Cruise LochNess

Cruise Loch Ness has run boat trips from the canal basin at Fort Augustus since 1968, making it one of the longest-established operators on the loch, and describes itself as a family business that has called the town home for generations. The standard Daily Discovery cruise runs year-round and includes commentary on local history alongside a live sonar demonstration of the loch bed; a faster Loch Ness Quest RIB trip runs from April to October for passengers over 110cm tall, and Evening Discovery cruises operate on selected summer evenings. Boats depart from the southern end of the loch, beside the Caledonian Canal locks on the Great Glen Way. The company has carried more than 1.5 million passengers to date and remains independently owned, separate from the larger tour operators based in Inverness and Drumnadrochit. Dogs are welcome aboard the larger vessels, and tickets can be booked online or at the canalside kiosk.