Urquhart Castle, Culloden, Clava Cairns, Loch Ness
Description
Return journey: We WILL have you back to your ship around 1 hour prior to its departure time. We nearly always arrive back BEFORE the ship’s own buses. We’re very efficient and have been doing this for 7 years, serving thousands of cruise passengers every summer season. You’ll see Clava Cairns from Outlander fame, Culloden battlefield, Urquhart Castle, Inverness, Loch Ness and the famous highland cows at Beauly. This tour is taken usually in an 8 seater minivan but sometimes up to a 33 seater which is still a small bus. Our tour is based on a quality experience from feedback from our customers in 2019. We are a new company who aim to please and our guides will offer you local knowledge and answer all your questions. Our tour will depart 30 minutes to 1.5 hours after the ship’s arrival. This tour can be in anything from 8 seaters to 33 seaters depending on numbers. You will love our experienced tour guides in their purple uniforms or tartan and kilt attire.
Tour Options
Itinerary
⸻ Culloden Battlefield • Culloden Moor, just outside Inverness, is the site of the Battle of Culloden (16 April 1746), the last pitched battle fought on British soil. • It marked the end of the Jacobite Rising of 1745, when Prince Charles Edward Stuart – “Bonnie Prince Charlie” – tried to reclaim the throne for the exiled Stuart dynasty. • The Jacobite army, made up largely of Highland clansmen, faced the government forces of the Duke of Cumberland. This includes travelling time to get there from port of 45 minutes. 30-45 minutes on site.
• The Clava Cairns are a group of Bronze Age burial cairns, about 4,000 years old, located near Culloden Battlefield, just outside Inverness. • The site includes passage graves, ring cairns, standing stones, and kerb cairns, arranged in a circular pattern. • Fans of the TV series Outlander will recognise Clava Cairns as the inspiration for the fictional Craigh na Dun, where Claire Randall is transported back in time through the standing stones. • While Clava Cairns itself doesn’t have a magical “split stone” like in the series, the setting – with its circle of standing stones – feels very similar. Includes 15 minutes travelling time from last location.
Arrive Inverness city centre where your entrance is included to Inverness Castle’s new viewing gallery. See right across the city. Visit Flora MacDonald’s statue outside the castle and see the shops and cafes in Inverness. Maybe try a local beer in the oldest bar in Inverness, the Gellions, dating back to 1841. Unfortunately only photos until 2024 as vast he is clouded for complete renovation. Includes 30 minutes travelling time from last location
Travel beside Loch Ness for 15 miles, stopping for photos of Nessie (if you’re very lucky).
Pass through the quaint village stopping when you visit the Nessie centre and gin shop
Visit the ruins of Urquhart Castle as well as the video centre. Watch a 6 minute historic video with own language subtitles. Wander down to the ruins or browse the shop or cafe. Includes driving by loch ness for 30 minutes
See real life highland coos and alpacas at Robertson’s farm on the outskirts of Beauly. Includes 30 minutes travelling time from last location.
Structure • The viaduct is the longest masonry viaduct in Scotland, stretching 1,800 feet (549 metres). • It is made of red sandstone and consists of 29 graceful arches, each about 50 feet high. • The viaduct has a sweeping curve, giving it a very elegant appearance across the landscape.
Leave the village Drumnadrochit then back to the ship via wild land 1000 feet up a mountain the dropping down into the village of Beauly, passing by the ancient Priory.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Reviews(114)
When I booked the trip, I didn’t realize it began in Invergorten at the cruise ship terminal as I was staying in Inverness. My friend was ill that morning so she stayed behind. When the lovely ladies at Thistle Excursions realized I’d taken a pricey taxi to get there, they immediately offered to give me a ride back to Inverness after our tour concluded! June was our Guide for the day and she was very knowledgeable and shared the colorful history of the Highlands, Clava Cairn, the Culloden Battlefield, Culloden Viaduct, Urqhart Castle, Loch Ness and Inverness. While at Culloden Battlefield, she explained that the rock wall at the entrance to the Battlefield showed the striking disparity between the deaths of British soldiers and the massive numbers of Jacobite soldiers killed there. There were 3 of us on the tour (all NorCal gals) and June was a great driver, the car was comfy and clean, and we ended the day with a stop at Robertson’s - The Larder and Highland Cows. It was a wonderful day and when the tour was done, Moe kindly gave me a ride back to my hotel in Inverness. I highly recommend this tour.
Thank you Karen. Very much appreciated.
When I booked the trip, I didn’t realize it began in Invergorten at the cruise ship terminal as I was staying in Inverness. When the lovely ladies at Thistle Excursions realized I’d taken a pricey taxi to get there, they immediately offered to give me a ride back to Inverness after our tour concluded. June was our Guide for the day and she was very knowledgeable and shared the colorful history of the Highlands, Clava Cairn, the Culloden Battlefield, Culloden Viaduct, Urqhart Castle, Loch Ness and Inverness. While at Culloden Battlefield, she explained that the rock wall at the entrance to the Battlefield showed the striking disparity between the deaths of British soldiers and the massive numbers of Jacobite soldiers killed there. June was a great driver, the car was comfy and clean, and we ended the day with a stop at Robertson’s - The Larder and Highland Cows. It was a wonderful day and when the tour was done, Moe kindly gave me a ride back to my hotel in Inverness. I highly recommend this tour.
Karen Thank you for This lovely review.
Boat arrived late, confusion at departure (a guide left without us). Fortunately, other guides were still on site and Danny took very good care of us. A huge thank you to this very kind gentleman. However, we had to shorten all the visits but we saw all the attractions scheduled on the itinerary.
I’m sorry Aileen took another couple instead of your couple Suzanne but everybody came off at once because the ship docked 1.5 hours later than urs schedule. We had to change our itinerary several times during the wait for you to disembark. We did not delay your ship. You had technical difficulties. It made no difference as Danny was still waiting for me to return from the dentist which I had booked with regard to the ship’s correct docking time at 8am. I booked it for 9.30 as I’d be well clear but the ship didn’t start disembarking until 9.45am. Not our fault. We had no choice but to cut some visits short. You went with Danny and had a great day. We would never leave any guests behind if they were on time and given the disembarkation issues we waited you and took you. I’m disappointed we dropped a star for the captain’s decision to arrive later.
The operator was well organized and our guide Niall was exceptionally knowledgeable about history and thorough. It was a pleasure to spend the day with him. He made the tour special.
Thank you so much. By all us fabulous.
June was our tour guide. It was a small group and June was an excellent guide. She was very knowledgeable and she really tried to make sure we saw as much as we could in our short stay. We had a very lovely day and even had a special stop at the end of the tour that was an added bonus.
Thank you so much x
This was a great tour. We really liked the small group and our guide was great. We were a bit concerned it would be difficult to find the van but it was easy to find them as they were just outside the cruise terminal. The stops were all great. Urquhart, despite being crowded, is one the most picturesque castles we have been too. Don't skip the short movie on the history when you first get there. It is well worth the few minutes.
Thank you Richard
Our guide Laura was amazing and couldn’t do enough for us. She was very knowledgeable and friendly and gave us lots of information. If you are an Outlander fan I would highly recommend this tour.
Thank you Jackie x
Excellent walk through amazing places. Our guide Danny fabulous. The only bad thing was the van they took us in, very uncomfortable.
Thank you so much.
We really enjoyed our tour!! Niall was an excellent guide who provided us with so many facts and history. A very enjoyable day!!
Thank you linda Lovely review x
We actually saw a YouTube video of another cruiser’s day in Invergordon where he had taken a tour with Thistle Excursions and we are so glad we did because we just had the most wonderful day exploring the highlands with them! Our guide, Eleanor was absolutely fantastic. She was funny and nice and you could tell she loved to share her homeland with us. She always made sure we were taken care of and felt comfortable all day. We made 5 stops today and never felt rushed at any of them. This was one of our all time favorite shore excursion tours we have ever taken. We can not recommend this tour enough!!!
Thank you so much. Yes we were lucky that guest doing the YouTube video a few years ago. A lovely surprise.
