Top Edinburgh activities
Top Edinburgh landmarks
Beyond Edinburgh
Edinburgh trip ideas
West Highland Lochs, Mountains & Castles from Edinburgh
Badge of ExcellenceEdinburgh, Scotland
- 9 hours 45 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Explore our promoted experiences
Overview
Experience the beauty of rural Scotland on this 9.5-hour West Highland lochs and castles day trip from Edinburgh. Visit the iconic Doune Castle in Stirlingshire, then head deep into the Scottish Highlands. Take in fine views over shimmering lakes and soaring peaks, and enjoy an hour’s free time in Inveraray. Then, head onward to Loch Awe and Kilchurn Castle—widely considered Scotland's prettiest castle. Explore the highland village of Inveraray and perhaps visit Inveraray Castle. Travel through the beautiful Arrochar Alps back to Edinburgh.
- Full-day tour of the West Highlands’ lochs and castles from Edinburgh
- Travel deep into the Scottish Highlands, home to the mighty Arrochar Alps
- Admire the tranquil lakes and soaking peaks of the Highlands in Glen Ogle
What's Included
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Knowledgeable driver-guide
- Live commentary on board
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
- Attraction Tickets
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 521-523 Lawnmarket, Edinburgh EH1 2PE, UK
Start time
09:15 AM
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.What To Expect
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately.
- Digital translations in English, German, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian & Mandarin available on request.
- Minimum numbers apply. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there are not enough passengers to meet requirements. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or a full refund.
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 good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
- 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
See more
Featured review
Lenora_S
Our guide Neil, was excellent. Very informative but didn't get overly chatty. The visit to Alnwick Castle was wonderful, it was extraordinarily beautiful. Bramburgh castle stop was a waste it was a long ride to get to a short 30 minute stop. A better use of time would have been to add that time to the Holy Island and the ruins of the abbey. The ruins were fascinating the Island was interesting and the town was quaint.
Reviews
4.5
410 reviews
Edward_W, May 2024
Peter, our guide was knowledgeable and fun. We really enjoyed each stop and Peter played the lovely ballad, Loch Lomand as we were leaving the stop there.
Response from Host, May 2024
Dear Edward,
Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
We are so happy to hear you had a great time on your West Highlands tour with Peter! He certainly knows how to make a tour fun! We hope you learned plenty of new and interesting facts.
We hope to see you again in the near future!
Kind regards,
Fatima
Kelly_S, May 2024
We got an email stating further tickets were neededed. Other entrance fees were required upon arrivals. Waste of time at lake area, the second castle was beautiful. Driver did not seem to want to talk to folks once he parked bus. Felt ripped off with the extras that were not included.
Response from Host, May 2024
Dear Kelly,
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback regarding your recent experience on our West Highland tour. We appreciate your perspective and would like to address the concerns you raised.
The optional extras, such as entrance fees to certain attractions, are not included in the tour price. This information is clearly outlined on Viator, allowing passengers the freedom to decide if they would like to participate in these activities.
Furthermore, driver guides are committed to providing an enjoyable and safe experience for our passengers. While they strive to engage with passengers throughout the tour, it's also necessary for them to take breaks between driving to ensure their well-being and the safety of everyone on board.
We regret to hear that you felt disappointed with the time spent at the lake area and that your expectations were not fully met. The West Highland tour is one of our most popular tours, with highlights such as Inveraray Castle and the opportunity to explore Loch Lomond in Luss. We're sorry that this aspect of the tour did not meet your expectations on this occasion.
Thank you again for sharing your feedback, and we hope to have the opportunity to welcome you on another tour in the future.
Kind regards,
Mark
Marc_S, May 2024
I book through Viator because I trust it and know all arrangements will be handled professionally. I won’t be ripped off or taken advantage of by a tour operator I don’t know and shouldn’t trust. So I was disappointed in the way this transaction was handled which caused us a great deal of stress and lost time.
Booked this excursion weeks in advance. The day before departure, I received an email with a link requiring me to click the link and pay admission fees in addition to what was already paid for the tour. Fine print said entry fees were not included so I expected to pay at the gate. Not at an unexpected link at the last minute.
Instead, I get an email saying Viator will never send you links requiring you to pay fees online and to be very cautious if you get such an email. Naturally, I was very concerned.
I called Viator who said they had not sent the email, it was sent from the tour operator. I suspected fraud and told Viator I wanted to cancel. However, since the tour was now less than 24 hours away, I was informed no refund would be made. This despite the fact that I received the suspicious email less than 24 hours before the start of the tour.
This tactic is deceitful and undoubtably employed so those of us suspecting a scam are unable to cancel our tour without penalty. I spent a lot of time on the phone trying to speak to someone and resolve this situation.
Ultimately, I did go on the tour which only went off with a multitude of hitches because of road closures and other problems which were no fault of the vendor. Tour Coach was very uncomfortable with poor circulation and shortage of restroom stops. Very late return to appease some of the travelers was unfair to those of us who didn’t want to stop for a single photo opportunity which was not on the agenda and extend the return time for several hours.
Response from Host, May 2024
Dear Marc_S,
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us.
We advise on the Viator side that all optional extras, such as attraction entrance fees are not included in the price of your tour. This is to allow our guests the freedom to choose which optional extras they would prefer. Not everyone wants to visit Doune Castle or Inveraray Castle. We emailed you as Inveraray Castle requires us to book in advance so they can manage their customer numbers safely.
We are surprised to receive this review as we never received any email or phone call from Viator or yourself about this matter.
We are sorry to hear you found the coach uncomfortable. Our modern fleet of air-conditioned Mercedes coaches is regularly maintained to ensure optimum comfort and safety.
After checking the coach tracking system for your day tour, on the 9th of May, I can see we arrived 45 minutes late to Edinburgh. As you mentioned due to road closures, we had to amend our itinerary, which we advise in our terms & conditions: “The Company reserves the right to alter tour itineraries at any time, due to weather conditions, traffic problems, availability of attractions or other such extenuating circumstances beyond our control. In the case of accommodation, we will attempt to obtain a similar standard of accommodation wherever possible. The Company reserves the right to alter the size and type of motor coach employed on any tour.” However, we visited all the places mentioned on our itinerary and stopped every two hours a places with toilets, except for the ride back to Edinburgh due to the road closures, which took 2 hours and 45 minutes instead.
We hope that you were still able to enjoy your time in Scotland.
Kind regards,
Aleix
Victoriano_C, May 2024
Very nice trip. Our tour guide (Sean) was very informative, nice and answered all our questions. The I my thing I would complain about is that we have very little time in some stops. But overall everything was very cool.
Response from Host, May 2024
Dear Victoria,
I'm sure Sean will be delighted to hear you had such a great trip with him - we'll make sure to pass along the kind words!
There is so much to see in the highlands so while we try and visit as many places as possible we do have to limit time in some areas.
We hope you were still able to enjoy the tour despite this!
Kind regards,
Fatima
Janet_M, May 2024
Our guide Iain Buchanan was pleasantly friendly and knowledgeable. He was apologetic about the rain which made viewing some scenes impossible. The weather is out of anyones control but it was still a great trip.
Response from Host, May 2024
Hello there,
Thank you for your review!
We're happy to hear that Iain Buchanan provided a friendly and knowledgeable experience despite the challenges of the rain.
Weather can indeed be unpredictable in Scotland but we're thrilled that you still enjoyed the trip.
We appreciate your understanding, and we hope to see you again for more tours in the future, hopefully with better weather!
Best wishes,
Mark
Minire_P, Apr 2024
The scenery of our tour! Sean was funny and very nice during our tour! He was very knowledgeable about many aspects of Scottish history which I enjoyed!
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Dear Minire_P,
Thank you for your kind words!
We are sure Sean will be happy to hear that you enjoyed your time on your West Highland Lochs, Mountains & Castles tour with him, and we hope you learned a lot of new and interesting facts about Scotland!
We hope that we will see you again in the future!
Kind regards,
Aleix
Roland_R, Apr 2024
Tour was good except Timberbush Tours couldn’t be contacted to discuss why my Credit Card was charged twice for the same purchase of castle tickets. I had to contact American Express to get the charge taken off my account. Poor customer service.
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Dear Roland_R,
We are so happy to hear you had a great time on your West Highland Lochs, Mountains & Castles tour with Natalie! She certainly knows how to make a tour fun! We hope you learned plenty of new and interesting facts.
We are sorry to hear you couldn't contact us. I have checked our emails and I have not been able to find any email under your name. Please be aware that you can contact us by email at tours@timberbushtours, by phone at +44 (0)131 226 6066, or by message at the chat on our website. Our Reservations Team is available from 7 am to 9 pm.
I have tried to contact your phone a couple of times at the American phone number you provided when you made the booking, but it is always unavailable.
Once again we are so happy to hear you enjoyed our tour. We hope to see you again sometime soon so we can help you experience more of the magic of Scotland.
Kind regards,
Aleix
annette_p, Apr 2024
The tour driver was so nice. The weather wasn’t on our side, but he made the trip memorable. He was very knowledgeable
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Hello there,
Thank you for your feedback!
We're glad to hear that despite the weather, our tour driver made your trip memorable with his kindness and knowledge.
We appreciate your kind words and hope to welcome you back for another adventure in better weather!
Best wishes,
Mark
Judy_W, Apr 2024
The castles were stunning, tour guide was lovely!
The bus didn't have heat. It made for an uncomfortable ride.
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Hi Judy_W,
Thank you for sharing your feedback on your tour.
We're so glad to hear that your guide was lovely and the castle were stunning.
I'm sorry that the coach didn't have heat, I'm not sure why that happened but have sent that feedback to our transport team to ensure that this doesn't happen again.
We hope you had a wonderful time in Scotland.
Best wishes,
Jodie
Keith_S, Apr 2024
Our tour guide Jim was exceptional. Very knowledgeable and personable. Added alot of perspectives on things that are not part of normal presentation. He played Scottish music and even wore a Kilt. He made some other unscheduled stops for us, like a place to see and feed some Hairy Coos. Sights and stops were amazing. Beautiful country. Would highly recommend this tour.
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Hello Keith,
Thank you for your review!
Sounds like you had an incredible experience with Jim! It's great to hear that he went above and beyond to make your tour memorable by sharing his deep knowledge.
Scotland's beauty truly shines through when you have such a passionate guide leading the way.
We hope to see you again for more tours in the future!
Best wishes,
Mark
...
From $76.24
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
West Highland Lochs, Mountains & Castles from Edinburgh
406
9 hours 45 minutes
Free Cancellation
From
$76.24
Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
- Bus Tours
- Cultural Tours
- Historical Tours
- Full-day Tours
- Day Trips
- Cultural Tours
- Day Trips
- Tours, Sightseeing & Cruises
- Edinburgh
- Bus Tours - Stirling
- Cultural Tours - Stirling
- Historical Tours - Stirling
- Full-day Tours - Stirling
- Day Trips - Stirling
- Bus Tours - Glasgow
- Cultural Tours - Glasgow
- Historical Tours - Glasgow
- Full-day Tours - Glasgow
- Day Trips - Glasgow
- Bus Tours - Newcastle-upon-Tyne
- Cultural Tours - Newcastle-upon-Tyne
- Historical Tours - Newcastle-upon-Tyne
- Full-day Tours - Newcastle-upon-Tyne
- Day Trips - Newcastle-upon-Tyne
- Georgian House Tours & Tickets
- Forth Bridge Tours & Tickets
- Rosslyn Castle (Roslin Castle) Tours & Tickets
- John Knox House Tours & Tickets
- Loch Lomond Tours & Tickets
- National Museum of Scotland Tours & Tickets
- Lauriston Castle Tours & Tickets
- Edinburgh Cruise Port at Leith Tours & Tickets
- Nelson Monument Tours & Tickets
- Melrose Abbey Tours & Tickets
- Forth Road Bridge Tours & Tickets
- Blackness Castle Tours & Tickets
- Calton Hill Tours & Tickets
- Gladstone’s Land Tours & Tickets
- Royal Scottish Academy Tours & Tickets
- Scott Monument Tours & Tickets
- Scottish National Portrait Gallery Tours & Tickets
- Rosslyn Chapel Tours & Tickets
- St. Giles Cathedral Tours & Tickets
- Falkland Palace and Garden Tours & Tickets
- Art & Culture
- Audio Guides
- Classes & Workshops
- Food & Drink
- Likely To Sell Out
- Outdoor Activities
- Seasonal & Special Occasions
- Tickets & Passes
- Tours, Sightseeing & Cruises
- Cruises & Sailing
- How to Get Around
- Private and Luxury
- Sightseeing Tours
- Tours by Duration
- Day Trips
- Full-day Tours
- Half-day Tours
- Layover Tours
- Multi-day Tours
- Overnight Tours
- Travel & Transportation Services
- Unique Experiences
© 1997-2024 Viator, Inc.