Hello, friends: We are taking a Rabbie's tour from Edinburgh to Loch Ness. There is an optional cruise.
I realize the cruise will take us near Urquhart Castle, but is it possible to hike around part of the lake or to the castle from the bus parking lot? We only have about 90 or so minutes, so I understand any hike or walking will need to fit into that time frame. After sitting on the bus it might be nice to walk instead of the cruise, but perhaps the views are not as favorable?
Where is the bus lot? I do know when we were driving from Drumnadrochit to the castle we noticed many people walking a path toward the castle. There appears to be maintained trails in that area. Honestly, we were underwhelmed by the ruins-which is odd for me, and seeing them from a boat may have been enough.
This is a map of the site-
https://www.historicenvironment.scot/media/7975/urquhart-castle-map.pdf
And this is google maps showing that it is a walk down from the parking lot to where the above map starts-
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Urquhart+Castle/@57.3243759,-4.4447116,18z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x488f13e20178670b:0x996126cfcd3d2df0!8m2!3d57.3241399!4d-4.4420012!16zL20vMDQxN3hf
So you will get a bit of exercise around the site.
Apart from the site there is no Lochside walking and it's a busy main road. The walking is high above this side of the Loch.
Personally I think the Castle is set to it's best and it's intended advantage from the boat, but that's just my own two pennorth.
If you are on the cruise which Rabbie's do that is the one from Fort Augustus which is on a high speed open RIB style boat, with no shelter, rather than the conventional boats which run from Dochgarroch and The Clansman Hotel. You get wet on the RIB's.!!
Allan, what do you get when you cross and elephant and a rhino? Hellifino!! Still, a good question. Thank you. I'm guessing the bus lot is the same as the visitor's center (posted by isn31c).
isn31c, thanks for the information. I hope it's a warm day. Not much fun getting wet if it's cool and breezy. Maybe I should take a flask of whisky.
It appears to me we can do the 45-minute cruise and have time to walk to the castle if we wish, maybe as much for exercise as anything else.
Here's an idea that doesn't need looking up on Google......why not ask Rabbie's? Send them an email with your question. They will give you the definitive answer as to timing, where they park, etc.
Frank II, I did, but I was hoping to get other perspectives from people who have been there.
Still waiting to hear from Rabbies. It's been a few days since I emailed them. I'm not as dumb as I look, or so mom tells me.
There is a tarmaced path from the car park down to the Castle. The A82 is a busy main road. There is a narrow sidewalk beside it going north from the castle which takes you to Lewiston and Drumnadrochit, so you could walk along this for views of the loch and surrounding area. You may have to share it with cyclists though... There is no public footpath along the side of the loch.
Best views of the castle are from the loch.
wasleys, thank you. Well, that settles it. We'll take the cruise and if there is enough time left we'll hike up to the castle.
