Edinburgh: Inverness & Highlands 2-Day Small Group Tour

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Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/37

Duration2d

GroupUp to 16

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Two Days in the Scottish Highlands: Glen Coe to Culloden from Edinburgh

You get two full days of Highlands scenery and history without arranging transport, accommodation, or timing yourself—the small group size and fixed itinerary mean you see Glen Coe, Loch Ness, Culloden, and Cairngorms National Park in sequence, with a night in Inverness included. Lunch on day two is covered; day one lunch is at your own expense in Glen Coe.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Edinburgh to Inverness

Pass Stirling Castle
Visit National Wallace Monument
Stop near Glen Coe for lunch
Visit Glenfinnan Viaduct (Apr-Oct)
Photo stop at Ben Nevis
Photo and shopping in Fort Augustus
Drive along Loch Ness
Photo stop at Urquhart Castle
Overnight stay in Inverness

Day 2 — Inverness to Edinburgh

Visit Culloden Battlefield
Visit Clava Cairns prehistoric site
Drive through Cairngorms National Park
Stop for lunch in Cairngorms village
Spot Ruthven Barracks
Explore Pitlochry town
Riverside walk at Dunkeld
Photo stop at Forth Road Bridge
Return to Edinburgh by 7pm

The Experience

You've got two days and you want to see the real Highlands—not a rushed highlight reel, but the glens, the lochs, the battlefields that actually shaped Scotland. This tour leaves Edinburgh early and doesn't cut corners. Day one takes you through Glen Coe (the narrow valley where the 1692 massacre happened, and yes, it's been in Skyfall), past Ben Nevis for photos, along the full length of Loch Ness, and into Inverness for the night. The group stays around 12 people, which means you're not herded through in a coach full of forty—you actually hear the guide, and there's room to breathe.

The second day is where the history lands. You start at Culloden Battlefield, where 700 Highland clansmen died in three minutes during the last battle fought on British soil in 1746. You walk the moor itself, not just look at it from a car window. Then it's the 4,000-year-old stone circles at Clava Cairns, a drive through Cairngorms National Park (the largest in the British Isles, officially protected in 2003), lunch at a village inside the park, and a gentle riverside walk at Dunkeld through what they call Big Tree Country. On the way back to Edinburgh, you cross the Forth Rail Bridge—built in 1890, and worth a photo stop in South Queensferry if the light is right.

The driver is 5-star reviewed and does live commentary the whole way. The coach is air-conditioned Mercedes, which matters when you're sitting for hours. Accommodation in Inverness is your choice—hostels from £30–45 per night, B&Bs from £100–190, or hotels from £190 upward. If you're bringing a service animal, let them know seven days ahead. The tour operates in all weather (unless it's genuinely unsafe), so pack layers and waterproofs; you're in Scotland, and the weather changes fast. Return to Edinburgh is 7pm on day two.

What’s included

Your two days include pickup from your Edinburgh accommodation, air-conditioned Mercedes coach transport, a 5-star reviewed driver/guide with live commentary throughout, one night accommodation in Inverness (your choice of hostel, B&B, or hotel), lunch on day two inside Cairngorms National Park, and return to Edinburgh by 7pm.
Day one lunch in Glen Coe is at your own expense.
All entry to attractions and time at Culloden Battlefield, Clava Cairns, and the riverside walk at Dunkeld are included.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Heart of Scotland Tours Ltd

Is this one for you?Right for travelers leaving Edinburgh with two days to spare and no car—the fixed route and small group size mean you see the main Highlands in sequence without arranging transport, accommodation, or timing yourself, and the overnight in Inverness lets you cover ground that would take three rushed days on your own.