Half dayfrom £49
Loch Ness & Glencoe
Loch Ness & Urquhart Castle
The shortest way to the loch: Dores Beach, Urquhart Castle entry and plenty of time to look for Nessie.
Half day, 4.5 hours Max 16
Loch Ness & Glencoe · Day tour from Inverness
Loch Ness, Glencoe & the Highlands
Follow the Great Glen from Inverness down the full length of Loch Ness, past the ruins of Urquhart Castle and the lock flight at Fort Augustus, to the foot of Ben Nevis and into Glencoe, the most dramatic glen in Scotland.
- Duration
- Full day, about 11 hours
- Group size
- Max 16 guests
- Departs
- Inverness, 08:00
- Pace
- Easy
Tour highlights
- Photo stop above Urquhart Castle and Loch Ness
- Caledonian Canal locks at Fort Augustus
- Ben Nevis panorama from the Commando Memorial
- Short walk among the Three Sisters of Glencoe
The route
Where we go
Starting and finishing in Inverness, this tour visits Urquhart Castle, Fort Augustus, Commando Memorial, Fort William, Glencoe.
Stylised map, not to scale
- 1InvernessCapital of the Highlands and our departure point
- 2Urquhart CastleRuined castle on a headland above Loch Ness
- 3Fort AugustusCaledonian Canal lock flight at the south end of Loch Ness
- 4Commando MemorialMemorial with panoramic views of Ben Nevis
- 5Fort WilliamTown at the foot of Ben Nevis
- 6GlencoeDramatic glen of the Three Sisters
Hour by hour
Loch Ness, Glencoe & the Highlands itinerary
08:00
Depart Inverness
Meet your guide at Wildmoor Basecamp on Heatherbank Lane, with optional pick-up from city-centre hotels from 07:40. We head south-west along the shore of Loch Ness on the A82.
- Inverness
08:45
Urquhart Castle viewpoint
A first look at Loch Ness from above the ruined castle, with time for photos and the story of the clans who fought over it for 500 years.
- Urquhart Castle
09:45
Fort Augustus and the Caledonian Canal
Coffee by the lock flight at the southern tip of the loch. In summer you can often watch boats climbing the staircase of locks.
- Fort Augustus
11:15
Commando Memorial and Ben Nevis
On a clear day the whole Nevis range fills the skyline from this hilltop memorial, the best roadside view of Britain's highest mountain.
- Commando Memorial
12:00
Lunch in Fort William
An hour to find lunch in the town at the foot of Ben Nevis. Your guide will point out their favourite cafes and chippies.
- Fort William
13:45
Glencoe
The highlight of the day. We stop beneath the Three Sisters for a short, easy walk and hear the story of the 1692 massacre, then take the road through the glen.
- Glencoe
19:30
Back in Inverness
A scenic return up the Great Glen, with a final stop on the east shore of Loch Ness if the light is good.
- Inverness
What's included
Included
- Expert local guide and driver
- Small-group minibus, max 16 guests
- Hotel pick-up within Inverness city centre
- Stop at Fort Augustus and the Caledonian Canal
- Short guided walk in Glencoe
Not included
- Lunch and snacks
- Urquhart Castle admission (we stop at the viewpoint)
- Optional Loch Ness cruise, bookable at Fort Augustus
What to bring
- Waterproof jacket
- Comfortable shoes with some grip
- Money for lunch
- Camera and a charged phone
Departure point & pick-up
This tour departs from Wildmoor Basecamp, 7 Heatherbank Lane, Inverness, IV2 3WM at 08:00 and returns at 19:30. Free pick-up is included from hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs in Inverness city centre, usually 10 to 20 minutes before departure.
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