Where to base yourself
Inverness city centre and the riverside
Hotels along both banks of the Ness and guesthouses in the streets behind them, within walking distance of the station, restaurants and pubs. The best choice without a car and for early-morning tour departures.
Drumnadrochit
A village on the A82 near Urquhart Castle, with hotels, B&Bs, the Loch Ness Centre and cruise departures. Busy by day with coach parties, quiet at night.
Fort Augustus
A lively canal-side village at the south end of the loch, midway between Inverness and Fort William — a good overnight stop on a journey through the Great Glen.
Dores, Foyers and the south shore
The peaceful side of the loch: a few inns, B&Bs and lodges on quiet roads, with the best walking and the fewest coaches. You will need a car.
Food & drink
Inverness has the best eating in the northern Highlands: restaurants along the river serving Highland beef, venison, west-coast shellfish and Moray Firth fish, alongside gastropubs and cafés. Whisky bars stock malts from the nearby Speyside and Highland distilleries, and several pubs have live traditional music nightly. Around the loch, look for inns with a view — the one on the beach at Dores is the best known — and for Cullen skink, the smoked-haddock soup that comes from the coast just to the east. Reserve dinner in summer.
Tips: saving money and staying safe
- Urquhart Castle is busiest between 11 am and 3 pm, when tour coaches and cruise boats converge. Go at opening time or late afternoon.
- The Culloden battlefield itself is free to walk at any time; you pay only for the visitor centre.
- A Historic Scotland Explorer Pass covers Urquhart Castle and Fort George as well as Edinburgh and Stirling castles.
- The south side of Loch Ness (B862/B852) is slower but far quieter and prettier than the A82.
- For dolphins at Chanonry Point, check the tide tables: arrive about an hour after low tide.
- Starting the North Coast 500 from here? Stock up and fill the tank in Inverness — see our road trips guide.
- The loch is extremely cold all year. Swim only close to shore and with care.
Sample plans
One day
- Morning: drive or take a coach to Urquhart Castle; cruise on the loch from Clansman Harbour or Drumnadrochit.
- Lunch in Drumnadrochit or at Dores beach.
- Afternoon: Culloden Battlefield and Clava Cairns.
- Evening walk on the Ness Islands and live music in town.
Two days
- Day 1: a full circuit of Loch Ness — A82 to Urquhart Castle and Fort Augustus, back by the south shore and the Falls of Foyers.
- Day 2: Culloden and Clava in the morning, Fort George or Cawdor Castle after lunch, then Chanonry Point for the dolphins on the right tide.
Three days
- Add a day tour to the Isle of Skye,
- or a day in Glen Affric,
- or a Speyside distillery day.
Where to stay: Loch Ness & Inverness
Kingsmills Hotel
A long-established four-star hotel in its own gardens about a mile from the city centre, with a pool and spa.
Ness Walk
A five-star hotel on the tree-lined bank of the River Ness, a ten-minute riverside walk from the centre.
Loch Ness Clansman Hotel
A hotel on the A82 directly above Loch Ness, beside the harbour where the Urquhart Castle cruises depart.
