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Loch Ness Cruise Shore Excursion Review – All You Need to Know

Are you thinking of taking a Loch Ness cruise shore excursion from Invergordon?

Well here is everything you need to know to decide if this trip is right for you.

Read on for all the practical information including travel time, steps, stops and more.

? Cruise Resources for You ?

Short on Time?

Here’s a quick summary;

Total travel timeAround 2.5 hours
Stop in Inverness Included?Not always – it depends on the ship. Check the itinerary. It will only be a photo stop anyway
Are There Steps?There are large uneven steps from the car park to the boat pier area
Boat Trip Length?Total time on the cruise is 50 minutes
Bathrooms?At the hotel by the coach parking and on the boat
Suitable for Wheelchairs? Walkers?The large steps and pathway down to the pier area are not suited for wheelchairs and walkers
Loch Ness Cruise Shore Excursion Quick Summary

Loch Ness Cruise Shore Excursion

How Long is the Loch Ness Cruise Excursion?

This tour generally operates as a half day (4.5 hour) tour from Invergordon Cruise Port. The boat trip is 50 minutes long. There may be a short photo stop in Inverness (generally not). Travelling time is 2.5-3 hours depending on traffic.

Loch Ness Cruise Shore Excursion

Travelling to Loch Ness

Loch Ness is on the other side of Inverness. It’s 35 miles if travelling the most direct route to where the boat trips depart from. If travelling the longer route via Beauly the journey takes 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Most Loch Ness cruise ship excursions travel back to the ship via different routes so guests have different views to enjoy and the timings depend on when the boat trip has been booked for.

The excursions don’t all operate the same way ie via Inverness. If there are several tours departing the cruise ship company will reverse routes to avoid having all the tours arriving at Loch Ness together.

Loch Ness Cruise Shore Excursion

Stopping in Inverness – Some Do and Some Don’t

Some tours include a tour through Inverness, which generally doesn’t take long as it is pretty small. This will likely include a drive along part of the River Ness and a view of the castle.

Some tours include a brief stop in Inverness for a photo. The coach parking in Inverness is right beside Inverness Cathedral. It’s a good spot to take a walk along the side of the River Ness.

The Cathedral has a small cafe beside it, and there are generally food trucks along the river.

The only issue is that there are no public toilets near the coach parking area. There are some hotels nearby. The nearest publicly accessible toilets are at the opposite end of the High Street from the Cathedral in the Eastgate shopping centre.

If there is a photo stop is likely to be quite short – around 15 or 20 minutes in total.

loch ness cruise shore excursion

Loch Ness Cruise Shore Excursion

The Clansman Hotel – Where Boat Trips Depart From

Once you arrive at the Clansman Hotel the coach will be directed to a parking space. There is very limited parking at the hotel, given its location squeezed beside the road.

The hotel has toilets on the ground floor just inside the main entrance. There is quite a large gift shop on the ground floor too, just to the left-hand side of the hotel reception.

The boat trip does not depart from the hotel.

You must follow the walkway under the road to reach the pier.

First look for the sign that says ‘This Way For Your Boat Trip’

loch ness cruise shore excursion this way to your cruise

The sign is easy to spot as it’s right next to Nessie.

You then need to walk down the steps and through the narrow tunnel which goes under the road.

loch ness cruise steps

The steps are large and uneven, and there is only a handrail at the top part of the steps.

loch ness cruise tunnel

Once you pass through the tunnel you need to walk down the sloping path to the pier area.

loch ness cruise shore excursion pier

Loch Ness Cruise Shore Excursion

Boarding the Boat

To board the boat you must have a token. Your tour guide will distribute these once he/she has collected them from the ticket office. Some guides give them out in the coach park and some on the pier itself.

It’s a small yellow token that the boat uses for a headcount.

If the cruise is going to be busy the crew might preboard by taking the tokens and asking guests to wait in the lower loading area.

If you have walking aids then you might find it easier to board from the front of the ship. Just ask the crew or your tour guide who will be happy to assist.

PT Note

There is only one small shelter at the pier. This means if it is raining you will be standing outside in the rain until the boat arrives and you can board.

Loch Ness Cruise Shore Excursion

The Cruise Boat

The cruise boat can take around 250 people and it can be very busy.

Downstairs Amenities

  • Seating around tables for 6-8 people at each table
  • 3 toilets at the rear of the boat
  • Bar serving refreshments including hot drinks, snacks, alcohol (including local beer and whisky)
  • Sonar screens show what is happening under the water as the boat cruises loch
  • Small aft (front) viewing area outside
  • Small rear viewing area
  • Steps up to the upper deck (quite steep)

Upper Deck

  • Bench seating outside which does not have any cover or shelter
  • It can be quite breezy on Loch Ness so it’s worth taking a windproof/waterproof layer and a must if you are planning to be outside.

Loch Ness Cruise Shore Excursion

The Cruise

  • The cruise itself is 50 minutes from departure to return.
  • The cruise departs and heads South from the Clansman Hotel to Urquhart Castle.
  • The journey starts with a safety briefing – this can be quite loud.
  • There is then a commentary given during the cruise – it is pre-recorded.
  • Once the boat reaches Urquhart Castle the captain will turn the boat so that guests on either side get a great view of the castle ruins. The best view of Urquhart Castle is from the water.
  • The boat will generally make a stop at Urquhart Castle where some guests may get off before some other guests get on.

PT Tip

If you want to move seats, the best time to do this is when guests get off at Urquhart Castle, before the next guests board.

IMPORTANT

If you are on a cruise as part of a shore excursion from Invergordon port that is running as a half-day tour you do not get off the ship at Urquhart Castle. You stay on board and return to the Clansman Hotel.

Loch Ness Cruise Shore Excursion

Returning to the Clansman Hotel

  • When the boat returns to the Clansman Hotel it can be quite busy as everyone gets off the boat together. If the tour guide hasn’t told you the time to be back on the coach then they may well be beside the pier so just check with them if you need to.
  • Given the timings of a half-day tour, it’s generally straight back to the coaches for the return leg unless you are desperate to use the loo.

Loch Ness Cruise Shore Excursion

Returning to Invergordon

  • If you have travelled via Inverness to reach the Clansman Hotel you will then return via a different route back to the ship.
  • After leaving the Clansman Hotel the coach will head South down Loch Ness.
  • Once you reach the village of Drumnadrochit the coach will turn inland and head towards Beauly.
  • This is a scenic drive across heather moorland and through Highland villages.
  • You will then follow the edge of the Cromarty Firth back to Invergordon.

Loch Ness Cruise Shore Excursion Conclusion

  • This half-day tour is a good way to see a mix of scenery as well as enjoying a boat trip on Loch Ness
  • The boat trip is 50 minutes long and it can be quite busy on cruise ship days
  • There is no seating or shelter whilst waiting to board the boat
  • This tour is tricky to do on your own but there are some private tour options available from Invergordon

Links You Might Find Helpful:
Loch Ness Tour – private car tour for 3 people including 50 minute boat trip on Loch Ness
Private Shore Excursion Operators in Invergordon
More Private Shore Excursion Operators in Invergordon

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