Explore Loch Ness and the village of Fort Augustus on a one day tour from Edinburgh from edinburgh

Nessie and Nature

Loch Ness is world famous due to its beauty and mystery. Our Small Group Loch Ness tour allows you to see the most of Scotland in a day and experience stunning Lochs and Mountain landscapes whilst traveling deep into the Scottish Highlands.

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Tour Highlights

Pitlochry

Cairngorm National Park

Loch Ness*

Ben Nevis

Glen Coe

Tour Itinerary

Small group Loch Ness Tour 16 Passengers Maximum

Our journey North begins...

Your small group tour begins taking you past the beautiful city of Stirling and its stunning castle, which is one of the most important castles, both historically and architecturally, in Scotland. Several Scottish Kings and Queens have been crowned at Stirling, including Mary Queen of Scots. Not far away from here, William Wallace had one of his greatest triumphs at the Battle of Stirling Bridge in September 1297. His exploits were dramatised in the award-winning film Braveheart, starring Mel-Gibson. On this journey you may even catch a glimpse of the Wallace Monument as we pass by this historic town.

Relive the Glen Coe massacre…

As we head further north we’ll reach Glen Coe, broodingly beautiful and steeped in history. It is in the centre of an extinct volcano which exploded millions of years ago, leaving the rocky mountainous place we see today. As you stand at the mouth of the glen, with its majestic mountains, hypnotising waterfalls and enchanting lochs, you’ll feel the past come to life as our guide tells you about the terrible massacre of the MacDonald Clan. The other side of Glen Coe is Rannoch Moor, one of the last great wildernesses – 50 square miles of peatbog and marsh, and a site of special scientific interest. It is also where part of the James Bond film ‘Skyfall’ was filmed. Along this journey your driver guide will find the perfect spot for a photo stop.

Nessie spotting on the shores of Loch Ness…

Leaving Glen Coe behind, our next stop of the day will be Loch Ness, justly famous all over the world for its beauty and mystery. Loch Ness is the largest body of water in Britain by volume, incredibly, all lakes and rivers of England and Wales would fit in it. With these dimensions, it’s not surprising that a monster is believed to live in the depth of the Loch. The famous "Nessie" was first seen by St. Columba in the mid-6thcentury. But it wasn’t until the 1930s that the mysterious creature came to widespread notice when it was seen again by an American couple. Since then there have been thousands of sightings and who knows, maybe you will be the next to spot it? Here we’ll visit the pretty village of Fort Augustus. You’ll have the option to join a cruise* for a spot of monster hunting and take in stunning views of Loch Ness as well as journey past Cherry Island and the striking Fort Augustus Abbey. If you’d prefer to keep your feet planted on the ground explore the town or walk part of the 60-mile Caledonian Canal which links Inverness to Fort William. From here we’ll begin to make our journey south.

A journey through the Cairngorms National Park…

Enjoy the stunning scenery as we travel via the spectacular and unique wilderness of the Cairngorms National Park, located in the heart of the Scottish Highlands and the location of a quarter of Scotland’s native forests. Catch a glimpse of the highest area in Scotland, home to five out of six of the UK’s highest mountains or possibly even a wildcat. This mountain district is the home to most Scotland’s Wildcats. We may be lucky enough to even see some snow! It’s known that more people come to ski in these mountains than any other ski resort in the UK.

Highland towns and famous bridges…

Continuing south, we’ll head to the geographical centre of Scotland and one of the gateways to the Highlands, Pitlochry, perched on the banks of the River Tummel. Pitlochry has been a tourist centre since 1860s thanks to Queen Victoria and Sir Walter Scott, who popularised the Highlands that boomed with the railways of the 1870s. From here we’ll then continue our journey south back to Edinburgh’s City Centre where we’ll see the amazing Forth Railway Bridge, a UNESCO World Heritage Site as well as Scotland's newest bridge, the spectacular Queensferry crossing.

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE what our customers think about this tour

Overall Rating:

Our tour guide Tom Fletcher had his first day as a driver and tour guide in one person and he did a great job! He was funny, gave us lots of informations and was very entertaining. We really liked the way he presented us the country and the various places. He helped us where he could. One more plus was the music compilation he prepapred for the tour. Not only with various scottish singer and musicians, but also with songs about that gave us more informations about the places we visited, as for example "The Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond". Thank you for the experience!

Heiderose Basaldella (Nov 19)

Rating:

I am the person who NEVER does group tours, which is why I signed up for the 16 person bus. I only had 2 days in Scotland and wanted to see all the areas on this tour. John (Lord John!!! HAHAHA!) was the most incredible tour guide! He was genuine and real, not fake, and really wanted to get to know us as people. The group of 11 of us truly bonded nicely and I think part of this was due to John. He talked enough, but not too much, with interesting stories. I enjoyed his trivia questions and even the candy prizes (I am not a candy person). The day went really fast and again, I think this was due to his leadership. I would without a doubt go on another tour with the Highland Experience and highly recommend it!!! THANK you for an enjoyable day!

Stephanie Woelfle (Nov 19)

Rating:

John S was a very good driver and an excellent guide. We spent an amazing day in the Highlands thanks to him, learnt plenty of anedcotes about Scotland, admire the landscape and took great photos. Nessy wasn't there, but no regrets: the lake is a such a nice place... This one day tour, in a small group is an ideal solution and it will be one of the best souvenirs of our short stay in Scotland! Thank you very much, John!

GRELLET AGNES (Nov 19)

Rating:

There should be less driving and more stops to admire the place

Murtuza Bookwala (Nov 19)

Rating:

John (from England) was a terrific guide.

Beth Jones (Nov 19)

Rating:

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Loch Ness Discovery

Share this tour.

Tour Highlights

Pitlochry

Cairngorm National Park

Loch Ness*

Ben Nevis

Glen Coe

Tour Itinerary

Small group Loch Ness Tour 16 Passengers Maximum

Our journey North begins...

Relive the Glen Coe massacre…

Nessie spotting on the shores of Loch Ness…

A journey through the Cairngorms National Park…

Highland towns and famous bridges…

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE what our customers think about this tour

Other Tours You Might Like

Loch Ness, Glen Coe & the Highlands

Loch Ness Shore Experience

Stirling Castle, Loch Lomond & Whisky

Loch Ness Discovery

Share this tour.

Tour Highlights

Pitlochry

Cairngorm National Park

Loch Ness*

Ben Nevis

Glen Coe

Tour Itinerary

Small group Loch Ness Tour *16 Passengers Maximum*

Our journey North begins...

Relive the Glen Coe massacre…

Nessie spotting on the shores of Loch Ness…

A journey through the Cairngorms National Park…

Highland towns and famous bridges…

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE what our customers think about this tour

Other Tours You Might Like

Loch Ness, Glen Coe & the Highlands

Loch Ness Shore Experience

Stirling Castle, Loch Lomond & Whisky

Small group Loch Ness Tour 16 Passengers Maximum