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SEA LIFE Loch Lomond was the best UK aquarium that we have ever visited. We went there recently with our 6, 4 and 2 year old children, and they had an absolute whale of a time! Pun intended.
The aquarium is home to an abundance of aquatic creatures including sharks, sting rays and otters; it has a fabulous café with incredible views of Loch Lomond; and it teaches about the importance of conservation through the movies that it shows in its auditorium.
You are free to go round the aquarium as many times as you like – so we went round it twice just to take it all in again!
What does the Loch Lomond Aquarium Feature?
There are several different interactive zones to explore – a seahorse cove, a bay of rays and a tropical ocean tunnel give an exotic flavour to the aquarium. While the native waters of Scotland are displayed in the lochs of Scotland and deep water loch tanks – which wonderfully show off the local wildlife.
A highlight of SEA LIFE Loch Lomond though, was the playful and energetic otters. Our children were transfixed, watching the otters prance around the dry areas and then dive into the water. Our children were standing on tiptoes and ducking repeatedly – watching as the otters were above and then below the water. The water level was about eye level for small children and the children loved being just a sheet of glass away from the cheeky animals as they darted about.
Rockpools
While watching sea creatures duck, dive and drift across the water is mesmerizing, there’s nothing quite like getting up close and personal with wildlife. The rockpools were the perfect place for our children to have an opportunity to stroke starfish and sea anemones. Everything in the rockpools is safe to touch, and the rockpool expert was incredibly helpful – telling us lots of interesting information about the creatures we were seeing. There was even an underwater camera in the rockpools, which the expert could move around to show us on a widescreen TV what the rockpools looked like from underneath the surface of the water.
Government guidelines were adhered to throughout the aquarium – and social distancing and hand washing was especially well organised at the rock pool, to prevent crowding, which helped us feel very safe.
Café and Picnic Area
A picnic area is located on the fourth floor of the building and a coffee shop is located on the third floor. The views from here are breathtaking. The aquarium is located right at the end of the Loch, so the view of the Loch and the mountains (including Ben Lomond) is uninhibited and stunning. We enjoyed a Costa coffee from this vantage point, and we all enjoyed watching people kayaking, paddle boarding and banana boating on the loch while we munched on our snacks. The café does a range of soups, sandwiches and children’s meals as well as sweet treats. Genuinely (and perhaps this indicates just how middle-aged I am!) the café was as enjoyable an experience as the aquarium.
Prices and Opening Hours of SEA LIFE Loch Lomond Aquarium
It is best to book online to guarantee entry and get 20% off the admission price.
Online tickets cost
Adult: £12.75
Child: £8.75
Under 3’s: Free
There is also the option of an off-peak Adult and Parent Ticket for £14 which is available for children aged 5 and under, and their grown-up from Monday-Fridays during term time.
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