Last outward sailing from mainland 3.30pm, last entry 4pm A boat will ferry you to one of Scotland's oldest castles , where Mary Queen of Scots spent a traumatic year. Probably built in the early 1300s, it was said to have been visited by Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Independence. The Pier is next to the Boathouse Restaurant.
Oh goodness, it was a gorgeous day! Took the first boat at 10am (bought ticket day before but highly recommended is to buy it a few days before!). Great experience on the loch, it was like a mirror, and at the interesting castle. Skipper was Steve, he explained about the wildlife a bit on the boat and answered questions. In the store is Ray who is real fun. Just a wonderful experience all around.
Another amazing wee Castle to visit if you find yourself in the area. This Castle sits on its own small island within Loch Leven. To get to the Castle you will need to take a small boat, the boat ride over takes like 10 or 15 minutes. The boat only takes up to 12 people at a time if I remember rightly. Probably best to book tickets in advance as the boat leaves at certain times of the day, im sure its every 45 minutes, so booking a ticket will let you know when to arrive saves you from waiting around. There are public toilets on the island and loads of places to take really nice. It's really easy to walk around the entire Castle and island although I'm not to sure if it would be suitable for prams or wheelchairs. Probably best to ask when booking tickets. There are some benches and tables on the island so maybe pack a small picnic there's no shops on the island to buy anything. It's uninhabited.
A great castle full of history . Mary Queen of Scots was held prisoners here before escaping . It's a 45 min tour on the island as you can only access it by boat . Just for it's location it's well worth the visit .
A unique experience for a Scottish castle. Picnic benches are available on the island, inside and outside the castle, so taking a picnic is definitely possible.
Visited using our explorer pass. The castle is on an Island and needs to be reached via boat which runs every 45 minutes with maximum capacity of 10-12 people. So, pre booking is necessary to avoid disappointment. Free car parking onsite.
Lovely trip for an afternoon - but definitely check the wind and rain forecast. Booked the ferry in advance (MAX 12 PEOPLE) and turned up to wait for the ticket office to open at 10am. Short journey over with some nice commentary from the captain. We were warned in advance that the wind could get bad enough that they would have to take us off the island early, but this didn't happen. Small island - you can see all of the castle and read the boards in about half an hour, but longer if you take your time. Picnic benches both inside the castle walls and without, though neither particularly protected from wind or rain. Toilets on the island - but no running water. Hand sanitizer provided though! Also no bins on the island, so you must take your own rubbish home. Our group did have to split up on the return journey - with half waiting 45 mins for the next boat! - but we were a large party and a couple cut in front of us in the ferry queue, so no fault of the staff! We did get wet on the return journey as water came in over the sides of the boat - worth having a raincoat and maybe a plastic bag to sit on. Staff were all kind and friendly.
On-site services
Wheelchair-accessible car park
Wheelchair-accessible entrance
Getting tickets in advance recommended
Good for kids
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Oh goodness, it was a gorgeous day! Took the first boat at 10am (bought ticket day before but highly recommended is to buy it a few days before!). Great experience on the loch, it was like a mirror, and at the interesting castle. Skipper was Steve, he explained about the wildlife a bit on the boat and answered questions. In the store is Ray who is real fun. Just a wonderful experience all around.
Another amazing wee Castle to visit if you find yourself in the area. This Castle sits on its own small island within Loch Leven. To get to the Castle you will need to take a small boat, the boat ride over takes like 10 or 15 minutes. The boat only takes up to 12 people at a time if I remember rightly. Probably best to book tickets in advance as the boat leaves at certain times of the day, im sure its every 45 minutes, so booking a ticket will let you know when to arrive saves you from waiting around. There are public toilets on the island and loads of places to take really nice. It's really easy to walk around the entire Castle and island although I'm not to sure if it would be suitable for prams or wheelchairs. Probably best to ask when booking tickets. There are some benches and tables on the island so maybe pack a small picnic there's no shops on the island to buy anything. It's uninhabited.
A great castle full of history . Mary Queen of Scots was held prisoners here before escaping . It's a 45 min tour on the island as you can only access it by boat . Just for it's location it's well worth the visit .
A unique experience for a Scottish castle. Picnic benches are available on the island, inside and outside the castle, so taking a picnic is definitely possible.
Visited using our explorer pass. The castle is on an Island and needs to be reached via boat which runs every 45 minutes with maximum capacity of 10-12 people. So, pre booking is necessary to avoid disappointment. Free car parking onsite.
Lovely trip for an afternoon - but definitely check the wind and rain forecast. Booked the ferry in advance (MAX 12 PEOPLE) and turned up to wait for the ticket office to open at 10am. Short journey over with some nice commentary from the captain. We were warned in advance that the wind could get bad enough that they would have to take us off the island early, but this didn't happen. Small island - you can see all of the castle and read the boards in about half an hour, but longer if you take your time. Picnic benches both inside the castle walls and without, though neither particularly protected from wind or rain. Toilets on the island - but no running water. Hand sanitizer provided though! Also no bins on the island, so you must take your own rubbish home. Our group did have to split up on the return journey - with half waiting 45 mins for the next boat! - but we were a large party and a couple cut in front of us in the ferry queue, so no fault of the staff! We did get wet on the return journey as water came in over the sides of the boat - worth having a raincoat and maybe a plastic bag to sit on. Staff were all kind and friendly.
