Stirling Castle, Kelpies and Loch Lomond from Edinburgh
Description
On this incredible tour, we explore the beautiful Scottish Highlands seeing castles, lochs, sculptures and perhaps some ‘Hairy Coos’ along the way. Departing the historic Royal Mile on an air-conditioned bus we head towards the iconic Kelpies, where you can take a close up look at these magnificent sculptures. We make our way towards Balloch, situated to the south of Loch Lomond’s Bonnie Banks. Here you can explore and take an optional hour-long boat cruise on the loch. Departing Loch Lomond we head towards the quaint village of Aberfoyle before exploring the picturesque Duke's Pass. Passing through Callander we make our way to Stirling where you can either take a stroll around the city centre or visit the historic Stirling Castle. Heading back we stop to catch a glimpse of the famous 3 bridges that span the River Forth before returning to Edinburgh *Boat cruise and entry to Stirling Castle are paid for on the day and are not included in the price of the tour.
Tour Options
Itinerary
See the spectacular Kelpies – 30 foot high metal equine sculptures, built at the entrance to Forth and Clyde Canals as a tribute to Central Scotland’s industrial past. You’ll see why the Kelpies are fast becoming one of Scotland’s most iconic landmarks and the perfect spot for photographs.
Heading West we make our way towards the town of Balloch, situated at the southern of Loch Lomond’s Bonnie Banks where you will have a chance to explore and also take an optional hour-long boat cruise on the loch. Whilst enjoying the beautiful scenery from the boat you can also hear the expert onboard commentary from Neil Oliver, who is amongst other things a renowned Scottish historian and archaeologist.
After leaving the Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond we then head towards the quaint village of Aberfoyle before exploring a picturesque Highland road named the Dukes Pass, the old stomping ground of the legendary folk hero Rob Roy MacGregor.
Known as “The Gateway to the Highlands” Callander is situated on the boundary of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National park, an area of outstanding natural beauty.
We make our way to the historic Stirling Castle where you will have the option of either taking leisurely stroll around the city centre or going inside and hearing how important this stronghold was over the centuries. From the Wars of Independence, think William Wallace and Robert the Bruce to Mary Queen of Scots who was crowned at the castle in 1543 aged just 9 months old this fortress has played a major part in our history. If you don't fancy the castle you will have free time to explore the ancient city of Stirling.
After visiting Stirling we make our way back to Edinburgh, stopping at South Queensferry for an opportunity to catch a glimpse of the 3 bridges that span the River Forth including the iconic Forth Rail Bridge, a World Heritage Site granted by UNESCO in 2015.
We will drop you off in the city centre, our estimated arrival time is 6:30 PM. Please note that this can be impacted by traffic and other factors outwith our control. We recommend leaving 2 hours between the expected arrival time and any onward travel or reservations, as we are not able to offer individual drop-offs.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- There are opportunities to take short nature walks, it is recommended to bring suitable clothing and footwear.
- Minimum age to travel is 7 years old. Photo ID, such as a passport, may be required. Children (8-17) must be accompanied by an adult.
- This tour in an air-conditioned coach, hosted by a local Scottish guide, rated 5-stars by the official Scottish Tourist Board
- There are regular stops on tour to purchase food and refreshments that cater for most dietary requirements
- There are regular stops on tour for comfort breaks
- No animals allowed on tour
- For insurance purposes, passengers must not be unaccompanied on our buses during tour stops. Drivers take legally required breaks and cannot stay with the vehicle.
Reviews(313)
Mari is awesome! Highly recommend the tour.
Mari was awesome! We had a fantastic day!! Thank you
This was a great way to see the best of the lowland countryside. Stirling castle is an absolute must for anyone interested in Scottish history; the hairy coos are an absolute hoot- I cannot emphasize this enough, you must feed the coos ( 1E, totally worth it); Loch Lamond boat ride - stunning, and the Kelpies are magnificent. I suspect there are a lot of companies that do a similar tour, but I would recommend The Hairy Coos. The bus was small and temperature comfortable. Our bus driver, Craig, was extremely personable-lots of great stories and good advice about where to purchase souvenirs and so on. We especially appreciated his advice about lunch (vegetarian) and explicit instructions about what to do if we left something on the bus (we did). This was the highlight of our trip. 10/10, no notes.
Dave was my driver and tour guide . He is very knowledgeable and I learned much of Scottish history. .I can’t believe how he navigates the large bus through the traffic and the roads . It was an amazing tour
It is filled with history and intimately linked to Scotland's national hero, William Wallace (Braveheart); from its hill, incredible views can be seen. All the details are thoughtfully planned and taken care of to ensure that history is experienced as an experience.
Jason is a great guide and driver. Very helpful and informative
Our guide was excellent, Ian. He made the day very special.
Our guide Peter was very funny, informative and had a lot of really good stories while we cruised around. He played excellent Scottish music on the bus. We had more than enough time at each stop and it was very efficient.
Great time exploring outside of Edinburgh. Our guide was fun and knowledgeable. Really a great experience if you want to venture out without driving yourself.
Travel purchased through Trip Adviser. Good follow-up of the booking with confirmation and information before the trip. Friendly, but determined, “hostess” who arranged the queue and guided the meeting place. Nice and experienced guide/driver Stuart. Set time to stops along the way. Properly organized purchase of tickets for the boat trip on the bus (guide arranged the rest). The only little negative for us was that the Scottish music that was played on the bus, (and as we like!), was played on too high volume.
