Outlander Tour Invergordon: Clava Cairns, Culloden, Cawdor
Four thousand years of Highland history in one day, from ancient burial stones to a 15th-century castle
A private full-day tour departing from Invergordon cruise port takes you through pivotal moments in Scottish Highland culture: Clava Cairns (a 4,000-year-old Bronze Age burial complex), Culloden Battlefield (where the Jacobite rising ended in 1746), Cawdor Castle (a 15th-century tower house), and a scenic drive along Loch Ness. A live guide in English leads the route and explains what each site meant to Highland life, what happened there, and what remains today.
Step-by-step itinerary
Explore Scottish Highlands and Historic Sites
- Visit Clava Cairns prehistoric site
- Tour Culloden Battlefield and visitor center
- Explore Cawdor Castle and gardens
- Drive along Loch Ness for sightseeing
- See Highland Cows at Robertson's farm
- Beauly 30m
- Loch Ness 20m
- Clava Cairns 30m
- Culloden Battlefield 2h
- Cawdor Castle and Gardens 1h 30m
What’s included
- Air-conditioned vehicle throughout the day.
- live guide in English who explains the history and significance of each site.
- entry to Clava Cairns, Culloden Battlefield Visitor Center, and Cawdor Castle (or Urquhart Castle in winter).
- scenic drive along Loch Ness.
- visit to Robertson's farm to see native Highland cattle.
Next departure: 30 Apr 2027
Information
Private full-day tour from Invergordon cruise port through Scottish Highland history: walk 4,000-year-old Clava Cairns.
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The experience
The tour begins at Clava Cairns, a Bronze Age burial ground dating back 4,000 years. The site holds passage graves, standing stones, and ring cairns. The physical remnants of what was once a much larger ceremonial complex. From there, the route moves to Culloden Battlefield, where on April 16, 1746, around 5,000 Jacobite Highlanders faced 9,000 government troops under the Duke of Cumberland. That single day ended the clan system and suppressed Highland culture as it had existed. The Culloden Visitor Center uses interactive exhibits to walk you through the events and their aftermath.
Cawdor Castle, a 15th-century tower house that has been home to the Thanes of Cawdor since 1370, sits in three gardens surrounded by Cawdor Big Wood, one of Europe's finest woodland areas. (In winter, October through April, Urquhart Castle replaces Cawdor on the itinerary.) The afternoon shifts pace with a scenic drive down Loch Ness (the vast Highland lake famous for its monster legend) followed by a stop at Robertson's farm in Beauly to see native Highland cattle. An air-conditioned vehicle carries you throughout, and the full day runs 8 to 9 hours depending on your pickup point.
Top questions
Can I be picked up at my hotel?
You can choose: pickup at your hotel, or go straight to the meeting point. When you book, you choose your hotel from 111 pickup locations; if yours isn’t listed, you can type in your address. Pickup is about 15 minutes before departure.
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 is Clava Cairns and why does it matter to this tour?
Clava Cairns is a Bronze Age burial complex dating back 4,000 years, with passage graves, standing stones, and ring cairns still visible on the site. It opens the tour by showing the deep roots of Highland settlement and ritual practice, long before the battles and castles that follow.
What happened at Culloden Battlefield and what will I see there?
On April 16, 1746, the Jacobite Highlanders were defeated by government forces, ending the clan system and suppressing Highland culture. The Culloden Visitor Center uses interactive exhibits to show how that single day reshaped Scotland, and the guide explains what the Highlands were like before and after.
Can I go inside Cawdor Castle, and what is there to see?
Cawdor Castle opens to visitors and holds fine art, tapestries, and furniture that give it the feel of a lived-in home rather than a museum. The castle sits in three gardens and is surrounded by Cawdor Big Wood, one of Europe's finest woodland areas with color-coded nature trails.
Do I need to arrange my own transport from the cruise port?
No. Pickup from Invergordon cruise port is included, and you travel in an air-conditioned vehicle throughout the day with your guide. The tour is built for cruise passengers and handles the logistics of getting you to each site and back.
Is this tour suitable if I'm not very fit or have mobility concerns?
The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. You'll walk around the sites at a relaxed pace, and the afternoon includes a scenic drive down Loch Ness and a farm visit, so the day mixes standing time with seated time in the vehicle.
Operated by Atom Tours Scotland. Explorevia does not run this tour: we compare it with similar options, and you book it with our booking partner.
Prices and times updated 15 days ago
Outlander Tour Invergordon: Clava Cairns, Culloden, Cawdor
8h–10h · EN
from £ 875 per group
≈ US$ 1,177 in your currency
Next, you choose your date and number of travelers and see the final price.