Private Tour of Loch Ness, Glencoe and Highlands from Edinburgh
Description
Join us on a truly magical journey through the heart of Scotland with our Loch Ness, Glencoe, and Highlands tour from Edinburgh, on a day full of awe-inspiring natural wonders, rich history, and folklore. Witness the breath-taking beauty of Loch Ness, as its broody waters reflect the surrounding natural scenery. Marvel as we drive through the dramatic landscapes of Glencoe, where towering mountains and fast-flowing cascading waterfalls create a picturesque backdrop. Immerse yourself in the captivating history, culture and fauna of the Highlands, as we visit and drive past many iconic sites, from the UNESCO heritage site of Forth Road Bridge, to Stirling Castle, from charming little towns like Pitlochry to the desolate landscape of Rannoch Moor. We hope this will be your most memorable experience of Scotland at its best.
Tour Options
Itinerary
The Forth Road Bridge is a renowned UNESCO World Heritage Site that joins the historic settlements of North and South Queensferry. The oldest bridge dates back to 1890 and is an iconic symbol of Scotland's 19th century bold engineering.
Pitlochry is a delightful Scottish Perthshire Town, making it an ideal stop for refreshments and bathroom facilities.
Dalwhinnie Distillery, famous for its single malt, is the highest distillery in Scotland at over 1000 feet above sea level.
The Commando Monument is a large three-figure bronze statue commemorating the service and sacrifice given by thousands of Allied troops during the Second World War, with Ben Nevis looming in the background.
Arriving in Fort Augustus just after midday, it will give you time to explore the town, including the famous 'Neptune's staircase', which is a series of locks that lower or raise boats from one altitude to another. Fort Augustus has many quaint little cafes for lunch. Loch Ness is renowned worldwide for its incredible beauty, and of course the legendary Loch Ness Monster. There is an optional cruise of the loch with a 1pm sailing. (Cruise price starts from £19.00 per person, with family tickets available. Not included in the tour price.)
Rising above all other mountains in the UK, Ben Nevis is the tallest, and overshadows Fort William. We will take you to a vantage point where you will be able to take in the scenery and take in those captivating photos.
Time permitting, we will stop over at Glencoe Visitors Centre, which contains a host of information on this famous valley's geology, history and wildlife. The highlight of the centre is a reconstruction of a traditional 18th century Turf and Creel house from the Glencoe Valley, which you can enter to experience how the inhabitants of the valley lived 300 years ago.
The Three Sisters of Glencoe - the most photographed place in Scotland - are three mountain peaks formed 420 million years ago by a super volcano, and the valley below carved by glaciers over millions of years. There is a hidden glen behind it that was used by the MacDonald clan to hide cattle stolen from their neighbours.
Rannoch moor is often referred to as the most desolate place in the UK, due to being the largest bog expanse in the British isles. It was also used as the setting for the filming of scenes of two Harry Potter movies.
A spectacular vantage point over looking 'everything Scottish', rugged mountains, Lochs and pine forests
Breaking up the journey home, we will make a brief stop to hand feed the Highland Hairy 'Coos' at Callander Woolen Mill.
Doune Castle is an important Scottish historic castle, which was also a filming location for popular TV and cinema pictures, such as Outlander, Game of Thrones, and Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
One of the most important and largest castles in Scottish history, Stirling Castle sits on top of a hill of volcanic rock above the town of Stirling.
The Kelpies are the largest equine statues in the world, and were commissioned not only as a homage to the horses used in the Scottish coal mines, but also as a representation of the mythical Kelpies from Scottish fairy folklore.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We will pick you up from your hotel, AirBnB, Cruise Ship Terminal or other holiday accommodation.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Travel time is included on the total tour duration
- Uk cars are smaller than our American counterparts, please be aware of this when booking for 4 adults
Reviews(80)
The entire experience was incredible start to finish. Paul was so well prepared, patient and flexible as we were traveling with a toddler. He made this experience memorable for the entire family and we couldn't ask for more. Highly recommend this tour for everyone!
We are so pleased Paul manages to adapt your tour and ensure it was flexible so you could enjoy it. Thank you for the review and we hope to see you again in Scotland!
We booked the Glencoe, Loch Ness, and Highlands tour and came away with one of the best days of our trip. The mountains around Glencoe are stunningly beautiful — photos don't do the scale of them justice, and standing in that valley is something you don't forget. Our guide, Shak, was amazing. He had in-depth stories and entertaining insights at every step, so the drive between stops was as good as the stops themselves. He also kept us fed and made sure we were comfortable throughout, which matters more than you'd think on a long day. Best of all, he tailored the day to what we actually wanted — including two stops to feed highland cows, which was a highlight in its own right. If you can request Shak, do it.
Thank you for such a detailed glowing review of Shak and the tour! We're so glad you enjoyed yourselves and got to feed the coos! Take care :)
What an incredible day! Our private tour of Glencoe and the Highlands was easily one of the highlights of our first trip to Scotland. The scenery was absolutely breathtaking, we explored beautiful castles, learned so much about Scottish history, and of course, getting to stop and feed the Highland coos was a favorite for our whole family! Ryan Riley was wonderful! He was so knowledgeable, friendly, and personable and made the entire day feel relaxed and fun. We never felt rushed, and it honestly felt more like exploring Scotland with a friend who just happened to know everything about it! We also really appreciated all the thoughtful little touches Ryan included. He had the car stocked with water, drinks, and local Scottish snacks for us to try throughout the day. It was such a nice surprise and just one of those extra details that made the tour feel personal and special. There were so many memorable moments throughout the day, and we came away feeling like we really got to experience Scotland and the Highlands, not just see them. We made memories that our family will talk about for years. If this is your first trip to Scotland, I can’t recommend Ryan and this tour enough. Absolutely worth it and a day we will never forget! ❤️🏴
Sarah, thank you ever so much for the detailed review, the 5 stars and the recommendation for Ryan!! We're incredibly grateful and so so pleased you had such a great day. Take care and hope to see you again someday!
The extent to which you are able to cover all activities in the itinerary will depend on the weather (rain) and traffic conditions. It was a combination of visiting places of interest and learning about the historical significance, thanks to our very knowledgeable guide/driver who even did a lot of research and wrote even a book about the scottish history.
Thank you very much for your review! It's a shame about the weather, especially in a summer month, but we hope you enjoyed your day!
Mark was very nice and it was great spend the long day in a van instead of a bus with a bunch of people. We did not have to wait for others at the different stops.
Indeed, a private tour is a very different experience to a bus tour, and we're glad you enjoyed it. Thanks again, and we hope to see you again.
A long day (12 hours), but absolutely worth it! We got to see the beauty of the Highlands, explore Loch Ness and meet and feed some absolutely adorable Highland Cows. Shak was our guide/driver and he made the day absolutely wonderful. He had the van stocked with water, sodas and tons of Scottish snacks. He also had carrots for the cows! He took great pictures, had recommendations on what to see and was great chatting with my 11 and 13 year old boys. It was a day we will all remember!
We are glad you enjoyed your long family day out. Please send us any pictures you have of Nessie!
A long day (12 hours), but absolutely worth it! We got to see the beauty of the Highlands, explore Loch Ness and meet and feed some absolutely adorable Highland Cows. Shak was our guide/driver and he made the day absolutely wonderful. He had the van stocked with water, sodas and tons of Scottish snacks. He also had carrots for the cows! He took great pictures, had recommendations on what to see and was great chatting with my 11 and 13 year old boys. It was a day we will all remember!
Thank you for your lovely review. We are so pleased this was a great day for all the family.
It was wonderful experience .with my family .Taimur was very nice guy explaining all the history about Scotland ..I will recommend Taimur to everyone ...
Thank you so much for the 5 stars and for your recommendation. Glad you had a great day with Taiymur
This tour was absolutely on my top things we did on our Scotland and Ireland trip! Shak was an amazing tour guide and our group highly recommends him. He made sure we saw everything and made the trip so much fun from start to finish. From the start he said it would be a proper Scotland tour and that it definitely was!
A traditional Scottish tour with Shaq as your guide? Sounds like a dream day out. Thanks for the five stars.
It was such a fun and relaxing day filled with so much to see. Our tour guide , Shak, was the best! From being our group photographer, driver, and our DJ, he made the day fun and memorable for our group! Highly recommend Shak!
Shaq has many skills. Being a DJ is new to us. It's great to hear you had a wonderful Loch Ness tour with us, enjoy whats left or of your vacation.
