Loch Ness, Glencoe, the Highlands Guided Day Tour from Edinburgh

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. Your 1-day Loch Ness, Glencoe and the Highlands tour departs from our Edinburgh City Centre departure point at Castle Terrace, outside the NCP Car Park, EH1 2EW in the morning. Departing from Edinburgh, our Loch Ness tour travels northwest, passing the imposing Stirling Castle.

   5 min

2. We make our first stop in the Callander area in the highlands for some light refreshments, with the possibility of seeing a Highland coo depending on the time of year.

   20 min

3. We travel on through Rob Roy Country of Clans MacGregor and Campbell then over the dramatic landscape of Rannoch Moor and the Black Mount to Glencoe, one of Scotland’s most famous glens, site of the 1692 massacre of the Clan MacDonald. Here we pause for a photo stop, and to soak up the atmosphere in this haunting glen.

   10 min

4. Continuing via Loch Linnhe, our Loch Ness tour will stop in the Fort William area for lunch then continue into the natural beauty of the Great Glen as we pass beneath Britain’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis.

   50 min

5. Travelling on, we will pass though the pretty village of Fort Augustus before reaching Urquhart Castle - here, choose to take part in a cruise and castle excursion (optional extra).

   30 min

6. If not, we will continue up to the Clansman Hotel where you will have an hour of free time before we begin our return journey to Edinburgh. Here, you can relax in the hotel with an option take part in the “Donald Fraser – Illicit Whisky Experience”. This is a 20 to 30-minute, on-site experience, where guests can enjoy a film about the history of illicit whisky distilling, paired with a dram of the Donald Fraser blend. (Optional extra £12). Alternatively, you could spend your time exploring the area - such as the Old Coffin Road Walk which begins at the hotel car park. There is also the option to take a one-hour round trip cruise along the loch, with stunning views of Urquhart Castle (optional extra). Loch Ness, 24 miles long and over 700 feet deep, is most famous for its sightings of the Loch Ness monster, affectionately known as “Nessie”. Spend time at Loch Ness, where you can choose to take a wonderful cruise on the loch.

   1 h

7. The Loch Ness tour will start its return for home, journeying through the Cairngorms National Park and the woodland scenery of Perthshire, including the Forest of Atholl, with an evening refreshment stop at the Victorian resort town of Pitlochry, en route back to Edinburgh, where the Loch Ness tour ends. Top tip: to save time at the stops and ensure you get to make the most of every minute there, bring along a cold packed lunch!

   30 min

Cancellation

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

Reviews

Ratings come from 2,607 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.

• 5Best bang for your buck

  We had an amazing day trip to Loch Ness and Glencoe with Timberbush Tours, and a huge part of what made the experience so special was our guide and bus driver, David! David is not only a fantastic and very professional driver, but also an incredibly entertaining and knowledgeable guide. He shared so many interesting historical facts and stories throughout the journey, but in a way that was genuinely funny and never felt like a boring history lesson. His sense of humour made the long drives feel like part of the experience rather than just getting from A to B. What I especially appreciated was how thoughtful and attentive he was towards everyone on the tour. He clearly kept an eye on his group, made sure everyone knew what was happening and always seemed to have his passengers' comfort and safety in mind. You could really tell that he cared about giving everyone a great day. The scenery around Glencoe and Loch Ness was absolutely breathtaking, but having David as our guide made the trip even more memorable. If you get the chance to have David as your guide, you’re definitely in good hands! Thank you, David, for an unforgettable day! Ps: I recommend buying the castle and/or boat tour too, if you want to get everything out of the trip.

  arjuno52September 2026via Tripadvisor

• 5Dress accordingly:)…….be...

  Dress accordingly:)…….be aware of your time limits…. This helps with your tour guide and other passengers

  Andre_MSeptember 2026via Viator

• 510/10

  Fantastic trip. Brian was great, patient, and had loads of stories to tell. His music selection is questionable tho 😂 Overall great experience, I would book again.

  J5678GWrebeccamSeptember 2026via Tripadvisor

• 5Amazing

  We couldn’t have asked for a better guide: Georges is passionate about what he does; he explains things clearly and slowly so that we can understand. He’s funny and makes sure we don’t miss a thing on the tour. A huge thank you!

  AnaisrigaSeptember 2026via Tripadvisor

• 5Justyna

  Brian is an amazing tour! :) I had a great experience with Timberbush.

  justyna_475September 2026via Tripadvisor

• 5Amazing experience and a memorable journey

  The experience was amazing. Shafiq was a brilliant guide throughout the tour. He made it memorable and a joyful experience. The length of visit was just perfect to enjoy everything. The atmosphere was perfect for the highlands tour. This tour is the best for Loch Ness and highlands sightseeing. Overall it was worth the admission fee and I will be looking forward to travelling with timberbush again given that I have Shafiq as the guide.

  anirudhns2026September 2026via Tripadvisor

Know before you go

How it compares in Edinburgh

• Its from-price is 88% below the median of the 342 day trips we list in Edinburgh.
• It is longer than most of them.
• By number of reviews it ranks 7 of 342.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Edinburgh

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Edinburgh Castle crowns Castle Rock and keeps the Honours of Scotland, the Scottish crown jewels. From there, the Royal Mile runs downhill through the Old Town, past St Giles' Cathedral and a warren of narrow closes, to the Palace of Holyroodhouse and the Scottish Parliament. Arthur's Seat, an ancient volcano, rises above the palace with sweeping views.

Top-ranked sights in Edinburgh: Royal Mile, Edinburgh Old Town, Edinburgh Castle.

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