Loch Ness, Glencoe & Highlands Small Group Tour from Edinburgh
Description
Departing Edinburgh, travel north into Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, with a relaxed morning refreshment stop in the Highland town of Callander. The journey continues through Rannoch Moor, one of Scotland’s most remote landscapes, before stopping in Glencoe to admire its dramatic scenery and learn about the events that shaped this iconic glen. Travelling through Fort William, there is an opportunity to view Ben Nevis, the UK’s highest mountain, from the minibus on clear days, before following the Great Glen to Fort Augustus, at the southern end of Loch Ness. This is the main stop of the day, allowing time for lunch, exploring the village, watching boats pass through the Caledonian Canal locks, or joining an optional Loch Ness cruise (available on the day, payable locally). The return journey travels through the Highlands and Perthshire, with an evening refreshment stop before arriving back in Edinburgh, with views of the Forth Bridge on the approach.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Our first stop of the day is in the Highland town of Callander, where we pause for refreshments before continuing north.
One of Scotland’s most iconic and atmospheric valleys, Glencoe is renowned for its dramatic scenery and powerful history. We stop here to allow guests to step off the minibus, take photographs, and admire the landscape while learning more about the events that shaped this famous glen.
As we pass through Fort William, enjoy views of Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the UK, from the minibus on clear days.
Our main stop of the day is in Fort Augustus, located at the southern end of Loch Ness. You’ll have free time to enjoy lunch, explore the village, watch boats pass through the Caledonian Canal locks, or relax by the loch.
While in Fort Augustus, guests have the option to join an optional 50-minute Loch Ness cruise (available on the day and payable locally). Those who do not take the cruise can enjoy additional free time in the village or along the loch shoreline.
As we travel south along the A9, passing through the Cairngorms National Park, enjoy views of wide open Highland landscapes and mountain scenery from the minibus.
We stop in the Perthshire area for evening refreshments before returning to Edinburgh.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- We cannot accommodate children under the age of 5
- Maximum of 16 travellers
Reviews(169)
We loved our trip with Discover Scotland Tours. Sandy, our tour guide, was so friendly and informative. He made our day an absolute joy. We were slightly nervous to take our two kiddos, age nine and twelve, on this twelve-hour bus tour, but they did fantastic. He made sure to incorporate things that they found enjoyable. We would one hundred percent recommend doing this tour for anyone.
We loved the tour. Kyle was an amazing tour guide. Very funny, entertaining and informative. Everything was well planned and executed. He had very interesting anecdotes about history, geology etc. Bus was comfortable with a small group with comfortable stops. Totally worth it
Thank you for your 5 star review! We are delighted that you enjoyed Kyle's sense of humour as well as his knowledge on history and geology. We are also glad to hear you found the bus comfortable. We hope to see you again in the future. - Discover Scotland Tours
Kyle was attentive and knowledgeable. We were able to see quite a bit of the country and learn about Scottish history and culture. He was witty and made the entire tour more enjoyable.
Thank you for your 5 star review! We are glad you enjoyed everything you got to see and learn throughout the tour! We'll pass on your kind words to Kyle and we hope to welcome you back in the future! - Discover Scotland Tours
Great day! My guide was Kyle and he was not only very accommodating, He was very thorough and very funny. What an awesome experience the day was with him.
It is great to see you enjoyed Kyle's accommodating, thorough and funny guiding! Thank you for the 5 stars and we hope see you again some time! - Discover Scotland Tours
Ron was our driver/guide, and he was fantastic. The whole day was wonderful - really epic! Saw so much of Scotland; a real Scottish immersion. Highly recommend.
Thank you for your 5 star review and recommendation! It is great to hear that you felt you got the true Scottish experience and also enjoyed Ron's guiding. We hope to welcome you back in the future! - Discover Scotland Tours
The main reason we took this trip is to see Loch Ness. When we got to that stop, our guide told where to eat at lunch, but did not tell that this where we could walk to Loch Ness. So, even though we had almost 2 hours there, we ended up eating lunch and walking around to kill time not knowing we were at Loch Ness. On our drive back to Edinburgh at the end of the day, our van almost stalled. We did notice problem with the van since we left Edinburgh in the morning. The tour company should take proper care of vehicle maintenance, especially when using it for a long all-day trip.
We are very sorry to hear that you weren't aware that you were at Loch Ness when you visited Fort Augustus. This isn't something we've encountered before. Fort Augustus is our Loch Ness stop where passengers can opt to take a cruise on the loch or they can just walk down to the loch side for photographs. Your Tour Leader would have provided commentary regarding the loch etc on approach to Fort Augustus and through the town. Regarding your mini coach, our vehicles follow a very strict maintenance and inspection schedule but unfortunately things can still happen unexpectedly. In this instance the mechanical issue was identified while on tour and this has now been rectified.
This was a wonderful experience. Our guide, Ron, was a fountain of knowledge. He was engaging and very hospitable. The tour itself was a wonderful opportunity to sample a flavour of The Highlands on what happened to be a beautiful day. Plenty of photo opportunities. We packed in a lot of sightseeing and visits. All in all a wonderful day out and an experience which we would repeat. A little more time in Fort Augustus would have been preferable to allow those who wanted to go on the Loch Ness boat ride plenty of time for lunch beforehand.
Thank you for your wonderful review! We're delighted you enjoyed your day in the Highlands and that Ron's knowledge and hospitality helped make the experience so memorable. We also appreciate your feedback regarding the time in Fort Augustus and will take it into consideration. We hope to welcome you back for another adventure soon! - Discover Scotland Tour
The guide is very knowledgeable. He knows almost everything about the Highlands, no matter it’s a historical story or a specific species in the area. He had almost never stopped his introduction to everything that just passed by our coach during his driving. He is not only done a great job, but he’s Passionate in his work.
Thank you for your 5 star review! We are delighted you enjoyed your guides knowledge, commentary and passion on your tour. Hopefully, we can see you on another one of our tours in the future. - Discover Scotland Tours
Wow! What a day trip! The sights along the way were so beautiful. Kyle was extraordinary. I’ve never had a tour guide talk mostly the whole time and give so much information. It was insanely impressive and so appreciated!
Thank you for your 5 star review! It is great to hear how much you appreciated Kyle's knowledge and commentary. We hope to see you again in the future! - Discover Scotland Tours
Wow! What a day trip! The sights along the way were so beautiful. Kyle was extraordinary. I’ve never had a tour guide talk mostly the whole time and give so much information. It was insanely impressive and so appreciated!
Thank you for your great 5 star review! It's great to see how much you appreciated Kyle's commentary throughout your tour. We will be sure to pass on your kind words to him and hope to see you on another one of our tours in the future! - Discover Scotland Tours
