Loch Ness, Outlander & Urquhart Castle from Inverness
Description
Depart central Inverness and journey to the world-famous Loch Ness, where you will join a cruise to view the ruins of the 13th century, Urquhart Castle. You will have free time to enjoy lunch in one of the charming local cafés in beautiful Beauly and walk it off exploring Beauly Priory; featured in the Outlander novel series. Enjoy a Highland whisky experience, where you have the option of sampling a wee dram. Listen to tales of the Jacobite rebellions and the brutal Battle of Culloden, on our visit to Culloden Battlefield. Outlander fans will love the mysterious burial chambers and standing stones at Clava Cairns. Return to Inverness in the early evening.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Take a cruise* on the Loch and explore the ruins of the 13th century Urquhart Castle. *cruise time is approx 30mins and varies depending on weather conditions
Free time to enjoy lunch in one of the charming local cafés in beautiful Beauly and walk it off exploring Beauly Priory; used in the filming of Outlander.
Listen to tales of the Jacobite rebellions and the brutal Battle of Culloden, on our visit to Culloden Battlefield.
Outlander fans will love the mysterious burial chambers and standing stones at Clava Cairns. When you’ve heard the harrowing history behind the Outlander story, you might not want to travel back in time to meet Jamie Fraser after all!
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- It is recommended to book transport to the departure point in advance. Please also allow extra time to get to the departure point for check-in. We advise you arrive at least 15 minutes before the tour departure to allow time to check-in for the tour. Unfortunately, we are unable to hold the bus or refund for any late arrivals.
- Return times are approximate and subject to road conditions and weather. Please ensure you allocate sufficient time for any onward travel plans, allowing at least 3 hours after the scheduled return time for connections or activities.
- Children under 5 years old, including infants who do not require a seat, are not permitted to travel. We are unable to accommodate any child under the age of 5.
- In cases of extreme weather, the Loch Ness boat cruise may be cancelled on short notice. If you have purchased ticket for this you will be refunded.
- Collapsible wheelchairs with removable wheels can be accommodated providing the passenger is accompanied by someone who can assist them to board and disembark.
- If downloading an audio guide, remember to bring your headset.
- Due to vehicle availability, there may be instances where this tour runs on a bigger bus.
- The tour may operate with our sister company, HAGGiS Adventures.
- The order of the itinerary route is subject to change.
Reviews(1,640)
If you’re visiting Inverness or the Scottish Highlands, this tour is an absolute must. With such limited time in Scotland, we wanted to experience as much as possible… and this tour exceeded every expectation. We were able to see and learn about so many of the Highlands’ most iconic sights while also gaining a deeper appreciation for Scotland’s rich history, culture, and breathtaking landscapes. A huge part of what made this experience so memorable was our guide, Martin. His knowledge of Scottish history was incredibly impressive, but what truly set him apart was his personality. He was funny, engaging, and genuinely passionate about what he does. Every stop came with fascinating stories, local insights, and plenty of laughs along the way. We felt completely taken care of from start to finish. This tour allowed us to accomplish everything we had hoped to see during our short stay, and we left feeling like we had experienced the very best of the Highlands. We truly couldn’t have asked for a better guide or a better day. 10/10 highly recommend this tour, and if you have the chance, absolutely request Martin. You won’t regret it! Thanks so much again Martin!!
Martin was a great tour guide! He was very knowledgeable, and a great conversationalist! I also got engaged at Urquhart Castle, and it was a magical experience! I highly recommend this tour!
Fabulous tour. Plenty of time to stop at each attraction and enjoy everything. Also, loved that the drives between stops weren’t too long. Martin, our tour guide, was amazing. Very friendly, accommodating and helpful.
Martin is a fantastic tour guide
Martin our driver was an awesome driver and guide!! Great sense of humor!! Lots of great stories. He was friendly and welcoming! Drove with care. Loved that he waved at all those in vehicles that waited for us to turn, get past obstacles etc. Even though his voice was going, he gave as much as he could!! Thanks for a great day Martin!!!
It was great to see more of Scotlands highlands and have a local experience seeing much of Outlander points and show points. The Guide was great! His Viking hat made the trip unforgettable!
Incredible guide. Super knowledgeable and helpful. Just what a day trip should be!!! My guide was KING TORK!!!
We had a great time with Iain as our tour guide. Plenty of time at each stop and got to see some really cool spots near Inverness. The cruise on the loch and exploring the castle were great. Easy way to see culloden and the cava cairns if you don’t have a car.
What a brilliant tour! We would have said bus tours weren't out thing, but in Inverness without a car we thought we'd give it a go. It was so well organised and run - Iain, our guide did an excellent job at every turn. The itinerary was so efficient that we did and saw tons of things - more than we would have even thought to on our own, but it didn't feel rushed at all. I fully recommend Highland Explorer Tours and can't thank Iain enough for giving us such a memorable day on our holiday in the Highlands
Really enjoyed the tour , we also had the isle of sky tour yesterday , both with Iain , really enjoyed both days and Iain filled us in on the history about where we were visiting for each destination, would 100% recommend
