Private Tour of Loch Ness, Glencoe and Highlands from Edinburgh
Description
Join us on a truly magical journey through the heart of Scotland with our Loch Ness, Glencoe, and Highlands tour from Edinburgh, on a day full of awe-inspiring natural wonders, rich history, and folklore. Witness the breath-taking beauty of Loch Ness, as its broody waters reflect the surrounding natural scenery. Marvel as we drive through the dramatic landscapes of Glencoe, where towering mountains and fast-flowing cascading waterfalls create a picturesque backdrop. Immerse yourself in the captivating history, culture and fauna of the Highlands, as we visit and drive past many iconic sites, from the UNESCO heritage site of Forth Road Bridge, to Stirling Castle, from charming little towns like Pitlochry to the desolate landscape of Rannoch Moor. We hope this will be your most memorable experience of Scotland at its best.
Tour Options
Itinerary
The Forth Road Bridge is a renowned UNESCO World Heritage Site that joins the historic settlements of North and South Queensferry. The oldest bridge dates back to 1890 and is an iconic symbol of Scotland's 19th century bold engineering.
Pitlochry is a delightful Scottish Perthshire Town, making it an ideal stop for refreshments and bathroom facilities.
Dalwhinnie Distillery, famous for its single malt, is the highest distillery in Scotland at over 1000 feet above sea level.
The Commando Monument is a large three-figure bronze statue commemorating the service and sacrifice given by thousands of Allied troops during the Second World War, with Ben Nevis looming in the background.
Arriving in Fort Augustus just after midday, it will give you time to explore the town, including the famous 'Neptune's staircase', which is a series of locks that lower or raise boats from one altitude to another. Fort Augustus has many quaint little cafes for lunch. Loch Ness is renowned worldwide for its incredible beauty, and of course the legendary Loch Ness Monster. There is an optional cruise of the loch with a 1pm sailing. (Cruise price starts from £19.00 per person, with family tickets available. Not included in the tour price.)
Rising above all other mountains in the UK, Ben Nevis is the tallest, and overshadows Fort William. We will take you to a vantage point where you will be able to take in the scenery and take in those captivating photos.
Time permitting, we will stop over at Glencoe Visitors Centre, which contains a host of information on this famous valley's geology, history and wildlife. The highlight of the centre is a reconstruction of a traditional 18th century Turf and Creel house from the Glencoe Valley, which you can enter to experience how the inhabitants of the valley lived 300 years ago.
The Three Sisters of Glencoe - the most photographed place in Scotland - are three mountain peaks formed 420 million years ago by a super volcano, and the valley below carved by glaciers over millions of years. There is a hidden glen behind it that was used by the MacDonald clan to hide cattle stolen from their neighbours.
Rannoch moor is often referred to as the most desolate place in the UK, due to being the largest bog expanse in the British isles. It was also used as the setting for the filming of scenes of two Harry Potter movies.
A spectacular vantage point over looking 'everything Scottish', rugged mountains, Lochs and pine forests
Breaking up the journey home, we will make a brief stop to hand feed the Highland Hairy 'Coos' at Callander Woolen Mill.
Doune Castle is an important Scottish historic castle, which was also a filming location for popular TV and cinema pictures, such as Outlander, Game of Thrones, and Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
One of the most important and largest castles in Scottish history, Stirling Castle sits on top of a hill of volcanic rock above the town of Stirling.
The Kelpies are the largest equine statues in the world, and were commissioned not only as a homage to the horses used in the Scottish coal mines, but also as a representation of the mythical Kelpies from Scottish fairy folklore.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We will pick you up from your hotel, AirBnB, Cruise Ship Terminal or other holiday accommodation.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Travel time is included on the total tour duration
- Uk cars are smaller than our American counterparts, please be aware of this when booking for 4 adults
Reviews(72)
It was wonderful experience .with my family .Taimur was very nice guy explaining all the history about Scotland ..I will recommend Taimur to everyone ...
This tour was absolutely on my top things we did on our Scotland and Ireland trip! Shak was an amazing tour guide and our group highly recommends him. He made sure we saw everything and made the trip so much fun from start to finish. From the start he said it would be a proper Scotland tour and that it definitely was!
A traditional Scottish tour with Shaq as your guide? Sounds like a dream day out. Thanks for the five stars.
It was such a fun and relaxing day filled with so much to see. Our tour guide , Shak, was the best! From being our group photographer, driver, and our DJ, he made the day fun and memorable for our group! Highly recommend Shak!
Shaq has many skills. Being a DJ is new to us. It's great to hear you had a wonderful Loch Ness tour with us, enjoy whats left or of your vacation.
We had an absolutely incredible day on our private tour of Loch Ness, Glencoe, and the Scottish Highlands from Edinburgh. From start to finish, everything was perfectly organized, and the scenery was simply breathtaking. Our guide (Shak) was knowledgeable, friendly, and passionate about Scotland’s history and culture, sharing fascinating stories that made each stop even more meaningful. Glencoe was spectacular, the Highlands were stunning at every turn, and seeing Loch Ness in person was unforgettable. One of the best parts of the day was having the flexibility of a private tour. We never felt rushed and were able to stop for photos and enjoy the beautiful landscapes at our own pace. If you’re visiting Edinburgh and want to experience the beauty of the Highlands in comfort, this tour is worth every penny. It was truly one of the highlights of our trip, and we would highly recommend it to anyone looking for an unforgettable Scottish adventure!
What a cracking review. We really appreciate all the feedback and effort you have put in to write such a detailed experience for others to read.
Because it was a private tour, our guide, Simon, would be receptive to reasonable requests for adjustments to the itinerary. In our case, we really had none that I can recall since Simon's itinerary suited us well. Simon shared with us his plans for accomplishing the events of the Viator description. First we agreed with him that spending three hours on a highway each way to get to Loch Ness (in the trip description) was a poor use of time. Rather, we headed toward Loch Lomond, via Glasgow where Simon lived so that we could also get a driving tour of it which included seeing some fascinating murals. Next we were able to take some scenic roads to Loch Lomond and onward toward the other locations in the trip description with all of us having lunch at an eatery at one of the estates/castles. This was particularly enjoyable since the weather that day was superb making eating outside superb as well. It was a 12-hour day as indicated, but totally worth it.
Glad you had a great day with Simon, Martin! Glad you had great weather as well. Thank you so much for the lovely review
Darryl was a great guide and made this tour personal and highly memorable. We were traveling with our 3 kids aged 4-11 and he was very flexible with the schedule to address their needs for more frequent stops. He was incredibly helpful cheering up our daughter who was feeling a little carsick on the way back. We lucked out on the weather - with clear skies the Highlands are absolutely stunning. Based on this trip, we very much want to return to Scotland some day and spend more of the time in the Highlands.
Thank you so much, Jason! Glad you had a great day with Darryl and that you'd like to return! Hope to see you again soon. Take care!
Are you traveling to Scotland with your family? Do you have small children in tow? Despite the snacks, toilet breaks, whining and complaining, do YOU still want an amazing experience!?! Gerry at E2G is your man! He is absolutely lovely tour guide. He is funny, patient, knowledgeable. We were able to completely alter our itinerary to our taste; picking, dropping, and switching destinations. Gerry also showed us a couple of off-the-tour sites, based on our individual interests. Gerry gave us a call the day before our tour to discuss any MUST-SEE’s and tailored our itinerary. He’s an absolute professional! If you want a private tour for just your private group, pickup/drop off at your location, a clean car smooth ride, and an absolutely fantastic tour guide, it’s Gerry at E2G
Many thanks Darlene for your fantastic review of our Loch Ness tour, Gerry will be so grateful of your high praise.
David gave us a phenomenal experience up into the Highlands and through the beauty of Glencoe. He was very informative, friendly and professional. We enjoyed our day thoroughly and would highly recommend him!
Our Edinburgh Loch Ness tour is extremely popular, its a lot do with our guides like Dave but its also is due to wonderful reviews like yours. Thanks Shannon
Colin was incredibly kind and entertaining. He was inviting and really made the experience enjoyable for all of us. Everyone on our trip thoroughly appreciated his knowledge and stories. The trip does entail spending a lot of time in the car, and this was easier for some than others. This particular trip opened up the opportunity to see so much of Scotland that we otherwise would not have seen. We all had a great time!
Thank you so much Allison for the lovely review, Colin will be pleased. Appreciate it is a long day and we're glad you all had a great time nonetheless!
We had a wonderful day with our tour guide, Ayvin. He was knowledgeable, flexible with our schedule and family and took us to see all of the amazing sights of the highlands. We got to see the furry coos on two different stops and the Monty python castle which were highlights for us.
Thank you Michele! Glad you had a great day with Ayvin. Thanks for the lovely review!
