Loch Ness, Glencoe, the Highlands Guided Day Tour from Edinburgh
Description
This 12 hour tour will fit in as much of Scotland as can possibly done in one day! You will witness the stunning scenery of Glencoe and Ben Nevis before you make your way to Loch Ness for a cruise across its deep waters looking for evidence of its renowned resident, Nessie. Enjoy traveling in comfort on one of our luxury, modern, air-conditioned coaches as you witness the stunning sights that Scotland has to offer. Please note: This tour is designed to pack into one day as much as possible of Scotland’s highlights! While much of the journey is enjoyed from the comfort of the coach due to the distance covered, you will experience breathtaking views and scenery along the way.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Your 1-day Loch Ness, Glencoe and the Highlands tour departs from our Edinburgh City Centre departure point at Castle Terrace, outside the NCP Car Park, EH1 2EW in the morning. Departing from Edinburgh, our Loch Ness tour travels northwest, passing the imposing Stirling Castle.
We make our first stop in the Callander area in the highlands for some light refreshments, with the possibility of seeing a Highland coo depending on the time of year.
We travel on through Rob Roy Country of Clans MacGregor and Campbell then over the dramatic landscape of Rannoch Moor and the Black Mount to Glencoe, one of Scotland’s most famous glens, site of the 1692 massacre of the Clan MacDonald. Here we pause for a photo stop, and to soak up the atmosphere in this haunting glen.
Continuing via Loch Linnhe, our Loch Ness tour will stop in the Fort William area for lunch then continue into the natural beauty of the Great Glen as we pass beneath Britain’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis.
Travelling on, we will pass though the pretty village of Fort Augustus before reaching Urquhart Castle - here, choose to take part in a cruise and castle excursion (optional extra).
If not, we will continue up to the Clansman Hotel where you will have an hour of free time before we begin our return journey to Edinburgh. Here, you can relax in the hotel with an option take part in the “Donald Fraser – Illicit Whisky Experience”. This is a 20 to 30-minute, on-site experience, where guests can enjoy a film about the history of illicit whisky distilling, paired with a dram of the Donald Fraser blend. (Optional extra £12). Alternatively, you could spend your time exploring the area - such as the Old Coffin Road Walk which begins at the hotel car park. There is also the option to take a one-hour round trip cruise along the loch, with stunning views of Urquhart Castle (optional extra). Loch Ness, 24 miles long and over 700 feet deep, is most famous for its sightings of the Loch Ness monster, affectionately known as “Nessie”. Spend time at Loch Ness, where you can choose to take a wonderful cruise on the loch.
The Loch Ness tour will start its return for home, journeying through the Cairngorms National Park and the woodland scenery of Perthshire, including the Forest of Atholl, with an evening refreshment stop at the Victorian resort town of Pitlochry, en route back to Edinburgh, where the Loch Ness tour ends. Top tip: to save time at the stops and ensure you get to make the most of every minute there, bring along a cold packed lunch!
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Minimum age is 4 years old.
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately.
- Collapsible wheelchairs with removable wheels can be accommodated providing the passenger is accompanied by someone who can assist them board and disembark the bus.
- Please arrive 30 minutes before your tour's departure time.
- Digital translations in English, German, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian & Mandarin available on request.
- Top tip - You could bring a cold packed lunch with you in order to make the most of your time at each stop - this would be particularly time-saving in the busier months!
- We recommend taking cash for the optional extras including the Loch Ness cruise. You can arrange payment with your driver-guide on the day and there is no need to pre-book optional extras.
- Our coaches do not have restrooms, however, there are frequent comfort breaks during the journey at stops with restrooms.
- We cannot guarantee on any tour that we will see specific wildlife like Highland Cows but keep your eyes on the scenery and you might be able to spot some!
- Please note: This tour is designed to pack into one day as much as possible of Scotland’s highlights! While much of the journey is enjoyed from the comfort of the coach due to the distance covered, you will experience breathtaking views and scenery along the way.
Reviews(2,462)
Allister was our driver and guide for the day trip to Glencoe, Loch Ness . he was great, provided lots of historical information, played some great Scottish music and generally took good care of all of us on the tour . The tour was awesome and we saw some really beautiful scenery , beautiful country side of Scotland
Our tour guide was just amazing She gave us hints - tips and amazing history pointers ( not in a boring way of course ) Would highly recommend her
We had an amazing day on this tour from Edinburgh to the Highlands and Loch Ness! The scenery was absolutely breathtaking, and everything was very well organized. A special thank you to Gregor, who was such a friendly, knowledgeable, and entertaining guide. He made the journey so enjoyable with his stories, sense of humor, and enthusiasm. We’d also like to thank Adam, our driver, for his excellent driving and professionalism throughout the day. We truly loved every moment of this trip and would highly recommend it to anyone visiting Scotland. Thank you for an unforgettable experience!
Lovely tour! So many beautiful glens and lochs and castles, and an abundance of interesting facts and anecdotes. Scott was a knowledgeable and very funny guide, who took good care of us and kept us safe from the horrible fluffy terrors we encountered. We'll be back!
This daytrip was awesome. We had packed lunch but still couldnt resist the fantastic beef stew at one of the stops. The scenery was absolutely stunning Scotland is amazing. Dont forget the whiskey ice cream and the best fish and chips ever at the lovely town on the way back. Our guide was Bryan who is an absolute legend. Had a few guides on bus tours before and none came even close. He was entertaining, intelligent and funny, shared tonnes of stories and facts with us all while driving the bus on narrow roads. Fair play top driving skills and top man. Best regards The Hungarian couple from Wales
Claire was an awesome tour guide. She was very good at interacting with the group. She was fantastic with the kids on the tour. Claire is very knowledgeable and informative. She brings history alive! Thanks Claire. Thanks to Emma (from Inverness), our driver. She is a very safe driver and she added some local knowledge as well. Thank you Emma. Great trip. Highly recommend.
We had originally booked the West Highlands, Lochs and Mountains tour, but the day before I had a phonecall, telling me the tour was cancelled due to too few people booking the tour. We were offered alternatives and chose this tour instead - I had originally chosen the other tour, because it was slightly shorter and seemed to have more stops. We did however have a great tour to Glencoe and Loch Ness. A lot of time spent on the bus of course, but stunning views on the way, a dream come true. I couldn't stop looking out the window the whole time, it was so beautiful. Our driver-guide Gary told a lot of stories about history and Scotland in general and with clear information about each stop. Only thing I missed would be more photo stops in the Highlands, as that was the highlight for me. The boat on Loch Ness was really nice too, but sadly no Nessie... another time, I may prefer one of the 2 or 3 day tours, so we don't have to spend so much time on the bus.
It was definitely a pleasure to participate on this trip. Beautiful places, comfortable travelling, but the jewelry of it was definitely Stevie B.: amazing driving skills, really enjoyable style, remarkable Scottish sense of humor, and he has rally interesting historical stories about Scottland and the sites.
Very fun experience!! Our Loch Ness tour guide Stevie B. was always fun and cracked jokes along the way, while providing historical context for each landmark. I enjoyed all of the beautiful sights of the highlands and of the Loch Ness.
Overall a very nice, educational and relaxing tour. Also, if you fancy dad jokes, Stevie B is your boy.
