Caledonian Canal and Loch Ness Sightseeing Cruise

Recommended by 95% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Inverness, Scotland

50 minutes (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Delve into the legends of Loch Ness and admire the scenery of the Caledonian Canal without the land-based crowds on this 50-minute cruise from Dochgarroch. Discover the secrets of Loch Ness and search for the Loch Ness Monster (aka Nessie) using on-board sonar technology. Plus, you'll get unrivaled views of the Bona Lighthouse and Aldourie Castle from the water.

Sightseeing cruise along the Caledonian Canal and Loch Ness
Take in sites of interest such as Aldourie Castle and Bona Lighthouse
Choose from multiple departure times to fit your schedule
Search for the legendary Loch Ness monster using technology on board

What's Included

50 minute round trip cruise

Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
Food and drinks

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Jacobite Loch Ness Cruises - Dochgarroch Lock
Dochgarroch Cottages, Dochgarroch, Inverness IV3 8JG, UK
You'll find us at Dochgarroch Lock where we have free parking, 4 miles out of Inverness down the A82. If using Google Maps, look for Loch Ness by Jacobite - Dochgarroch Lock. Please note: Invergordon Cruise Ship Terminal is 28 miles away—own transport required due to limited public transport

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

Hop aboard your sightseeing boat and cruise gently out onto the waters of Loch Ness to begin your tour. Then, sit back and relax on the journey along the historic Caledonian Canal — widely considered among the prettiest stretches of Loch Ness.

With your skipper at the helm, admire top landmarks including Aldourie Castle, Bona Lighthouse, and the crash site of a World War II Wellington Bomber from the water. Along the way, watch the on-board sonar for sightings of Nessie!

Afterward, return via coach to your departure point at Dochgarroch Lock and listen as your guide sheds light on the region’s rich history, legends, and myths.

Loch Ness by Jacobite (Pass By)

Caledonian Canal (Pass By)

Loch Ness

50 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed
Transportation is wheelchair accessible

Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Most travelers can participate
Invergordon Cruise Ship Terminal is 28 miles (45 mins) away—own transport required due to limited public transit.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 150 travelers

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Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

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Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Karsyn_D

We had a lot of fun. We did not have a lot of time to spend at Loch Ness and that is one of our biggest regrets of our trip to Scotland! We last-second booked this tour as we were going to drive through the area and had a little time to spare (this ended up being our allotted time for lunch and we ate in the car, haha!). Such a beautiful area and a nice prompt tour. Calm waters and a welcoming team! We would definitely do it again, but the longer version. If you do not have a lot of time, this tour was wonderful!

Reviews

4.8

based on 81 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

We booked last minute and...

Gillian_C, Aug 2025

We booked last minute and loved the whole experience. Easy drive from Inverness, smooth check-in and great cruise. Commentary was entertaining and informative. We were lucky to have a beautiful day to sit up top and take it all in. Lock activity when we arrived back was also interesting and we met some hairy coos as a bonus.

Was a great trip out to...

CarynAnn_L, Aug 2025

Was a great trip out to Loch ness. Loads of history and amazing sights! My son really enjoyed it and would love to go back 1 day.

5 Star

RAKHI_S, Aug 2025

It was an awesome trip😊 and really enjoyed 👌Kids were excited and loved it. 50 minutes went so quickly.

Short, Sweet, Beautiful

Karsyn_D, May 2025

This was a great little...

Annsley_M, Feb 2025

This was a great little cruise through the Loch Ness! We were able to see lots of things that you normally wouldn’t see when staying in the city. Definitely worth taking a couple of hours out of our day to do!

The boat trip itself was a beautiful...

Kenneth B, Aug 2017

The boat trip itself was a beautiful and informative one, with helpful comments along the way, and the bus ride back to the docks was similarly informative. The only down side was not providing enough time to explore the castle. We were encouraged to view the film before exploring the castle, which involved some time waiting in line, a few minutes viewing, and of course getting out of the theater we later learned that the film could have been viewed on YouTube, which would have given us more time to explore the castle itself. Better yet, give us about a half hour more time before loading us on the bus to return. I heard the same complaint from others, so I think it's a real problem with an easy solution. Still, we were pleased with the trip overall.

This tour was exactly as described. The...

Leah M, Aug 2017

This tour was exactly as described. The cruise left on time and was lovely. The bus left a little early and everyone was waiting for us. Leave a bit of time to find the bus. It will be well above the building.

Excellent a rewarding trip with...

Geoffrey P, Jun 2017

Excellent a rewarding trip with informative and entertaining guides both on the Cruise and return coach trip. The only downside was the very steep climb from Urquhart Castle to the return coach departure point.

I am sure that this tour is really...

Katerina P, Aug 2016

I am sure that this tour is really wonderful, but if I can provide advice - do not rely on the standard bus system to get to the Dochgarroch docks. I did - but the buses are often late and there is no guarantee that they will stop when they should. Due to mine stopping 3 km later and me walking on the side of the road all the way back I have missed the trip. I am not angry - these things happen - but if you plan to do this tour, get the hop on hop off ticket for Inverness bus - the docks are the last stop.

Loved this tour the boat ride was just...

Dawn G, Aug 2016

Loved this tour the boat ride was just right and the Castle time was perfect, then a nice bus ride back to the center of town!

Highly recommend! The tour guide was...

Samantha G, Jun 2016

Highly recommend! The tour guide was knowledgeable and entertaining, the ship was really comfortable and had lots of viewing options for all weather, as well as an on board bar! The castle was incredible. I'd recommend watching the video in the visitor centre too.

Very enjoyable day. The rain held off...

J C L, May 2016

Very enjoyable day. The rain held off thankfully. We had lunch at the restaurant near the car park and then we got on the Jacobite Cruises' newest boat. Went across Loch Ness and then got dropped off at Urquhart Castle. Then a coach came and took us back to the car park. Good day but wouldn't like to do it on a miserable day as the castle is very exposed