Edinburgh

Loch Ness, Glencoe & The Highlands Day Trip from Edinburgh

Badge of ExcellenceEdinburgh, Scotland

12 hours
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

See the best of Scotland in one action-packed day on this Glencoe, Loch Ness and the Highlands tour from Edinburgh. Pass Stirling Castle on route to Kilmahog with a guide, then continue through Rannoch Moor to the soaring Highland peaks of Glen Coe. Head along the banks of Loch Linnhe to Fort William and gaze over Ben Nevis — Scotland’s highest mountain. Enjoy free time to explore Loch Ness and learn the famous legend of Nessie! Pass by Inverness, then travel through the mighty Grampian Mountains to Edinburgh.

Discover Glencoe, Loch Ness and the Highlands in a day—ideal for travellers short on time
Admire the iconic Stirling Castle and impressive Grampian Mountains as you journey through the wild landscape
Learn some of Scotland's rich history from your guide—ideal for history buffs
Enjoy free time to explore Loch Ness at your leisure

What's Included

Air-conditioned vehicle
Knowledgeable driver-guide
Live commentary on board

Food and drinks
Gratuities
Attraction Tickets
Restroom on board
WiFi on board

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

521-523 Lawnmarket, Edinburgh EH1 2PE, UK

Start time

08:00 AM

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Royal Mile (Pass By)

Glencoe National Nature Reserve

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Great Glen Way (Pass By)

Loch Ness

1 hour • Admission Ticket Not Included

Pitlochry VisitScotland iCentre

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation
Most travelers can participate
Minimum age is 4 years old.
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately.

Collapsible wheelchairs with removable wheels can be accommodated providing the passenger is accompanied by someone who can assist them board and disembark the bus.
Please arrive 30 minutes before your tour's departure time.
Digital translations in English, German, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian & Mandarin available on request.
Top tip - You could bring a cold packed lunch with you in order to make the most of your time at each stop - this would be particularly time-saving in the busier months!
We recommend taking cash for the optional extras
Due to an attraction closure, there will be no cruise and castle option on the 18th of March. The Cruise only option will still be available and you will still be able to see Urquhart Castle from the boat.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 53 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Bianca_R

The bus ride was long, but our guide, Gary, was wonderful. He was informative and funny. The HIghlands are amazing. Glencoe is beautiful. LochNess was magical. We stopped for a quick lunch, then continuted on to LochNess, where we opted for touring the castle ruins and the 30-minute boat ride on LochNess. It was perfect. On the way back, we stopped for some whiskey ice cream. It was delicious. We really enjoyed the trip and highly recommend it.

Reviews

4.5

1,387 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 1,387 reviews

Too long of a day.

Heather_H, May 2024

While our guide Sean was great! Great driver and great commentary. It was just a really really long drive and our stops were not great. It's just ordinary shops and a cafe, then a town with a few restaurants. The loch ness cruise was just average. Wouldn't suggest unless you have Lots of time to kill. We left a little before 8am and got back at almost 9pm

Response from Host, May 2024

Dear Heather_H, Thank you for your review! We are very proud to have drivers who go above and beyond to provide the best possible experience! Loch Ness, Glencoe & The Highlands tour is very long and unfortunately, there is only a short amount of time available at each location due to the sheer distance that needs to be covered to get to Loch Ness and back in one day. As this tour covers so much of Scotland in one day the rest stops are essential, it gives both the passengers and the driver an essential toilet and food break. I'm sorry that you felt they were just ordinary shops, as you can imagine options in the highlands are quite limited. We hope that we will see you again in the future! Kind regards, Aleix

Worth the time and money

Robert_H, May 2024

Great guide and driver. Stops for photo opportunities as well as the necessary stretch of the legs and other needs. Willing to answer questions and provide information about the area and history.

Response from Host, May 2024

Thank you for this amazing review! We will be sure to pass on your kind words to your driver, they always appreciate it. Its great to hear you had such a fantastic time on tour and enjoyed the additional stops. We always try and get in as many extras as possible if there is time, and our drivers know the best places! Once again, thank you for your review and we hope to see you again in the future to show you more of our beautiful country all the best, Amy

11/10

Karissa_H, Apr 2024

AWESOME! Such a well done tour! Perfect amount of time and the various stops! Connor our tour guide was great! 100% would recommend and due again!

Response from Host, May 2024

Hello there, Thank you for providing your feedback! It's great to hear that you had an awesome trip with Connor. His extensive knowledge, attentiveness to everyone's comfort, and sounds like entertainment truly made the experience memorable. We're thrilled that you highly recommend our tour and hope to welcome you back for more tours with us! Best wishes, Mark

Fantastic Highlands and Loch Ness excursion.

Robert_H, Apr 2024

Great tour, fantastic driver/guide and we experienced some breathtaking views of the beauty of Scotland. The guide gave us so much information about the history of Scotland which was so informative. Me and my family enjoyed the whole day.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Dear Robert_H, Thank you for your review! We are glad to hear you had a fantastic excursion to Loch Ness, Glencoe & The Highlands. We are very proud to have drivers who go above and beyond to provide the best possible experience! We hope that we will see you again soon! Kind regards, Aleix

Amazing

Terry_G, Apr 2024

Steve B the driver was who made our trip so incredibly interesting with his knowledge of his Country that Steve B. is so proud of . His music his storie telling was most interesting and so acomadating for us all. And a great sense of humor ! Truly enjoyed the day and he was the icing on the cake !

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thank you for taking the time in leaving such a lovely review. I'm sure Steve B would really appreciate such kind words, and we'll make sure to pass it over to him. I'm glad we can share some of the reasons why Scotland is wonderful place - there is so much great scenery and history I'm sure you managed to see! We hope you can visit again soon! Kind regards, Fatima

Great trip

Kelly_P, Apr 2024

Tom was an amazing bus driver and guide. Wish I had him for every trip. Sites were great and it was a full day.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thank you for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed tour and the company of our guide, Andy. It's wonderful that you found the tour well-organised and packed with loads of facts, and history. We'll be sure to pass on your compliments to your guide! We look forward to welcoming you back for another incredible experience in the future. Best regards, Russell

Lochness Tour

Hadley_M, Apr 2024

Connor was an excellent tour guide and made the journey quite enjoyable. We will book again in the future.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Best tour to Loch Ness with guide Connor

Timothy_O, Apr 2024

Fabulous day with Connor, our guide. He was an excellent driver, knowledgeable, great story telling, jokes, and above all he was courteous and respectful. We loved seeing all the sights in the Highlands and Connor made our day extremely enjoyable. Fantastic tour!

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Great

Yuthika_P, Apr 2024

It was great! My friends had a great sleep on the bus with the backdrop of the majestic highlands but I enjoyed the great stories and the views, especially the one about the massacre.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thank you for taking the time to leave a review! We're so happy to hear that you enjoyed the tour and your time learning about the history of the Highlands! The Massacre of Glencoe is a dark point in Scottish history but a fascinating one to learn about! I hope that we can welcome you back on another tour again soon! Warm regards, Clara

Highlands tour!

Christine_L, Apr 2024

Gary was our tour guide for the day tour! He was very knowledgeable about the history of the areas we were visiting and other areas we passed along the way! He entertained us throughout the tour. My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed this tour! We were able to see some coos at our 1st stop of the morning where there were snacks and bathrooms. I was hoping to see some coos on this tour through the Highlands and I was so excited to get to see some! The Highlands are so beautiful! I am so glad we were able to go on this tour. Thank you!

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Thank you for taking the time in leaving such a kind review! We are sure Gary will be happy to hear that they made such a positive impact on your tour experience and we are so happy that you had such a good time seeing the highland cows, they are definitely a must see! We hope to see you again sometime soon so we can help you experience more of the magic of Scotland. Kind regards, Fatima

Totally worth it!

Marian_R, Apr 2024

It was the most beautiful and fun tour I've ever experienced. Our tour guide + driver Scott made it fun with Scottish history and fun music. Recommend spending the day exploring this part of Scotland.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Hello there, Thank you for your feedback! We're thrilled you had such a wonderful experience on our tour. It's fantastic that Scott made the journey enjoyable with his knowledge of Scottish history and fun music. We truly appreciate your recommendation to spend the day exploring this part of Scotland. We hope to welcome you back for more beautiful and fun adventures in the future! Best wishes, Mark

Great time

Jessica_S, Apr 2024

Wendy was knowledgeable and funny, while Adam made sure we got to all destinations safely and on time!

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Hello Jessica, Thank you for your feedback! We're delighted to hear that Wendy's knowledge and humour, along with Adam's safe and timely driving, contributed to a wonderful experience for you. We appreciate your kind words we hope to see you again soon! Best wishes, Mark

Good

Jiale_Y, Apr 2024

I would say that’s impressive. Would recommend it to other people. Anyway good good very good and worthy.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Hello Jiale, Thank you for your feedback! We're thrilled to hear that you found our service impressive and would recommend it to others. Thank you for your recommendation and we hope that we will see you again in the future! Best wishes, Mark

Bit crap bit good

Katrina_M, Apr 2024

Pros: tour guide/driver was informative, funny and nice. Safe sensible driver. No complaints re driver and guide. Cons. Im 5 foot 6 and had i been any taller it would have been very uncomfortable because the seats are so narrow leg room wise. First stop we had boring just a cafe/shop no real sights to see at it and very expensive. It would have been nice if we had stopped to see the wooly cows. Lunch stop is terrible and lets everything down. Lunch should been somewhere nice like fort Augustus and let free to have lunch where we wanted. The tour lost 2 stars over lunch was stressful and horrible food. Tips: if you plan to do loch ness boat and/or castle tour bring cash . 31 sterling per person for combo boat and loch ness tour and the driver will kindly book it for you. 22 sterling per person for 1 hour loch ness boat tour. If you forget cash second stop on the tour has a bank link machine. Castle is not great the boat tour is lovely so suggest opt for the 1 hour boat tour. Overall i wouldnt do it again over the lunch stop.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Hi Katrina_M, Thank you for sharing your feedback on our Loch Ness, Glencoe & The Highlands Day Trip from Edinburgh. We're so glad to hear that your driver-guide was informative, funny and nice! Our amazing team of driver-guides work hard to ensure our passengers have an amazing time on tour. I'm sorry to hear that you didn't enjoy other elements of the tour. Our coaches have industry standard sized seating, and as someone who is 5 foot 8 myself, I don't have any issues with leg space in the coach. We take on board your feedback about the lunch stop and are always looking into different options that will suit our guests the best. As you can imagine, there are limited places we are able to stop in the Highlands, and we can't guarantee that the places we do stop will suit everyone's needs. I'm sorry that the lunch stop puts you off doing another tour. We do hope you enjoyed the beautiful scenery on the tour, and hope that you will travel back to Scotland to see more of the sights. Best wishes, Jodie

Great Tour...Totally worth it!

Kimberly_R, Apr 2024

Mark was an excellent guide telling so many personal stories and Scottish history...and he made them interesting. I've never paid more attention to a guide before. He was awesome! And Euan was a wonderful driver! It's a full day, so recommend packing some snacks. Lunch options were a bit limited when we were there...only one restaurant available and a small grocery store. But honestly didn't put any sort of damper on the experience. We had an amazing day and would absolutely recommend this tour. Thanks so much to Mark and team!!

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Hello and thanks for your great review, Our Loch Ness, Glencoe & The Highlands tour is a longer one, but we like to ensure that there are plenty of stops and photo opportunities along the way, so I'm glad that this was the case and that you had a brilliant time with all the beauty Scotland has to offer. We are happy to hear Euan kept you entertained the whole time. This feedback will of course be passed on to him. Hopefully we will see you again soon! Warm regards, Clara

We had a lovely time, and...

Robert_G, Apr 2024

We had a lovely time, and Peter our driver was great. He had tons of knowledge about the highlands. The ride was comfortable for some, but some kids on board the tour struggled with the turns and ups and downs of the drive... bring gravol if you tend to get car sick.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Hello there, Thank you for your review! We're glad to hear that you had a lovely time on the tour and that Peter, our driver, provided you with a great experience. It's fantastic that you found his knowledge about the Highlands valuable. We apologise for any discomfort experienced by the children on board due to the turns and elevation changes during the drive. We hope this won't deter you from joining us again for another enjoyable journey in the future! Best wishes, Mark

Big day out with a great itinerary and experienced tour staff!

Jackie_M, Mar 2024

We had a wonderful day out with our gorgeous guide Mike and driver Adam! We were regaled with stories, facts, jokes and beautiful scenery straight out of the movies. We felt safe and entertained… and above all didn’t feel anything dragged on (despite it being a 12 hour day out). Mike even shared stories once the sun went down to keep us busy and entertained. We thoroughly enjoyed our day and will be popping past a few of these sights when we hire a car over the next few days. Highly recommended !

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Hello there, Thank you for your review! It sounds like you had a wonderful day out with our guide Mike and driver Adam. It's great to know that you felt safe, entertained, and engaged throughout the entire tour. We're delighted that you thoroughly enjoyed your day and are considering revisiting some of the sights on your own. Thank you for the recommendation, and we hope to welcome you back for more adventures in the future! Best wishes, Mark

Memorable and interesting with stunning scenery

Clare_G, Mar 2024

What a wonderful day trip, with the most stunning scenery and just the right amount of stops and photo opps. Peter our driver and guide expertly took care of us throughout, and shared his knowledge of the history of Scotland as we drove along. He really did make the trip extra memorable with his clear experience and witty and interesting commentary.The coach was very comfortable and from pick up to drop off all went smoothly. Do pack a waterproof, as you will probably experience all kinds of weather, and it can be cold on the fantastic Loch Ness cruise- which is well worth adding to your itinerary. My only negative is the amount of inappropriate mobile phone use by fellow tourists....if tik tok is your thing rather than the breathtaking scenery -Please at least wear headphones so that you don't disrespect or distract the other travellers or driver. Perhaps some clear multilingual signage might help, though Peter did try his best to convey the message. This is though a fantastic way to spend 12 hours and my daughter and I will remember our trip for a long time to come.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Hello there, Thank you for your review! We're happy to hear that you enjoyed the stunning scenery and the well-paced itinerary of our day trip. Peter, our driver and guide, sounds like he provided exceptional service with his knowledge of Scotland's history and engaging commentary. We're glad to hear that the coach was comfortable and that the journey went smoothly from start to finish. It’s great to hear you and your daughter had such a memorable trip with us, and we hope to welcome you back for more adventures in the future! Best wishes, Mark

A day well spent

Kelli_H, Mar 2024

The Highlands, Loch Ness, and Urquhart Castle were experiences we will never forget. Gary was an excellent guide and driver.

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Hello there, Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review! We're happy to hear that you had a memorable day exploring the Highlands with us. It's wonderful to know that Gary provided excellent guidance and driving throughout the trip, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable journey. Your kind words mean a lot to us, and we appreciate your feedback. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back for another tour in the future. Best wishes, Mark

Tour guide was...

Apollonia_M, Mar 2024

Tour guide was knowledgeable and engaging! The scenery was beautiful and the whole day was a once in a lifetime experience.

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a kind review. We are very proud of our driver-guides and the bespoke experience they provide to each one of our customers no matter the group size. I'm sure your driver will appreciate such kind words. We will be sure to pass them on to them. Kind regards, Amy

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