Loch Ness, Glencoe & Ben Nevis tour from Edinburgh

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/20

Duration12h

GroupUp to 55

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Cross the Highlands in one day and stand in Glencoe Valley where three unusual rock formations rise from the glen.

This is a 12-hour guided sightseeing tour departing from Edinburgh that travels through Glencoe, past Ben Nevis and along Loch Ness, with a live English-speaking guide, air-conditioned coach and driver commentary throughout. The itinerary reverses between late March and late September. Entry to the Loch Ness cruise is optional and costs extra; food, drinks and hotel pickup are not included.

12h

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Scottish Highlands and Loch Ness

Arrive at Rannoch Moor
Visit Glencoe Valley and see The Three Sisters
Stop to admire the Three Sisters rock formations
Travel to Loch Ness via Fort William
Visit Caledonian Canal and Fort Augustus lock system
Optional Loch Ness cruise
Visit Commando Memorial and view Ben Nevis
Drive through Cairngorms National Park
See Loch Laggan and Ardverikie Castle
Stop at Pitlochry village for a drink
Return to Edinburgh, see Forth railway bridge
Receive tips for Edinburgh sightseeing

The Experience

The day starts in Edinburgh and heads north into the Highlands, arriving first at Rannoch Moor before reaching Glencoe Valley, where you stop to photograph the Three Sisters—three pointed rock ridges named Gearr Aonach, Aonach Dubh and Beinn Fhada. This is the valley where the MacDonald clan massacre took place, and it has served as the backdrop for Harry Potter and James Bond films. You get time to walk and shoot photos before the coach moves on.

From Glencoe, the route passes through Fort William and continues to Fort Augustus, where the Caledonian Canal and its lock system come into view. This is where you can add a one-hour Loch Ness cruise if you want it (tickets sold separately at the stop). The canal viewpoint gives clear sightlines across the loch and its surrounding landscape. After Fort Augustus, the tour stops at the Commando Memorial, a World War Two monument where, on clear days, you can see Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the United Kingdom, rising in the distance.

The return leg crosses Cairngorms National Park, passing Loch Laggan and Ardverikie Castle on the way to Pitlochry, a Victorian village where you have time to stop at a pub. On the drive back to Edinburgh, you cross the Forth railway bridge, a 19th-century structure that spans the Firth of Forth, and watch the landscape shift from Highlands to Lowlands. The guide offers tips about Edinburgh before you arrive back in the city.

What’s included

Driver and live English-speaking guide.
air-conditioned coach with regulatory insurance.
live commentary on board throughout the day.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearby

Operated by LochNessBus.com

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you're staying in Edinburgh and want to see Glencoe, Loch Ness and Ben Nevis without renting a car or planning the route yourself—the coach, guide and timing are fixed, so you step on in the morning and the day holds together.