Loch Ness Day Tour
Scottish Highlands and Loch Ness Tour from Edinburgh
£1300 for Tour and Transport
This is an example of an itinerary for a private Loch Ness tour from Edinburgh. Let us know what you would like to add or take away from the day and we will endeavour to create your dream day in Scotland.
Loch Ness Sightseeing Tour Highlights:
- Loch Ness tour
- Pitlochry
- Cairngorms National Park
- Dalwhinnie Distillery
- Fort Augustus
- Caledonian Canal
- Glencoe
Loch Ness Sightseeing Tour
Tour Departures
From your accommodation anywhere in Scotland
Tour Costs
£1300for tour and transport, for exclusive use of our bus for you and your friends or family.
Our bus can accommodate 16 passengers.
Inclusions
Transport by luxury mini coach for a more
personal experience.
Services of a professional Heartland Travel driver/guide.
Attractions
We can arrange for you to visit attractions on our tour but they are not included in the price.
Loch Ness Day Trip from Edinburgh
We will pick you up at your accommodation, where you will board our luxury mini coach ready for a day of adventure.
As we begin our Loch Ness tour we will drive through the beautiful scenery of Perthshire, Scotland’s ‘Big Tree Country’. One of Scotland’s key strongholds of deciduous trees, this area rivals the autumn spectacle of New England, and is fast becoming a tourist attraction in its own right for the unrivalled ‘leaf peeping’ opportunities it offers in September and October.
Our tour bus will then stop briefly at the charming holiday destination of Pitlochry. A Scottish hideaway favoured by Queen Victoria, this beautifully preserved tourist town is as popular today for its dramatic waterfalls, leaping salmon and wildlife spotting – red squirrels dart through the trees and buzzards soar overhead. There is great eating and shopping here too.
Through the spectacular Cairngorms
Leaving Pitlochry behind us, the landscape soon becomes more dramatic as we drive into the striking and unique wilderness of the Cairngorms National Park. It is here that Scotland’s elusive and endangered species can be found – the golden eagle, Scottish wildcat, and osprey all make their homes in this important and protected habitat.
Here too, you’ll find Dalwhinnie Distillery, Scotland’s highest distillery, whose water is drawn from the crystal-clear tributary of the river Spey. We’ll stop for a ‘wee dram’ of their finest malt, which Dalwhinnie call the ‘Gentle Spirit’.
Watch out for the monster on your Loch Ness sightseeing tour
Beguiling Scots and visitors alike since that first blurry photograph of the 1930s, Loch Ness is deservedly famous the world over for its unsettling beauty and mystery. At nearly 800 feet deep and more than 22 miles long, the loch could hold all of the lakes and lochs of Scotland, England and Wales put together.
With a folklore that dates back to St Columba, Loch Ness is an intriguing place, and we’ll get some stunning views of it from Fort Augustus, at the Loch’s most southern tip. Situated on the Caledonian Canal and Great Glen Way, Fort Augustus is a busy and colourful hamlet, where we will watch the boats navigate the original locks of the Scotland’s historic 19th century canal.
Take cover in Fort William
We’ll turn our mini coach next to Fort William, which sits under the brooding shadow of Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the United Kingdom. Offering unrivalled outdoor sports opportunities, Fort William has recently earned itself the name of the ‘Outdoor Capital of the UK’. This year-round busy tourist centre is a key access point for those exploring the Highlands of Scotland, and those making an onward tour towards the islands of the west coast too.
Relive the massacre of Glencoe
Our tour will travel onwards now to Glencoe. With an unsettling past coloured by murder and treachery, Glencoe has a terrible and brooding beauty that has made it perhaps Scotland’s most emblematic highland landscape. As you stand at the mouth of this breathtaking glen, you’ll feel the past come to life as our guide tells you about the terrible massacre of the MacDonald Clan, and its part in shaping the history of our nation.
Chips ‘n’ hame … Callander
You will be hungry by now so we will stop at Callander for fish and chips (or a ‘fish supper’ as it’s fondly known in Scotland). As well as selling delicious Scottish food, Callander is a popular waystation for those making their way to and from the Highlands. Lying on the River Teith, it’s a perfect spot for a picnic or a walk to the beautiful Bracklinn Falls, and an ideal place to buy provisions or equipment for onward journeys throughout Scotland. After our fish supper, we’ll board our tour bus for the short journey home to your accommodation for the last part of your Loch Ness Day Tour.
Ready for a spot of Loch Ness Sightseeing?
Even those who have never had a tour of Scotland will have some familiarity with the landscape and mythology of Loch Ness. But there is an awful lot more to this body of water than legend.
Around 23 miles long and exceptionally dark because of its high peat content, the loch has captured the imagination of people the world over since sightings of a ‘monster’ known affectionately as ‘Nessie’ were first reported in 1933. Current thinking is that Nessie is in fact a very large catfish, but that won’t stop Scots and visitors alike being captivated by this intriguing and beautiful loch.
The loch is the second largest loch in Scotland after Loch Lomond, and, because of its great depth, contains more fresh water than all the lakes in England and Wales combined. Visitors may enjoy the Loch Ness Centre and Exhibition at Drumnadrochit, which focuses on the myth of Nessie and operates boat cruises from the shore.
The stunning Urquhart Castle, which dates back to the 13th century, can be found on Strone Point, a triangular promontory o the western shore, with commanding views of the loch’s whole length. It’s the largest castle in Scotland, and has a rich history of battle, invasion, capture and restoration that is well worth a visit for its own sake.
The loch is just one of the many connecting waters of the ‘Great Glen’, a series of glens.
Loch Ness Tour from Edinburgh Enquiry Form
