Inverness: Loch Ness & The Highlands

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. Your one day Loch Ness tour from Inverness departs at 08:45 and follows the beautiful Caledonian Canal to the source at Loch Ness. 24 miles long and over 700 feet deep, the loch is the largest by volume in the British Isles and is most famous for its sightings of the Loch Ness Monster, affectionately known as “Nessie”. We spend most of the morning at Loch Ness, allowing you plenty of time to go Nessie-hunting! Our first stop is Urquhart Castle (optional extra), here you will have the option of visiting the 13th century structure, with plenty of time explore the ruin, enjoy the visitor centre, and take in the views and atmosphere of Scotland’s most famous loch.

   1.5 h

2. Afterwards, we journey through to Fort Augustus, the furthermost point of your Loch Ness tour. We have time here to stop and enjoy a relaxing hour-long boat cruise (optional extra) across Loch Ness with Cruise Loch Ness. Afterwards, enjoy lunch in the small town; with a population of only 650 people, it's a perfect spot to relax and watch boats passing through the Caledonian Canal.

   3 h

3. After lunch, our Loch Ness tour will begin its journey back to Inverness, stopping at the Falls of Foyers. The majestic 165ft waterfall was a favourite retreat for poet Rabbie Burns, and is truly breath-taking. Enjoy plenty of time here to soak up the atmosphere before the tour continues on to the village of Dores for a visit to Dores Beach on the east shores of Loch Ness.

   1 h

4. Spend a short while wandering the pebble-dotted shoreline before boarding the coach for a final return journey to Inverness where your Loch Ness day tour ends.

   1 h

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 397 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Showing reviews written in English.

• 5A Fantastic Highland Adventure with an Exceptional Guide!

  What an unforgettable day exploring Loch Ness and the Scottish Highlands with Timberbush Tours! Our guide, Brendon, was absolutely outstanding! Exceptionally knowledgeable, professional, warm and engaging, he has a natural gift for bringing the history, culture and beauty of the Highlands to life. His extensive travel experiences, fascinating stories and excellent communication skills make him a truly remarkable guide. He connects effortlessly with people and clearly has a genuine passion for what he does. This was my first visit to Inverness and the Highlands, and Brendon made it such a special and memorable experience. Every stop was enjoyable, and the entire journey was both educational and entertaining. Brendon is a tremendous asset to Timberbush Tours, and they are incredibly fortunate to have him! Highly recommended! If you get Brendon as your guide, consider yourself very lucky! A heartfelt thank you for such a wonderful day! ❤️

  suesccOctober 2026via Tripadvisor

• 5Good Experience

  I like the experience so much. The Guide Lawrenve (Ingy) is fantastic.

  476s_lviafOctober 2026via Tripadvisor

• 5When you book trips...

  When you book trips online to an area you don’t know anything about, it’s always just a little scary. It was an awesome day. Saw so many amazing places.

  Brenda_SOctober 2026via Viator

• 5Great Day

  Marita was an excellent guide. She added extra stops for picture opportunities and even bought a birthday gift for one of the passengers! She was very knowledgeable, polite and patient. Despite the liquid sunshine, we had a fantastic time!

  toniargardnerOctober 2026via Tripadvisor

• 5Beautiful trip

  Ringo and Sebela were a breath of fresh air. They were warm, welcoming and personable. We were blessed with rainbows and some sunshine, and our guides brought the highlands and their history to life for us. The stories told about Culloden will remain with me, as we looked at the three sisters. It was so sad to hear of the slaughter, but somehow there was a touch of dark humor in hearing how the murderers partied with their victims until they were ordered to kill them.

  EvaMarie57October 2026via Tripadvisor

• 5Fun tour

  Beautiful day and great tour. Laurence was a very safe driver and entertaining tour guide. Thoroughly enjoyed his stories and especially loved meeting Kevin and William. (Highland Coos)

  Seaside24690390910October 2026via Tripadvisor

Know before you go

How it compares in Inverness

• Its from-price is 89% below the median of the 173 day trips we list in Inverness.
• Its length is typical for the group.
• By number of reviews it ranks 10 of 173.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Inverness

Inverness is the Highland capital on the River Ness, close to Loch Ness, Culloden battlefield, ancient cairns and the dolphins of the Moray Firth.

Inverness stands where the River Ness meets the Moray Firth, with a red sandstone castle on a bluff above the river and the wooded Ness Islands, linked by footbridges, a short stroll upstream. The city is the capital of the Highlands and the northern end of the Great Glen, the fault valley that runs south-west to Fort William. The Victorian cathedral of St Andrew stands on the river bank.

Top-ranked sights in Inverness: Loch Ness, Fort Augustus, Isle of Skye.

See all 319 experiences in Inverness