1 Day Loch Ness, Glencoe, Highlands & Whisky Tour

Itinerary

8:00am departure from Edinburgh. As you pass the fortress that is Stirling Castle, your guide will have you on the edge of your seat, regaling you with tales of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce, and the bloody battles fought out on these lands.

Our first stop of the tour will be Deanston Whisky Distillery. Set within an 18th century Cotton Mill on the banks of the River Teith you will learn how traditional Scotch whisky is made. Whilst at Deanston, you have the opportunity to take an optional whisky tour including the taste of a ‘wee dram’ as you anticipate the day ahead.

If whisky is not your thing, you can skip the tour and enjoy breakfast or a coffee at ‘The Coffee Bothy’, the distillery cafe.

As we enter The ‘Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park’ our bus weaves through hills, mountains and Glens. These remote places were once inhabited by Highland Clans, not to mention Scotland’s most famous outlaw, Rob Roy MacGregor, whom some consider The Scottish Robin Hood. Look out across the landscape and picture what it was like as you hear the remarkable bloodthirsty stories of betrayal and revenge as told by your guide. If we happen to spot some of our famous ‘Hairy Highland Coos’, we might stop for a selfie.

Continue north through the wilds of Rannoch Moor (setting for the 2012 movie ‘Skyfall’ and ‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’), you arrive in beautiful Glencoe.

Glencoe was also the scene of one of Scotland’s most shocking massacres. As you gaze at the haunting hills, you notice the Glen is eerily silent. In the 17th century one of the worst acts of betrayal occurred here. Your guide will recount the details of this betrayal for you. You can almost feel the sorrow in the mountains of the ‘weeping valley’. Above all though, Glencoe is one of Scotland’s most beautiful landscapes. A highlight of any tour to the Scottish Highlands!

The tour then takes you through Fort William and past the spectacular Ben Nevis, the tallest mountain in the British Isles. The Nevis Range towers over the winding road as you continue your journey to Loch Ness.

“Soon, we’ll be stopping at Fort Augustus,” says your guide. It’s a charming little village on the banks of our most famous Loch.

Desperate for a glimpse of ‘Nessie’? St Columba, an Irish monk, was one of the first people to record a sighting of the Loch’s infamous monster back in the 6th century. If you can’t trust a saint, who can you trust?! 1500 years worth of recorded sightings of “The Water Horse” have made Loch Ness the most famous body of freshwater in the world. Why not see if you can spot ‘Nessie’ up close by taking the optional boat cruise from Fort Augustus? The sonar system on-board scans all 755-feet of the murky-depths, constantly searching for her presence, so you can relax and enjoy the views. Alternatively, you can enjoy a spot of lunch in one of the many cafes, pubs and restaurants in Fort Augustus. Take in the views of Loch Ness with a leisurely stroll along the gorgeous Caledonian Canal which dates back to 1803. You have around 2 hours to enjoy the boat cruise and the enchanting village before heading to the Cairngorm National Park.

Along the route, we’ll stop at the Commando Memorial. In 1942, this setting became the training ground for Britain’s Special Forces. Harsh, unforgiving, and breathtakingly beautiful. A statue of our heroes overlooks the Nevis range. Bring a camera – this is undoubtedly one of our favourite photo-stops in all of Scotland.

Heading south we travel through the Cairngorm National Park where Red squirrels, roe deer, red deer, soaring buzzards, pine martens, golden eagles and osprey can be found. Our final stop of the day is Pitlochry.

As we re-enter Edinburgh from the North, you will be met with views of Scotland’s greatest piece of engineering, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Forth Bridge. This 19th century engineering marvel was at one point the World’s longest cantilever bridge. Today it neighbours the 20th century Forth Road Bridge and the 21st century Queensferry Crossing which opened in 2017. Three spectacular bridges, from three different centuries, span the Firth of Forth connecting our Capital city and the Kingdom of Fife.

By 8:30pm, you arrive back in central Edinburgh.