• Loch Ness, Glencoe & Highlands Day Tour

    Loch Ness, Glencoe & Highlands Day Tour

    One day mini-coach tour from Edinburgh or Glasgow that allows you to experience the majesty of Scotland's justly renowned Highlands. Site back and enjoy the images of our journey. Our best 1 day Highland Tour!
  • Loch Lomond

    Loch Lomond

    Long Loch running north to south commemorated in song and tradition. Your first view of the Highland landscape.
  • Lake Menteith in Trossachs

    Lake Menteith in Trossachs

    Lake Menteith in the Trossachs, North of Stirling on quiet morning
  • Rannoch Moor in Winter

    Rannoch Moor in Winter

    One of Europe's great fastnesses of peaty bog that has changed little in 1000s of years. Looking strikingly beautiful on a winter's day. You will drive through Rannoch on your way North.
  • View over Glencoe

    View over Glencoe

    Distinctive shape of Glen Coe massif from Rannoch Moor
  • Ben Nevis from Lochaber

    Ben Nevis from Lochaber

    View of the peak of Ben Nevis, Britain's highest mountain from the road at Lochaber which we drive along.
  • Loch Ness & Urquahart Castle

    Loch Ness & Urquahart Castle

    View across to Loch Ness from Urquahart Castle on the north shore of the Loch. You will stop here to explore
  • Inverness

    Inverness

    Capital city of the Highlands and located at the East end of Loch Ness. We will pass through as we turn south towards Edinburgh
  • Views across Cairngorms

    Views across Cairngorms

    View across to Cairngorms Mountains south of Inverness. We drove past this national park with its ridge of mountains stretching to the East.
  • Speyside Distilleries

    Speyside Distilleries

    Speyside is home to some of the world's most famous distilleries of Scotch Whisky. We will pass through on our way south.
  • Pitlochry in Autumn

    Pitlochry in Autumn

    The golden glow of autumn from the glens around Pitlochry in Perthshire near the end of the trip south from Inverness.
  • The Forth Rail Bridge

    The Forth Rail Bridge

    Masterpiece of Brunel and still the main railway route north from Edinburgh. We will have a chance to admire this monument to the Victorian Engineer near the end of our journey.

The One Day Loch Ness Tour from Edinburgh

This is our most popular day trip the Highlands covering Loch Ness and Glencoe and taking in some of the most dramatic scenery of the Scottish Highlands. Visit Glencoe and perhaps a cruise on Loch Ness cruise and visit to Urquhart Castle. Runs 360 days a year.


  • Runs Everyday
  • Scotland in a Day
  • Best value single day Loch Ness Tour
  • Includes all major sites

Tour Highlights: Stirling Castle, Rob Roy Country, Glencoe, Fort William, Ben Nevis, Loch Ness, Urquhart Castle & Loch Ness Cruise, Inverness, Pitlochry


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This tour operates on: Every Day

stirling castle3

From Edinburgh we travel north-west, passing the imposing Stirling Castle (see above 1) before making a coffee stop the little village of  at Kilmahog (2) (where you can pay a visit to Hamish the Highland cow).

We travel on through Rob Roy country of Clans MacGregor and Campbell, then over the wild landscape of Rannoch Moor (3) and the Black Mount to Glencoe, (4) one of Scotland's most famous glens and  the site of the 1692 massacre of the Clan MacDonald by the Campbells. We will pause for a photo stop, and to soak up the atmosphere in this most haunting of Scotland's glens.

glencoe14

Continuing via Loch Linnhe, we stop in the Fort William (5) area for lunch, then continue into the natural beauty of the Great Glen as we pass below Britain's highest mountain, Ben Nevis. Travelling on we can admire the Caledonian Canal, (6) the pretty village of Fort Augustus beside the western end of Loch Ness, and then enjoy the spectacular views of Loch Ness as we drive along its 24-mile shoreline to Urquhart Castle and Drumnadrochit. (7)

lochness4

Loch Ness is 24 miles long and over 700 feet deep, making it the deepest lake in all Britain but is of course better-known for its sightings of the Loch Ness monster, affectionately called 'Nessie'. We Spend approximately 2 hours beside Loch Ness at Drumnadrochit, where you can choose to take a Jacobite cruise and explore the ruins of Urquhart Castle with its modern visitor centre.

Travelling a few miles further up the Loch we can come to Inverness, (8) capital of the Highlands where we start our return south for home, crossing the Grampian Mountains and the woodland scenery of Perthshire, including the Forest of Atholl, with an evening stop at the Victorian resort town of Pitlochry (9) en route back to Edinburgh.

Pitlochry Dam
Pitlochry High street

 We arrive back into Edinburgh between 8 and 8:30 in the evening after a true odyssey of Scotland's Highlands!

Laughing

From the first moments, our driver and guide, Kenny, had us laughing. This very amusing man kept us entertained and intrigued all day long with his colourful stories. First class tour, well planned and executed. Highly recommended.

Excellent Tour Better than Others

I was nervous to book this tour company for our tour since I had not found much to review online. I'm happy I took the risk because for the price - I would actually consider this tour better than the tour I took with rabbies. It was a great variety of driving vs. Stops. Countryside vs. Fun! And Peter our tour guide was lovely. Polite, funny and personable.

Excellent Tour Guide

Excellent tour guide, Alan a very authentic and a knowledgeable historian. We toured the highlands and visited the castle and took the boat ride on the Loch to see Nessie! The trip was a wonderful trip and a tremendous experience that will never be forgotten! Thank you and God bless

Excellent 1 Day Trip

We went on the one-day trip to the Highlands and Loch Ness with Alan and Patrick as our guides. This is a must do while in Edinburgh, especially if you are there for only a few days. Alan was very knowledgeable, informative and a great entertainer. We stopped several times for coffee and food, but you have to be aware that you spend most of the time on the bus, as this is a very long trip. The scenery is wonderful, definitely worth the effort. I would recommend taking the extra tour of Urquhart castle and the cruise on Loch Ness, as they offer some beautiful views over the lake. Overall, a great experience. Highly recommended.

Knowledgable Guide - Elizabeth

The guide was very knowledgable about the area and I learned a lot. I recommend you bring food to eat. There are only quick stops with too many people trying to buy and eat. You run out of time very quickly. Otherwise I enjoyed the tour tremendously and would go again.

Bloody Good Tour

Bloody good tour. Oh, you want more? Um, bloody great tour even when the weather's rubbish?
In all seriousness this has been the best couple of days of my time in the UK, and I've done a lot. Craig, our driver, kept the moments on the road interesting with stories and tidbits of information. Bottom was boring, and the history was well delivered and fascinating.
Everything ran on time with perfect timing, right down to the conclusion of his story on Mary Queen of Scots. I'll leave you to find out why.
These guys are well worth it if you want a well organised tour through Scotland. Clean bus, pleasant people, well timed. This all adds up to a great tour.

Best Tour I have ever Taken - M from London December 2015

I enjoyed the Loch Ness, Glencoe and the Highlands one day tour with Gary as our driver-guide on a lovely Sunday in December. Getting to see the Highlands was the best part of my entire week trip up to Scotland, and rattling through them in comfort with Gary's commentary was worth the ticket price in itself.

Great way to see all the Highlands

I did the on day trip to Loch Ness... The scenery was amazing and the guide super cool!

Scotland in a Day!

A fantastic trip from Edinburgh encapsulating Scotland in one day. The tour guide (Patrick) made the trip for us, his encyclopaedic knowledge of the areas we passed through kept us engaged throughout the day

Inclusions

Prices shown are for transport and driver-guide only.

Exclusions

Optional Extras: Urquhart Castle & 5 Star Jacobite Loch Ness Cruise.

The Little Details

  • Minimum Age: Age 5+
  • Min Age: 5 years
  • Tour Vehicle Type: Mini Coach
  • Months of Operation: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
  • Duration of Tour: Full Day
  • Departure Point: Edinburgh
  • Departure Point: Green Ensign Ewart Pub, at 521-523 Lawnmarket, Edinburgh, EH1 2PE
  • Departure Time: Check in: 07:45 hrs Departure: 08:00 hrs
  • Expected return Time: 20:30 hrs
  • Duration of Tour: Full Day

Rates & Dates

 StandardConcession
Nov, Dec 2018, Jan & Feb 2019 £47 £45
March 2019 £50 £48
April - May & October 2019, March 2020 £54 £52
June - September 2019 + Peak £57 £55
November 2019 - March 2020 £49 £47

Certain Dates are designated peak periods and operate High season rates as below:

  • Easter - 13 April - 27 April 2019
  • Spring Bank Holiday: 24 - 31 May 2019
  • Christmas / New Year:  15 Dec 2019 - 4 January 2020

Please note that rates vary from day to day and can change depending on availability. 

The tour runs daily throughout the year.

Booking Notes

  • Prices are quoted per person per tour
  • Reduced Discount prices are offered to persons over the age of 60, students and children under the age of 16
  • We regret we cannot accept children under the age of 5 on any tour.
  • Any booking is subject to our Booking Terms.

Reviews

  • Amazing Tour to Loch Ness

    This really was the perfect 1 day tour to take. The Loch Ness tour was truly amazing. The landscapes were breath taking. we took this tour in early Nov and the colors were beautiful. This is the perfect tour for any photo junkie. The bus was also very clean and in good working order. With this tour you have a choice of taking a 1 hour boat ride on Loch Ness or going to the Urquhart Castle ending with a boat ride back to were the bus is waiting (this is what I did). The Castle ruins were awesome, the simple fact that you can walk in, around and on them is what made me pick this tour, no roped off areas, so you can really get a sense of what it was like back then. Over all I really would take this tour again.

    Shannon - November 2015

  • Best Tour I have ever Taken - M from London December 2015

    I enjoyed the Loch Ness, Glencoe and the Highlands one day tour with Gary as our driver-guide on a lovely Sunday in December. Getting to see the Highlands was the best part of my entire week trip up to Scotland, and rattling through them in comfort with Gary's commentary was worth the ticket price in itself.

  • Bloody Good Tour

    Bloody good tour. Oh, you want more? Um, bloody great tour even when the weather's rubbish?
    In all seriousness this has been the best couple of days of my time in the UK, and I've done a lot. Craig, our driver, kept the moments on the road interesting with stories and tidbits of information. Bottom was boring, and the history was well delivered and fascinating.
    Everything ran on time with perfect timing, right down to the conclusion of his story on Mary Queen of Scots. I'll leave you to find out why.
    These guys are well worth it if you want a well organised tour through Scotland. Clean bus, pleasant people, well timed. This all adds up to a great tour.

    • Name: Daniel
    • Review Date: 19.07.16
  • Entertained Throughout!

    It was a very entertaining and insightful journey thanks to our amazing tour guide, Patrick. He always had stories to share about the places we visited and passed by and kept us entertained throughout the bus tour with his jokes. He also got us to all the pit stops before other tour companies' buses.

    • Name: Azraini
    • Review Date: 21.12.15
  • Excellent 1 Day Trip

    We went on the one-day trip to the Highlands and Loch Ness with Alan and Patrick as our guides. This is a must do while in Edinburgh, especially if you are there for only a few days. Alan was very knowledgeable, informative and a great entertainer. We stopped several times for coffee and food, but you have to be aware that you spend most of the time on the bus, as this is a very long trip. The scenery is wonderful, definitely worth the effort. I would recommend taking the extra tour of Urquhart castle and the cruise on Loch Ness, as they offer some beautiful views over the lake. Overall, a great experience. Highly recommended.

    • Name: Cristina
    • Review Date: 07.05.17
  • Excellent Tour Better than Others

    I was nervous to book this tour company for our tour since I had not found much to review online. I'm happy I took the risk because for the price - I would actually consider this tour better than the tour I took with rabbies. It was a great variety of driving vs. Stops. Countryside vs. Fun! And Peter our tour guide was lovely. Polite, funny and personable.

    • Name: Amanda
    • Review Date: 11.06.17
  • Excellent Tour Guide

    Excellent tour guide, Alan a very authentic and a knowledgeable historian. We toured the highlands and visited the castle and took the boat ride on the Loch to see Nessie! The trip was a wonderful trip and a tremendous experience that will never be forgotten! Thank you and God bless

    • Name: Damon
    • Review Date: 08.05.17
  • Fabulous Experience - Tina (Jan 2016)

    Wow! what a fabulous experience! so much packed into one day. We travelled Stirling - Glencoe - Loch Ness - Inverness - Edinburgh. Fabulous scenery, lots of tie ins with literature and film. Great value, and a great day out as well. We did not expect the Highlands were so close and so accessible from Edinburgh.

    • Name: Tina
    • Review Date: 07.01.16
  • Great way to see all the Highlands

    I did the on day trip to Loch Ness... The scenery was amazing and the guide super cool!

    • Name: Dominci
    • Review Date: 17.02.16
  • Knowledgable Guide - Elizabeth

    The guide was very knowledgable about the area and I learned a lot. I recommend you bring food to eat. There are only quick stops with too many people trying to buy and eat. You run out of time very quickly. Otherwise I enjoyed the tour tremendously and would go again.

    • Name: Elizabeth
    • Review Date: 07.09.16
  • Laughing

    From the first moments, our driver and guide, Kenny, had us laughing. This very amusing man kept us entertained and intrigued all day long with his colourful stories. First class tour, well planned and executed. Highly recommended.

    • Name: Damien
    • Review Date: 18.06.17
  • Scotland in a Day!

    A fantastic trip from Edinburgh encapsulating Scotland in one day. The tour guide (Patrick) made the trip for us, his encyclopaedic knowledge of the areas we passed through kept us engaged throughout the day

    • Name: Max
    • Review Date: 16.02.16
  • The Tour was awesome

    The tour was awesome and the comfortable ride made it even more enjoyable. Our driver, Pat, was amazing. Very well informed, kept us engaged all through with history of every place we went to and with his jokes in between. 

    Anupam - December 2015

  • The best tour ever

    Getting to see the Highlands was the best part of my entire week trip up to Scotland, and rattling through them in comfort with Gary's commentary was worth the ticket price in itself. Gary mixes historical, cultural and personal conversation into his commentary, which is delivered in a clear and enthused tone, not to mention his mixing in comedic touches. Put simply, the best tour I have ever taken!

    • Name: Matthew
    • Review Date: 10.12.15
  • Well Worth the Money!

    I took the day tour to Loch Ness, Glencoe and the Highlands. It was well worth the money, the views were absolutely breath taking even in the grey, damp winter. My driver was Paul and he was great, very informative and gave us a few extra photo stop opportunities on the way as we were a small group

    Meg Jan 2016

    • Name: Meg
    • Review Date: 15.01.16

Some Places We Will Visit

  • Pitlochry

    Small Highland tour that is a frequent stopping place for coaches travelling along the A9. Somewhat a one road town of shops and cafes.

  • Kilmahog

    Kilmahog is a hamlet situated half a mile to the west of Callander along the River leny, Scotland.

  • Fort Augustus

    At the more scenic southern end of Loch Ness stands the village of Fort Augustus, originally set up as a garrison after the Jacobite rebellion of 1715, and headquarters of General Wade's campaign to pacify the Highlands. Today Fort Augustus is a busy little place; full of monster-hunting tourists and boats using the flight of five locks to enter or leave Loch Ness on their journey along the Caledonian Canal.

  • Inverness

    The Highlands' largest town and enjoying a real renaissance over the past ten years as young professionals have moved to the city. The gateway to the far north and a fun night out if you stay.

Castle Visited

  • Urquhart Castle

    Semi ruinous castle in strong position beside Loch Ness controlling the route North. Captured by Robert the Bruce by clever negotiation. Visitor centre open all year.

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