Is this place a tourist trap? Yes. Should you still come? Also a yes. We had no idea or preconceived notions about what we were going to experience here. It is a total vibe filled with a sense of excitement and mystery. I was captivated by the lore of it all. If you don't take it too seriously you will have a good time. I thought it was a bit expensive but other than that worth a visit at least once. I want to believe! Ha! read more

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Oh, the cutest little Nessie that ever lived. The Loch Ness Centre & Exhibition as it existed on my visit on Tuesday 9 July 2019, focused on the dynamic of in-person reports of a Loch Ness "monster", a big friendly giant named Nessie, and scientists/people armed with technology trying to discredit those accounts. Much of the displays provided helpful historical context both of a supposed "monster" and sea creatures in the area that carried/carry cultural significance before their numbers started to dwindle due to poaching by humans and death by marine technology (like fishing nets and getting hit by motorized boats). Moving forward, scientists these days would probably just mutilate Nessie in the name of discovery if they found it. They would probably even say the original discovery was theirs - an attempt at erasing the voices and consistency of many reports by everyday people that have existed for decades before my writing this on Thursday 8 June 2023. Just kind of the flavor of science these days, take what everyday people have done and say it was science all along. In the name of fairness then, did/does this centre and exhibition really exist or will all those that visit the exhibit and say they did later be discredited... The exhibition is part of a larger centre. I found some fun items in a gift shop including a small book on the origin of the Clan Ogilvie for some family friends. Prices were good. Traffic picked up during my visit (arrived around 10:45 a.m. and departed about an hour later). There was an overflow/larger parking area past the smaller parking area by the entrance to the exhibit. I was fortunate to have a spot in the smaller area free up as I arrived. Though, both parking lots are relatively close to the centre. read more

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Yes it is gimicky but a fun one to indulge in. This center is really well designed and organized. It was fun and educational and they have a good laugh at the whole "monster" thing themselves. read more

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My 10 year old loves this! It's very informative and the way they have visuals from every side of the room does make it feel like you are interacting with the characters presented. read more

I came into this exhibit a bit skeptical, expecting it to be a tourist trap, trying to sell the myth of Nessie. What it turned out to be was an exhibit of the scientific exploration of the myth, debunking many of the theories, while still leaving a bit of mystery. Interesting and entertaining for the whole family. read more

TOURIST TRAP! But its a fun one! And how can you not stop by if you're on a week driving tour of Scotland? Its not a typical museum where you silently go around looking at things and reading about them. Instead its about 7-8 interactive rooms going over history of Loch Ness Monster. Its a real hoot! I found the inner 7 year old in my 37 year old body. £7.45 adult £6.45 Concession...I told them I was college student. _____________§§§§§§§§§§§§§ __________§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§ ________§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§§ ______§§§$§§§§§§_________§§§§§§§§§ ______§§$§$§§§§______________§§§§§§ _____§§$§§$§§§________________§§§§§§ ____§§$§§§§$§§§_______________§§§§§§§ ___§§$§§§§$§§§§_______________§§§§§§§ ___§§O§§$O§§§_______________§§§§§§§§ ___ا§§$§§§Ø§_______________§§§§§§§§ ___§§§$§$§§§_______________§§§§§§§§§ ___ §§§§§§§_______________§§§§§§§§§ ___§§§§§§§_______________§§§§§§§§§ ____§§§§_______________§§§§§§§§§§ ____________________§§§§§§§§§§§ __________________§§§§§§§§§§§ ________________§§§§§§§§§§§ ______________§§§§§§§§§§§ _____________§§§§§§§§§§§ ___________§§§§§§§§§§§ _________§§§§§§§§§§§ _______§§§§§§§§§§§ _____§§§§§§§§§§§ ___§§§§§§§§§§§ __§§§§§§§§§§§ NESSIE!!!!! read more

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This was not as exciting as we thought it would be. We expected for fun and silly "facts" about Nessie. It was a slow and rather cheap looking "museum" about nothing. It was not worth the ticket price. I don't recommend spending the money but just book a Loch tour. We were told by a taxi driver in Inverness to stick to the north side of the Loch because it's much more to see and you can walk right up to the water to explore. read more

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Another Tourist trap, but a much more "Official" or "High brow" one. Set inside an old (And I do mean OLD) home and property, the centre and exhibition go through the history and personal experiences with the Loch Ness monster, Nessie. How the sightings began, and how they settled on what she might be. Each of the rooms are interactive, and set at a 3-4 minute pace, so allow for a half hour of time to experience the wonder of it all. For me, it borders on edutainment. (yes that's a theme park term if you know my background!) It's not terribly expensive, and you can get tickets on line as well. But this is a Tourist trap, their gift shops are HUGE and legendary. Enjoy! read more

We so fell for this tourist trap. They really didn't have that much being "exhibited" but the presentation was informative. What we loved most was the gift shop attached. Awesome souvenirs and I'd recommend buying them here than further down the road, they're much more decently priced. Very cute shirts and Nessie things. read more

The Loch Ness Experience is brilliant The tour informs you of how the highland and especially the loch were formed, then they show you all the different inhabitants in and around the loch and how the loch was used in days of old, not forgetting the myth of the loch ness monster. As you walk through the tour each section as its own audia and visual effects making for an interesting and informative tour, well worth going to see. There is two very large gift shops selling everything from cuddly nessie's to crystal decanters and the staff are always friendly and helpful read more

Loch Ness Centre & Exhibition - NESSIE - Tours Near Me - Inverness, HLD

Kitschy & a total tourist trap as you would expect, the Loch Ness Centre is devoted to the legend of Loch Ness Monster..... it really is a must-see for anyone coming through Inverness Groups are guided through 7 rooms - each has a recorded bit where you can learn some history on the loch itself; its makeup; hear some Scottish folklore; learn & hear from the people who have spotted the "monster" as well as their research efforts to prove the myth is real And the research is still going on today Some of the "sightings" have been debunked & recreated so we can see just how those people were fooled; but there are also other stories that give those who believe some hope that Nessie is real Gift shop has all kinds of fun Scottish & Nessie shwag - we got some cute tshirts & postcards.... After all, couldn't leave there w/out *proof* we'd seen Nessie read more

Loch Ness is filled with tourist traps, all of them wanting to cash in on the Nessy mania. The Loch Ness Centre and Exhibition is the hub of it all. This is the place that all of the tour buses stop. We arrived early in the morning, just minutes before the buses arrived and we were the first in line when the doors opened. I love tourist traps, really I do. The Loch Ness Centre does a good job at presenting the information in an entertaining manner. The exhibit is set up so that you travel through it in small groups (maybe twenty people). There are a series of rooms, each with an multi-media presentation. For example, the first room is themed like a cave and certain prehistoric fossils are highlighted through the presentation. It's informative and the design of the building maximizes crowd flow. The final area is an open exhibit in which you explore at your own pace. They have a listening station where you can hear eye-witness accounts of Nessy sightings. There are the obligatory grainy Nessy photos. It's a mix of fact and lore. The museum was good, but having spent the previous day on a rib tour of the loch, I felt like the information was repetitive. There simply is not enough Nessy material to bother with two attractions. I preferred the boat tour because the Loch is stunning. Overall this is a decent exhibition and might be good for people who want to learn about the loch, but don't want to go on a thrilling speed boat ride! It took about 45 min to walk through. read more

This museum is ok but very small and most of the things that you hear / see you can view online or see on documentaries on TV. I feel that to make this museum better perhaps they should invest in having some mechanical / moving props to educate people about the viewing of loch ness monster. More seating needed in museum as well. Also please bear in mind this museum is not near the lakes. However still was very interesting in what I did learn. Great souvenir shop lots of different merchandise to buy from Loch Ness Monster bath toy to jackets. read more

Loch Ness Centre & Exhibition - Tours Near Me - Inverness, HLD

Very much enjoyed this. We went out of our way to find this place, and it was worth it. Gift shop is pricey, and I'd wait to hit the OTHER gift shop just outside to buy anything (we didn't know). The exhibit was fun and all around I would recommend this to anyone. Fair warning, it IS a tourist trap. read more

This is probably the best exhibition of Nessiana in the area. The official site at Urquhart Castle is very expensive and, apart from being able to get near the castle and the shoreline, has no advantages over this excellent exhibition. You have to pass through Drumnadrochit to get to Urquhart from Inverness anyway, so stop off and try it out! read more

What I really loved about the Loch Ness Exhibition Centre was that at the same time they were debunking the Loch Ness monster myth they were making you want to believe in it trippy. It's actually a quite in depth exhibition center with tons of good information on the local environment. Maybe one day it will be acknowledged that the true value of myths like nessie is that they make us humans take stock in the beauty of our environment and world. read more

Loch Ness Centre & Exhibition - Tours Near Me - Inverness, HLD

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I've loved all loch ness stories as a child, so I had to visit the centre while i was there. A very informative tour and film. I loved the shops on site, a huge nessie in one of the stores and a whisky shop read more

Loch Ness Centre & Exhibition - Tours Near Me - Inverness, HLD

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Definitely one of the more entertaining tourist traps, nice gift shop where you can get your Nessie gear as well. You get to walk through the exhibition and see the history of the lake, complete with smoke effects. Loved it! read more

Loch Ness Bistro - food was cold, burnt and tasteless. Had to wait too long even though we were only ones in. Avoid if possible read more

Loch Ness Centre & Exhibition - Looks nice but poor service - Tours Near Me - Inverness, HLD

Very well done history of Loch Ness including the geography / conservation in addition to the obvious Loch Ness Monster bits. I was amused by a few of the hoaxes they exposed as part of the scientist hunting for the truth behind the legend. You're guided through a series of interactive videos with a light show teaching you about the history and various steps in the founding of creation of the Loch. Educational and informative. Also, they present straight facts along with eye witness interviews and let you decide for yourself if there is a Jurassic monster at Loch Ness. It was a nice approach read more

I agree with the other review that it is a big tourist trap but you do have to come here nonetheless. The history of the Loch Ness monster tour is pretty cool as you go to different rooms all with its own unique decor while watching a short video about the history of the monster. The shops are kinda cool and have a big selection of memorabilia along with some irish whiskeys but I would just stick to buying the Loch Ness stuff here nothing else. read more

The entire tour was media playback, which was really good and informative. You move from one room to another until it ends. The experience talks about the beginning of the lore, scientific findings, assumptions and explanations of why there have been so many sightings as well as the hoaxes and fraudulent photos that have plagued the legend. I would say this is money well spent! read more

This is a lovely centre that I went to a year or so ago with a friend of mine who was visiting Inverness and we both enjoyed our visit. The exhibition is good to see at least once. The gift shop is good too. read more

I'm sorry to say that I was underwhelmed and disappointed by the presentation at the Loch Ness Center & Exhibition. All it turned out to be was going from room-to-room to watch a video and listen to an audio that listed the different reasons why sightings of the Loch Ness Monster have either been hoaxes or misinterpretations of what the witnesses saw. read more

Fun and learning. My kids loved it. The exhibition shows the history of Loch Ness and the mystery of the monster and shows the research done in the Loch. read more