Edinburgh Tours
Loch Ness and the Scottish Highlands Day Tour from Edinburgh
5

Loch Ness and the Scottish Highlands Day Tour from Edinburgh

By Gray Line Scotland
Recommended by 96% of travellers
96% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
About
Edinburgh is a long way from Loch Ness, Scotland’s most famous lake—even Glen Coe is an almost 3-hour drive. Let your driver/guide do all the hard work, as you relax on your private coach and view many of the Highlands’ key attractions. You’ll see Glen Coe, Loch Ness, Kilmahog, Rannoch Moor, Pitlochry, Loch Laggan, and the Forth Rail Bridge on a tour that’s tailor-made for anyone with limited time.
from
£69.00
per adult
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation

Ages 6-99, max of 50 per group
Duration: 12h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More

Highlights
  • Save hours behind the wheel, as you explore Scotland's Highland heart
  • Hear the haunting tale of the Glen Coe massacre from your guide
  • Discover Loch Ness—an optional cruise features underwater imaging!
  • See glens, lochs, moors, and villages from a comfortable private coach

  • Driver/guide
  • Transport
What's not included
  • Gratuities
  • Hotel drop-off
  • Boat cruise
  • Food and drinks
  • Entry/Admission - Glencoe National Nature Reserve

Your private coach will collect you from your central Edinburgh hotel and head straight for the north of Scotland. Break the journey at the pretty Highland hamlet of Kilmahog, where you’ll see long-haired Highland cattle. From here, head over rugged Rannoch Moor to Glen Coe, the beautiful valley where soldiers slaughtered the MacDonald clan in 1692. On arrival at Loch Ness, choose whether to soak up the atmosphere in the village of Fort Augustus, explore the shores, or join an optional boat cruise—fans of the Loch Ness Monster will love the boat with sonar imaging. From here, journey back to Edinburgh, savoring the scenery of Loch Laggan and stopping in the charming Victorian town of Pitlochry. Cross the Forth Road Bridge, with views of the rail bridge, to Edinburgh, where your coach drops you at a convenient central location.

Start:
  • Apex Waterloo Place Hotel, 23-27 Waterloo Pl, Edinburgh EH1 3BG, UK
    Our main departure point is outside The Apex Hotel, Waterloo Place. If you wish to request an alternative pickup then please contact us directly at least 24 hours before departure.
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point.

    • Not wheelchair accessible
    If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 8750P4

    • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
    • Children must be accompanied by an adult
    • Minimum age is 6 years
    • Most travellers can participate
    • This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
    • This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
    • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 50 travellers

    • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

    If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 8750P4

    Reserve your spot
    Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.

    Similar experiences

    Itinerary
    • 23-27 Waterloo Pl, Edinburgh EH1 3BG, UK
      Our main departure point is outside The Apex Hotel, Waterloo Place. If you wish to request an alternative pickup then please contact us directly at least 24 hours before departure.
    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
      Pass by
      Scottish Highlands
    • 4
    About the operator
    Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
    • Gray Line Scotland
      2,284
      Edinburgh, Scotland
      Joined in December 2007
    • O3392VFdiannep
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Outlander Day Tour
      Knowledgeable guide & great locations visited. Pity about the wet Scottish weather, but we still got to see everything.
      Written 10 September 2024
    • agnesj751
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Absolutely amazing!
      Fantastic day with beautiful veiws and the fantastic driver and guide Brendon! We had an absolutely amazing day. I strongly recommend!!
      Written 9 September 2024
    • jassminrodriguez103
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Great Tour
      Brandon was amazing! We were entertained and had a great time the whole day. He was very knowledgeable and hilarious. The places we stopped at were amazing!
      Written 9 September 2024
    • staycec2024
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Great tour
      Brandon was amazing!! Knew a lot about the show and the history of Scotland. He was very knowledgeable, friendly and funny.
      Written 8 September 2024
    • Houndsoft
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      A fun day out from Edinburgh
      We enjoyed the Outlander tour. If you are a lover of Outlander there's plenty to see, if not there's plenty to learn. Our driver / gude Brian was entertaining and informative - also very helpful and friendly. All in all a good day out.
      Written 7 September 2024
    • darienneb2024
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Braemar Games Tour was great fun with our driver and Scotland expert Brian!!
      I did the tour from Edinburgh to the Braemar Highland Games! It was really good and the commentary by our driver, Brian added a lot to the experience. He really knows his Scottish history and he is an excellent driver! And funny! I would recommend this tour provider!
      Written 7 September 2024
    • darienneb2024
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Excellent Outlander experience with great guide!
      The tour was really good! Out driver Brian was a knowledgeable, funny and engaging guide who really knew the show! I would definitely recommend this tour to Outlander fans!
      Written 7 September 2024
    • R1310PGcorinnes
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Braemar Highland Games coach tour
      We went on the tour bus to the Braemar Highland Games. Our driver/guide Brian was awesome. He’s a very well travelled, charismatic man, and made the long drive fly by. I learned more about Scottish history (and nature, and music!) from him than any of the museums we’ve been to yet. He also pointed out and explained many landmarks, animals, and scenery along the way. The whole experience was smooth, professional, and more than worth the price!
      Written 7 September 2024
    • Leandro L
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Brian is amazing
      I never really watched the series. I was accompanying my wife for the tour. Brian went out of his way to explain us not only the storyline of Outlanderbut also give us some great background details on Scotland and its culture in a very funny way. Great guy!
      Written 5 September 2024
    • VicOges84
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Great trip
      Great trip. Iain was a great tour guide and was very informative. He made it a fun experience for everyone on the tour, which is a tall order .
      Written 5 September 2024
    • nicole461
      0 contributions
      4.0 of 5 bubbles
      Such an amazing day!!
      I give 4 stars instead of 5, only because the meeting point in the morning (Waterloo place) was not well marked, there was no one from the staff and not even an indication that the bus would leave from there. Instead, I give 5 stars to Ian the driver, who told us many interesting facts from both the Outlander series and important historical facts that happened at places along the way. The tour is very well done and Ian is an excellent guide. I recommend the tour.
      Written 4 September 2024
    • SilvW9
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Terrific!
      The tour was amazing, even for those who don’t watch Outlander. We didn’t expect that much because we took two day tours previously, from different companies, which were a bit disappointing. But this one is dynamic and you get to see a lot. Moreover, our tour guide, Brandon, was fantastic and made all the difference! He is funny, he cares if people are enjoying their time and he clearly loves his job.
      Written 3 September 2024
    • ruthv190
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Recommend
      This trip was really good. I was disappointed by Doune castle, plus the £10 fee to enter the castle is a total rip-off as there's nothing to see. Other than that the tour was very good especially Midhope castle and Brandon, the guide made it worth our while. He is knowledgable, funny and chatty and had many interesting tidbits and information to share. Made us laugh many times and also took us where Jamie's cave was shot and where Fergus lost his hand to the red coats. That was unexpected and totally worth seeing as it's a lovely spot.
      Written 3 September 2024
    • kata25
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Pick this tour over any of the others.
      I liked that this tour was available almost what seemed daily. The stops were included more than some of the other tours we were looking at taking. The bus was spacious, modern , comfortable and had plugs to charge our phones. Dougie out guide was funny and narrated as he drove us to the various points. I highly recommend this tour to other fellow Outlander fans.
      Written 2 September 2024
    • paolinas920
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Outlander and BEYOND!
      Brendan is an excellent driver/guide. He has an excellent sens of humour, helpful tips and very good musical skills! It was a great tour! Also, this is the only place in Scotland where you can see the “sheep-sheep”. Thank you Brendan!
      Written 1 September 2024
    See all 2,284 reviews
    These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

    Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

    Popular mentions

    We perform checks on reviews.
    Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
    Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
    When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
    Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
    Learn more about our review moderation.
    5.0
    5.0 of 5 bubbles1,248 reviews
    Excellent
    1,146
    Very good
    57
    Average
    13
    Poor
    22
    Terrible
    10

    mansikashyap
    3 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Jul 2020
    Very skeptical about the situation of currently COVID-19, we took a leap of faith a booked a trip to Scotland from London and a day trip with Gray line.
    I must say this was one of the best day trip I have ever been to. Gray line took all measures to provide sanitisers, seats with Social distancing etc. The bus was filled with less than 50% capacity which gave us a sigh of relief.
    Our guide/Brendon was funny, smart and full of information. Lot of pit stops for taking pictures and the routes were gorgeous. The cruise trip was amazing. Brendon told so many facts and stories about the history of Scotland.
    I would highly recommend this trip
    Written 20 July 2020
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Thank you for joining us on this tour and for taking the time to leave us a review. We understand it is an unusual time for people and we are doing all we can to keep everyone safe on the tour with social distancing measure in place. It's great to read that you had such a good experience.
    Written 29 July 2020
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Tania P
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Mar 2020
    The tour was brilliant with a lot of things to see! Our driver, Brendan was extremely entertaining and turned what would be a long drive into something better with his humour, lovely puns and stories about the things we visited and saw. Definitely learned a thing or two from him about Scotland's history. You have the opportunity to go on a boat ride on the Loch Ness as well, not mandatory but still enjoyable, despite the cold. We actually saw a rainbow as well on the loch but I was too slow to take a picture sadly.
    The journey was fantastic overall and would definitely recommend for those who would be interested to see a piece of Scotland, outside the cities.
    The highlands were superb and breathtaking, you won't regret going for the trip!
    Written 10 March 2020
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    It sounds like you had a fantastic time on our Loch Ness and the Highlands of Scotland Tour. Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review.
    Written 15 March 2020
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Hannah
    5 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Oct 2020 • Solo
    Had a fantastic day on this tour with Brian as our guide. The tour is well organised, you are collected and dropped off from your accommodation and lots of care is taken to ensure you feel safe (cleaning at each stop and lower numbers to ensure distancing). Huge thanks to Brian who is an excellent guide, he kept us entertained with facts and stories throughout the whole tour, he points out all the best sights and even gives tips for the best photo ops! There is an optional cruise on the Loch Ness, which I would recommend for £15 extra, lots of sights and stops packed in great value for money!
    Written 30 October 2020
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review here on Trip Advisor and for taking one of our tours. I will certainly pass your thanks on to Brian. Take care.
    Written 4 November 2020
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Chloe L
    Cheltenham, UK91 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Initially we didnt pick this tour as we felt it would be very full on for one day (it definitely was). Unfortunately our tour did not fulfill the minimum seating - we were able to upgrade to this tour at no extra cost.

    Overall, we loved it. Jamie our tour guide was brilliant, very clued up on the history and had a good sense of humour. I really enjoyed the themed music throughout the tour also. The vibe was quite chilled the whole day.

    You do spend a lot of time on the coach but you get to see a lot of the Highlands and Cairngorns. Absolutely stunning vistas and stops.

    I like that the tour is flexible with stops too so that Ben Nevis can be driven by twice to try and catch a glimpse of the peak - not quite achieved on our tour.

    You have lots of time in Fort Augustus and I would definitely recommend the boat trip to anyone doing this tour.

    Thank you Jamie 😁
    Written 30 August 2020
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Thank you for your review. I'm delighted to read you had such a good time on our tour.
    Written 2 September 2020
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Desiree A
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Jan 2020 • Solo
    The early morning wake up was well worth it for this tour. Jamie is so friendly and bubbly. He made the tour an unforgettable experience! Loved the traditional and pop Scottish music he played when he wasn’t telling us about Scotland’s history. He is an excellent storyteller so I was always eagerly listening. Despite the rainy day and not seeing Nessie, the stops we made along the way were so great. Jamie did his best to cater the experience to all present on the day, making stops based on what he thought people would enjoy seeing.

    My only suggestion, which came as a surprise to me as I was anticipating it for a while, was that he didn’t play I’m Gonna Be (500 miles) or I’m On My Way by The Proclaimers!

    Otherwise an incredible experience and I look forward to doing all the other tours by Grayline when I’m back in Scotland.

    Even though I’m from beautiful New Zealand, this day made me understand why Scotland was voted one of the most beautiful countries in the world!
    Written 18 January 2020
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Afternoon Thank you for taking the time to leave us your review. I'm so glad to read you enjoyed your tour. Jamie is a fantastic guide. I'll pass on your comments regarding the Proclaimers, have a great time with the rest of your stay in Scotland. C
    Written 19 January 2020
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    iron1969
    York, UK27 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    As part of our 2021 family ‘UK staycation’ we took the day trip to Loch Ness and The Highlands from our Edinburgh base. Early 730am start but coach was exactly on time and was only half full to allow fo social distancing. Coach was very clean & modern with rest room, air con, free wifi and charging points. Plenty of stops en route and we were kept entertained throughout the day by Brendan the driver/guide who was very knowledgable and engaging which made the 12 hour trip fly by. Highlight of the day was the boat trip on Loch Ness ( extra cost £16 per adult)
    Written 30 July 2021
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    It sounds like you and your family had a great time. Thank you for your review and for choosing Gray Line Scotland.
    Written 11 August 2021
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Hrafn M
    5 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Aug 2020 • Couples
    This is a lot of driving (350 miles) in one day. We were very lucky with the weather and most importantly our driver and guide Jamie was exceptional.

    He is very friendly, upbeat, funny and his routine is a mix between the details of William Wallace's execution and to facts about Johnny Cash's ancestry.

    It's a fast track tour through the Highlands so make sure you have a good night's sleep the night before.

    Grayline pick you up and drop you off which can be a plus as you don't have to get to a central location in the early hours. Despite driving all day Jamie dropped us off at the same spot with a smile and a warm goodbye.
    Written 9 August 2020
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Thank you for taking the time to the leave us this review and tell us about your experience on your tour. It sounds like you had a fantastic time.
    Written 11 August 2020
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Susan R
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Jun 2022
    Host Brendan was terrific leading this group. With a mix of tales and jokes, he kept the conversation lively throughout.

    There is a slight complaint that the Loch Ness boat cruise of one hour is offered early and with little description of alternative activities. So there was a 16 pound per person offer made where the alternative appeared to be standing in the cold for all we knew. In fact, LochNess has a wonderful trail system and at the 7 hour mark of a 12 hour bus tour, the hike probably would have done us more good than the cruise. But the cruise was informative and delivered views otherwise not available.

    But all told, very good driving on some narrow highways by Brendan. Stories ranging from matchmaking through scotch drinking, COVID first responding and one rather shocking punch but you’ll catch no spoilers here. To his infinite credit, Brendan also held back on his newfound celebrity status until quite late in the trip. But after meeting him in person, his being an influencer for a certain vice on the YouTube series seems a wee bit more acceptable now.
    Written 29 June 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Thank you for your feedback Susan. I'm glad your enjoyed your tour.
    Written 26 July 2022
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Farah C
    3 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Jan 2020 • Couples
    The spectacular views seem to be a given in the Highlands. The highlight of our trip was definitely Brendan, our lovely tour guide and bus driver. He is funny, light, informative, and a very smooth singer. He makes many sarcastic comments and remarks and makes sure to make his information thought-provoking. I recommend his tour to anyone who would enjoy a lighthearted road trip.
    Written 21 January 2020
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review. We're delighted you enjoyed your time with us.
    Written 1 February 2020
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Dhara S
    62 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Jun 2021
    We booked in for lochness and scottish highlands tour and i would never regret it. Thankfully the weather was good too and all the sceneries were not blocked by clouds or anything whatsoever. Jamie the tour guide/chauffeur (two in one) did a very wonderful job. He was good with the stories he told us about scotland and the rulers and the wars, his voice was quite impressive and he had a good collection of music to play along the way!. All that suited the place/loch he was ever talking about and showing us.

    He drove well and brought us back safe! We did the lochness cruise, but i would not recommend it as a must do. If you can skip it, it would do no harm. There's hardly any time left between lunch and boarding the boat. If you would want to sit on the top, you would need to queue up early , and if you would need to see and hear the story of the sonar equipments, you would prefer to sit down. And ofcourse if you sat down you would not be able to enjoy the view. Its a short cruise with river history. (but may be this belongs to another review section).

    Not connected to Jamie at all, but it would be nice for Grayline scotland tours to accommodate seeing the highland cows closer than in the fields where we can't even approach them or take a picture.

    The last bit of the trip to the river seemed a bit less timely. We could not manage to walk very fast to the river so we did not even go there.

    Overall, loved how Jamie manoeuvred the bus, how he assmebled us all with social distancing, how he kept us high in spirits. And we could get a nice taste of the scottish highlands in one day.
    Written 13 July 2021
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Thank you for review and for joining us on one of our tours. Jamie is a very good guide and is alway popular with our visitors.
    Written 14 July 2021
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Showing results 1-10 of 1,174

    Loch Ness and the Scottish Highlands Day Tour from Edinburgh provided by Gray Line Scotland

    All Edinburgh HotelsEdinburgh Hotel DealsLast Minute Hotels in Edinburgh
    All things to do in Edinburgh
    Day Trips in Edinburgh
    RestaurantsFlightsHoliday RentalsTravel StoriesCruisesCar Hire