Edinburgh day tour: Highlands, lochs & whisky or castle

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/6

Duration6h 30m

GroupUp to 37

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

A day through the Scottish Highlands, returning to Edinburgh in time for dinner

A guided day tour from Edinburgh that takes you through Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, past the 30-meter Kelpies sculptures and Stirling Castle, with a choice between Deanston Distillery (tour and whisky tasting included) or Blackness Castle (15th-century fortress on the Firth of Forth). The driver-guide provides live commentary throughout, and you're back in the city by around 5 PM. Children from age 8 are welcome; the coach is air-conditioned with regular comfort stops.

6h 30m

Step-by-step itinerary

Scenic day tour from Edinburgh

Depart Edinburgh New Town
Pass by The Kelpies sculptures
Pass Stirling with Wallace Monument views
Visit Deanston Distillery or Blackness Castle
Stop at Loch Achray and see Hairy Coos
Visit Loch Katrine in Trossachs
View the Forth Bridge on return
Return to Edinburgh late afternoon

The Experience

The tour departs Edinburgh's New Town in the morning and heads north past the towering Kelpies—30-meter-high sculptures of mythical horses—and Stirling, once Scotland's capital. You'll see views of the Wallace Monument and Stirling Castle before reaching your first major stop. Here the route splits: choose the Deanston Distillery option for a guided tour through the whisky-making process and a tasting of their single malts, or pick Blackness Castle, a 15th-century fortress dramatically perched on the Firth of Forth with views across the water. The castle is known as "the ship that never sailed" for its distinctive shape and appeared in the TV show Outlander.

From there, the tour moves deeper into the Trossachs to Loch Katrine, the freshwater loch immortalised in Sir Walter Scott's poem The Lady of the Lake. A short stop at Loch Achray follows, nestled between Ben A'an and Ben Venue mountains. You'll also meet the Hairy Coos—Highland cattle—for photos and a chance to experience Scotland's countryside up close. The coach is air-conditioned, and the driver-guide offers live storytelling and commentary; regular comfort breaks are built into the route.

On the return to Edinburgh, you pass three bridges spanning the Firth of Forth—the 19th-century Forth Bridge (a UNESCO World Heritage Site and former world's longest cantilever bridge), the 20th-century Forth Road Bridge, and the Queensferry Crossing from 2017. The tour aims to have you back in the city by around 5 PM, leaving the evening free. Any time not specified in the itinerary is spent traveling between stops and exploring Scotland from the coach.

What’s included

All taxes, fees and handling charges.
experienced driver-guide with live commentary and storytelling.
regular comfort breaks throughout the day.
air-conditioned coach.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearby

Operated by The Hairy Coo

Is this one for you?Book the castle option if you want to explore a dramatic 15th-century fortress and its historic role; choose the distillery option if you'd rather learn the whisky-making process and taste single malts. Either way, the fixed schedule and included guide mean the Highlands, lochs and Kelpies fit into one afternoon without arranging transport or timing yourself.