The best crew and fleet on Loch Ness

It’s not just the scenery that makes Cruise Loch Ness special - it’s the people! Say hello to the crew, explore our fleet, and discover what makes our trips the best on the loch.

Say hello to the team!

Say hello to the team! These guys are the real reason why we're the best. Just don't tell them.

Between them they'll have easily travelled over half a million miles on Loch Ness - our back garden. They know every inch of the loch and like nothing more than telling you everything about it, in great and minute detail. As you read this, Shaun or Tony will probably be chewing someone's ear off. Let me tell you about the time I saw Nessie. One day that lucky person could be you.

We're not a business, we're a family and we really do have the best job and office in the world. We can't wait to welcome you on board one of our vessels.

A warm welcome

We're incredibly proud of our history and have called Fort Augustus home for generations. Since 1968 we've been running boat trips from the southern bank of Loch Ness and have had the fortune and pleasure of carrying over 1.5 million (and counting) passengers in that time.

The crew have zipped our speedboats more than 7x the distance around the world on these waters. What?! you say. It's true! we say.

They've welcomed celebrities, the Olympic torch, Nessie hunters and have made it on stage at Rockness the music festival. They are what one crew member fondly describes as mental but very polite.

Spirit of Loch Ness

My oh my, what a beautiful boat she is. We're so unbelievably excited and happy to have the Spirit of Loch Ness in our fleet. This boat takes Cruise Loch Ness to a whole new level and you must come and experience a cruise on the Spirit of Loch Ness.

Legend of Loch Ness

Our girl, our legend. Born in 2000, at Mustang Marine in South Wales, she was known as the Bat Boat by the shipyard builders. We're didn't think that name worked for what we do but she's certainly sleek and still gets more than a few admiring glances when cruising on Loch Ness - with those ultra-modern, smouldering looks.

Ness Quest

This custom built power boat will have you on the edge of your seat, screaming at the top of your lungs.

Welcome to Fort Augustus

Situated at the south west end of Loch Ness, Fort Augustus is where you will find Cruise Loch Ness. A bustling and welcoming little village, full of walkers and cyclists making the most of the surrounding paths and trails, including the Great Glen Way.

Running through the heart of the village is the 60 mile long Caledonian Canal, which runs from Inverness to Fort William. It's no surprise that it's considered as one of the greatest waterways in the world.

History awaits

We'd recommend you make the most of your experience with Loch Ness Cruises and spend a night or two in our lovely village. Just let us know if you need any information on where to stay or get a tasty dram or two.

Urquhart Castle is less than 20 miles drive from Fort Augustus, but why drive when you can take one of our speedboat tours?

1968

We're born

Norman Hugh Mackenzie launches Loch Ness Cruises - a name so perfectly descriptive, we've never had to change it too much - offering cruises over the long summer months with an ex RNLI Liverpool class lifeboat called Clan Mackenzie. We could carry 12 passengers.

1971

Ron's born

Ronald Mackenzie, son of founder Norman, is born about 4 miles from the bank of Loch Ness. A water baby you might say and a future owner of the business.

1976

Goodbye old friend

An extremely proud but very sad day for the whole family. Starlet replaces the family's first commercial boat, the Clan Mackenzie. We love you and always will.

1978

Hello new friend

The family say hello to our new addition, the Pentland Spray which replaced our beloved Starlet. We purchased this cracking little ex RAF Air Sea Rescue Launch boat from John O'Groats Ferries. Starting her life as a mail boat from Wick to Orkney, she grew up to bring delight to up to 12 passengers on the beautiful Loch Ness. She even had inside seating! You know it rains occasionally here.

1980

In the movie business

Our boat is hired out for the first of many films. This first one was all about our shy and elusive Nessie. Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World programme, titled Monsters of the Lake, featured interviews on board the Pentland Spay.

1982

Dreaming big

Everyone thought not so old Norman went a bit nuts. Caledonian Queen replaces Pentland Spray - allowing up to 65 passengers a trip! Norman and his motley crew sailed her from the Menai Strait, North Wales, taking two days to reach Fort William. Possibly because the boat had a bar.

1990

Ron steps up

Ron, present chief, becomes a partner in the business after harassing his dad to become a partner since 1971. He stamps his new authority by changing the name from Loch Ness Cruises to Cruise Loch Ness. It made perfect sense as there were three other operators on Loch Ness under that name and the others weren't very good.

1991

A new launch

Royal Scot is launched from Voyager Yachts in Cornwall. Ron and five of the shipyard workers sail her home up the West Coast of Britain, entering the Caledonian Canal at Fort William. It took 62 hours of non-stop sailing. And yes, there's a bar on board.

2000

What a day!

Ron became 100% owner of Cruise Loch Ness. We can now truly call ourselves the best family run, owned and operated cruise company on Loch Ness. And because it's 2015, we can now say longest family owned cruise company on Loch Ness too!

2001

The Big Yin

Billy Connolly charters the Royal Scot for the day and invites a few of his Hollywood chums, including Robin Williams, Ewan McGregor, Steve Buscemi, Eric Idle and Billy's wife Pamela Stephenson - our first big celebrity private hire.

2003

Becky and Barnaby Bear search for Nessie

Becky and Barnaby Bear joined us for a search for Nessie for the CBeebies TV programme. Did they find Nessie? You'll have to watch to find out.

2007

Summer of ‘07

Lovable comedian Dave Gorman jumped aboard one of our cruisers during his charitable cycle from Land's End to John O'Groats. Rumour has it our skipper Ricky gave him a few one liners for his gigs but we find that hard to believe.

2008

RIBs are not just for eating

We bought a second hand Rigid Inflatable Boat RIB which could carry 12 passengers at a time. It was summer and we were excited.

2009

Need for speed

We sold our second hand RIB and ordered two custom built 12 passenger RIBs: Ness Express & Ness Explorer. We were really excited now - these things can almost fly!

2009

Attention! At Ease.

As part of John Sergeant's Tourist Trail ITV show, we welcomed John and the crew on board in summer of 2009, where they caught up with a group of Loch Ness monster hunters. There might have been a bit of swimming too! We love his hat.

2010

Up a Long Creek Challenge

February in Loch Ness can be cold. Very cold. We're tough though and it was more than a pleasure to invite Fred MacAulay and Dougie Vipond aboard as part of their Up a Long Creek challenge for BBC Sports Relief. The pair managed to complete a gruelling 62-mile long kayak trip along the Caledonian Canal in some of the worst winter weather we'd experience for years. Good effort guys!

2010

Reach 10 crew mark!

Look at these beautiful creatures. It's not just the famous Nessie that attracts attention around here. Our crew's like the Top Gear of Loch Ness. The dream team and we wouldn't be where we are today without them. Thank you!

2011

Caledonia calling

It was time for our second passenger vessel and we welcomed the Caledonian Spirit into our family. This allowed us to operate all year round, offer unforgettable weddings and carry a total of 238 passengers at any one time.

2012

Rocks off

What a day! We carried the Olympic Torch on board Ness Express from Fort Augustus to Dores Beach and onto the main stage at the Rockness Music Festival. We even made it into the opening credits for the Olympics.

2013

Calling all VIPs

Deborah Leah becomes the newest member of our fleet. A luxury 12 passenger cabin RIB for the VIP market. It's also available for you, because you all deserve it. Everyone deserves to be a VIP - if just for a day.

2014

Stepping up

The most stylish and modern cruise boat on Loch Ness joins our family. The Legend of Loch Ness replaces the Caledonian Spirit.

2015

Google Nessie

There's something in the water! You can now search for Nessie with Google Street View thanks to Google and Cruise Loch Ness. You're welcome.

2015

5 star tours!

We're delighted to announce our 5 star tour rating from the Scottish Tourist Board. Thanks to all the crew for their hard work, you all rock.

2016

Coming soon...

A wonderful new boat coming soon, courtesy of Exeter Fabrication & Incat Crowther design.

13 June 2018

Arrival of the brand-new Spirit of Loch Ness

What a beauty! The Spirit of Loch Ness joined our fleet, bringing a touch of modern elegance to our cruises. Sleek, stylish, and ready to explore the mysteries of the loch with you.

2018

50th Anniversary of Cruise Loch Ness

Half a century of cruising! We celebrated 50 years of unforgettable adventures on Loch Ness. Thanks to everyone who’s been part of our journey. Here’s to the next 50!

2018-2019

Best visitor attraction awards won by Cruise Loch Ness

We’re on cloud nine! Cruise Loch Ness was named the Highlands and Islands Tourism Award, Best Visitor Attraction 2018. A huge thank you to our amazing team and wonderful visitors. You rock!

2019

Federation of Small Businesses - Small Business of the Year and Family Business of the Year

Double whammy! We bagged the Small Business of the Year and Family Business of the Year awards. Cheers to our fantastic crew and loyal customers. We couldn’t have done it without you!

31 August 2019

New ticket office opened

New digs! We opened our shiny new ticket office, making it easier and more comfortable for you to start your Loch Ness adventure. Come say hi!

2020

Arrival of the new high-speed RIB, the Ness Quest

Feel the need for speed? The Ness Quest, our new high-speed RIB, is here to give you the thrill of a lifetime. Hold on tight and enjoy the ride!

2021

Addition of 15 translations of our commentary

Talk about going global! We’ve added 15 translations to our commentary, so more of our international friends can enjoy the full Cruise Loch Ness experience. Welcome aboard, everyone!

15 May 2023

Proud Sponsors of an Atlantic Rowing Team

Row, row, row your boat! We’re thrilled to be proud sponsors of an Atlantic rowing team. Supporting these incredible adventurers on their epic journey across the ocean is an honour. Go team!

The best crew and fleet on Loch Ness

Say hello to the team!

A warm welcome

Welcome to Fort Augustus

History awaits

Our history