Visiting Times
Visiting times will differ between establishments.
Please contact the prison directly or speak with a member of the visitors’ centre team for up-to-date information. Contact details for each visitors’ centre can be found here Visitors Centre information
If you have any symptoms of covid 19 then please do not visit the prison.
For other ways to keep in touch with someone in custody please see our Keeping in Touch page.
Claim for help with prison visits
If you visit a family member, partner or someone who does not get other visitors, you might be able to get help paying for:
- travel to the prison (BEFORE OR AFTER YOUR VISIT)
- overnight accommodation
- meals
For further information on how to apply, click here
Preparing for a visit
Some people may find visiting a prison daunting. This can be especially true for children or those who have never visited a prison before. Families Outside have produced a booklet called My Visit:A photo guide which is designed to support children with what to expect when visiting a prison.
Although all prisons are different we hope this walkthrough at HMP Grampian gives you an idea of what to expect:
Visitors’ Centres
The majority of prisons in Scotland now have a Visitors’ Centre service for family members visiting the prison. Visitors’ Centres are a vital service that:
- improve the visits experience for people visiting their family member or loved one in prison by providing facilities and refreshments
- provide families access to independent and impartial advice, information, and support; and
- voice the needs of families affected by imprisonment to the Prison Service.
All Visitors Centres are operated by not for profit organisations, which are independent of the prisons they work alongside. Each centre is managed by friendly, professional staff who provide a welcoming, family-friendly area which can offer information, support, or help to families visiting the prison.
Families Outside provides the national coordinating role for Prison Visitors’ Centres in Scotland.
Please click on the relevant prison link above for more information on the Visitors’ Centre at that prison or contact the Centre directly. Contact details can be found here – Visitors Centre information
Further information can also be found on Twitter (@HMPJustVisiting) and Facebook (Prison Visitors’ Centres in Scotland)
