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Accessibility Guide for Isle of Raasay Distillery Visitor Centre

Contact for accessibility enquiries: Norman Gilles

email addressbookings@raasaydistillery.com phone number01478 470178 websiteraasaydistillery.com
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Guide last updated: 24 February 2022

  • At a glance
  • Getting here
  • Arrival
  • Getting around inside
  • Getting around outside
  • Customer care support
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Welcome

The first legal distillery on the Isle of Raasay in northwest Scotland began distilling in 2017. It is our vision to create the finest Hebridean single malt Scotch whisky and a unique whisky destination with arguably the best view from any distillery in Scotland.

Experience at first hand our exciting journey from revitalising an island landmark building, to harvesting the first Raasay barley for a generation, and handcrafting the first Isle of Raasay single malt in Scotch whisky history with water sourced from a Celtic well deep beneath the distillery.

Isle of Raasay Distillery
  • Level access icon Level Access
  • Hearing icon Hearing
  • Visual icon Visual
  • General icon General

Level access

The main entrance has level access. The ramp is permanent.

There is level access from the main entrance to:

Shop area and receptionVisitor Centre ReceptionDisabled toilet in the visitor centre reception areaVisitor centre shop includes a well stocked gift shop of whisky and distillery merchandiseDistillery Production AreaTasting RoomThe Gathering RoomThere is a smoking bin outside to the right of the front door

Hearing

The fire alarm has flashing lights.
We have a hearing loop in at the information and ticket desk inside the reception area.

Visual

Glass doors and full-height windows have contrast markings.
The walls and the doors have high colour contrast.

General

There is a public toilet for disabled visitors. The toilet is a Changing Places toilet.
We have emergency evacuation procedures for disabled visitors.

Getting here

For further information on accessible travel in Scotland, go to Transport Scotland.
Borodale House
Isle of Raasay
IV40 8PB

Travel by public transport

You can get to Isle of Raasay Distillery Visitor Centre by boat or ferry.
The nearest port is Sconser on the Isle of Skye. The port is 2 miles / 3.2 km from Isle of Raasay Distillery Visitor Centre.

Heading towards Portee on the Isle of Skye there is the ferry terminal to Raasay at Sconser. Pull into the waiting bays in readiness for the next ferry. There is no need to book and you can buy your tickets on the boat. The crossing over to Raasay is just 25 minutes.

Travel by taxi

We have a transfer service for visitors.

We can collect passengers from the ferry using the distilleries landrover. It is not equiped with wheel chair access. However if you wish to bring your car over to Raaay to visit the distillery there is accessible parking oposite the front entrance. There is always someone at reception to assisit visitors.

Parking

We have a car park. There are accessible parking spaces. The parking is less than 50 metres from the main entrance. Parking is free.
There is a drop-off point at the main entrance. The drop-off point has a dropped kerb.
From the car park to the entrance, there is level access. The route is 1500mm wide, or more.

Accessible parking is opposite the front entrance of the distillery visitor centre, therefore there is no call to transport visitors from the car parking to the main entrance.

Showing the distillery entrance and disabled parking

Arrival

Path to main entrance

From the street to the main entrance, there is level access.
There is a permanent ramp.
The path is 1500mm wide, or more.

Main entrance

The main entrance has level access.
There is a permanent ramp.
The door is 900mm wide.
The main door is side hung and manual.

The front door 900mm but can be opened to its double width which gives an opening size of 1920 mm

The front door is straight into the reception area where there is always a member of the team on hand to offer assistance.

Raasay Distillery distance from accessible parking to front entrance The front door can be opened to its double width Showing the minimal distance between disabled parking and front entrance

Getting around inside

Visual Impairment - General Information

We have contrast markings on all glass doors, contrast markings on all full-height windows and high colour contrast between walls and doorframes.
Contrast markings and windows

Ticket/ information desk

Visitor Centre Reception

From the main entrance to the desk, there is level access. The route is 980mm wide, or more.
The desk has a low section.

The ticket and reception area is a wide open space with a section of the desk lowered for wheel chair users.

lowered reception desk for wheelchair users.

Shop area and reception

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. The route is 1300mm wide, or more. The door is 1920mm wide.
Some display information is low, for wheelchair users. There are seats.
There is a hearing loop.

off of the reception area is an accessable toilet.

Toilet signage Accessible toilet location

Public toilet

Disabled toilet in the visitor centre reception area

There is a public toilet for disabled visitors.
The toilet is a Changing Places toilet.
From the main entrance to the public toilet, there is level access. The route is 980mm wide, or more.
The toilet door is 900mm wide.
The direction of transfer onto the toilet is to the left.
There is 1250mm at the side of the toilet. There is 1600mm in front of the toilet. The toilet seat is 480mm high. The toilets have handrails.

Flip top stainless steel bin is available to use from a seated position

Hand Dryer

Hand Towels

Shop

Visitor centre shop includes a well stocked gift shop of whisky and distillery merchandise

From the main entrance to the shop, there is level access. The route is 980mm wide, or more. The route through the shop is 800mm wide, or more.

Distillery Production Area

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. There is a lift.
From the lift to this area, the route is 1300mm wide, or more. The door is 910mm wide.

There is a platform lift upto a landing, just outside the distillery production area. 

Tasting Room

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. The route is 1300mm wide, or more.

The tasting room is off of a walk way which is 1200 mm wide. Wheel chair users are able to join the whisky tasting in this room at the end of the tour as there are moveable bars and movable seating if required, 

The Gathering Room

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. The route is 850mm wide, or more.
The door is 805mm wide.

There is also an exterior exit/entantance to the gathering room. This is 1230 mm wide giving further access.

Getting around outside

Smoking

There is a smoking bin outside to the right of the front door

From the main entrance to the smoking area, there is level access. The route is 1500mm wide, or more.

There is a bin supplied to the right of the front door which allows cigarettes to be safely stubbed out .

level paved area outside of the gathering room

An outside paved, flat area to take in the breathtaking views of the Culin mountain range of the Isle of Skye.

Outside of the distillery

Customer care support

Accessibility equipment

We have a hearing loop in at the information and ticket desk inside the reception area.

none

There is a level paved courtyard just to the back of the visitor reception area suitable for assistance dogs. A team member is always happy to assist and supplies of poo bags are behind the counter at reception
We have an area to charge mobility scooters and battery powered wheelchairs.

A mobility scooter or battery powered wheelchair can be charged via a domestic 13 amp plug socket. These can be found within the reception area of the visitor centre and under a covered area to the back of the distillery building. . 

Emergency evacuation procedures

We have emergency evacuation procedures for disabled visitors.
The fire alarm has flashing lights.

There is emergency evacuation equipment at the top of the landing just outside the lift and at the second set of stairs in the Still Hall. 

emergency evacuation equipment

Customer care support

Between the opening hours of the distillery visitor centre - 10.00 am and 5.00 pm there will always be a team member available to assist. They will be on the front desk in the reception area of the visitor centre. Part of the reception desk has been lowered to assist wheelchair users.

Lowered reception desk in the Visitor Centre
Guide info
Any information, comments and views made available to users via this Accessibility Guide are provided directly from third party business operators. VisitEngland and VisitScotland do not endorse or validate this information. Any reliance on this Accessibility Guide is at your own risk. This guide is not intended to be a substitute for users making their own checks, inquiries and investigations directly with the business operators prior to making any booking or visiting the venue.
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