Itinerary
Day 1: Edinburgh to Inverness
Pass By: Stirling Castle, Castle Wynd Upper Castle Hill, Old Town, Stirling FK8 1EJ Scotland
Pass by historic Stirling Castle on its rocky crags.
Pass By: National Wallace Monument, Hillfoots Road Abbey Craig, Stirling FK9 5LF Scotland
The National Wallace Monument was built to honour our great Scottish hero - William Wallace.
Stop At: Glencoe National Nature Reserve, Glencoe Visitor Centre, PH49 4HX Scotland
Glen Coe is perhaps the most famous of all Scotland’s glens. This narrow valley is where the bloody massacre of the MacDonalds took place in 1692 and has been used as a backdrop for many movies including Skyfall. We will stop nearby for lunch (at own expense).
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Glenfinnan Viaduct, Glenfinnan Lodge A830 Rd, Glenfinnan PH37 4LT Scotland
Visit the Glenfinnan Viaduct (Apr-Oct only) which famously features in several Harry Potter movies as the Hogwarts Express train crosses the bridge.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Ben Nevis, Fort William Scotland
We stop for a photo of Britain’s highest mountain (Ben Nevis).
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Fort Augustus, Fort Augustus, Loch Ness Region, Scottish Highlands, Scotland
There will be an opportunity for photos and souvenir shopping in the charming village of Fort Augustus.
Duration: 30 minutes
Pass By: Loch Ness, Scotland
We continue along the full length of Loch Ness - keep your eyes peeled for a glimpse of the Loch Ness Monster!
Stop At: Urquhart Castle, A82, Drumnadrochit IV63 6XJ Scotland
We will stop at Urquhart Castle for a photo opportunity and to stretch legs before the final leg of the journey to Inverness.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Inverness, Inverness, Scottish Highlands, Scotland
Our overnight stay is in the northernmost city of the UK and pretty capital of the Highlands, Inverness. There are numerous pubs, cafés and restaurants for evening entertainment.
Duration: 14 hours
No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.
Day 2: Inverness to Edinburgh
Stop At: Culloden Battlefield Visitor Centre, Culloden Moor IV2 5EU Scotland
After being collected from your accommodation it's only a short drive to Culloden Moor where the Jacobites were finally defeated by government soldiers in 1746, the last battle to be fought on British soil.
You will have time to walk on the battlefield and learn more about this tragic event that killed 700 Highland clansmen in three minutes.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Clava Cairns, Balnuaran of Clava, IV2 5EU Scotland
Visit one of Scotland's most evocative and sacred prehistoric sites, 4000 year old stone circles and burial mounds at Clava Cairns.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Cairngorms National Park, PH22 1QH Scotland
As we drive south through the Cairngorms National Park you'll hear about the flora and fauna of this wonderful wilderness which was officially protected in 2003 and is the largest national park in the British Isles. We will also stop for lunch at one of the charming villages within the national park.
Duration: 1 hour
Pass By: Ruthven Barracks, Kingussie, Newtonmore Scotland
During your drive through the Cairngorms National Park, you should spot Ruthven Barracks, built in 1719 after the 1715 Jacobite rising.
Stop At: Pitlochry, Pitlochry, Perth and Kinross, Scotland
The Highland town of Pitlochry has an elegant main street packed with shops and restaurants. During your break here there is an option to visit the Blair Athol Distillery (own expense) where you can take a guided tour and of course sample the 'water of life' for yourself.
Duration: 1 hour 45 minutes
Stop At: The Hermitage, Tay Forest Park, Old Military Rd, Dunkeld PH8 0JR Scotland
Your final stop is a gentle riverside walk through Big Tree Country at Dunkeld, a beautiful way to finish the tour all seasons of the year.
Duration: 45 minutes
Stop At: Forth Road Bridge, South Queensferry, Edinburgh CH1 4QL Scotland
Just before returning to Edinburgh (tour return time is 7pm) your journey takes you over the River Forth. You may make a quick photo stop in South Queensferry to capture the famous Forth Rail Bridge - built in 1890.
Duration: 15 minutes
No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.
See Availability.
Waterloo Place, Waterloo Pl, Edinburgh EH1, UK
08:15 AM
2 days(approx.)
Returns to original departure point
Not wheelchair accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation
Most travelers can participate
Accommodation: Please let us know in the Special Requirements box when you check out which type of accommodation you would prefer. Choose from: Hostel - £25 to £35 per person, per night. B&B single or single occupancy of a double room - £60 to £120 per person, per night. B&B en-suite double or twin - £120 to £190 per room, per night (2 sharing). B&B en-suite triple or quad - £160 to £240 per room, per night (3 or 4 sharing). Hotel - £160 to £240+ per room, per night (2 sharing)
Very small group tour - average group size of around 12 passengers
Minimum age is 5 years old
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Operates in all weather conditions (unless it is unsafe to do so), please dress appropriately
Please inform us 7 days in advance if you are bringing a service animal
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 16 travelers
Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Posted By : Sheila_N
The tour bus driver Callum was amazing! He knew so much about Scotland's history and folklore. We had so many interesting stops-hidden gems. A small group was great as we got to know a little about our fellow travelers. Undoubtedly the best tour we've been on.
Rating :
Posted On : 2024-04-21
Posted By : robertakN8997EG
James has been an incredibile guide for 4 beautiful days. Really enthusiastic and passionate about showing us everything. He showed us incredible landscapes that really left us breathless. James was a real Scottish man, with so much good humour and full of stories to tell along the way. Also very professional. Definitely I would do it again!
Rating :
Posted On : 2023-11-10
Posted By : alinevono
I loved the places we visited but it was a bit different than what I imagined. First the itinerary was different from what is in this website, and it caused that we spent time in things not interesting and skipping some in the itinerary, for example, I was eager to see the castles and the highland distillery but it was skipped. Another point is in glenfinnan viaduct was amazing because we went there in the exactly time the train passed, that was awesome, however after that we needed to pass through a very difficult way to arrive in the place where the bus was. We spent a lot of time on this hiking and it was dangerous and tiring. I was expecting to see beautiful places, not long hiking. Another thing was that we spent so long in a place just to take a fare boat in one side of the lock to another which I don't think it wasn't necessary. It would be much better spend this time in the castles that were in the itinerary that were skipped.
Rating :
Posted On : 2023-09-19
Posted By : Kandice_C
Loved it all. So very lovely! Would have liked more day time in Inverness. Howard was very knowledgeable and shared a lot of great information! We learned a lot and enjoyed our time in beautiful Scotland.
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Posted On : 2023-08-25
Posted By : Ariane_H
It was a great time, our Guide Howard was perfekt in Storytelling and bring us to the History. He changed quickly if it was needed. Big hugs!!
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Posted On : 2023-08-21
Posted By : Flyer16141186176
Callum was fantastic. A wealth of historical knowledge. Have a fantastic trip. Would recommend to anyone wanting to visit the highlands.
Rating :
Posted On : 2023-07-18
Posted By : ella s
ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS TOUR!! Angela was the best tour guide we’ve ever had - she is what made this tour so great! She made sure everyone saw what they wanted to see, had an endless amount of knowledge to share and was always quick with the jokes! If I could give Angela more than 5 stars, I would. She made my dreams of seeing Highland Coos possible without messing up the itinerary. The highlands were absolutely beautiful and I will 100% take this tour again when I come back! We were able to see all the highlights, including many picture stops so we could experience all the highlands had to offer! Music was played throughout the tour to highlight certain aspects of history which was a great bonus and great way to immerse yourself in the tour. I hope everyone gets the pleasure of having an amazing tour with Angela like we did. Also if you get the chance to sit up in the front of the bus, do so :) This tour was the best experience we had of Scotland!
Hearts of Scotland has our hearts!
Rating :
Posted On : 2023-07-16
Posted By : Lauren_H
Angela was a great tour guide with extensive knowledge of Scottish history. The pace of the tour was great with enough time at each stop to enjoy each attraction with lots of history between destination. She also arranged for a great distillery tour at Dalwhinnie on our way back into Edinburgh.
Restaurants in Inverness city center were very busy, and by the time we arrived for dinner, we spent a bit of time looking for a restaurant that wasn't fully booked. We would recommend pre-booking a spot for dinner if possible.
Angela was always prioritizing our safety and comfort during the whole tour, and I would highly recommend doing the Highlands tour with her.
Rating :
Posted On : 2023-07-09
Posted By : Tony W
We spent the weekend visiting the Highlands and Inverness and it was a really great trip. it covered so much in a short time unmet we didn’t feel rushed.
The driver / guide did an exceptional job as she not only had to drive but also provide commentary and music at the same time. An exceptional effort all around. Nothing was too much trouble and even when the weather changed for the worse as the Highlands can she found alternate activities to suit everyone and when we arrived back a little early dropped people off at their accommodation instead of at the start point as expected.
A small group on a small bus but a totally worthwhile experience.
One hint if you do the tour, think about booking a restaurant in Inverness as Saturday night is very busy and it can be hard to get into the better ones.
Rating :
Posted On : 2023-07-01
Posted By : Christopher_S
The tour stops, pacing and accommodations were perfect!
Angela, our guide, was amazing! She was very knowledgeable of Scottish history and even brought some Gaelic language. She tied it all together with great song selections.
She exhibited great care for all the participants and always made sure our needs were the first priority.
She really went above and beyond.
Rating :
Posted On : 2023-06-26
