Loch Ness at Dores
Dores is a small gravel-and-sand bay at the north-east end of Loch Ness, about 10 km from Inverness, and one of only three inland bathing waters in Scotland. The beach slopes into dark, peaty water in a loch that reaches about 230 m at its deepest, so stay close to the shore. SEPA advises against swimming during heavy rain or for a day or two afterwards.
Photo: Paakman01 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Latest reading · SwimScore 71/100 (Good swim) for a typical swimmer: air 7°C, wind 8 km/h, UV 0. Updated .
Know before you go
- Getting in
- Small bay beside the village of Dores on the north-east shore of Loch Ness, about 10 km south-west of Inverness. SEPA describes a gravel and sandy beach sloping towards the water, very popular with visitors in summer.
- Water quality
- SEPA-designated bathing water classified Good (classification applying in 2026). At risk of short-term pollution after heavy rain from farm run-off and sewer overflows; SEPA does not consider it at risk from blue-green algae.
- Season
- SEPA monitors designated bathing waters from 15 May to 15 September.
- Who swims here
- Loch Ness has a long history of endurance swims; Brenda Sherratt made the first swim of its length in 1966, taking 31 hours 27 minutes. An RNLI lifeboat station operates on the loch near Drumnadrochit.
- Watch for
- Do not swim during or for 1 to 2 days after heavy rain (SEPA)
- Very deep loch (maximum 229.8 m) with low visibility because of peat in the water
- Boat traffic: Loch Ness is part of the Caledonian Canal and cruise boats operate on the loch
- Cold water shock, which Water Safety Scotland says can happen in water below 15 °C
Sources: bathingwaters.sepa.org.uk, bathingwaters.sepa.org.uk, bathingwaters.sepa.org.uk, en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org, watersafetyscotland.org.uk
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Details
- Location
- Dores, Scotland, United Kingdom
- Type
- lake
- Difficulty
- intermediate
- Coordinates
- 57.3837, -4.3360