Loch Ness, Urquhart Castle & Culloden from Inverness

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/15

Duration9h

GroupUp to 34

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

A 13th-century castle sits half-submerged in Scotland's most famous loch, and you reach it by boat.

This full-day guided tour from Inverness covers Loch Ness, Urquhart Castle, Beauly, Glen Ord Distillery, Clava Cairns and Culloden Battlefield with a Scottish English-speaking guide and air-conditioned transport. You choose whether to add the Loch Ness cruise and castle entry or take the tour as a route-only option. The itinerary runs roughly nine hours and returns to Inverness in the early evening; exact timing depends on weather and road conditions.

Step-by-step itinerary

Loch Ness, Outlander, and Highland tour

Depart Inverness
Take Loch Ness cruise and see Urquhart Castle
Enjoy lunch in Beauly
Explore Beauly Priory
Visit Highland whisky distillery and taste whisky
See Clava Cairns burial chambers and standing stones
Visit Culloden Battlefield and hear Jacobite tales
Return to Inverness

The Experience

The tour departs central Inverness and heads straight to Loch Ness, where you board a boat for a 30-minute cruise across the water to see the ruins of Urquhart Castle, a 13th-century fortress that now sits partly submerged on the loch's edge. The cruise time varies with weather, and if conditions are severe, it may be cancelled — in that case you get a refund. After the loch, you have free time in Beauly to grab lunch at one of the local cafés and walk around Beauly Priory, the stone ruins featured in the Outlander filming locations.

The route then takes you to Glen Ord Distillery for a Highland whisky experience; you have the option to taste a dram or skip it. From there, the tour moves to Clava Cairns, where mysterious burial chambers and standing stones appeal especially to Outlander fans, before finishing at Culloden Battlefield. Your guide walks you through the harrowing history of the Jacobite rebellions and the brutal 1746 battle that took place there. You return to Inverness in the early evening, though the exact time depends on road conditions and weather — it's worth allowing an extra three hours after the scheduled return if you have onward travel plans.

The tour runs in an air-conditioned vehicle with a local Scottish guide who narrates throughout. Children from age five are welcome; younger children cannot travel. The order of stops may change, and in rare cases the tour operates on a larger bus depending on availability. Public transport options exist near the departure point, though booking your own transport to get there in advance is recommended — arrive at least 15 minutes early for check-in.

What’s included

Local Scottish English-speaking guide.
air-conditioned vehicle transport.
30-minute Loch Ness cruise (if you choose the cruise option).
Urquhart Castle entry (if you choose the castle option).
stops at Beauly Priory, Glen Ord Distillery, Clava Cairns and Culloden Battlefield.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearby

Operated by Highland Explorer Tours Ltd

Is this one for you?Book the option with cruise and castle if you want to actually reach Urquhart Castle by water and stand in front of the ruins — the boat ride is the only way to get close to them. Choose the tour-only option if you prefer to skip the boat and the castle entry fee and focus on the Outlander sites, the distillery and the battlefield history instead.