Lochleven Castle

As we are members of Historic Scotland, we decided to visit this site last Friday. It was such a beautiful day and the boat trip over to the castle was lovely. Use your Sat nav to find Pier road, as it is hidden behind a housing estate. By the time we arrived we were unable to join the next motor boat as it only holds 12 passengers at a time. This was not a problem though as there is a large park and grassy area to walk around. We sat at the waters edge watching people on their paddle boards. The sailings go every 45 mins so it was no big deal to wait for the next sailing. If you are impatient though you can always book ahead. The girl steering the boat was very friendly explaining the safety rules whilst onboard before we started our sail. Once on the island we were given the directions to the only toilets on the small island. You need to take a picnic with you if you want to eat as there are no other facilities there. I felt this would be an ideal place to take children as there are flat grassy areas to run around and picnic tables. The castle and grounds are quite interesting and there are displays dotted around providing historical information and nature facts. I would definitely recommend Loch Leven castle for a family day out particularly on a sunny day.

Nice little castle on an island. On a rainy summer morning, we had the place to ourselves. Catch a short 10 min boat ride to get there. The boat returns every 45 min, which is just about right to see the entirety of it.

We really enjoyed our small adventure to the Castle Island. Our day didn’t go to plan and we missed our boat by few minutes. However nice skipper Stephen came to rescue and offered to take us to the Island right away, which we were so grateful for. We all enjoyed the short boat trip and enjoyed the castle and grounds with stunning views. Highly recommend 😊

Lovely small castle built in the 14th century. It was once Mary Queen of Scot's prison (until she escaped). It sits on a small island on Loch Leven and is accessed by the castle boat, which is included in your ticket.

Another amazing wee Castle to visit if you find yourself in the area. This Castle sits on its own small island within Loch Leven. To get to the Castle you will need to take a small boat, the boat ride over takes like 10 or 15 minutes. The boat only takes up to 12 people at a time if I remember rightly. Probably best to book tickets in advance as the boat leaves at certain times of the day, im sure its every 45 minutes, so booking a ticket will let you know when to arrive saves you from waiting around. There are public toilets on the island and loads of places to take really nice. It's really easy to walk around the entire Castle and island although I'm not to sure if it would be suitable for prams or wheelchairs. Probably best to ask when booking tickets. There are some benches and tables on the island so maybe pack a small picnic there's no shops on the island to buy anything. It's uninhabited.

Nice wee visit today to Lochleven Castle in the middle of Loch Leven. The ferrymen gave us lots of information about the estate and the history of the castle. The boat ride to the island was a delight and the 45 minutes between drop off and pick up was sufficient to see all the grounds and buildings and enjoy the lovely views over the loch. Look forward to returning when the upgrade of facilities has taken place.

Beautiful ruins in the middle of an island - the boat is quick to get to (but need to book both the entrance and the boat with Historic Scotland)

Oh goodness, it was a gorgeous day! Took the first boat at 10am (bought ticket day before but highly recommended is to buy it a few days before!). Great experience on the loch, it was like a mirror, and at the interesting castle. Skipper was Steve, he explained about the wildlife a bit on the boat and answered questions. In the store is Ray who is real fun. Just a wonderful experience all around.

Loch Leven Castle lies tucked away from the world. A hidden jewel! However, I would guess that Mary, Queen of Scots would have thought differently during her imprisonment there for a year and loosing her twins in the progress of events outside her reach. The view towards the castle from the restaurant and coffee shop as well as Historic Scotland membership cottage is breath taking. There is no walkway to the castle and you need to book a boat/ferry trip in advance. A small ferry goes every hour and if you miss a time slot you can use the time to either eat in the restaurant or go for a walk. Presumably the castle was build during the 13th century and played its part during the Wars of Independence. It changed hands between the Bruce and the Douglas families. Nowadays it is a ruin and you can walk around the island to your own merit. I will definitely be back.