Loch Ness, Glencoe & Scottish Highlands Day Tour from Edinburgh: Culture, History, and Scenic Beauty
4.8
4,628 Ratings
Edinburgh
Embark on a thrilling 1-day tour of Loch Ness, Glencoe, and the Scottish Highlands from Edinburgh. Immerse yourself in Scottish culture, history, and stunning natural beauty.
Duration: 12 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Callander - After departing Edinburgh you’ll head north through the central belt of the country. Your guide will entertain by laying the foundations of many a story about Scotland’s past heroes like William Wallace and Robert the Bruce who made this area of Scotland their own. You will spot royal palaces, giant mythical Kelpies and the ancient stronghold of Stirling Castle before we arrive at our first stop of the day in the town of Callander. Known as “The Gateway to the Highlands” Callander is situated on the boundary of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National park, an area of outstanding natural beauty.
    Here you will be able to explore the town’s abundance of authentic gift shops, delicatessen’s and bakeries. An ideal place to stretch your legs and refresh before you rejoin the bus to enter the highlands properly.

  • Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park - As we enter The ‘Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park’ our bus weaves through hills, mountains and Glens. These remote places were once inhabited by Highland Clans, not to mention Scotland’s most famous outlaw, Rob Roy MacGregor, whom some consider The Scottish Robin Hood. Look out across the landscape and picture what it was like as you hear the remarkable bloodthirsty stories of betrayal and revenge as told by your guide. If we happen to spot some of our famous ‘Hairy Highland Coos’, we might stop for a selfie.

  • Glencoe - Glencoe was also the scene of one of Scotland’s most shocking massacres. Stop at the Picturesque town of Callander “Gateway to the Highlands” and the Hairy Coos. As you gaze at the haunting hills, you notice the Glen is eerily silent. In the 17th century one of the worst acts of betrayal occurred here. Your guide will recount the details of this betrayal for you. You can almost feel the sorrow in the mountains of the ‘weeping valley’. Above all though, Glencoe is one of Scotland’s most beautiful landscapes. A highlight of any tour to the Scottish Highlands!

  • Fort William - The tour then takes you through Fort William and past the spectacular Ben Nevis, the tallest mountain in the British Isles. The Nevis Range towers over the winding road as you continue your journey to Loch Ness.

  • Fort Augustus Abbey - Desperate for a glimpse of ‘Nessie’?

Fort Augustus, a charming, postcard-perfect, Highland village on the Southern shores of the Loch. From here you will have the opportunity to take a fantastic 1-hour cruise on the loch with our friends at Cruise Loch Ness.

The local crew on board share their experiences of Nessie, as you search for yourself. All with the aid of a state of the art Sonar equipment helping you scan the near 900 foot depths of the loch below. Tickets are Adults £16.50, Children £10.00 and are purchasable on the day with cash.

For those who do not wish to take the optional boat cruise, you will have time to explore the village and its beautiful Caledonian Canal lock system, built by the famous engineer Thomas Telford in the 19th century, that descends through the heart of the village into Loch Ness. Walk further along the canal and into the surrounding countryside to enjoy mountainous views and sights of farm animals and possibly red deer.

  • Commando Monument - Along the route, we’ll stop at the Commando Memorial. In 1942, this setting became the training ground for Britain’s Special Forces. Harsh, unforgiving, and breathtakingly beautiful. A statue of our heroes overlooks the Nevis range. Bring a camera – this is undoubtedly one of our favourite photo-stops in all of Scotland.

Here, weather permitting, you could also spot Ben Nevis. The tallest mountain in The United Kingdom.

  • Cairngorms National Park - Heading south we travel through the Cairngorm National Park where Red squirrels, roe deer, red deer, soaring buzzards, pine martens, golden eagles and osprey can be found. Our final stop of the day is Pitlochry
  • Pitlochry - Pitlochry is situated in the heart of the stunning scenery of Highland Perthshire. The town sits below Beinn Bhracaigh (Ben Vrackie), the speckled mountain and beside the River Tummel, in some of the most magnificent scenery in Scotland. With a backdrop of surrounding hills and beautiful woodlands, it is wonderful walking country.
  • Forth Bridge - As we re-enter Edinburgh from the North, you will be met with views of Scotland’s greatest piece of engineering, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Forth Bridge. This 19th century engineering marvel was at one point the World’s longest cantilever bridge. Today it neighbours the 20th century Forth Road Bridge and the 21st century Queensferry Crossing which opened in 2017. Three spectacular bridges, from three different centuries, span the Firth of Forth connecting our Capital city and the Kingdom of Fife.
What's Included
  • All taxes, fees, and handling charges included
  • Regular comfort breaks on the journey
  • Climate-controlled in-vehicle air conditioning
  • Live commentary and storytelling from an experienced ‘Hairy Coo’ driver-guide
What's Not Included
  • Food and drinks
  • Gratuities
  • Optional cruise can be purchased on morning of tour
  • No Toilet/Restroom on board
  • On-board WiFi
  • No children under the age of 7 allowed
Additional Information

PLEASE BE INFORMED THAT WE DO NOT PERMIT INDIVIDUALS UNDER THE AGE OF 7 TO JOIN OUR TOURS.

When embarking on the 1 Day Loch Ness, Glencoe, and Scottish Highlands Tour, you’ll have the opportunity to witness Scotland’s finest on an adventure-filled day. This tour is ideal for those constrained by time and seeking to gain maximum value. Enjoy the breathtaking and untouched landscapes as you traverse the picturesque Scottish highlands, taking a break from the noise and clamor of contemporary life.

Immerse yourself in Scottish heritage through the country’s fascinating myths and legends, historical landmarks, and gain insights into our intriguing history. Every bend in the serpentine Scottish routes presents a new photography spot, a new tale to narrate, and a fresh experience to savor.

  • Minimum age to travel is 7 years old. Photo ID, such as a passport, may be required. Children (8-17) must be accompanied by an adult.
  • There are opportunities to take short nature walks, it is recommended to bring suitable clothing and footwear.
  • This tour in an air-conditioned midi-coach, hosted by a local Scottish guide, rated 5-stars by the official Scottish Tourist Board
  • There are regular stops on tour to purchase food and refreshments that cater for most dietary requirements
  • There are regular stops on tour for comfort breaks
  • No animals allowed on tour
  • You must bring cash for the optional Cruise Loch Ness - this is essential
Location
Deacon's House Cafe
Lawnmarket
**Meeting point is at the bus stop outside Deacon's House Cafe** We cannot offer personalised pick up. Check-In opens 7:15 AM, Check-In closes 7.55am, Last Bus Departs 8:00 AM SHARP **We are unable to wait for latecomers under any circumstances and there will be no refunds for missed tours.**
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.8
(4628 Ratings)
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Dwiley3
Jun 2, 2024
Beautiful day enjoying the Highlands! - An incredible journey through this beautiful Scottish countryside! Our driver/guide Martin was very entertaining as well as sharing lots of information about the area's geography, history and legends. The stop to feed the hairy coos was an unexpected bonus and the cruise on the Loch Ness was fun. We would highly recommend this!
Review provided by Viator
Rena_h
May 25, 2024
Beautiful day touring the Scottish Highlands! - Enjoyed our tour (May 2024) with The Hairy Coo group and Martin as our driver guide! Got to see lots of the countryside and had wonderful history told to us as we traveled along. Only downside was a long day (13 hours) but we did get lots of breaks to get out and stretch our legs, take photos, get refreshments, etc. Recommend this tour!
Review provided by Viator
Rose_d
May 20, 2024
The Highlands and Loch Ness Tour - The geographical beauty of the a highlands was breathtaking. Loch Ness boat ride and tour was fun. Our tour guide Ryan was excellent!
Review provided by Viator
Sfmillburn
May 19, 2024
Long, Pleasant tour. - Long, Pleasant tour on a comfortable bus, though the seats were a little tight. Our tour guide, Brian Smith, had quite a sense of humor and kept us entertained with stories, narrations, and music.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cole_m
May 16, 2024
A great bullet point tour around the highlands! - David was a wonderful tour guide, he added a personal touch to the tour all the way and the 12 hour day went by in no time with plenty of stops and Scottish history to fill in the gaps. Thought the stops were short, they gave me a taste of all the great location's the highlands have to offer and I’m already itching to return as soon as I can!
Review provided by Viator
Tracy_s
May 23, 2024
Bus tour - Not the companies fault but since it is a big bus people were constantly late and making the bus late so we got back even later. I have done the smaller van option and that was a much better experience
Review provided by Viator
Katherine_d
May 19, 2024
Michael was an excellent... - Michael was an excellent guide. Personable, passionate about Scottish history and culture, and fun. This is a great way to see the highlands with the ease of not renting a car. I would recommend this to anyone who is visiting the highlands for the first time!
Review provided by Viator
Allison_g
May 15, 2024
Trip through the... - Trip through the highlands was lovely, albeit dependent on whether or not the bus could find parking at lookout spots. Which side of the bus you were seated on also made a difference (left is the best for the trip north). A little heavy on the time constraints at each location. We really had to rush for food in Loch Ness if we wanted to make the ferry, for instance. Unfortunately, the worst bit was that our guide was terribly ill. He tried to rally his spirits & did a fine job for how long of a day it was, but he was definitely too sick to be at work that day. There was a lot of coughing. He was contagious and wore no mask. I ended up coming down with the same symptoms soon after the tour, which close to ruined the last two days of my trip. I don't know if it was a staffing issue as both tour busses seemed well full, but he should have felt able to stay home that day. Tour itself is serviceable for those who do not want to rent a car or book overnight accommodations for a full day at Loch Ness.
Review provided by Viator
Lovetravel599055
May 15, 2024
Disappointing - This 15.5 hour day is just too long for the sights seen. Many “drive bys” where not much is seen, and alternatively many stops that aren’t worth stopping at. Compounding this was the bus temperature. It was a beautiful day in Scotland, 65-73 degrees F. However, the bus air con wasn’t working (though told that it was). We sweated in back of bus for 10 of the 14.5 hours. And just when things would cool off, we would stop at another not-so-relevant stop. There are multiple buses that go out each day. We were assigned a 20 passenger van/bus. Seats are designed for those under 6 feet tall. If over that height (2 in our group were) the contours of seat/headrest make it very uncomfortable for all 15.5 hours. We also took the optional boat tour on Loch Ness. All in all, recommend the train to Stirling Castle (1 hour from Edinburgh) and find any Loch (closer to Edinburgh) to take a boat ride on if desired. Our driver/guide was very nice.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
G27bvmikep
May 14, 2024
Excessive driving for minimal variety of scenery - An excessive amount of driving to see scenery that does not vary much between hour 1 and hour 11 of the trip. Guide was very good, but the bus driver was rude and antagonistic towards the passengers, which detracted from the experience. Loch Ness had a good boat tour, but if you are not particularly interested in the history, would not recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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