Dores Beach is a free pebble beach at the north-east end of Loch Ness, in the village of Dores, about 8.5 miles (17 minutes) by road from Inverness and 29 minutes by road from Drumnadrochit. It looks south-west down the loch. The Dores Inn behind it is closed for a rebuild approved in 2026; the beach stays open.
Dores Beach is a free pebble beach in the village of Dores, at the north-east end of Loch Ness. It is about 8.5 miles (17 minutes) by road from Inverness and about 29 minutes from Drumnadrochit, going round the top of the loch through the city. From the shore you look south-west straight down Loch Ness. The Dores Inn behind the beach is closed while its new owners rebuild it, but the beach itself stays open.
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Drive from Inverness | 8.5 miles, about 17 minutes |
| Drive from Drumnadrochit | 20.8 miles, about 29 minutes via Inverness |
| Bus | Highland Council 302, Inverness to Foyers, stops at Dores Inn and Dores Post Office |
| Entry | Free |
| Dores Inn | Closed for redevelopment; no reopening date |
| Parking | Changing during the works; northern car park first |
Checked October 2026. Drive times by OSRM routing, free-flow.
Dores sits where the east shore of the loch begins, about 10 km south-west of Inverness. The beach is pebbles rather than sand. It faces down the loch, so you see the hills on both shores running away to the south-west.
The Strathspey Herald described the inn as popular with locals and visitors for its beach access, and a coffee spot on the beach, The Spot, traded for about three and a half years until October 2024.
There are no lifeguards. If you swim, stay near the shore: Loch Ness is very deep and its water is dark with peat.
Dores is where Steve Feltham began watching for the Loch Ness Monster on 18 July 1991, living in a converted mobile library van by the beach. Guinness World Records lists his as the longest continuous vigil seeking the monster. Whether he is still there in 2026 could not be confirmed. The Loch Ness Monster guide covers the story, and the sightings guide covers what people report.
The Dores Inn is the old pub on the shore behind the beach. It dates back to the 1820s, and Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip visited in 1967.
In late October 2024 WildLand, the Aviemore-based conservation company owned by the Danish businessman Anders Holch Povlsen, bought the inn and closed it for a “review and restoration” expected to take 18 to 24 months. Povlsen and his wife also own Aldourie Castle, the private castle just along the shore.
On 6 August 2026 Highland Council’s south planning committee approved the plans unanimously. They include:
The beach stays open throughout. The northern car park is the first phase, and once built it stays open to the public, with temporary toilets, food stalls, seating and bins, while the inn is rebuilt. No reopening date for the inn had been published in October 2026.
From Inverness: about 17 minutes by car south-west along the east side of the loch. The Highland Council bus 302 runs from Inverness bus station to Foyers and stops at “Dores Inn” and “Dores Post Office”. Check times on Traveline Scotland.
From Drumnadrochit: there is no bridge or ferry across Loch Ness, so drive north on the A82 to Inverness and come back down the east side, about 29 minutes in all. By public transport it means a bus into Inverness and the 302 out again.
Parking: before the works, the inn’s own car park was kept for customers and visitors used other spaces in the village. With the redevelopment approved, the arrangement is changing, so follow the signs on the day and do not block village roads or the turning areas.
On a tour: the budget coach loop from Inverness stops at Dores Beach as well as Urquhart Castle, Fort Augustus and the Falls of Foyers; the small-group lap of the loch passes through Dores too.
Dores is the first village on the quiet east shore. Carry on south past Inverfarigaig to the Falls of Foyers, 11 miles and about 15 minutes further, then on to Fort Augustus and back up the A82 to Drumnadrochit to see the whole loch in a day. The Loch Ness 360 walking and cycling route also passes through the village.
For somewhere to stay, Drumnadrochit on the west shore has the most choice near Urquhart Castle, and Inverness is closest to Dores. Compare them in where to stay at Loch Ness, and see things to do in Inverness if you are basing yourself in the city.
9 hours
A budget coach loop of the loch that stops at Urquhart Castle, Fort Augustus, the Falls of Foyers and Dores Beach, with the castle ticket and the cruise as paid add-ons.
from$73
Check availability7 hours
A full lap of Loch Ness by minibus via Dores, the Falls of Foyers, Fort Augustus and Invermoriston, ending with Urquhart Castle entry and an hour-long cruise.
from$109
Check availabilityPrices and ratings were taken from GetYourGuide and can change. Booking through these links supports this site at no extra cost to you.
In the village of Dores, on the east shore at the north-east end of Loch Ness, about 10 km south-west of Inverness. The beach runs along the front of the village by the Dores Inn and looks south-west down the length of the loch. From Drumnadrochit on the west shore it is about 29 minutes by road, going round through Inverness.
No. WildLand, the conservation company owned by Anders Holch Povlsen, bought the inn in late 2024 and closed it for restoration. In August 2026 Highland Council approved plans to renovate and extend it, with a café, bakery and shop. No reopening date had been announced in October 2026, so check before planning a meal there.
Yes, but it is changing. The approved plans include two car parks for more than 110 vehicles, with the northern car park built first and kept open for the public, with temporary toilets, during the rest of the work. Follow the signs on the day. The Highland Council bus 302 from Inverness, which stops by the inn, avoids the parking question.
Steve Feltham, who began a vigil on Dores beach on 18 July 1991, living in a converted mobile library van. Guinness World Records lists it as the longest continuous vigil seeking the Loch Ness Monster. Whether he is still there in 2026 could not be confirmed, so do not plan a visit around meeting him.
The approved plans add beach changing facilities, but there are no lifeguards. Loch Ness is deep and the peat-stained water is dark, so you cannot see far below the surface. Go in only if you are a confident open-water swimmer, stay close to the shore and never swim alone.
The Falls of Foyers are a two-step waterfall on the River Foyers, on the quiet south-east shore of Loch Ness, dropping 144 ft (44 m) in all.
No evidence has ever been found of a large unknown animal in Loch Ness.
The best things to do in Inverness are the Inverness Castle Experience, a walk along the River Ness to the Ness Islands, the free cathedral and Leakey's Bookshop.
Loch Ness is a freshwater loch in the Scottish Highlands, starting about 6 miles south-west of Inverness and running 23 miles (37 km) to Fort Augustus.