Things to do in Scotland
Day Trips from Edinburgh12 optionsEdinburgh Underground City14 optionsEdinburgh Tour Highlands44 optionsJacobite Steam Train Tours30 optionsEdinburgh Ghost Tour24 optionsStirling Castle Tours39 optionsWhiskey Tour Edinburgh13 optionsLoch Ness Tours60 optionsEdinburgh Walking Tour94 optionsBoat Tour Loch Ness9 optionsEdinburgh Airport Taxi10 optionsIsle of Skye Tours29 options
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Edinburgh Royal Mile & Old Town: Historian-Led Small Group WalkYou walk the Royal Mile and Old Town's closes with a small group (max 12) led by a historian or specialist guide who knows the place deeply. You see St Giles' Cathedral, Grassmarket, the Scott Monument, and the closes where 17th-century tenements still stand, and you hear the stories behind them — royal intrigue, Enlightenment thinkers, literary history — without shouting over a crowd. The tour takes 2–3 hours, includes time for questions, and entry to major sites is exterior viewing only, so you're not paying extra fees on top.Is it for me?Book this if you want to understand Edinburgh's history — royal, intellectual, literary, and dark — without being herded through a crowd or paying extra for castle entry you might not need. The small group size and the guides' expertise are what make the difference.
Isle of Skye, Inverness & Highlands: 3-Day Tour with Glenfinnan ViaductYou’ll travel from Edinburgh through misty Highlands to Isle of Skye and Inverness with a local guide who knows every story along the way. Expect moments by ancient castles, harborside lunches in Portree, and glimpses of steam trains over Glenfinnan Viaduct — plus plenty of laughter (and maybe rain) between stops.
Private Highlands Day Tour from Glasgow: Castles & GlencoeYou’ll ride through misty Highland glens, walk out to ruined castles like Kilchurn and Inveraray, and taste fresh seafood in Oban — all with a local guide who brings Scotland’s history alive along the way. Expect wild weather, warm laughs on board, and moments when the silence in Glencoe just hits different.
Edinburgh: Johnnie Walker Whisky Tour & Custom CocktailsYou’ll explore Edinburgh’s Johnnie Walker Experience with a local guide, take a flavor quiz, and enjoy three cocktails matched to your taste profile. Hear stories behind each blend, try your hand at Scottish toasts, and soak up the atmosphere in this immersive 90-minute tour. You’ll leave with new flavors on your mind—and maybe even a bit of smoke clinging to your jacket.
Glasgow City Centre Walking Tour: Local Guide, Real StoriesA 1.5-hour walking tour of Glasgow city centre led by a local guide, covering George Square, Glasgow Cathedral and the Necropolis. The tour traces the city from medieval roots through Victorian wealth and industrial power to its modern creative culture, with each guide bringing their own stories and connection to the place. Live guide in English; covers around 1.5 miles.Is it for me?Book this tour if you've just arrived in Glasgow or only have a short time to explore—a local guide compresses the city's layered history and character into a single morning or afternoon, so you understand how it got here and what makes it distinctive without building the itinerary yourself.
Edinburgh Old Town: Underground Vaults & Ghost Stories TourYou walk through Edinburgh Old Town and Greyfriars Cemetery with a Spanish-speaking guide, then descend into the underground vaults where you can watch street-level pedestrians pass overhead through a window. The tour includes ghost stories and historical accounts of torture and witchcraft, balanced with humor. It takes 2–3 hours, suits families with kids over five, and requires moderate fitness and Spanish comprehension.Is it for me?Choose this if you want Edinburgh's darker history told in the actual places where it happened, and you're comfortable following a Spanish-language guide through Old Town and underground chambers — the vaults themselves are what set this apart from standard city tours.
Edinburgh: Blair Street Underground Vaults & Multi-Sensory HistoryYou descend into Edinburgh's exclusive Blair Street Underground Vaults with a master storyteller guide, handle original artifacts, and experience the 18th-century chambers through scent, sound, and touch via personal audio devices. The tour includes access to the Vaults Museum with interactive displays and a take-home scent card. Tours run year-round and suit all fitness levels; children must be 5 or older.Is it for me?Book this if you want to move beyond the standard Edinburgh walking tour and actually step into a preserved 18th-century space—the exclusive vault access and multi-sensory elements are what make this different from any other history tour in the city.
Port of Leith Distillery Tour and Tasting: EdinburghThe Port of Leith Distillery Tour and Tasting is a 90-minute guided experience at the UK's first vertical whisky distillery in Edinburgh, where you explore the building's architecture, fill a miniature bottle of New Make spirit, and taste samples of New Make, port, sherry and Table Whisky in the QC Lab. Children from age 7 are welcome with an adult; the tour moves through a production facility with open grate flooring, so sensible footwear is required.Is it for me?Fill your own bottle and taste in the working QC Lab where the distillery's team operates — you'll understand whisky production through hands-on experience rather than observation alone.
Edinburgh: Loch Lomond, Stirling Castle & Kelpies Day TripYou’ll step into Scottish legends on this day trip from Edinburgh—standing under the Kelpies’ gaze, walking along Loch Lomond’s shores or cruising its water, tasting village soup, and exploring Stirling Castle’s storied halls. Expect laughter with your guide and moments that stick with you long after you’re home.
Loch Ness & Caledonian Canal Cruise with Urquhart Castle ViewsYou’ll board at Dochgarroch for a two-hour cruise along the Caledonian Canal into Loch Ness, passing right by Urquhart Castle with live local commentary and plenty of stories. Expect cool air, shifting Highland light, and small moments—like laughter or silence—that linger long after you’re back on land.
Edinburgh Food Tour: Old Town tastings with Scotch and haggisA shared food tour through Edinburgh's Old Town led by a local guide in English, stopping at Grassmarket and the Royal Mile to taste haggis with neeps and tatties, Scottish cakes, creamy cheese, a secret dish and Lowland whisky single malt. The tour runs three hours and covers the historic streets where locals actually eat, not just the sights tourists photograph. Minimum age 18 for the whisky tasting; comfortable walking shoes are essential, and the itinerary shifts based on what's available that day.Is it for me?Book the shared group tour if you want to meet other food travelers and move at a steady pace through Old Town without arranging logistics yourself. Choose the private option if your group prefers to taste at your own rhythm and have the guide's full attention for questions about the food and the streets you're walking.
Isle of Skye Day Tour: Kilt Rock, Old Man of Storr & Fairy PoolsThis 12-hour guided tour departs Inverness and crosses into Isle of Skye to visit Kilt Rock, the Old Man of Storr, and the Fairy Pools—the only scheduled tour combining both the northern highlights and the pools in a single day. Your experienced driver guide provides live commentary throughout, and you'll also pass Loch Ness, stop at Eilean Donan Castle for photos, and explore Portree harbour. A moderate level of fitness is required for the walk to the Fairy Pools (roughly 1.5 miles, 40 minutes round-trip on rough terrain). Pre-ordered lunch is available Monday to Friday; weekends allow you to pick up food in Portree.Is it for me?Book this tour if you want to see both Skye's northern cliffs and the Fairy Pools without splitting the day into two trips—it's the only scheduled service that combines them, so you don't have to choose between Kilt Rock and the waterfalls.
Stirling Castle & Loch Lomond: Small-Group Tour from EdinburghYou ride in a 16-seat minivan from Edinburgh to three Scottish landmarks: the Kelpies steel monument, Stirling Castle (with entry included if you book that package), and Loch Lomond's shoreline. A driver-guide narrates the history and stories between stops. The small group size means no rush, and the half-day timing leaves your afternoon free. Book castle admission in advance to guarantee entry and skip the ticket line on arrival.Is it for me?Right for travelers based in Edinburgh without a rental car who want to see Stirling Castle and Loch Lomond in one morning without arranging transport or buying tickets separately — the small minivan and reserved castle admission remove both logistics and the queue. Plan for a half-day commitment, which is what makes fitting three distinct stops possible without rushing.
3 Day Isle of Skye Tour from Edinburgh: Jacobite Steam TrainYou travel by coach through three of Scotland's most recognizable landscapes — Glencoe, the Jacobite Steam Train route, and the Isle of Skye — with two nights' accommodation in Portree included. The itinerary covers the Old Man of Storr, Kilt Rock, Eilean Donan Castle, Loch Ness, and Dundreggan Rewilding Centre, with a local guide handling all the driving and context. Plan to arrive at the Edinburgh departure point at least 15 minutes early, and note that the return to Edinburgh is around 8pm (April and October) or later depending on season and road conditions.Is it for me?A good fit if you want to see the Highlands and Isle of Skye without arranging your own transport, ferries, or navigation — the coach and guide handle all of that. Expect a full three days with early starts and late returns, and some days involve moderate walking on uneven terrain; that's what lets you cover this much ground and see this many landmarks in one trip.
Glenfinnan Viaduct Tour from Edinburgh Hogwarts Express BridgeYou depart Edinburgh early, travel through Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park, spend time in Glencoe learning its history, stop in Fort William for lunch, then reach the Glenfinnan Viaduct for photos and a walk to the viewpoint. The Glenfinnan Visitor Centre entry is included, as is the driver-guide's commentary throughout. You return via the Cairngorms with a refreshment stop in Pitlochry before arriving back in Edinburgh in the evening.Is it for me?Right for Harry Potter fans and anyone wanting to see Scotland's most famous landmarks in one day without arranging transport or timing multiple stops. Expect a long day on the coach—that's what makes covering Glencoe, Fort William, and Glenfinnan in a single trip possible.
Isle of Skye & Scottish Highlands: 3-Day Small Group from EdinburghYou travel west from Edinburgh through Stirling and Glencoe, overnight in Portree with a full flexible day on Skye to explore Old Man of Storr, Kilt Rock, and Quiraing depending on weather and your interests, then return via Loch Ness and Fort Augustus. The tour includes two nights' accommodation, two breakfasts, a driver-guide, and round-trip transport in a 16-seat minibus, which means no separate bookings and no navigating Scottish roads yourself.Is it for me?Choose this tour if you want to see the Scottish Highlands and Isle of Skye without arranging your own transport, booking separate hotels, or planning the route—the fixed itinerary and small group size mean you focus on the landscape instead of logistics, and the flexible day on Skye lets you follow weather and interests rather than a rigid schedule.
Loch Ness: 50-Minute Cruise & Urquhart Castle ViewsYou board a small catamaran at Clansman Harbour and spend 50 minutes cruising Loch Ness, passing Urquhart Castle's historic ruins and scanning the water with the boat's sonar system. The crew handles boarding and timing, free Wi-Fi is onboard, and you're back within an hour — no planning required beyond showing up twenty minutes before departure.Is it for me?Book this if you're in Inverness and want to see Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle without arranging your own transport or timing — the fixed 50-minute cruise and nearby harbour mean you can fit it into a morning or afternoon without planning a full day around it.
Edinburgh: Isle of Skye, Jacobite Steam Train & Highlands 3-DayYou spend three days traveling north from Edinburgh by coach, riding the Jacobite Steam Train for two hours across the Glenfinnan Viaduct, then two nights on the Isle of Skye visiting the Old Man of Storr, Kilt Rock, and Dunvegan Castle. On the return, you stop at Eilean Donan Castle, Loch Ness, and the Commando Memorial before heading back to Edinburgh. The tour includes the steam train ticket, all transport, accommodation, a local guide, and entry to the Dundreggan Rewilding Centre—so you're not arranging trains, hotels, or timing yourself across the Highlands.Is it for me?Book this if you want the main Highlands and Skye highlights in three days without arranging your own transport, train tickets, or accommodation—the fixed itinerary and included coach mean you show up and the logistics are handled. It's also the way to ride the Jacobite Steam Train without figuring out how to get to Fort William and back on your own.
Outlander Locations Tour: Doune & Blackness CastlesThis full-day Outlander locations tour from Edinburgh visits the Scottish castles and villages where the show was filmed, with admission to Doune Castle and Blackness Castle included in the price. You travel in a small group of no more than 16 passengers on a reserved mini-coach with an English-speaking driver-guide who narrates the route. The itinerary covers Midhope Castle (Lallybroch), Blackness Castle (Fort William), Linlithgow Palace (Wentworth Prison), Doune Castle (Castle Leoch) and Culross (Cranesmuir), with time to explore each stop and lunch near Linlithgow Palace.Is it for me?Book this tour if you want the castles included without buying tickets separately at each stop—Doune and Blackness are reserved for you, so you walk straight in. The small group size and fixed itinerary mean the day holds together without anyone building it, and the driver-guide handles the narration at each location.
Loch Ness tour from Glasgow: 50-minute cruise includedYou depart Glasgow in a small coach, travel through Glencoe and the Cairngorms, and board a 50-minute cruise on Loch Ness itself — all transport, entry and the boat ticket are included. The driver guides you through the landscape and its history. Plan for a full day out; that's what fits all three stops and the cruise into one trip.Is it for me?Right for travelers based in Glasgow who want to see the Highlands and Loch Ness in one day without arranging their own transport or booking the cruise separately — the fixed schedule and included boat ticket are what make both possible in a single trip. Expect a full day out, roughly ten hours, which is what it takes to move through three major landscapes and spend real time on the water.
