1 Day Castles, West Highlands and Loch Lomond Tour from Edinburgh
Description
Travel northwest from Edinburgh on this small-group tour for an unforgettable day of stunning mountains, lochs, and ancient Scottish castles. We will take you through historic Stirlingshire, once home to the ancient capital of Scotland, through the vast Trossachs National Park and ultimately, the West Highlands. Discover the picturesque villages of Inveraray and Luss, visit Kilchurn Castle on the glassy shores of Loch Awe, and enjoy gorgeous views of the Scottish Highlands throughout.
Tour Options
Itinerary
We depart from Edinburgh at 8:00am and drive to historic Doune (75min drive). Choose to explore Doune Castle*, recognisable from the TV series "Outlander".
We continue on to the charming village of Tyndrum (70min drive), which sits at the southern edge of Rannoch Moor, where we make a comfort stop.
We visit the impressive ruins of Kilchurn Castle (20min drive). Once home to the Campbells of Glenorchy, Kilchurn Castle overlooks the peaceful Loch Awe and has a rich history connected to the Jacobite rebellion. Photo stop only.
Our next stop of the day takes us to Inveraray (30min drive) where we stop at the beautiful Loch Fyne for lunch, before an optional visit to Inveraray Jail, one of the best-reserved prisons in Britain.
In the afternoon we begin our journey back to Edinburgh, making a quick stop at the aptly named "Rest and Be Thankful" (1hr drive) where we do exactly that. Take in the amazing views before continuing east.
Our final stop of the day is in Luss where you will feel as if you have been transported back in time. Breathe in the west highland air one last time before we return back to Edinburgh. (2hr drive)
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Children under 5 years old, including infants who do not require a seat, are not permitted to travel. We are unable to accommodate any child under the age of 5.
- It is recommended to book transport to the departure point in advance. Please also allow extra time to get to the departure point for check-in. We advise you arrive at least 15 minutes before the tour departure to allow time to check-in for the tour. Unfortunately, we are unable to hold the bus or refund for any late arrivals.
- Return times are approximate and subject to road conditions and weather. Please ensure you allocate sufficient time for any onward travel plans, allowing at least 3 hours after the scheduled return time for connections or activities.
- There are days when Doune Castle may be closed for filming or other reasons. We will then visit Linlithgow Palace in its place. Linlithgow Palace, the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots and a filming location for Outlander, requires a local entry fee.
- If downloading an audio guide, remember to bring your headset.
- Due to vehicle availability, there may be instances where this tour runs on a bigger bus.
- The tour may operate with our sister company, HAGGiS Adventures.
- The order of the itinerary route is subject to change.
- Not recommended for travelers with mobility issues.
Reviews(1,003)
A great day out of Edinburgh thanks to Alistair. He was very personable and shared his knowledge of the history of Scotland and how it related to places we were visiting. Great recommendations as well to help make our stay seamless.
Our tour guide James was great! I really liked his enthusiasm and his passion for finding new places to explore for us to know about. He has a good sense of humor and his music play list during the trip's interludes was amusing and fun! There were different styles of music ranging from pop, rock, and instrumental music, all the while keeping it Scottish. I also really liked how James wrote down our times for pick up when we took stops. It kept us all informed as when to get back to the van, it was a really good idea to have it written down while also saying it verbally. Thank you James for a great highland tour! And for our trip to feed the highland cows.
The day trip was perfect and James was so great! He provided so much information and had the perfect playlist lined up for the whole trip. He is definitely a people person and made the bus ride so interesting! It was the perfect amount of activities with some surprise stops including getting to feed some highland cows.
Interesting tour around highlands castles with a super guide and driver
The trip was incredible despite the weather and Alistair was a really good guide!
Thank you Dusty. Great tour!!
A great tour around the Highlands with our guide Dusty! During the trip, he told us very interesting stories about these beautiful Scottish landscapes. We've really appreciated it. A nice day trip to discover a little bit more about Scotland.
Dusty was the best tour guide, very helpful and friendly! He also told some great jokes on the tour
Amazing tour guide knowledgeable and funny. I loved every minute of the tour. Going to join for another tour for sure.
Charlie 10/10 well value for money
