The 15 Best Loch Ness & Highlands Day Trips

Edinburgh: Loch Ness, Glencoe & the Scottish Highlands Tour - Starting at Castle Terrace in Edinburgh

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 17,446 reviews · 12.5 hours · from $62Our pick

Review of Timberbush Tours’ 12.5-hour trip from Edinburgh to Loch Ness, Glencoe, and the Highlands, with practical tips on stops and add-ons.

“what an amazing day. Mark (Aussie) was so knowledgeable and had fascinating stories which he shared along the way. The views were breathtaking and plenty on photo opportunities. I'm so pleased we chose this day trip as we've seen so much of Scotland and even saw some Highland Cows!”

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From Edinburgh: Loch Ness, Glencoe & Scottish Highlands Tour

2.Loch Ness, Glencoe & Scottish Highlands Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 11,381 reviews · 12.5 hours · from $61

Explore Loch Ness, Glencoe, Rannoch Moor and Pitlochry on a long but scenic Edinburgh day tour with optional cruise, castle or whisky stop.

“It was breathtaking. Jason was humerous and very knowledgeable and knew the best places to take photos. He kept us entertained during the driving sections.”

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Edinburgh: Glenfinnan Viaduct, Glencoe & Fort William

3.Glenfinnan Viaduct, Glencoe & Fort William

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 3,366 reviews · 12 hours · from $60

Explore Glencoe, Fort William, Loch Shiel and the Harry Potter viaduct on a scenic 12-hour Highlands tour from Edinburgh.

“Amazing experience! Neil is a great storyteller and driver, which is all you need for an amazing tour! Thank you once again!”

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Loch Ness: Urquhart Castle Round-Trip Cruise

4.Loch Ness: Urquhart Castle Round-Trip Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 3,070 reviews · 50 min · from $30

Cruise Loch Ness from Clansman Harbour to Urquhart Castle, with sonar, Highland views, onboard commentary, Wi-Fi, and snacks.

“A most enjoyable cruise with our 3 dogs. The staff were very friendly and helpful, 3 dogs were not a problem. The cruise itself was smooth and informative ( although we didn’t get to glimpse Nessie)”

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Edinburgh: Loch Ness, Glencoe, Coos & the Highlands Day Tour

5.Loch Ness, Glencoe, Coos & the Highlands Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 2,539 reviews · 12.5 hours · from $72

See Loch Ness, Glencoe, Urquhart Castle, Cairngorms and Hairy Coos on a value-packed 12.5-hour day tour from Edinburgh.

“This trip was awesome, great way to see so much of Scotland in one day. The guides were amazing and taught plus so much about the history of Scotland and the castles along the way.”

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3-Day Experiences, Isle of Skye Tours, Loch Ness & Highlands Day Trips, Scotland Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

From Edinburgh: 3-Day Isle of Skye and The Highlands Tour

6.3-Day Isle of Skye and The Highlands Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 2,405 reviews · 3 days · from $244

Review of The Hairy Coo’s 3-day Edinburgh to Skye tour, with Glencoe, Loch Ness, Glenfinnan, Culloden, costs, stops, and practical tips.

“Amazing! Sometimes a bit too quick, but it is worth it considering all the places we visited. We were extremely lucky with the weather!”

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From Edinburgh: Loch Ness & Scottish Highlands Tour

7.Loch Ness & Scottish Highlands Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 2,366 reviews · from $94

Review of Edinburgh’s Loch Ness and Highlands day tour, with Glen Coe, Ben Nevis, an optional cruise, Cairngorms, and practical tips.

“It was amazing ! We got Jenny as our guide and we couldn`t ask for a better One ! She is so nice and funny. It was a day well spent.”

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From Inverness: Loch Ness Cruise and Urquhart Castle

8.Loch Ness Cruise and Urquhart Castle

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 2,241 reviews · 3.5 hours · from $76

Review of the Loch Ness cruise and Urquhart Castle tour from Inverness, with practical advice on timing, value, guides, weather, and what to expect.

“We were apprehensive about doing an Organizer trip but this exceeded all expectations and was fabulous. Kieran was absolutely fantastic. He was informative and fun. Everything was clear and the time at the castle was just right, not too long. The route back differed which was great as we also had an amazing unexpected experience feeding the local Highland Cattle. Absolutely brilliant. We want Kieran to know we were so pleased we did the trip as he made it personal and amazing. Thank you so much. We will recommend this to friends.”

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From Edinburgh: Loch Ness, Glenoce & The Highlands Day Tour

9.Loch Ness, Glenoce & The Highlands Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 2,130 reviews · 12 hours · from $53

Review of Gray Line Scotland’s 12-hour Loch Ness and Highlands tour from Edinburgh, with Glen Coe, Rannoch Moor, Pitlochry, tips, and value advice.

“learning the history about the places we visited. In an easily understood manner.”

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From Glasgow: Oban, Glencoe, Highland Lochs & Castles Tour

10.Oban, Glencoe, Highland Lochs & Castles Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 2,123 reviews · 10.5 hours · from $39Top rated

Explore Loch Lomond, Oban, Glencoe, Highland lochs, and castles on a scenic 10.5-hour small-group tour from Glasgow.

“The best engaging guide, very professional yet amazing. The trip was amazingly good and every bit of it was a highlight. Only thing which can be improved is lessen some attractions from the list and add more time to some of the very rushed places we always want to go back and explore more...”

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2-Hour Experiences, Boat Tours in Scotland, Cruises & Boat Tours, Loch Ness & Highlands Day Trips, Scotland Tours, Tour Reviews

Dochgarroch: Loch Ness and Caledonian Canal 2-Hour Cruise

11.Dochgarroch: Loch Ness and Caledonian Canal 2-Hour Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 1,959 reviews · 2 hours · from $41

Cruise from Dochgarroch Lock through the Caledonian Canal to Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle, with Highland views, stories, snacks, and a bar.

“Great experience cruising Loch Ness. No monsters other than the bus load of school kids!!”

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Loch Lomond: Scottish Highlands Sightseeing Cruise

12.Loch Lomond: Scottish Highlands Sightseeing Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 1,953 reviews · 1 hour · from $26Best value

Review of Loch Lomond’s one-hour sightseeing cruise from Balloch, with Ben Lomond views, onboard commentary, bar service, and practical tips.

“Nice relaxing tour. Easy check in, nice staff, informative commentary, great view. All round 10/10”

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From Glasgow: Glenfinnan, Fort William, and Glencoe Day Trip

13.Glenfinnan, Fort William, and Glencoe Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 1,753 reviews · 11.5 hours · from $91

Review of Timberbush’s Glasgow Highlands day trip to Glencoe, Fort William, Glenfinnan Viaduct, and Loch Lomond.

“Amazing day trip through the highlands. We saw so much and our guide Gerry was so informative and knowledgeable about everything. Glencoe is breathtaking and the viaduct at glenfinnan was amazing as well. Gerry also entertained us with a great playlist during the drive. He’s an excellent driver and I always felt safe. Thank you!”

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From Glasgow: Loch Ness, Glencoe and the Highlands Tour

14.Loch Ness, Glencoe and the Highlands Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 1,746 reviews · 11.5 hours · from $65

See Loch Lomond, Glencoe, Loch Ness and Ben Nevis on an 11.5-hour Highlands bus tour from Glasgow for $65.

“Jack is a ginger legend! He is quite literally the best tour guide I have ever met! He is full of interesting facts, stories and terrible -but oh so good - jokes! He made sure we were comfortable and had the best experience possible. He went out of his way to ensure everyone was okay and having fun. From the music to the food, traditions and animals (🐮), he really tried to give us an authentic day that creates everlasting memories! 👏🏾If I ever come back to Scotland - and I will, because *best country eveeer* - I will absolutely book another tour with him!”

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