Loch Ness & Highlands Day Trip from Edinburgh: Glen Coe & Ben Nevis
Twelve hours through Scotland's most dramatic valleys and lochs, starting before breakfast
You travel 12 hours through Glen Coe, past Ben Nevis, and alongside Loch Ness with a local guide in a small air-conditioned minibus. The tour includes a coffee stop in Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park, lunch in Fort Augustus, and an optional boat cruise on Loch Ness (at your own cost). You're back in Edinburgh by early evening, having covered the major Highland landmarks without arranging transport or timing yourself.
Step-by-step itinerary
Loch Ness and Highlands sightseeing tour
- Pass Linlithgow Palace
- Pass Stirling Castle
- Pass National Wallace Monument
- Pass Doune Castle
- Morning coffee stop in National Park
- Visit Glencoe massacre site
- Travel across Rannoch Moor
- View Ben Nevis from Commando Memorial
- View Ben Nevis from bus
- Travel alongside Caledonian Canal
- Lunch and explore Loch Ness at Fort Augustus
- Short woodland walk in Cairngorms National Park
- Evening stroll in Highland village
- Return to Edinburgh crossing Forth Road Bridge
- Linlithgow Palace passing by
- Stirling Castle passing by
- National Wallace Monument passing by
- Doune Castle passing by
- Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park 30m
- Glencoe 10m
- Rannoch Moor passing by
- Commando Monument 10m
- Ben Nevis passing by
- Caledonian Canal passing by
- Loch Ness 1h 30m
- Cairngorms National Park 15m
- Scottish Highlands passing by
- Forth Road Bridge passing by
What’s included
- Your day includes hotel pickup in Edinburgh, transport in an air-conditioned Mercedes minibus with a local guide and live commentary, a coffee stop in Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park, and a lunch break in Fort Augustus on Loch Ness where you can choose to take an optional boat cruise at your own cost.
- The tour passes or stops at Linlithgow Palace, Stirling Castle, the National Wallace Monument, Doune Castle, Glen Coe, Rannoch Moor, Ben Nevis, the Caledonian Canal, and Cairngorms National Park, with a possible short woodland walk depending on timing.
- You return to Edinburgh by early evening.
- Every day 07:45
Last departure this season: 3 Jan 2027
Information
12-hour small group tour from Edinburgh to Loch Ness, Glen Coe and Ben Nevis with local guide, lunch, optional boat cruise, and air-conditioned transport.
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Traveler reviews
The experience
You're staying in Edinburgh for a few days and you've got one morning free, not enough time to rent a car and figure out the Highlands alone, but enough to see the actual Scotland. This tour leaves early and doesn't stop moving. The minibus picks you up in the city, crosses the Forth Road Bridge heading north, and then you're in it: Linlithgow Palace slides past on the left (birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots), then Stirling Castle perched on its rocky crag, then the National Wallace Monument rising above the valley floor. You're not getting out at every stop: the guide points them out from the bus, which sounds lazy until you realize you're covering ground that would take three separate days to drive yourself.
By mid-morning you're in Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park for a coffee break, and the landscape has already shifted. The valleys narrow. The mountains start to feel close. Then comes Glen Coe, and you understand why it shows up in Skyfall and Harry Potter: the mountains here don't just sit there, they loom. The guide talks about the 1692 massacre of the MacDonald Clan while you're driving through it, which is the kind of detail that sticks with you. After Glen Coe comes Rannoch Moor, a stretch of wilderness that feels like nothing else, and then Ben Nevis appears (Britain's highest mountain at 1,344 meters), visible from the Commando Memorial. The bus keeps moving. You're seeing it, not climbing it, which is the whole point of a day like this.
Lunch happens in Fort Augustus, a small village on the shore of Loch Ness. This is where the optional boat cruise happens if you want it. You pay extra and spend 45 minutes or so on the water looking for the monster, which is more fun than it sounds because the loch is genuinely enormous and genuinely strange. If you skip the boat, you walk along the shore or sit with a coffee and watch the Caledonian Canal (designed by Thomas Telford) feed into the loch. Either way, you've got time to breathe here before the second half of the drive.
The return route takes you through Cairngorms National Park, where there's sometimes time for a short woodland walk depending on how the day has run. The final stop is in Highland Perthshire, "Big Tree Country", where you can stretch your legs in one of the villages or grab a quick drink before the last two hours back to Edinburgh. You cross the Forth Road Bridge as the light is going and you're back in the city by early evening, which is when you realize you've actually seen the Highlands in one day without having to navigate, book separate hotels, or figure out where to eat. The small group size (around 12 people) means the minibus doesn't feel crowded, and the driver-guide does the talking without being relentless about it.
Top questions
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 17 years). Children under 5 can't be included in the booking.
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.
How long is the tour?
Twelve hours total, including travel time from Edinburgh and back.
What's included in the price?
Transport by air-conditioned minibus, a local guide, live commentary, and a coffee stop. Lunch and the optional Loch Ness boat cruise are not included.
How many people are on the tour?
Small groups of around 12 passengers per minibus.
Is the boat cruise on Loch Ness included?
No, it's optional and at your own expense. You have time to do it or skip it during the Fort Augustus lunch stop.
What if the weather is bad?
The tour operates in all weather conditions unless it's unsafe. Dress appropriately for Scottish Highlands weather, which can change quickly.
Do we stop for lunch?
Yes, in Fort Augustus on the shore of Loch Ness. You have time to eat and explore, but lunch isn't included in the tour price.
What attractions do we see?
Linlithgow Palace, Stirling Castle, National Wallace Monument, Doune Castle, Glen Coe, Rannoch Moor, Ben Nevis, Caledonian Canal, Loch Ness, and Cairngorms National Park. Some are viewed from the bus, others have short stops.
Is there a minimum fitness level required?
The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. Most time is spent on the bus. There are optional short walks but nothing strenuous.
Can I bring a service animal?
Yes, service animals are allowed. Inform the operator at least 7 days in advance.
Operated by Heart of Scotland Tours Ltd. Explorevia does not run this tour: we compare it with similar options, and you book it with our booking partner.
Prices and times updated today
Loch Ness & Highlands Day Trip from Edinburgh: Glen Coe & Ben Nevis
12h · EN
from £ 89 per person
≈ US$ 120 in your currency
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