Stirling Castle, Kelpies & Loch Lomond from Edinburgh

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/6

Duration10h

GroupUp to 30

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

The Kelpies are already 30 feet tall when your bus pulls up

You travel by air-conditioned coach from Edinburgh through the Scottish Highlands, stopping at the iconic Kelpies sculptures, Loch Lomond (with an optional boat cruise), the Duke's Pass, and Stirling Castle. The driver provides live commentary and story-telling throughout the day, with regular breaks for food and comfort. You return to Edinburgh city centre around 6:30 PM, leaving time to arrange onward travel.

10h

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Kelpies, Loch Lomond, and Stirling

Depart Edinburgh Royal Mile
Visit the Kelpies sculptures
Travel to Balloch by Loch Lomond
Explore Balloch and optional boat cruise
Drive through Aberfoyle and Dukes Pass
Pass through Callander
Visit Stirling Castle or city centre
Stop at South Queensferry for bridge views
Return to Edinburgh city centre

The Experience

The tour leaves the Royal Mile in an air-conditioned coach and heads straight for the Kelpies — those massive metal horse sculptures at the entrance to the Forth and Clyde Canal. They're built as a tribute to Central Scotland's industrial past, and they've become one of the country's most photographed landmarks. You get close enough to understand the scale, which is the kind of thing that doesn't come across in pictures.

From there the route swings west toward Loch Lomond, stopping at Balloch on the Bonnie Banks where you can walk around or pay separately for an optional hour-long boat cruise on the loch itself. The onboard commentary comes from recordings by Neil Oliver, a Scottish historian and archaeologist, so you're getting actual context instead of just scenery. After Loch Lomond you pass through Aberfoyle and the Duke's Pass — an old Highland road where Rob Roy MacGregor used to operate — then into Callander, which sits right on the edge of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park.

Stirling Castle is where the day opens up a bit. You can either walk around the city centre or pay to go inside the castle itself, where the history is dense: William Wallace, Robert the Bruce, and Mary Queen of Scots crowned there at nine months old in 1543. The choice is yours depending on how much time you want to spend. On the way back to Edinburgh, the bus stops at South Queensferry so you can see the three bridges spanning the River Forth — including the Forth Rail Bridge, which UNESCO made a World Heritage Site in 2015. Arrival back in the city centre is around 6:30 PM, though traffic can shift that.

The driver is a local Scottish guide rated five stars by the Scottish Tourist Board, and the commentary runs live throughout the day. There are regular stops for comfort breaks and food, so you're not stuck on the coach for hours at a time. Bring suitable clothing and footwear if you plan to do any of the short nature walks along the route — the weather in the Highlands changes fast.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel or city-centre pickup on the Royal Mile, air-conditioned coach transport throughout, an experienced local Scottish guide with live commentary and storytelling, regular comfort breaks, and stops where food and refreshments are available.
Boat cruise on Loch Lomond and entry to Stirling Castle are optional extras paid on the day.
You're dropped off in Edinburgh city centre around 6:30 PM.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearby

Operated by The Hairy Coo

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see the main Highlands landmarks — Kelpies, Loch Lomond, Stirling Castle, and the Forth bridges — in one day without arranging your own transport or timing the stops yourself. The fixed schedule and local guide handle the logistics, leaving you to decide which optional activities suit your pace.