Highland Lochs, Glens & Castles
1 Day Tour from Edinburgh
Overview
Our Highland tour from Edinburgh will take you to some of the best scenery Scotland has to offer. Shimmering lochs, breathtaking mountain scenery & historic castles.
Visit the magnificent late 14th century Doune Castle and enjoy the incredible views and settings that are the natural splendour of the Highlands.
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Small Group Tours
Max 16 Persons
Tour Duration
09:00 – 19:00
On this Highlands tour from Edinburgh, we travel west passing Stirling Castle to our first stop at Doune Castle. You’ll have time to visit this magnificent late 14th century stronghold. The castle stood in for Winterfell in Game of Thrones and Castle Leoch in Outlander. It also starred as Swamp Castle, Castle Anthrax and Camelot in the cult comedy movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
We continue through the Trossachs National Park and the highland town of Callander to lovely Loch Lubnaig. This small but stunningly located stretch of freshwater nestling between two striking mountains, Ben Ledi and Ben Vane is where we’ll have some morning refreshments.
Our small group tour will stop for photos at Kilchurn Castle. This mid-15th century ruins stands at the head of Loch Awe amid a backdrop of soaring mountains.
The classic 18th century planned town of Inveraray enjoys a picturesque setting on the shores of Loch Fyne and is the perfect place to stop. Inveraray is a classic example of an 18th century planned town with its distinctive, white-washed Georgian architecture.
With around 2 hours here you will have time to enjoy lunch and see Inveraray Castle* or have a wander around the town.
We’ll make a short stop for photos at the ‘Rest and Be Thankful’, so named thanks to the words carved in stone by weary soldiers who built the original military road in 1753.
Our final stop of the day will be at the charming highland village of Luss. Sitting on the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond, there’s time to take a stroll around the village and enjoy the stunning views across the loch. From here we make our return to Edinburgh where your Scottish Highland’s tour will end.
*Inveraray Castle is open April – October only. During these months it opens on Thursday – Monday (closed on Tuesday & Wednesdays)
1 Day Highland Tour from Edinburgh
Departure & Return
Departs Bus Stand opposite Howie’s, Waterloo Place, Edinburgh
Check-in 08:45
Departs 09:00
Ends 19:00 (approx).
Returns to Bus Stand opposite Howie’s, Waterloo Place, Edinburgh
Late Arrivals
In the event you are late for any reason in arriving at your departure point and as result miss your tour, you will not be entitled to a refund.
Children
We regret that we do not carry children under the age of 5 on our scheduled tours.
What’s Included
Transport in a 16-seat mini coach
Coach Air Filtration System as standard
Air Conditioning as standard
Services of an English-speaking driver-guide
Doune Castle
Inveraray Castle
Meals & Refreshments
What to Bring
In Scotland we can get 4 seasons in 1 day, so we suggest bringing suitable clothing for all conditions, including a waterproof jacket and layers of clothing.
Shoes that are suitable for short walks on uneven paths and rough terrain. Don’t forget to bring sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, and your camera to capture fantastic memories you’ll make on tour with us!
Most attractions & eating establishments we visit accept card payments, however we recommend bringing some cash with you.
Luggage
This is limited to one piece of luggage (like an airline cabin bag) with a maximum weight of 15kg per person. For guidance, measurements should be no more than 65cm x 45cm x 30cm / 25in x 18in x 12in. You are allowed one small carry-on bag for onboard personal items.
Cancellation Policy
If you cancel this tour 48 hours or more prior to departure – you will be refunded 90% of the tour price.
Cancellations made less than 48 hours prior to departure – no refund will be due.
Cancellations must be made in writing. For further information please refer to our terms and conditions.
Tour Highlights
Doune Castle. Loch Lubnaig, Loch Awe, Kilchurn Castle, Inveraray, Rest and be Thankful, Arrochar Alps, Highland Village of Luss, Loch Lomond and Ben Lomond.
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Please have a look at some customer experiences with Discover Scotland Tours.
30/03/23 – Brandon
I would like to say that I throughly enjoyed my tour with Discover Scotland Tours and looking back on the experience, I would dedicate the “success” of my tour on a number of things. Firstly, the tour guide was amazing! James was my tour guide and he is amazing! His high energy, wealth of knowledge and just personality overall made the tour so enjoyable. When I visit Edinburgh again, I will look to see what yours James is conducting and if it isn’t the Highland Lochs, Glens & Castles tour, I will be sure to book! Secondly, I loved that the group was small. Well in general, a 16 person max group was one the reasons I booked with Discover Scotland Tours and to find out that there were two others including myself, made for an amazing and intimate experience.When I go back to the states and when I hear about anyone coming to Scotland, I will be sure to recommend your tour company because it was seamless to schedule, your tours are packed with information and history, and it’s just an amazing experience!
20/03/23 –Sandra
The trip was amazing. I want to write a big compliment and thank you to our guide John! He made that day so special (besides the stunning landscape of course) with his humor and his knowledge. Both seemed to be endlessly 😊 he also was always a sunshine – even though the fog never disappeared. We will definitely recommend your tour!
08/02/23 – Krishna
We were so happy with you. It was a wonderful experience not only coz of locations chosen also coz comfort of travel and knowledgeable guide( John was really very good guide) his knowledge about Scotland, Scottish culture is really admirable. Overall it was a really warming experience we had. I wud give 5/5 rating in all categories. Thank you 😊
03/01/23 – Roland
My family (it was my wife, kids and myself) truly enjoyed the tour. John was exceptionally and impressively good.. Really shows he loves his job coz the day really flew in his company and the information he was sharing with us was really interesting and entertaining at the same time. The van was also really comfortable and the fact it was not a big group helped. We also really enjoyed the places we visited.. We will certainly be back in Scotland soon. So well done and keep it up!!!
23/10/22 – Willow
Our tour guide, James, was amazing. There was a wide range of ages within the group of eleven and he maneuvered through all questions so so well. His driving was very safe, I even fell asleep on the way home (in no way because I was bored!) His directions and times to return to the bus were very clear. Over all I would recommend this tour to anyone looking to have a very comfortable, easy day getting pictures and learning about the country!
17/09/22 – Suad
I had an absolutely amazing time on the western highlands, castle and lochs tour with James. We were able to see so much yet had plenty of time at each stop. Places I would never have been able to see if I didn’t take the tour and James even added extra stops to see Sterling castle and to see the Forth bridges. The highlands are so beautiful. The castle at Inveraray was magnificent and James was so knowledgeable and made our trip so much fun. Big thanks to James and the team at Discover Scotland tours.
22/08/22 – Daniela
Our tour “Glens, Lochs and Castles” was really amazing. Our driver/guide Marco was really fabulous: he showed us the most spectacular views, let us time to stroll around and take photos and enjoy the landscape, entertained us with historical information, curiosities and funny stories and even chose a special playlist fit for the places we were going to visit! We really enjoyed every single stop. The minibus was so comfortable! Marco drove really very well and as the weather at the beginning of the trip was a bit rainy also apologized for it…but we were lucky and it stopped.
08/07/22 – Jessica
I wanted to let you know that your company is FANTASTIC! The tour I took was to the Scottish Highlands with Frank (who was absolutely wonderful!!), and the pacing was fantastic- I never felt like I was in the car too long or that I didn’t get enough time at a stop (I could have happily spent days in the highlands, but now I know to book the longer tour! 😉) To start- the vehicles are VERY comfortable. Easy to get into, more than enough room for each person in their seat, and very clean. Once our tour started, Frank did his introduction and put on his Scottish playlist (love the mix, especially the inclusion of the Bay City Rollers and Lewis Capaldi). He was a fantastic tour leader- he gave a great amount of information, kept us updated on our route and what was coming next, but also gave us time to just relax and watch the view out the windows with some great music. He was also SO SO KIND and took time to connect with each person on the tour- made sure we all got enough time at our desired spots and got all the photos. I even got some photos with his sidekick Heather the highland cow plushie! The actual tour itself was great- the loop was well thought out, there was enough photo stops that it never felt like the car ride was too long, and Frank was more than happy to tell us about each location and it’s history! (It also doesn’t hurt that the view out the windows is absolutely gorgeous!) I am very excited to come back to Scotland and I hope to take a longer tour with your company! I’ve already recommended it to some fellow travelers as well, and I’ll continue to do so ☺️Thank you!!!
17/06/22 – Stacey
We loved the tour it was one of the best parts of our trip. We had a small group so that made it easy to get to see everything we wanted to see. Our tour guide Marcos was amazing he knew a lot about the area, the history, etc. We loved the small towns we stopped in – it made us feel like we were about to see many areas of Scotland. The trip was easy and fun. Thank you.
30/05/22 – Rhodri and Sarah
Our experience was fantastic on both tours. Marco and Frank answered all of our questions, were incredibly friendly, informative and approachable. Nothing was too much trouble and we had lots of laughs! Despite the rain. We think you are doing a fantastic job and would highly recommend. If we come to Scotland again, we’d be very interested in any Scottish Island tours you may have. Thank you again.
FAQs
Do we have to pre-book our attraction tickets?
There’s no requirement to reserve attraction tickets in advance.
If you wish to book Doune Castle in advance then you can do so on their website. We are due to arrive there around 10am so you’ll want to book a slot for that time. Tickets can also be purchased at the castle on arrival.
Inveraray Castle tickets can be purchased on arrival to the castle.
Can I reserve a specific seat on the mini coach?
Seats are chosen on a first come first serve basis, we are unable to take requests for specific seats. Our mini coaches all have panoramic windows so the beautiful Scottish landscape can always be enjoyed, no matter where you sit.
If you suffer from motion sickness, then you may be affected by the roads in Scotland. They can be twisty and narrow. It’s best to come prepared with a travel sickness preventative, whether that be medicinal, wristbands or another option, to ensure it doesn’t impact your overall enjoyment of the tour.
