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Closed until Apr 1, 2025
Lochleven Castle
Lochleven Castle
4.5
Temporarily closedClosed until Apr 1, 2025
About
Lochleven is associated with many colourful events and has been visited by countless distinguished personalities during its history. The castle will be forever associated in the memory with another Stewart sovereign, Mary Queen of Scots. She first visited in 1561 as a guest of the owner, Sir William Douglas. But her last stay, in 1567-8, was as his prisoner. It was at Lochleven that she was compelled to abdicate her throne in favour of her infant son, James VI. The castle walls held her for less than a year. In May 1568 she escaped across the loch and before that month was out she was in exile in England. She never saw her native land again. Accessed by small passenger boat. Sailings run on a shuttle basis to and from the island on demand.
Duration: < 1 hour
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See what travellers are saying
- RustyAberdeen, United Kingdom29 contributionsBoat trip and castle what’s not to loveVery friendly staff. Boat trip over and back was brill. Stunning views of the loch and castle. Never seen so many swans in the one place. Everything was well documented so you knew what you were looking at and who you had been before you Thank you for a lovely trip Oh take a picnic lovely’s spots to sit and unlike us hopefully the sun will shine (it’s Scotland ya will love it anyway) Cheers for a very memorable experienceVisited May 2024Travelled with friendsWritten May 24, 2024
- kevinna hGlasgow, United Kingdom139 contributionsBeautiful scenery 😍This little castle island is absolutely stunning. The views are breath taken. The boat trip out was nice and short and the water wasnt chappy at all. The lovely guys at the boatshed that drives the boat was amazing. The castle itself is stunning. With access to the second and third floor. Stairs are step so be careful but totally worth the visitVisited May 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten May 30, 2024
- sectioncommandInvergowrie, United Kingdom151 contributionsGreat visitWe had a great visit to the castle, we were not sure about the boat as it was smaller than I thought but the journey over was actually pleasant. The castle was enjoyable it was a wee bit windy on the day, but all was good . The boat driver was very informative as we crossed the loch. Very polite and helpful staff.Visited June 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten June 22, 2024
- Darryn_FewsterEdinburgh, United Kingdom172 contributionsA great, friendly and welcoming glimpse into History in the areaWe booked the early boat, 10:15 hours over to the island, which worked for us as we have a young 14 month old. Arriving as requested, 10 minutes early, we were able to buy brochures for the adults and make sure that the youngster was looking forward to the trip. Luckily for us the day was a fantastic summer's day, you don't get many of those in this area, with sunshine and flatwater. The boat ride over was easy and Hannah, who was driving it, did a great job in answering all the questions from the people on board. On arriving at the island a thorough brief was conducted on barking from the vessel as well as do's and don'ts on the historic site. Walking around for the allotted time, roughly an hour, we found that we were able to cover all of the significant aspects of the castle. Of the points to note, if you miss the next boat you will end up potentially having to wait longer for the boats after that, as they run on a first come first serve basis with only 12 people as a maximum on board . Walking around the historic site was not only interesting but educational. There is signboards with information.about the entire site and you are able to learn a great deal, as well as immerse yourself in the history of the site. I would recommend a visit to the castle, for people that live in the local area as well as those travelling through. It's run by a great organisation and contributes significantly to the upkeep of historic areas, as well as being interesting. Limiting factors would be wheelchair users or those with difficulty getting in and out of boats on water.Visited August 2024Travelled with familyWritten September 26, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
339 reviews
Excellent
182
Very good
119
Average
27
Poor
5
Terrible
6
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Amade
94 contributions
Aug 2023 • Family
It is a ruined castle located on an islet in the middle of the lake. There are quite a few information panels in English that help you learn about the place and its history.
It is advisable to book in advance since there are few places on the boat, although I suppose demand will depend on the time of year.
You have to be very careful where you sit on the boat because you can end up soaked.
It is advisable to book in advance since there are few places on the boat, although I suppose demand will depend on the time of year.
You have to be very careful where you sit on the boat because you can end up soaked.
Written September 2, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sectioncommand
Invergowrie, UK151 contributions
Jun 2024 • Couples
We had a great visit to the castle, we were not sure about the boat as it was smaller than I thought but the journey over was actually pleasant. The castle was enjoyable it was a wee bit windy on the day, but all was good . The boat driver was very informative as we crossed the loch. Very polite and helpful staff.
Written June 22, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Struan101
Dollar, UK71 contributions
May 2023
Really enjoyable visit. Castle interesting and boat trip across filled with facts. Amazing views from the castle with loads of wildlife. Many thanks to Steven, Simon, and Hannah for being so friendly and helpful. Remember to book to make sure you can get on the boat - and take a picnic :)
Written May 30, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PaulH
Dunfermline, UK41 contributions
Aug 2023 • Couples
2 boat trips and an island to yourself for a tenner ...... whats not to like? Great little 1/2 day out, highly recommended. Better to pre book online and save your space on the boat you want.
Written August 10, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
kevinna h
Glasgow, UK139 contributions
May 2024 • Couples
This little castle island is absolutely stunning. The views are breath taken. The boat trip out was nice and short and the water wasnt chappy at all. The lovely guys at the boatshed that drives the boat was amazing.
The castle itself is stunning. With access to the second and third floor. Stairs are step so be careful but totally worth the visit
The castle itself is stunning. With access to the second and third floor. Stairs are step so be careful but totally worth the visit
Written May 31, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rusty
Aberdeen, UK29 contributions
May 2024 • Friends
Very friendly staff. Boat trip over and back was brill. Stunning views of the loch and castle. Never seen so many swans in the one place.
Everything was well documented so you knew what you were looking at and who you had been before you
Thank you for a lovely trip
Oh take a picnic lovely’s spots to sit and unlike us hopefully the sun will shine (it’s Scotland ya will love it anyway)
Cheers for a very memorable experience
Everything was well documented so you knew what you were looking at and who you had been before you
Thank you for a lovely trip
Oh take a picnic lovely’s spots to sit and unlike us hopefully the sun will shine (it’s Scotland ya will love it anyway)
Cheers for a very memorable experience
Written May 24, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RenaissanceMan
64 contributions
Jun 2019 • Couples
If you are interested in castles--especially castles that were visited by historic figures--then Lochleven is one to visit. The short boat ride is interesting in that the weather can be quite windy--and the lake therefore VERY choppy, with surprisingly big waves--and cool. Whatever, the castle is a good place to follow Mary, Queen of Scots' timeline.
Written July 4, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JimandJennifer
Edinburgh Scotland7 contributions
Jun 2016 • Friends
I am willing to believe that the many positive reviews of the boat trip to Lochleven Castle are true, but those contributors were lucky enough to have been there when the boat was running! I pre-visited the pier and verified times etc, prior to bring along visitors. Today when we turned up, on one of the most glorious days of the summer so far, I was told that the ferry would not be running as one member of staff had phoned in "sick". This is not the way to run a tourist attraction. I will be most reluctant to return and will not recommend this excursion to others in the future.
Written June 1, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PeregrineFife
Dundee, UK9 contributions
Aug 2015 • Couples
Tried to book on-line yesterday evening but site wouldn't let me. So we drove all the way there this afternoon only to find that every single boat was booked. I asked if I could book for later in the week but the man in the ticket office said they didn't take advance bookings. If I wanted to come early morning and book a boat, then wander around for a while till the departure time I might be lucky! A very poor customer experience from Historic Scotland - this needs sorting.
Written August 11, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for bringing this issue to our attention. I have checked with our E-commerce Team to see if there were any technical issues with the online booking system but it appears to have been working fine.
We can understand your frustration at having travelled to the site and still not being able to book. We are currently looking at our booking procedure to see how we can improve it so that future visitors don’t experience the same issues.
In the meantime if you would still like to visit Lochleven Castle please call the site directly and they will ensure you are booked on a suitable date 01577 862670
Written August 26, 2015
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jeff Curtis
Plainfield, IN7 contributions
Sept 2019 • Couples
Castle were Mary, Queen of Scots was held prisoner and abdicated the throne. Nice 10-minuteboarmt ride to the island. Not a large castle but worth a visit.
Written October 9, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There is no cafe on the island/ in the castle itself, thought you have a couple of cafes in the mainland, really close to the place where you take the boat, so you can take a drink or snack before or after the boat.
Written August 21, 2019
Where do I get tickets for the boat
Written August 14, 2018
From where do I book tickets for the boat over to the island?
Written August 14, 2018
.
It can be booked on line and you will be given a timed slot. Ideal when during busy periods. You can also turn up on the day but may have to wait. If you have children with you there is a play park nearby.
Written September 30, 2018
Are buoyancy aids provided for children?
Written July 17, 2018
Yes, when we were there, there were plenty on board of the boat. They are not mandatory, but we were told that whoever wanted one, could you get one.
Written July 19, 2018
Boat tickets booked where do we actually pick up the tickets & boat Thank you
Written September 7, 2017
Hi Susan,
Tickets can be picked up from the Boat House at the Kinross Ferry Landing. The boat will leave from here too.
I hope that helps and enjoy your visit.
Best regards
Written September 8, 2017
No u can spend as long as you want. There is a boat back ever 45mins.
Written September 3, 2017
How can I get to Lockleven Castle from Edinburgh by public transportation (not taxi), and does the Historic Scotland Pass cover the boat ride out to the Castle?
Thanks, Faith
Written July 24, 2016
Hi, you can get a bus to the town then walk to the Loch. The boat ride there and back was a few pounds, takes about 10minutes to cross the loch. Not sure whether its covered under your Pass, sorry
Written July 26, 2016
cristina F
Barcelona, Spain
Me gustaria saber la frecuencia de paso de los barcos tanto de ida como de vuelta. Gracias.
Written October 11, 2015
The boats sail from 10am to 3.15pm in October. Specific sailing times within that time period can be obtained from the site directly by calling 01577 862670. Enjoy your visit!
Written October 12, 2015
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