Loch Ness Outlander Sites Tour: Inverness Small Group

Bronze Age cairns, a 1746 battlefield, a castle on the loch, and a gin distillery in five to seven hours

This guided tour from Inverness covers four millennia of Scottish Highland history and landscape in a single day: Clava Cairns (a 4,000-year-old Bronze Age burial complex), Culloden Battlefield (where the last Jacobite Rising ended in 1746), Loch Ness with views of Urquhart Castle, and a gin tasting at Great Glen Distillery. The tour runs five to seven hours with a local English-speaking guide, private air-conditioned transport, and a dram of whisky if you want it. Groups stay under eight people, which means the van doesn't fill up and the guide can move at a pace that works.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Clava Cairns1h
2. Culloden Battlefield1h
3. Loch Ness1h
4. Urquhart Castle1h

Explore Highland history and scenery

• Visit Clava Cairns Bronze Age site
• Explore Culloden Battlefield visitor centre
• Travel along Loch Ness shore
• Taste gin at Great Glen Distillery shop
• View and photograph Urquhart Castle

The experience

The day starts at Clava Cairns, a Bronze Age cemetery complex of passage graves and standing stones set near Inverness. These three cairns date back roughly 4,000 years and sit in a landscape that has barely changed since they were built: a tangible anchor to the distant past of the Highlands. From there the tour moves to Culloden Battlefield, where on 16 April 1746 the final Jacobite Rising came to an end in one of the bloodiest pitched battles ever fought on British soil. The visitor centre there holds artefacts from both sides of the conflict and runs an immersive surround cinema that walks you through what happened that day.

The route then follows the shore of Loch Ness toward Drumnadrochit, with stops for photographs along the water. Urquhart Castle sits on a promontory overlooking the loch: a thousand years of history in ruins, best seen and photographed from a distance where the wild Highland setting frames it. At Great Glen Distillery, a small craft gin producer, you get a tasting (the distillery itself closes December through early April, but tastings continue in the shop opposite). The guide is local and speaks English throughout, and the van stays small, never more than seven people, so the pace holds steady and nobody gets left behind or rushed through a stop.

Transport is private and air-conditioned, and a dram of whisky is included if you want one. The tour departs from Inverness. If you're arriving by cruise ship, the operator runs a separate excursion from Invergordon.

What’s included

• Private air-conditioned transport.
• a local English-speaking guide for the full five to seven hours.
• entry and access to Culloden Battlefield visitor centre with its interactive exhibits and surround cinema.
• gin tasting at Great Glen Distillery.
• a dram of whisky if desired.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

Book up to1d before

GroupUp to 7

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Paid on site£ 28

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Go Highlands

Is this one for you?The guide speaks English throughout, so this tour works for anyone comfortable following commentary in English. Small groups of up to seven mean the van moves at a steady pace and stops don't feel rushed. You're never waiting for a coach to empty or crowded into a visitor centre behind a larger group.

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Top questions

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What exactly is Clava Cairns and why does it matter?

Clava Cairns is a Bronze Age cemetery complex of three passage graves, ring cairns and standing stones located near Inverness, dating back approximately 4,000 years. It's one of the most well-preserved prehistoric sites in the Scottish Highlands and gives a direct view into how people lived and died in this landscape in the distant past.

Can I actually enter Urquhart Castle on this tour?

Urquhart Castle is viewed and photographed from a distance as part of the tour route along Loch Ness. Entry to the castle itself is not included in this tour.

What happens at Culloden Battlefield?

At Culloden Battlefield you explore an interactive visitor centre, view artefacts from both the Jacobite and Government sides of the 1746 battle, and watch an immersive surround cinema that recreates the final Jacobite Rising. The site itself is the actual ground where the battle took place.

Is the gin tasting included, and what if I don't drink?

A gin tasting at Great Glen Distillery is part of the tour. The distillery closes from December through early April, but tastings continue in the shop opposite during those months. The tasting is included whether or not you choose to drink.

How many people will be on the tour with me?

Groups on this tour stay under eight people maximum, which keeps the van from feeling crowded and allows the guide to set a pace that works for everyone.

Is there a whisky dram included?

A dram of whisky is included if you want one. It's optional.