Loch Ness Cruise: Mythical Waters & Monster Secrets

Went on the Caledonian canal / Loch Ness 2hr cruise in November. We were visiting Inverness for the 1st time & had come up by train. Used bus 919 at 1110hrs from Stance 2 at Inverness bus station to get us to Dochgarroch (the boarding point), which is a journey of 15 mins or so. Booked online as we set off, & it was all very easy (even for a technophobe like me). Warm welcome from staff on arrival & a bit of time to peruse the amazing gift shop, get a nice cuppa, & explore the canal towpath nearby. The lady who boarded us was really friendly. It began to snow as we set off, & with the snow from the day before, it was magical. The guy doing the commentary was very witty, but also massively knowledgeable. There was lots of info, without it being info overload. Very relaxing atmosphere on board. Lady at the bar was lovely & there is a choice of hot / cold & alcoholic drink onboard. The scenery is breathtaking... there is no other word! Had we had longer, would've liked to have gone to the castle as that looked very interesting too. Would normally post some of the wonderful pics we got, but a phone issue means we sadly can't 😥 The friendly staff, professionalism of the operators, scenery, information, and overall made us really glad we'd chosen to go. Highly recommend it if your in the area. The return bus was at 1523hrs from just outside the centre at Dochgarroch. Equally, a taxi wouldn't be too expensive, or on a nice day it is even walkable if you have the time. Return bus fare for 2 from Inverness bus station was only about £10 btw.

Beautiful and interesting trip. Excellent experience and very good value for money! Everything you could wish for

A very informative boat trip with plenty to see. The cruise went past Urquhart Castle four times to give passengers the best photographic opportunities.

We booked the contemplation cruise and it was excellent. We chose this cruise as we had previously been to Urquart Castle. Ewan was our guide and his commentary was entertaining and very informative. We also highly recommend the hot chocolate with a wee dram. Cheers from a couple of Aussies.

It certainly did not feel like a 2 hour trip. Peter our host was knowledgable and funny and gave lots of interesting information about the lich and its history. Nessie didn't show up but the hot chocolate with whisky made up for thaf. The location also had a superb shop and a lovely cafe both worth a visit even if you aren't doing a cruise. Would certsinly go again.

We joined the Loch Ness tour at the last minute, and we are so glad we changed our minds. It turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip. The views are absolutely breathtaking — truly something from another world. During the tour, we learned about the legend of Nessie as well as the local wildlife that inhabits the area, which added a fun and informative touch to the experience. The boarding process was quick and well-organised, and everyone had their own seated place on the boat. Afterwards, passengers were free to move around, which allowed us to capture plenty of photos and videos from different perspectives. The scenery alone makes this experience unforgettable. A beautiful and relaxing tour that we would definitely recommend.

The boat is clean and comfy. The bar prices aren't too steep. The Loch is beautiful in all weathers, it was wonderful even with an overcast sky. The guide was interesting, lots of facts about the loch and its legends. No Nessie sighting this time. Maybe next time!

Great trip along the loch! Guide was very fun and filled us in on tons of facts. Also chatted with us individually, making the experience nice and personal. Love seeing the loch and perfect amount of time. Definitely recommend!

Keiran was an outstanding guide. All of the staff and captain were great to interact with and so kind! We loved learning about the Loch and getting to interact with Keiran to share in some of his personal stories was perfect. We recommend this to everyone! It was cold, but not too bad to start our tour up top. After we started back, we went indoors and got a chance to interact with the host and more of the crew. Such a great experience.

We had a lovely time on our two hour cruise! We lucked out with mostly clear weather for our trip, which allowed us to really see the beautiful views of the Loch Ness and the surrounding trees changing colors (going in late autumn was the move!) The boat was nice and clean and the staff was lovely. Particularly, our guide Kieran. He was very knowledgeable, personable and kind. We connected with him right away and it made our experience even more memorable. Given it's early November, the boat wasn't that busy and we had plenty of room to move about from the upper and covered seating areas. Be sure to plan ahead with how you'll get to/from the venue, as the busses don't run that frequently. We enjoyed a delicious lunch from the on-site cafe, An Talla, while waiting for the bus, which made us two happy gals after our cruise!