Loch Ness tour from Inverness: Urquhart Castle & Fort Augustus

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.80 (382 reviews) 88% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/8

Duration8h 45m

GroupUp to 32

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

A full day tracing Loch Ness from its ruined castle to the 165-foot Falls of Foyers

This eight-hour Loch Ness tour from Inverness follows the Caledonian Canal to the loch's edge, stopping at the 13th-century Urquhart Castle, the village of Fort Augustus for lunch and an optional boat cruise, the Falls of Foyers, and Dores Beach on the east shore. The tour departs at 08:45 with a live guide, air-conditioned coach and digital translations available; castle entry and the Loch Ness cruise are optional add-ons booked in advance. Children from age 4 are welcome, and the tour operates in all weather.

8h 45m

Step-by-step itinerary

Loch Ness and Highlands tour from Inverness

Depart Inverness at 08:45
Travel along Caledonian Canal to Loch Ness
Visit Urquhart Castle ruins
Drive to Fort Augustus
Optional boat cruise on Loch Ness
Lunch in Fort Augustus
Stop at Falls of Foyers
Visit Dores Beach
Return to Inverness

The Experience

The tour leaves Inverness at 08:45 and heads north along the Caledonian Canal toward Loch Ness, the largest body of water by volume in the British Isles. At over 700 feet deep and 24 miles long, the loch is famous for sightings of the Loch Ness Monster—Nessie—and you'll have most of the morning to search its waters. Your first stop is Urquhart Castle, a 13th-century ruin on the loch's western shore where you can explore the structure itself, visit the visitor centre, and take in views across the water (entry is optional and booked ahead of time).

From there the tour continues to Fort Augustus, a village of just 650 people where the Caledonian Canal meets the loch. This is where lunch happens, and you have the option to add a one-hour boat cruise across Loch Ness with Cruise Loch Ness before or after eating. The small-town pace—watching boats pass through the canal locks while you eat—is part of what makes the stop work. On 20 and 24 December, the cruise doesn't run, so you'll have lunch and time to view the loch from the shore instead.

The return journey to Inverness includes a stop at the Falls of Foyers, a 165-foot waterfall that was a favourite spot for poet Rabbie Burns. You'll have time to walk down to the water and take in the setting before the coach moves on to Dores Beach on the east shore of Loch Ness. The pebble beach is a short visit—enough to stretch and look across the water—before the final drive back to Inverness, where the tour ends.

What’s included

Air-conditioned coach.
live guide commentary in English with digital translations available in German, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian and Mandarin on request.
transport to Urquhart Castle, Fort Augustus, Falls of Foyers and Dores Beach.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Timberbush Tours

Is this one for you?The tour starts early (08:45 departure) and involves several short walks—down to Urquhart Castle's ruins, around the Falls of Foyers, and along Dores Beach's pebble shore—so you'll want comfortable walking shoes and a reasonable level of mobility. If you prefer a slower pace or have difficulty with uneven ground, ask about the specific terrain at each stop when you book.