Dores Public Slipway

Dores Slipway is located at the Southern end of the Dores Beach, at the North Eastern end of Loch Ness.

Accessed via the car park of The Dores Inn, it is unclear whether access to the slipway is restricted to patrons only, or whether it is publicly accessible. We would welcome any local insights and will update this page when any details are known.

The slipway faces West South West, which makes it exposed to the prevailing South Westerly winds funnelling up Loch Ness. The best conditions are in offshore North or Easterly winds.

Large boulders are visible on the East side of the slipway, approximately showing where the concrete slipway finishes and the natural loch bank starts.

When the water level on Loch Ness is low, the end of the concrete slip is above the waterline, so care must be taken when using a trailer, particularly in dry conditions.

Vehicle access is possible for most vehicles, and large trailers have been used to recover heavy boats in the past.

Dores Slipway is located within Dores Bay, which is a gently sloping bay compared to the depths in the center of Loch Ness. This makes it suitable for anchoring most vessels, although care should be taken as the bay is exposed to weather from the prevailing South Westerly direction.

Locally, the village of Dores offers a local pub, The Dores Inn, as well as a couple of Cafe’s and B&B’s.

As with most locations around Loch Ness, you can expect the area to be particularly busy in the summer, especially on a sunny day.