Half price, then free, for English Heritage members
This place is cared for by Historic Environment Scotland. First-year English Heritage members get 50% off the ticket price; members who have renewed get in free. Bring your valid membership card, and any pre-booked tickets, to ensure entry.
More information
In-person price, including Historic Scotland's boat from Kinross pier; £10 booked online, and booking a sailing in advance is the only way to guarantee a seat (walk-up seats only if any remain). One undated price table is published for the April to October season; recheck in spring 2027. Children under 7 free but need a ticket; up to two carers free per transaction; Young Scot card holders pay £1 online. Explorer Pass accepted in summer. No separate boat fare, family ticket, joint ticket or audio guide. English Heritage members: half price in your first membership year and free after your first renewal, on showing a valid card; bookings capped at six people per membership. Historic Scotland members free.
In-person price including the boat; £5 booked online (the webstore shows up to £6); under-7s free with a ticket. English Heritage members: half price in your first membership year and free after your first renewal, on showing a valid card; bookings capped at six people per membership. Historic Scotland members free.
In-person price including the boat; £8 booked online. English Heritage members: half price in your first membership year and free after your first renewal, on showing a valid card; bookings capped at six people per membership. Historic Scotland members free.
The Trust's page does not say how parking is charged.
Historic Scotland says boats for the castle depart from the pier at the end of Sandport Close, that the large, level gravel car park is 90 m from the mainland pier, and that visitors can be dropped off nearer the pier by arrangement on 07836 313 769; coach parking is listed. NatureScot names parking at the Boathouse Pier (nearest postcode KY13 8UF) and at Kirkgate Park in Kinross. No charge or free statement is published, so the status is recorded as unknown; OpenStreetMap and visitors describe it as free.
Driving pin: Google's Loch Leven Car Park listing at the Boathouse Pier, 63 m from the castle boat's pier and 1.6 km west of the castle on its island. NatureScot says the nearest bus stops are in Kinross; Historic Scotland names only its journey planners.
Lochleven Castle stands on Castle Island in Loch Leven, reached by Historic Scotland's own boat from the pier at Kinross, a crossing of about ten minutes. Its tower house, built in the 1300s, is one of Scotland's oldest, with its original entrance 5 m above the ground. Robert the Bruce visited in 1313 and 1323, and in 1333 it was one of only five castles holding out against the English. Mary Queen of Scots came here as a guest in 1561, debating with John Knox, then returned in 1567 as a prisoner of Sir William Douglas; here she miscarried twins and was forced to abdicate in favour of her infant son James VI, before escaping across the loch in May 1568, never to see Scotland again. Explore the courtyard, the Glassin Tower, the bottle dungeon and the room where she was held, then the wooded island walks. Visitors love the boat trip and the skippers' stories, and picnic beneath the great oak while they wait for the return boat.
Due to severe weather forecast from Friday 23 to Sunday 25 October, sailings to the castle may be cancelled. Please check for service updates and call ahead before travelling to confirm whether we are sailing: 07836 313 769.
Prices, non-members
| Ticket | On the day | Online |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | £11.00 | £10.00 |
| Concession | £9.00 | £8.00 |
| Child | £5.50 | £5.00 |
1 April to 30 September daily 10am to 4.30pm, boats at 10.15am, 11am, 11.45am, 12.30pm, 1.15pm, 2pm, 2.45pm and 3.30pm; 1 to 31 October daily 10am to 3pm, boats at 10.15am, 11am, 11.45am, 12.30pm, 1.15pm and 2pm; closed 1 November to 31 March. The ticket includes Historic Scotland's boat; seats are limited and booking in advance, online until midnight the day before, is the only way to guarantee a place; you pick a sailing and must arrive 15 minutes early for a safety briefing, and may wait a short time for the return. Notice on 18 October 2026: 'Due to a power outage in the area, we will only be able to accommodate pre-purchased tickets until the issue has been resolved.'
Visitors must be able to step into and out of the small boat, which cannot carry wheelchairs; the island piers rise and fall and can be slippery, and the castle is 30 m up a grass slope that can be very muddy, so strong footwear is advised. The grass courtyard gives access to the ground floor of all the ranges; the Glassin Tower and bottle dungeon are through narrow doorways; the main tower's upper floors, including Mary's room, are up an open-tread wooden stair with handrails. Public toilets with an adapted toilet at the pier car park (April to October); island toilets down a slippery slope, without running water; mainland visitor centre with shop, picnic spots, no cafe or audio guide.
Photo: Lochleven Castle's tower house and enclosure wall above the island lawn. Colin Park, CC BY-SA 2.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lochleven_Castle_near_Kinross_-_geograph.org.uk_-_5231376.jpg. Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0. Resized and cropped for display; derivatives retain the source licence.
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Dog access not confirmed
21 km traffic-free circuit round Loch Leven National Nature Reserve, suitable for walkers of all ages and abilities, cyclists and wheelchair users, joined at the Boathouse Pier car park in Kinross, with a hide just south of the car park. Free.
