The Lock Inn in Highland

Small, pet friendly pub with a variety of Scottish fare and view of the canal side locks of Fort Augustus. Steak pie was good and hearty, a great warm up on a cold day!

Fish and chips 👍🏻 good 😊. Service 👍🏻😊 I'll say eat here, it's fast service and not bad for fast food. Great views

It doesnt look like much, but appearances can be deceiving. While the inside is small, the staff is friendly and accommodating, to the point of entertaining some silly Americans who were waiting for a table. Comfy and cozy would be a great description. The food was excellent. There was even a small piece of home for us above he bar.

The food was great but I ordered an IPA and it was warm and flat. I mentioned it to the young, female bartender and she told me that’s how IPA’s are served. I asked for a different beer and was told I would need to pay for it.

Had steak pie and the wife had macaroni both were lovely and the staff were nice very pleasant experience 😁

Very good beer. The fish & chips is really good here.

The food was inedible. In my opinion, the restaurant is poorly run. Mass tourism comes and goes, so quality isn't a concern—at least, that's how it seemed. I wouldn't recommend it.

Unfortunately, the food wasn't very good. We had fish and chips, which were made with very old oil and therefore tasted almost inedible. Atmosphere was also rather cool.

Expensive, especially the dessert, but pretty decent food. Fish and chips looked great.

Great fish and chips! The portions are large and it's probably best to be split with a friend or partner.

Great little spot for dinner. Lots of seats available as well.

Overpriced fish and chips. Chips over cooked. Girl behind bar not interested in us ordering food.

It’s a good place to eat. The food is delicious, service is fast, and the prices are reasonable. However, the coffee is quite average. One area for improvement would be informing customers that they need to order at the counter, as the staff simply point to the menu on the board. They also don’t seem very enthusiastic about their work.

Lovely pub, great staff, bloody freezing cold, put a fire on

Lovely little pub just next to the Loch. We arrived quite late and were happily surprised the kitchen was still open. Food was outstanding and drinks choices were plentiful! We shared haggis to start, then I had the venison pie and chips, whilst my partner had the Mac and Cheese. Everything was cooked perfectly, the haggis is a must try, especially with the wholegrain mustard sauce on!!

Small pub but what it lacks in space it more than makes up for in food, atmosphere and great staff. It’s dog friendly too. We had burgers and fish and chips and drinks and it was the average price of the pubs around that area. Highly recommend it while you’re in Fort Augustus.

Love this place! Food was amazing. Thank you!

Stopped here after a day driving round Loch Ness for a late lunch, was busy but we got a table after a short wait. Food was great, just what we wanted from a pub lunch.

Brilliant name, brilliant food, warm, welcoming, and required pit stop!

Beef burger was pretty abysmal, but other items looks pretty legit. Probably just a bad menu itrm. Other food did look good and taste good according to friends. Friendly atmosphere, had some fiddlers playing.

Stopped in for lunch and it was very efficient service, friendly staff and delicious food! Could not fault it if I tried! Thank you very much to the staff and chefs 😊

I will be thinking about the venison burger for the rest of my life

Great experience. Big group of Scottish musicians in when we arrived and a brilliant atmosphere. We were with kids and it was packed. I would have loved to sit downstairs and soaked it all in over a few beers. We ended up eating upstairs.Food was good quality. Ordered my son a plain burger but it wrongly came with their sauce. However no issue when we raised and immediately replaced (including chips he had already ate). Staff really friendly. Overall a really good customer experience.

Super great food Very homely atmosphere Very attentive service The homemade macaroni and cheese was great

I was on a day tour to highland from Glasgow and super hungry by the time we arrived this place.Luckily,I managed to grab a table and the food came quickly. Their food is delicious although staffs are quite busy that time with crowds of tourists.

The ladies inside tell us that the store was closed, the time was 19:30 and the google says that the store closed at 21:00

On Google it says that it's open until 21:00. We went on 19:30 and they were already closed. Hope there was a rate for zero stars.

It's really hard to go wrong with a nice hearty pub meal! Their fish and chips were good and beer on tap? Yeah...don't need to twist my rubber arm anymore!

Warm and welcoming, nice food and reasonably priced. I thought this was a great find in a very touristy area. My son loved the chicken tikka masala!

Lovely pub with very friendly staff

AVOID Rude bar staff and poor food

“The Lock Inn” in Fort Augustus is located directly on the lock system - an impressive staircase of locks (Neptune’s Staircase) of the Caledonian Canal. It is a small bar that also serves food. The furnishings are rather simple and rustic. The prices are a bit more expensive and the food is more for small appetites.

Tricked by good reviews. Overpriced, big portions but extremely bland. Sticky tables, dirty glasses.. I dont understand why the reviews are that good. And whilst the food satisfies the hunger, its certainly far from good price to value ratio.

Needed some hot food on a cold wet day but wouldn't recommend this place. Waitresses eating their lunch at the bar whilst serving customers and licking their fingers! Yuck! 🤢

The lentil soup was bland and probably straight out of a tin. I didn't eat it anyway. The waitresses were eating their lunch at the bar whilst serving customers and licking their fingers. Yuck!

Stopped for lunch. The soup was ok, but seemed to be Heinz Lentil or similar. Bar staff were eating at the bar, licking their fingers and then serving customers without washing their hands. It made us wonder if they'd done similar before bringing us our soup. Quite off-putting.

Brilliant place and excellent staff. We had great food and a good craic with the staff.

Super cosy and very welcoming! They were really tolerant of our little dog, the food came fast and was very tasty! Thank you!

This place being one of the only ones open in November, not much choice.... 2 decent burgers, 1 portion of cheddar fries and 2 beers for £51, it's really excessive! The waitress seems exasperated to be stuck in this place at such a late hour (5:30 p.m.!) and makes it obvious. In short, a just ok place to eat before returning to your B&B.

Good restaurant. Good service. We took any place. The girls who worked there were very nice. We tried the soup of the day and the sweet potato curry. The food was prepared very quickly. I recommend it.

We'd seen some not so good reviews but our experience was really good the staff were friendly and food was really good. We had fish and chips and highland burger..no complaints..

Good pub grub, lovely staff and the kind of environment that is hard to find these days. Great selection of drinks available too 😁

Very good fish and chips 🍟, lovely atmosphere. Good selection of drinks, good prices. Recommended.

The food was delicious. However the place was very cold and when I said it to a member of staff she agreed, the fire hadn’t been cleaned from the night before, ashes all over the hearth, such a shame, the place could be so cosy but the girls were just sitting about between serving, not really interested.

We were recommended by the hotel but it was not successful. The Caesar salad with cold chicken, romaine lettuce, parmesan cheese and plenty of sauce, too much for my taste. The venison pie could be improved and the vegetables and potatoes for filling

Was gonna eat here but prices have gone up quite a bit and looking at some the food being served, we choose not to eat. Had a couple of drinks, all good, service OK, but very transactional.

Classic pub in a perfect location for a drink, view of the locks, and a take a few minutes break to people-watch. Staff is friendly and worth a chat. Cheers!!!

Good beef burger. Quite popular.

I concur with other reviewers who find this place dreadful. The premises would never pass a sanitary inspection: the fabric on the seats --- if fabric it was -- was stained and filthy; the tables were strangers to a sponge. The tiny burger I had was the worst I've eaten since I left home in 1960 (mother was not a good cook). The patty was cooked to within an inch of its life. A morsel of pickle and a dab of cheese added some life. The chips weren't bad (chips are hard to ruin, but I'm sure they're trying). Service was perfunctory; "Here's your burger. Here's your sauces (in packets impossible to open).. All this at a ridiculously high price. A shame Fort Augustus can't offer good places to eat.

I have nothing to say about the dish I ate, it was good and well composed also in terms of flavours, the main problem is the service.

Food excellent. Staff very friendly. Could be a bit cleaner though. Loved it.

They have now taken to reserving tables downstairs in the pub, they have an upstairs restaurant, in my opinion this is where the reservations should be, not the pub it used to be

A real shame, it has potential but the service was abysmal and the food was somehow worse. I had low expectations being a rural pub but this one was arguably the worst I've experienced in Scotland.

A local pub with comforting food.

Beautiful little pub great atmosphere and good food, perfect location after a hard days paddling on the upper Moriston River, perfect end to the day with friends over decent and very filling food

Came in one night for a drink, and we sat outside on the canal, and it was amazing. We then popped in for food and had the haggis starter, venison pie and burger and shared a sticky toffee pudding. Amazing food and really friendly service

Highly recommend the fish and chips. Beyond that I can’t say a whole lot but you won’t be disappointed in the fish or the chips. Chips were crispy outside and nice and soft on the inside

Had a couple of drinks and looked at the food, which didnt look very appealing for the price. It did not help lady behind the bar was filing her nails.. we decided to go elsewhere

lovely pub, imagine how cosy it is with the fire on.

Food was fresh and tasty with prompt service, an excellent location next to the locks

No high chair available for grandchild so had to go to local cafe

We visited on Saturday, October 5th, 2024. To say this was a disappointment is an understatement. The staff were more interested in their phones and gossiping about someone who had been fired than looking after customers. One of them, a gentleman, barely said 2 words at all. The venue is situated right by the locks of the canal, and this is the only reason they have custom. We both had haggis starters, which made us both sick within 2 hours of finishing them. I had a fish burger, which was awful and full of grease. My husband had the venison pie, which was inedible. I would avoid at all costs. This place could be amazing, but the staff clearly don't care, and the kitchen is obviously more interested in using microwaves than cooking food properly.

Food was good and service very fast. Views over the locks were beautiful.

No service, orders at the bar, sticky tables, expensive basic food, not a good experience overall.

** Dog friendly Really nice food good gamey tasting venison burger good quality beer and whiskey on offer clean and quite place

The food was okay but nothing special, was served quickly and was way too expensive. Service was virtually non-existent. You have to be lucky to get a table, otherwise you'll end up joining strangers. The visit for dinner was okay - nothing more!

We had Cider and Mac n Cheese! It was all good!

Direkt an den Stufen des Caledonian Canal gelegen ist dies eine gute Gelegenheit sich nach einer mehrstündigen Wanderung zu stärken. Urige Tische aus altem Holz und ausgezeichnete Gerichte. Das Venison ist sehr zu empfehlen (zart, viel Fleisch, gut gewürzt). Das Personal war sehr freundlich, auch viele Einheimische dort.

Food was tasteless, sad burger and venison pie. Upstairs has good views but full with cooking smoke.

Place with a winning concept for service: you take a seat (even sharing tables with other people, which unfortunately doesn't exist in Italy), you choose from the menu and go to order and pay immediately at the cash register, you take the drinks directly to the table while the dishes will be served by the staff. Everything is very fast. We didn't book. Really good food with lots of choices of the day, great variety of beers. Arranged on two floors

Good food and very kind personal. One of the best pubs in Fort Augustus.

Despite being very busy, the staff was friendly and quick to help. Highly recommended, also in terms of location.

Had the venison pie, sadly no prizes for the amount of venison, 4 bits, (can't work out how to add picture) and gravy was thin. Salt and pepper helped a bit. Chips ok, just. Veg, though small in amount was tasty. No decaf anything so had hot choc, only 3/4 full, nice touch with biscuit. Not cheap, not worth it. Imho. We did not have to wait long for food, and view of the canal was nice.

A lovely pub in Fort Augustus. The sweet potato curry was delicious. The burger was excellent as well. The service was friendly.

Good place to eat a casual meal. Had the haddock & chips and the venison pot pie. The single piece of haddock was generously sized, while the pot pie had very little venison in it. If you prefer tartare sauce with your fish, you might need to order an additional cup of sauce.

Visited the Lock on 19th September for evening meal and drinks. Vibrant atmosphere but bar staff came across as not bothered, unfriendly and a tad rude. It’s obviously a popular place due to its location and they don’t have to fight for trade and this maybe the reason for the attitude but it shouldn’t be an excuse. Choice of food was good I went for the Haddock and Chips which was nice. Good selection of beers.

A good address in Fort Augustus! The pub is very friendly as are its staff. The Fish and Chips (£20) was good and we had a lovely time even if we left smelling a bit like fried food.

Terrible experience . Besides the very grumpy and bored barman, the food was below average and the cleanliness was inexistant (sticky tables..). Can't understand why some rates this place well. It's the kind of pub that doesn't give a rats hole what they customers think given they are in very touristic place. I definitely do not recommend

Don’t go here. It’s a tourist rip off

The food is very normal for the prices, the place is good with the tables next to the canal.

Always nice to share a fish and fries in a scottish pub but the service was quite cold, the cooking was ok but nothing more, the pudding was excellent. The beers excellent too as usual. A good choice of whiskies

Very friendly atmosphere in this Scottish establishment right next to Loch Ness! Really very nice!

Incredibly rude staff and patrons. Don’t bother walking in if it’s full. Other people will cut right in front of you for service and the bartender could seriously use an antidepressant.

Everything is spectacular. The setting, the pub, the food, the atmosphere....

Lovely wee afternoon. Great atmosphere, very busy, but staff extremely attentive and welcoming. Food and service excellent. Would highly recommend. Heather, Jimmy and Theo

Everything in general, very poor, the food and the attention you receive makes you think twice, they don't serve you at the table, you have to go downstairs to order, the table was barely cleaned and it was sticky. The quality of the burger we ordered... better to save that money and give it to charity, because the greasy fries were awful and the burger looked like it had just been thawed. Better to buy food at a gas station and believe me you will be saving money and health.

Don't spend time or money in this place, it's quite sad that they don't serve you, they barely cleaned our table and it was sticky, there was no menu on the table either and I had to go to another table to ask for theirs. As for the food... I've been in Scotland for 10 days and it's the worst burger I've ever eaten, my girl and I ordered the Beef Burger, an exorbitant price for the quality they offer, everything frozen, very greasy and hard potatoes... really, no. I think it costs a lot to provide a passable service, but the experience I have from this place is regrettable.

We found the most rude waiter in Scotland! It must still be emphasized, it is so rare in this country. Armed with my best smile I asked the bartender if there was a table available for 5 people, he replied “no idea, you have to look for it yourself”. We decided to have a drink while waiting patiently for a table to become available. No compassion or kindness on his part. Too bad, we were hungry. And you had to be hungry to eat my dish (curry), it was cold and tasteless. We had to insist twice to have the naan breads included in the dish. Two stars for the kitchen because the fish and chips were good! I completely understand that the summer season was tough, I am a trader myself, but a hello, thank you, goodbye are the basis when you decide to work behind a bar. Sir, take a vacation or change jobs.

Great fish and chips just up from the pub at half the price

Great food and fantastic beers!

My pumpkin and chickpea curry didnt have any chickpeas - go figure!! We had two different wines and they tasted watery.

The food was good but the mayonnaise was out of date.

Huge and I mean huge fish and chips!

Amazing place to stay with locals and/friends. Best place in town

Wonderful food and drink, friendly staff, the perfect pub.

We stopped in the Lock Inn for dessert and whiskey before bed. Fantastic atmosphere, good food.

Very good atmosphere, good music, good food, good price. With terrace facing the canal. Very good!

It is a (almost) self-service restaurant, you order at the counter, you pay when you order, they only bring the food to your table. Good vegan options.

awesome views, great vibe in the eve, affordable drinks. What more do you need?! We didn’t eat here

I must say the food is good, but the sore point is the service. They don't even count you when you enter, the management of the tables is completely left to the customers, so much so that you can find 1 person alone at a table for 4 having a drink, occupying the entire table while you who would like to have dinner remain standing. The system needs to be reviewed, but overall I also recommend it for the food, as long as you can get a seat