Best for
Rainy-day swimming, toddler water play and primary-age children who want leisure-pool features.
At a glance
Opening hours
The building has broad opening hours, but family swim times depend on the leisure pool timetable. Check the session you want before travelling.
Prices
Leisure Waters has adult, concession, parent/carer with under-3, and family swim prices. Check current prices before booking.
Leisure pool
The family features include wave pool, lazy river, toddler pool, bubble pool, jets and geysers. Flumes are temporarily closed while works are carried out.
Child ratios
Under-8s must be accompanied by an adult aged 16+. Splash and general sessions have different adult-to-child ratios for under-5s and ages 5–7.
Changing and access
Changing Places, changing village cubicles, accessible toilets, level reception access, wheelchair access throughout and wet room or level-entry shower support are listed.
Parking and buses
130 spaces, 8 disabled bays, a drop-off circle and overflow parking are listed. Cemetery Gates bus stop is nearby.
Parking
Café or restaurant
Accessible toilets
Toilets
Step-free access
25m competition pool
Why visit
Choose it when your family needs an active indoor plan in Inverness and a leisure pool is more useful than a quiet museum or standard swim. It works because the practical value is strong: toddler water, splash features, changing support, accessible facilities, parking and public transport nearby. The main caveat is timing. The building hours are broad, but the leisure pool timetable and feature availability matter much more for families.
Best fit
Indoor family swim with leisure-pool features, toddler water and wet-weather reliability.
Main watch-out
The flumes are temporarily closed while works are carried out, so do not build the visit around them.
Before travelling
Check the leisure pool timetable and feature status, then match your adult-to-child ratio to the session type.
What families actually do
Most families should plan this around the leisure pool, not the competition pool. The draw is splashing, waves, the lazy river, toddler water and bubble-pool-style features, with the competition pool useful if older children or confident swimmers want a more straightforward swim during public swimming times.
The best plan is to pick a leisure pool session first, then check which features are running that day. Features can depend on staffing, so check before you promise a particular part of the pool.
Toddlers, babies and ratios
This can work well for toddlers because there is a toddler pool and leisure-pool setup rather than only lanes. The key thing for parents is to check which supervision ratio applies to your group before you arrive, especially with one adult and more than one young child.
Splash sessions and general sessions use different adult-to-child ratios. Under-8s need an adult aged 16+ with them at all times, and lifeguards do not replace close parent or carer supervision.
For babies, the operator's guidance is cautious: start from around 6 months, keep first sessions short, use swim nappies and think about warmth before and after the water.
Timetable, features and flumes
The building opening hours are broad, but they are not enough for planning a family swim. Use the leisure pool timetable for the day you want, especially during term time, weekends and school holidays.
Do not promise children a flume trip just now. The flumes are temporarily closed while works are carried out. When flumes are operating, the child access policy also sets age and height rules, including no flume access for ages 0–4.
Changing, access and café
Facilities are a real strength here. The pool side has a changing village with private cubicles, private showers available on request and a confirmed Changing Places room with an adult-sized bench, hoist, shower, space for carers and accessible toilet features.
Access support includes accessible parking and toilets, a hearing loop, level reception access, ramp entrance, wheelchair access throughout, and wet room or level-entry shower support.
There is a café on the lower level of the pool side, reachable by ramp from reception. If food timing matters, check before relying on café hours matching your pool session.
When to choose something else
Choose Inverness Museum and Art Gallery instead if you want a free, calmer indoor stop without swim logistics. Choose Hollywood Bowl Inverness if older children want bowling and arcades rather than changing rooms and wet hair.
Skip Inverness Leisure for now if the flumes are the main reason your children want to go, or if your adult-to-child ratio does not fit the session you are considering.
Plan your visit
Map
Open this stop on the map.
Open this stop on the mapSave this stop
Add it to your trip plan or save it for later.