Scottish Highlands Day Trip: Experience Loch Ness, Glen Coe & Cairngorms National Park
4.6
1,980 Ratings
Edinburgh
Embark on a thrilling day trip from Edinburgh to the Scottish Highlands. Explore Loch Ness, Glen Coe, and Cairngorms National Park, and uncover the mysteries of the Loch Ness Monster. Discover ancient castles, learn about Scottish history, and capture breathtaking views on this unforgettable adventure!
Duration: 13 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Pitlochry - The first stop of the day is in this charming little town - time to stretch your legs and grab that all important coffee or tea.

  • Cairngorms National Park - Through the Cairngorms and the wild wilderness.

  • Loch Ness - Highlight of the day is Loch Ness where you can enjoy an option cruise on then loch for some monster spotting combined with a visit to Urquhart Castle. Alternatively, you could enjoy the views from the shores of the loch.

  • Urquhart Castle - Enjoy clambering around the ruins of the castle perched overlooking Loch Ness, entrance is combined with the cruise option; your driver guide will give you more details on the day!

  • Glencoe National Nature Reserve - Listen to the tale or murder and massacre from your driver/ guide before you stop for those all important photographic memories.

What's Included
  • Local live driver guide
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
  • Panoramic windows
What's Not Included
  • Food and drinks
  • Loch Ness Cruise & Urquhart Castle Tour, £28 cash
  • Gratuities
  • Children under 3 years not accepted
Additional Information

Engage in a tour from Edinburgh that’s packed with breathtaking landscapes, intriguing lore and historical marvels. Venture to the Scottish Highlands, soak in the magnificent scenes of the Cairngorms National Park and embark on a boat tour of the renowned Loch Ness in the hope of spotting the elusive Loch Ness Monster amidst touring the remains of Urquhart Castle. As you travel, take in the sight of Stirling’s medieval castle, and hear the tales of the Glen Coe massacre and Scottish hero William Wallace, immortalized in the movie ‘Braveheart.’ Don’t forget your camera as you might have a chance to capture the beauty around and probably even a sight of ‘Nessie’!

Please be aware there will be no castle or cruise options available on December 26

  • Children under 3 years not accepted
  • The tour is guided in English
  • On 26th December and 1st January there will be no cruise or castle visit available.
  • Please note this tour may operate in reverse
  • Check-in for the tour is 7.45am with departure at 8.00am sharp
  • Visit to Urquhart Castle & Loch Ness cruise £28 with Highland Experience discount, cash required. No need to pre book.
Location
1 Parliament Square
Parliament Square
Please check in with Highland Experience staff inside/outside Caffe Nero by 07:45
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.6
(1980 Ratings)
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Thomas_b
Jun 13, 2024
Best tour ever! - Do not skip out on the cruise/castle part of this tour. Loch Ness was amazing, the Glen Coe area was beautiful! I am in love with the highlands. Graham and Jacqueline were great and had a wealth of knowledge they shared with us. I would do this tour again tomorrow if I could.
Review provided by Viator
Janet_m
Jun 11, 2024
AN AMAZING DAY TRIP - This is a full day trip. It was a truly amazing scenic experience. To see all that we saw in 1 day was incredible. Our tour bus driver John did an excellent job of keeping us all safe, there were some very windy roads. Our guide Terri was not only knowledgeable, she was funny, sweet, knew when to share info with us, knew when to stay quiet. We are so glad she was our guide. Bonus, they were able to stop off on the way back to Edinburgh so that we could see the cutest hairy coos. This is a MUST DO trip.
Review provided by Viator
Faren_a
Jun 8, 2024
WOULD DEFINITELY DO THIS AGAIN - Alan and Jacklyn were very informative, kept us on schedule, and were very nice and helpful! We loved the beautiful Scottish music playing during our ride and all the information given to us along the way. We also enjoyed all the stops. The Loch Ness boat ride was extremely quick; we were expecting a little longer ride before arriving at the castle. The ride was comfortable. Beautiful views along the way. Plenty of stops to use the bathroom and grab a snack or souvenir.
Review provided by Viator
Anthony_h
Jun 2, 2024
A Highland journey to always remember - This tour was exceptional! Our guide, Alan, was immensely knowledgeable, engaging, courteous and friendly. He made the bite journey one that my family and I will never forget. Best parts: All of it: But the Loch Ness boat tour and and the stops near Glen cod and Kilmahog were the highlights. Visiting the Highland cows (Hampshire, Honey and Baxter) were a peasant way to wrap up a long day.
Review provided by Viator
Michele_v
May 6, 2024
Worth it! - Fantastic trip! Chris was great! Informative, funny and kept our tour on point and on schedule. A long day for those not used to long car rides but we saw so much in one day, it’s well worth it!!
Review provided by Viator
Apolline_l
Apr 18, 2024
I spent a day out of time... - I spent a day out of time : magical moments, unforgettable landscapes... The excursion was really well organised! I learnt a lot about Scottish history, the explanations and the anecdotes did make the experience even more unique. I would totally recommend it!
Review provided by Viator
X_z
Apr 11, 2024
An amazing experience - Amasing country. Beautiful scenery and steeped in history. Brody an excellent driver and guide! Pointed out and informed us about history in a light and upbeat manner. Graham did a great job in supporting Brody. The office staff was fantastic. We missed our booked trip - but they phoned us - AND then move our booking to the next day! We are indebted to you. Super group all round. Thank you for an unforgetable experiance. Mooi loop.
Review provided by Viator
261darianas
Jun 21, 2024
BRING CASH!!!! - As far as the tour goes, it was wonderful to be able to see such a range of things within a day. Our tour guide was American which was unexpected. She was very good and provided interesting descriptions about the towns and the history behind the things we were seeing. I felt as though the problems we encountered on this journey were not her fault, and it felt like she was not properly prepared by Highland Experience Tours. Starting off with the Cash Situation. The Cash Situation is as follows: you have to pay your tour guide in cash if you want to do the Loch Ness boat and castle tour. It was 28 pounds per person, and if you don't have cash, they expect you to get off at a rest stop and wait in line at the register to get cash back from the overworked employee. They expect 60 people to do this within 15 minutes. Oh, and if you're not back on the bus within the time given, they threatened to leave without you. So that was wonderful. Many people on my trip did not have a chance to get cash, and this caused a messy situation. If you're a Highland Tours organizer reading this review--give your tour guides a chip reader for heaven's sake!! Or let us pay in advance!! Or even write in the notes for your tour that we need to bring cash!! What a pain in the neck! If you're traveling with people you want to sit next to, get on the bus early. They tell you to be at the cafe at 7:45, but get there at 7:30 if you want to sit with your family or friends. Because once you get on that bus and you realize there's no two seats next to each other, you make a quick decision to take an empty seat. Next thing you know, you're stuck next to a fat man who is manspreading for the entire 12hr trip! And no one is shuffling seats between stops, it's like the first day of school. Once you're sat, you ain't moving! Ha ha! I mean it, get there early fml. Have a strong bladder. If you don't have a strong bladder, good luck Charlie. We would sometimes go 2+ hours between rest stops. Bring snacks. Noise cancelling headphones are a MUST. You never know if there's going to be a loud child behind you or if you're fat manspreading seat mate needs to take a work call during the bus ride. Just trust me and bring your noise cancelling headphones, and perhaps an audiobook or podcast. And a portable charger. TLDR: bring cash, get there early, have a strong bladder, bring noise cancelling headphones and snacks
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Paul_t
May 17, 2024
Marathon tour - Pros- bus is very comfortable with usb ports to charge your phone. The highlands are incredibly beautiful. Loch Ness and Urquhart castle are highlights of the trip. The bus makes a stop every couple of hours so the passengers can take a bathroom break or grab a snack at a local shop. Cons - Tour is very long, 12 hours! You do see a lot of the country side but it is a long day and small children would probably not enjoy it. The PA system also had problems al day and it was hard to hear the guides commentary on the sites we were passing.
Review provided by Viator
Kayu_c
Jun 12, 2024
Very disappointed - If you want to take photos at Loch Ness and have a nice walk around, DO NOT CHOOSE THIS TOUR. Two stars are for the staff and the nice weather. 2 years ago I booked a similar tour (not sure if it's the same company) and we were given 2 hours at Fort Augustus. There was an amazing Lovh Ness view point and plenty of restaurant options. However today we were dropped off at Clansman Harbour which was in the middle of nowhere. Although they said the cruise tour was not compulsory, people who don't join the cruise tour like us had ABSOLUTELY nothing to do there and had to wait for 1.5 hours for those people to return from cruise. After that I thought we would stop by Fort Augustus for some photos like every other tours do, WE DIDN'T. Turns out we spent 13 hours on the road and couldn't take any photos at Loch Ness.
Review provided by Viator
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June 2024
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