Distillery Accessibility
Welcome to Dunnet Bay Distillery
Whether you participate on a guided tour, visit our Shop, or attend a special event at Dunnet Bay Distillery, we guarantee a sensational experience for all our visitors.
Dunnet Bay Distillery is conveniently situated on the North Coast 500 (NC500) route around the north of Scotland. The distillery is located 3 miles from Dunnet Head, the most northerly point on the UK mainland.
We are fully accessible for visitors who use a wheelchair and can cater for people with other specific access requirements.
Download Accessibility Guide in word format
Please get in touch if you require any further information about your specific access requirements or need advice on planning your visit.
We look forward to welcoming you to Dunnet Bay Distillery!
Access at a glance
This Accessibility Guide does not contain personal opinions as to our suitability for people with access needs but aims to accurately describe the facilities and services that Dunnet Bay Distillery offers all its visitors.
General
- All our staff receive regular training that includes first aid training, disability awareness training and World Host training.
- Assistance dogs are welcome in all areas of our attraction, and we can provide a water bowl and a treat for them. Please ask a member of staff.
- By the end of the 2022 season, we aim to have hearing assistance equipment available for use in all public areas throughout our attraction.
- Staff are on hand throughout our attraction to ensure the enjoyment and safety of all our visitors.
- The floor surfaces inside our attraction are made from ceramic tiles, concrete, flagstone, and vinyl.
- For visitors participating on a guided distillery tour or attending a special event in our Still House there is a metal drain line which has grills. Therefore, we respectfully request that visitors wear sensible footwear – no open-toed sandals or high heels please.
- There are a limited number of places available on guided tours of the distillery so pre-booking is advisable to avoid disappointment.
- Guided tours can be booked using our online booking system.
- You can let us know about your accessibility requirements or if you have children in your party at the bottom of the booking checkout page in the ‘Notes about your order’ section.
- Our website meets accessibility standards.
- Unisex toilets with wheelchair access are available in the Visitor Centre and the Main Distillery Building (only for visitors participating on a guided tour or attending a special event).
- We have a complimentary ticket policy for personal assistants.
- We have emergency evacuation procedures in place for all visitors. In the case of an emergency evacuation, all visitors will be taken to a place of safety by a member of staff and/or by a member of the emergency services.
Ramp Access and Level Step-Free Walkways
- The main entrance to the Visitor Centre where our Shop and Visitor Reception/Tour Check-In Area are located is accessible from the distillery car park via a level step-free paved walkway and ramp.
- From the distillery car park access to the Tasting Room in the Visitor Centre where guided tours, and special events take place is via a level step-free paved walkway and ramp.
- There is ramp access and a level step-free paved walkway from the Visitor Centre to the Main Distillery Building where the Still House is located.
- The main external entrance doors to the Visitor Centre, Tasting Room and Main Distillery Building will accommodate all types of wheelchairs.
Level Step-Free Access: Visitor Centre
- There is level step-free access from the main entrance of the Visitor Centre to the:
- Shop: Merchandise
- Shop: Spirit Tasting Station
- Shop: Counter (including Visitor Reception/Tour Check-In Area)
- Tours and Special Events: Tasting Room
- Tours and Special Events: Tasting Table
- Unisex Accessible Toilet
- The internal doors into and within the Shop and Tasting Room accommodate all types of wheelchairs.
- The internal door to the unisex accessible toilet located at the end of the Tasting Room accommodates all types of wheelchairs.
- The accessible toilet is unavailable to visitors who are not booked on a distillery activity when a guided tour or special event is taking place within the Tasting Room.
- Baby changing facilities (available on request) are located within the unisex accessible toilet, which accommodates all types of wheelchairs.
- Baby changing facilities are unavailable to visitors who are not booked on a distillery activity when a guided tour or special event is taking place within the Tasting Room.
Level Step-Free Access: Main Distillery Building
- For visitors participating on a guided tour of the distillery, or attending a special event there are several ramps and level step-free paved walkways leading from the Tasting Room in the Visitor Centre to the entrance of the Main Distillery Building which incorporates the:
- Still House
- Unisex Accessible Toilet
- The external entrance door to the Main Distillery Building accommodates all types of wheelchairs.
- The internal doors in the Main Distillery Building, which lead to the Still House and unisex accessible toilet, accommodate all types of wheelchairs.
Hearing
- We are currently working towards ensuring that hearing assistance equipment is available for use in all public areas throughout our attraction.
- We are a working distillery and for visitors participating on a guided tour or attending a special event in the Still House there will be some low-level background noise when we are distilling.
- We can offer British Sign Language tours of the distillery on request. We require at least 10 working days advance notice of a request for a British Sign Language tour.
- A pen and paper are available in the Shop, Tasting Room and Still House.
Visual
- Glass doors and full-height windows will shortly have contrast markings.
- Lighting throughout the public areas of our attraction is mostly bright and lit from above.
- Visitors who participate on a guided tour of the distillery or attend a special event in our Tasting Room should note that as a historic building it has low lighting levels and may be darker than other public areas within our attraction.
- Visitors who participate on a guided tour of the distillery or attend a special event in our Still House should note that when we are distilling this room has low lighting levels and may be darker than other public areas within our attraction.
- The walls and the doors of the Visitor Centre, Tasting Room and Still House have high colour contrast.
- We are currently working towards producing audio and large print guides for our Shop and guided tour content.
- A magnifying glass, pen and paper are available in the Shop, Tasting Room and Still House.
Getting to Dunnet Bay Distillery
Pre-Arrival
Address
Dunnet Bay Distillery
Dunnet
Caithness
KW14 8XD
General
- If you are using Sat Nav or a journey planning website the postcode for Dunnet Bay Distillery is KW14 8XD.
- The what3words location of the Visitor Centre is ///videos.shoulders.stormed
Travel by Public Transport
You can get to Dunnet Bay Distillery by bus.
- The distillery is on the route of Stagecoach Bus Number 80 which runs from Thurso to John O’ Groats/John O’ Groats to Thurso.
- You catch the bus to Dunnet from Thurso from outside the Royal Bank of Scotland, 11, Olrig Street, Thurso, KW14 7BL.
- You can catch the bus to Dunnet from John O’ Groats from the car park on the A99.
- The bus timetable is available from Traveline Scotland website.
- The nearest bus stop to Dunnet Bay Distillery is outside the telephone kiosk on the A836 (from Thurso) and opposite the telephone kiosk on the A836 (from John O’ Groats).
- There is no shelter or seating at the bus stop outside the telephone kiosk on the A836 (from Thurso).
- There is a concrete shelter and seating at the bus stop opposite the telephone kiosk on the A836 (from John O’ Groats).
- The bus stop is 20m from the entrance to Dunnet Bay Distillery.
- There is dropped kerb access at the entrance to the distillery.
- The surface of the drive leading to the Visitor Centre and Main Distillery Building is made from wheelchair friendly gravel.
- The drive is over 50m long.
Travel by Taxi
- You can get to Dunnet Bay Distillery with Ormlie Taxis by calling 01847 893434.
- Ormlie Taxis have 1 wheelchair accessible vehicle. However, pre-booking at least 1 month in advance of your visit is recommended.
- The Visitor Centre drop-off point is in the distillery car park.
- Please ask to be dropped off beside one of the level step-free paved walkways and ramps leading to the main entrance of the Visitor Centre.
Getting Around Inside the Visitor Centre
General Information
The Shop located within the Visitor Centre is open from 10am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday (excluding 2 weeks during the Christmas and New Year holiday).
- Access to the Shop is via the external main entrance door of the Visitor Centre or through an internal door from the Tasting Room (for visitors participating on a guided tour or attending a special event).
- There is level step-free access throughout the Shop.
- The route through the Shop is 750mm wide.
- The Shop can accommodate 2 large wheelchairs at any given time.
- The Shop has a ceramic tiled floor.
- The Shop is evenly lit with overhead lighting.
- Staff are available in the Shop to help visitors who require assistance.
- We will shortly have contrast markings on all glass doors and full-height windows in the Shop.
- There is high colour contrast between walls and doorframes in the Shop.
Merchandise
- Merchandise in the Shop is displayed on wooden shelves up to a height of 2.09mm.
- Shelves are evenly lit with overhead lighting.
- There is high colour contrast between the wooden shelves containing merchandise and the Shop walls and doorframes.
- We are currently working towards producing information about our Shop merchandise in audio and large print formats.
- There is level step-free access from the main entrance of the Visitor Centre to the Shop counter where electronic point of sale equipment is located along with our Visitor Reception/Tour Check-In Area.
- The route to the Shop counter is 750mm wide.
- The Shop counter currently does not have a dropped/lowered section or till point, although there is wheelchair access to the side of the counter.
- There is currently no hearing assistance equipment available for use in this area.
- A magnifying glass, pen and paper are available if required.
- Staff are available to help visitors who require assistance in the Shop.
Guided Tours and Special Events
- Guided tours cost £15 per person.
- Private distillery tours are available at other times of the year by prior arrangement.
- Please contact the Shop on 01847 598252 or get in touch if you require any further information.
- You should allow in the region of 90 minutes to complete a guided tour.
- Access to the Tasting Room where guided tours, and special events take place is generally through the Shop via a 750mm wide internal door, which has lever handles, and will accommodate all types of wheelchairs.
- All internal and external doors in the Tasting Room have lever handles.
There is level step-free access throughout the Tasting Room. - At the start of a guided tour and during some special events visitors will be seated on either a sofa (360mm high), a high-backed, armless chair (440mm high), or a wooden bench seat (460mm high).
- During a guided tour there is a short walk between the Tasting Room located in the Visitor Centre and the Still House located in the Main Distillery Building.
- Some special events may also involve a short walk between the Tasting Room located in the Visitor Centre and the Still House located in the Main Distillery Building.
- The route between the Tasting Room and the Still House is over 20m and access is via several ramps and level step-free paved walkways.
- During a guided tour after visiting the Still House, visitors will be led back to the Tasting Room for a tutored tasting session.
- During special events which involve a visit to the Still House, visitors will be led back to the Tasting Room for a tutored tasting session.
- During a tutored tasting session, visitors are seated around a large tasting table. The tasting table is 720mm high, and wheelchair accessible.
- We are currently working towards producing information about our guided tours in audio and large print formats.
Tasting Room
During guided tours, and special events we encourage visitors to touch and smell some of the botanicals we use in the production of our spirits.
- There is level step-free access throughout the Tasting Room.
- There is a flagstone floor in the Tasting Room.
- The Tasting Room is lit with overhead lighting. However, as our Tasting Room is located within a historic building, lighting levels are darker than other public areas within our attraction.
- The route through the Tasting Room is 750mm wide.
- There is room in the Tasting Room for 2 large wheelchairs.
- We will shortly have contrast markings on all full-height windows.
- There is high colour contrast between walls and doorframes in the Tasting Room.
- There is currently no hearing assistance equipment available for use in the Tasting Room.
- A magnifying glass, pen and paper are available in the Tasting Room.
- The interpretation panels in the Tasting Room are mounted so they can be read by visitors in wheelchairs, the text is in large print, and they have pictorial representations where applicable.
- The glasses and cups used during guided tours, and special events are in contrast with the tables and other flat surfaces in the Tasting Room.
Unisex Accessible Toilet
– in the Tasting Room –
There is level step-free access through the Shop and the Tasting Room to the unisex accessible toilet. The accessible toilet is unavailable to visitors who are not booked on a distillery activity when a guided tour or special event is taking place.
- The unisex accessible toilet accommodates all types of wheelchairs.
- Access through the Shop and Tasting Room to the unisex accessible toilet is through 2 doors, which both have lever handles and are 750mm wide.
- There is a ceramic tiled floor in the area directly outside the unisex accessible toilet. This area is evenly lit with overhead lighting.
- There is a ceramic tiled floor in the unisex accessible toilet.
- The unisex accessible toilet is evenly lit with overhead lighting.
- The unisex accessible toilet (including seat) is 470mm high.
- There is a fixed vertical grab rail on the right-hand wall adjacent to the accessible toilet.
- There is a moveable horizontal grab rail on the right-hand wall adjacent to the accessible toilet.
- There is 400mm between the accessible toilet and the sink.
- There is a lever tap on the sink and an automatic hand-dryer is located to the right-hand side of the sink.#
- There is an emergency pull cord in the unisex accessible toilet.
- Baby changing facilities (available on request) are located within the unisex accessible toilet.
- The accessible toilet and baby changing facilities are unavailable to visitors who are not booked on a distillery activity when a guided tour or special event is taking place.
Still House
The Still House is only accessible to visitors who have booked a guided tour or are attending a special event. During guided tours, and special events we encourage visitors to touch and smell some of the botanicals we use in the production of our spirits.
- Access to the Main Distillery Building where the Still House is located from the Tasting Room in the Visitor Centre is via several ramps and level step-free paved walkways.
- The external entrance door to the Main Distillery Building is 750mm wide and accommodates all types of wheelchairs.
- There is level step-free access from the external entrance door to the Main Distillery Building and the entrance to the Still House.
- The Still House door is 750mm wide.
- There is level step-free access throughout the Still House.
- There is a concrete floor in the Still House with a metal drain line. Visitors in wheelchairs will be asked not to cross the metal drain line.
- When we are not distilling the Still House is evenly lit with overhead lighting. During distilling the Still House is lit with natural light, therefore the light levels in the Still House may be darker than other public areas within our attraction.
- There is room in the Still House for 2 large wheelchairs.
- We have high colour contrast between walls and doorframes in the Still House.
- There is currently no hearing assistance equipment available for use in the Still House.
- There will be low-level background noise in the Still House when we are distilling.
- A magnifying glass, pen and paper are available in the Still House.
- There are no seats in the Still House. However, a seat can be provided on request.
- The pictorial representation of the distillation process in the Still House is mounted so it can be read by visitors in wheelchairs, and the text is in large print.
Unisex Accessible Toilet
– in the Distillery –
There is level step-free access from the entrance to the Main Distillery Building and the Still House to the unisex accessible toilet, which is only for use by visitors participating on guided tours or attending special events.
- There is vinyl flooring in the area directly outside the unisex accessible toilet. This area is evenly lit with overhead lighting.
- The door to the unisex accessible toilet has a lever handle and is 750mm wide.
- There is a horizontal grab rail on the inside of the unisex accessible toilet door.
- There is vinyl flooring inside the unisex accessible toilet.
- The unisex accessible toilet is evenly lit with overhead lighting.
- The unisex accessible toilet (including seat) is 470mm high.
- There is a fixed vertical grab rail on the right-hand wall adjacent to the accessible toilet.
- There is a moveable horizontal grab rail on the right-hand wall adjacent to the accessible toilet.
- There is 300mm between the accessible toilet and the sink.
- There are vertical grab rails located either side of the sink.
- There is a lever tap on the sink and an automatic hand-dryer is located to the right-hand side of the sink.
- There is an emergency pull cord in the unisex accessible toilet.
Distillery Herb Garden and Geodesic Dome
Distillery Herb Garden and Geodesic Dome
Visitors are welcome to visit our Herb Garden and Geodesic Dome where we grow some of the botanicals used in the production of our spirits.
- Please note the Geodesic Dome is not wheelchair accessible and the grassed areas in the Herb Garden can be uneven and slippery underfoot when the grass is wet.
- Toilet areas for assistance dogs are the grassed areas adjacent to our Herb Garden and Geodesic Dome.
- Please clean up after your dog.
- Dog waste bags are available in the Shop in the Visitor Centre.
