2026 opening
From 1-31 March, open Monday-Saturday 1pm-4pm. From 1 April-31 October, open Monday-Saturday 10am-4pm and Sunday 1pm-4pm. Winter visits are by appointment.
At a glance
2026 admission
Adults £7; concessions aged 65+ and disabled visitors £5.50; under-18s and students free; an accompanying carer for a disabled visitor enters free.
Booking
No booking is required for an ordinary family visit. Guided tours need to be arranged.
Age and time
Activities are best suited to roughly ages 3-11, and families usually spend at least one to two hours.
Children's activities
Stones and Bones is normally available throughout opening, with rubbings, activity sheets, colouring, dressing up, toy swords and shields, and sensory play.
Buggies and lift
Buggies are allowed, a lift serves the main museum levels and reception can store a buggy. The crypt is reached by narrow stairs.
Food and baby facilities
There is no baby changing, café or picnic area at the museum. Plan a café or other stop in Portmahomack.
Parking
Gift shop
Accessible toilet
Buggy storage
Stones and Bones
Assistance dogs welcome
Why visit
Choose it when you want a small Highland history museum that gives children hands-on ways to understand the Pictish story. The carved stones and archaeology are the main reason to visit, while digging, rubbings, dressing up, activity sheets and sensory play help younger visitors stay involved.
Activities are part of the normal visit
The Stones and Bones pit is normally available throughout opening, alongside rubbings, activity sheets, colouring, dressing up, toy swords and shields, and a sensory game.
Buggy-friendly with one exception
Buggies are welcome, a lift serves the main museum levels and buggies can be left by reception. The crypt is reached by narrow stairs and is not step-free.
Plan food, drinks and changing elsewhere
There is no baby changing, café or picnic area at the museum, so use Portmahomack for food and other family facilities.
What children can actually do
The Stones and Bones pit is the clearest starting point for children. They can use brushes and trowels to uncover hidden objects, turning the archaeology into something they can do rather than only read about.
Stone rubbings, activity sheets, colouring, dressing up, toy swords and shields, and a what's-in-the-box sensory game give children a few different things to try. These activities are best suited to roughly ages 3-11.
Who should choose it
Tarbat works well for children who enjoy treasure hunts, digging, drawing, costumes or stories about the Picts. It also suits families who want a worthwhile indoor stop without committing most of the day.
Choose something more focused on play if children mainly need running, climbing or high-energy entertainment. This is still a museum, and its activities support the history rather than replace it.
Buggies, lift and crypt
Buggies are welcome inside, and a lift connects the main museum levels. If it is easier to explore without one, staff can keep the buggy by the front desk.
The crypt is the important exception. It is reached by a narrow flight of stairs, so the whole visit should not be described as step-free. The entrance route also crosses a gravel path.
Food, changing and transport
There is no baby changing, café or picnic area at the museum. Plan food, drinks and any baby-changing stop elsewhere in Portmahomack rather than expecting lots of family facilities at the museum.
Public transport is limited. A bus runs from Tain to Portmahomack on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, but check the live timetable before building the day around it.
Build it into a Portmahomack day
Allow at least one to two hours for the museum, then use Portmahomack for lunch or outdoor time. This creates a more balanced family day than expecting a small heritage museum to fill every hour.
The centre also helps children understand the wider Easter Ross Pictish Trail before you visit more sites. Treat other trail sites as places to combine as part of a wider route, rather than assuming every stop is immediately nearby.
Final checks for your visit
Ordinary family visits do not need booking, although guided tours must be arranged. Check the current website before travelling because opening hours and admission can change.
If parking charges, an accessible bay, toilet arrangements or the crypt route are important for your family, contact the centre before setting off. Those details matter more here than squeezing another activity into the plan.
Plan your visit
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