Loch Ness 1-Hour Cruise with Urquhart Castle Views

Overview

Available languages

English

1 hour

Mobile ticket

Discover the mystery surrounding Loch Ness on a 1-hour cruise from Clansman Harbour. Situated only a twenty minutes’ drive from central Inverness, Loch Ness is one of the world’s most famous lakes. Climb aboard a cruise boat and make your way across the mysterious loch, taking in awe-inspiring natural vistas of lush greenery and rambling hills. Admire views of the romantic ruins of Urquhart Castle and, with the boat’s sonar system, join in the quest for the loch’s most famous resident, Nessie, the 'Loch Ness Monster.'

Additional Info

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller

Service animals allowed

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Approximately a 20 minute (10.4 miles) drive from Inverness

Advised arrival time during summer is 30min prior to departure

Not recommended for travellers with limited mobility

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What‘s Included

1-hour sightseeing cruise

Free Wi-Fi on board

Hotel pickup and drop-off

Food and drinks (snacks available to purchase)

Gratuities

What To Expect

Urquhart Castle

Sail through the waters of Loch Ness as you approach the historic Urquhart Castle that rests on the banks of Loch Ness. Absorb the scenery from the boat as you pass by the once mighty strong hold - making for a perfect picture opportunity!

Admission Not Applicable

Loch Ness

All aboard and explore the mighty Loch Ness! As you depart on our catamaran sailing through the mysterious waters. You will be surrounded by stunning scenery and historical landmarks. Keep your eyes peeled for anything mysterious that may be lurking beneath!

1 hour • Admission Not Applicable

Options

Departure times

Departure: 1-hour sightseeing cruise departing The Clansman Harbour

Reviews

4.42

1,082 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

715

196

105

Great Way to see the Loch!
Amy M,
Nov 2, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Our family loved seeing Loch Ness on this boating experience. It was very informative and comfortable with indoor/outdoor seating.
HalloweenNess
Burmadays36,
Nov 1, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
The hour long boat trip on 31.10.25 with Jacobite Cruises was so enjoyable. All the staff were friendly, helpful and informative. The weather was pretty much perfect with little wind so Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle were at their best. There was a potted history of Loch Ness playing inside the boat which was very interesting.
Travel with a group and a pup!
CatB2014,
Oct 31, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
We were traveling as a group of 4+a pup. I was able to book the other 3 people in our group on a boat trip+Urquhart Castle tour while the pup and I booked the 1 hour boat cruise. It was really neat because our boat picked up the other 3 from the castle so we got to experience half the trip together while they still got to experience the castle! The booking process was easy, the boarding process was easy. We really enjoyed the experience.
Very enjoyable trip on the loch
X4102CTjohnf,
Oct 22, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Very enjoyable trip out onto the Loch, the boat was very comfortable, all the amenities you want onboard, the crew were very friendly and polite, very clean, excellent story of the history of the Loch, and can’t mark them down on this no sighting of Nessie 🙄
Worth to go
ray l,
Oct 21, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Nice staff, luxury boat, beautiful view, accurate time arrange and good coffee. I would recommend getting on board at 9am.
Skip this one...
mspaich,
Oct 20, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
3.00
This was a 'meh' experience.... to be fair the lake is massive so to go around the whole thing would take much longer than an hour but I at least thought we'd spend half the time on either side of the lake to see the most of it that we could. Instead if you book the 1 hour cruise only with no exploring of the castle you're really just on a taxi ride to take people to the castle and then back the exact way you came. There wasn't much info about the lake/legends and you couldn't really hear it if you sat outside. Overall I'd rather have found a smaller more private type tour to actually spend the day going all around and enjoying more scenery. Wouldn't do this again.
Great tour.
Toadlapidus,
Oct 19, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Great tour of the loch Ness with Jacobite cruise. The tour boat was great with a little cafe place inside. You can stay inside or out. The scenery around the loch is amazing. Great views of the Urquhart Castle too with audio commentaries about the local history. Would recommend. unfortunately Nessy was shy and did not show up on the day of the visit :)
Great value for money
Kate C,
Oct 19, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Easy boarding process, snacks on board, great views. Great way to explore the lake if you don’t have a lot of time to explore. There is audio on the vessel explaining history of the area, and of course Nessie. Great value for money.
Fantastic
Louise G,
Oct 14, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
We really enjoyed this cruise/castle trip. The staff on board the boat were lovely and there was plenty of information on the history of the loch and surrounding area. The castle was also really interesting and well worth a visit
We missed Nessie!
Kerrie H,
Oct 13, 2025
- Review from Viator
3.00
Its a boat ride out on the loch. You get to see the castle ruins from the boat or you can pay extra to get off to see the ruins up closer. Theres not a lot more to see unless you really believe you might see a monster.