centre and exhibition really exist or will all those that visit the exhibit and say they did later be discredited... The exhibition is part of a larger centre. I found some fun items in a gift shop including a small book on the origin of the Clan Ogilvie for some family friends. Prices were good. Traffic picked up during my visit (arrived around 10:45 a.m. and departed about an hour later). There was an overflow/larger parking area past the smaller parking area by the entrance to the exhibit. I was fortunate to have a spot in the smaller area free up as I arrived. Though, both parking lots are relatively close to the centre.

Cromarty is a small village situated on the black isle. Where I grew up I looked onto cromarty. On…read moreour side of the water we get the seals on there side they get the dolphins. We arrived and were greeted, they explained a wee bit about what was going to happen and what we might see. They then got us decked out in waterproof gear and life jackets. You then take a short walk down to the Harbour and get in the boat. The seats in the boat are like you are sitting on horse back. After two hours my bum felt a little sore. Then we were off, we passed by the massive rigs that are docked at Nigg and then went through the Souters on our search for dolphins. As the dolphins are wild there is a chance you won't see any so the first 40 minutes our eyes were searching the water. A seal popped up and splashed back in but no dolphins. The lady taking the tour had the loveliest relaxing voice and she told us things about the places we were passing, which was really interesting. She then told us they could see dolphins up ahead. You could see way in the distance some little splashes and movement in the water. We had to wait a little longer but then the show began, they were all around us jumping and splashing. We were lucky enough to see a mum and her calf. The calf was very active and jumping right out of the water, we were told that it was unusual to see such an active young calf. The experience was amazing and the scenery and views alone it was well worth it. I would highly recommend a visit. We were very lucky with the weather.

The best tout for your money in the highlands Andrew Jone wonderful guide ask for him by name worth…read moreyou while 10 stars !!!

Gregor was a great tour guide! He was funny, full of historical information as well as silly facts…read morefor our amusement. We did a tour that covered everything that the cruise boat didn't for less and guaranteed us to get back in time. Cawder Castle, Culloden Battlefield, cairns, highland coos (aka cows), Loch Ness even though we didn't see Nessie. Thanks, From Texas

Excellent 50 minute cruise of Loch Neas with stories, stats, and a bit of humor. These guys do a…read moregreat job! There is a bar on board and the restroom is clean.

The weather (although not in their control) was Beautiful, they took us up close to Urquhart Castle…read moreas well as showing us where the live camera was so we could continue our search for Nessie once we got back to the states. The captain explained the sonar and told his own story of catching something peculiar on it. He also let our kids each take a turn at the wheel since it was such a fine day! They will allow up to 2 dogs onboard so if you're bringing yours on vacation do call up and see if they have room.

The Clansman offers lovely views of the Loch, but for tonight anyway, that was all if offered. I…read morewent with my family and parents to get some dessert--just a party of 6--and it felt like we were conspicuously avoided by all the staff. We were there for over half an hour, and after my parents were given their preliminary order of tea, we essentially became invisible. I might have been more understanding and patient if the restaurant had been busy, but it was a quiet Tuesday evening where not even half the tables were filled and there were numerous waiters and waitresses who didn't seem particularly harried. So we finally got up and left. One of the staff thanked me on my way out and I wanted to say, "For what?" Also, for all the lovely views of the Loch, I couldn't stop my eyes from being drawn to the half-dozen massive flies skittering across the windows. Gross. Disappointed.

I didn't stay at this hotel but I did shop at their gift shop: Loch Ness Nessie Shop. We had time…read morebefore and after our Loch Ness cruise to shop here before moving on to our next destination. They have a lot of Scottish souvenirs here along with some essentials like tissues and cough drops. They had a lot of Nessie stuffed dolls and stuffed Highland coos (cows). They even had Nessie condoms if you believe it. The staff was really kind and efficient. I found these really cute Scottie dog earrings in sterling silver here. They also sell whiskey and lots of it. They had gift sets but won't sell any alcohol before 10 am. I bought a few bottles and a small souvenir gift set of Isle of Islay single malt whiskey. They did not permit photos to be taken inside the gift shop.