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West Highland Lochs, Mountains & Castles from Edinburgh

Luss
Duration: 10.3 hours

Overview

Our one day tour from Edinburgh lets you enjoy a taste of all things Scottish, as we take you on a wonderful and fascinating journey through a beautiful part of the Highlands. Experience scenic lochs, impressive mountains, historic castles, visit a pretty Highland village and explore the picturesque lochside town of Inveraray.

Included

  • Digital translations
  • Knowledgeable Driver-Guide
  • Luxury Modern air-conditioned coach

Excluded

  • Entrance to attractions
  • Food and Drink

Important information

Where is the departure point?

Your West Highlands tour departs from from Castle Terrace outside the NCP Car Park, Edinburgh, EH1 2EW. Check-in opens 15 minutes prior to the stated departure time and closes 5 minutes prior to the stated departure time. We recommend that all passengers arrive as close to 09:00 as possible to allow enough time to be seated.

Are the optional extras included?

Optional extras are not included in the tour price.
The price of your one day tour from Edinburgh includes the services of a friendly, knowledgeable and experienced Driver-Guide, and transportation on one of our luxury modern air-conditioned coaches.

All optional extras - attraction entrance fees, food and drinks, etc - are not included in the price of your tour. This is to allow our guests the freedom to choose which optional extras they would like to take part in on the day.

Optional extras for your tour (From April 2025) are as follows:
Doune Castle - Adult: £11.00, Concession Child: £9.00. Child: £6.50.
Inveraray Castle - Adult: £18.00, Concession: £15.00 Child: £12.00, under 5 years and under can go free.

Do I need to pre-book optional extras?

No, you don't need to worry about pre-booking any of the optional extras.

All the optional extras can be booked on the day and your Driver-Guide will advise you of how to book. We negotiate discounted rates for you, ensuring you'll always get a great deal at Scotland's top visitor attractions.

Please note that many visitor attractions and accommodation providers may not accept card payments, so please ensure you have plenty of cash with you on the day. If you have any questions about this please contact our Reservations Team on +44 (0)131 226 6066 - open 07.00 - 21.00 daily.

Is the tour is English?

Yes, all of our tours are in English. Your tour will be taken by an experienced, knowledgeable and friendly English-speaking Driver-Guide. You'll find a digital translation of your tour through a link on your confirmation email. Digital translations are available for this tour in the following languages: French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Russian, Chinese (Mandarin).

What should I bring with me?

As we like to give you as much time off the coach as possible with the opportunity for walks, we recommend you bring warm and/or waterproof clothing, wear comfortable walking shoes and take sun-block or a hat for sunny days.

Don't forget your camera to capture all the lovely scenery and wildlife you'll encounter on your tour!

Since we cannot allow hot food on our buses you could also bring a cold packed lunch with you to make the most of your time at each stop, this would be particularly time-saving in the busier months!

Can children travel on this tour?

We welcome children over 4 years old on our tours, and children aged between 4-16yrs are eligible for the concessionary rate. We regret we are not able to carry children under the age of 4.

Will I meet a Clan Chief?

Inveraray Castle is the ancestral home to the Duke of Argyll, Chief of the Clan Campbell. You can always tell if the clan chief is in by the type of flag flying at the castle – if it’s the Duke’s Personal Standard flag then he is in residence. There’s no guarantee you’ll see him, but sometimes he can be seen walking through grounds.

How accessible are the locations?

Some of the locations may cause accessibility issues due to their geography and architecture. If you are a wheelchair user or have restricted mobility, we would recommend getting in touch with us for more information.

Highlights

More information

Our one-day tour from Edinburgh heads to the West Coast and lets you enjoy a taste of all things Scottish, as we take you on a wonderful and fascinating journey through a beautiful part of the Highlands. Experience scenic lochs, impressive mountains, historic castles, visit a pretty Highland village and explore the picturesque loch-side town of Inveraray.

The Best of the Highlands

From Edinburgh, we travel west towards our first stop, Doune Castle (optional extra). You might recognise this medieval stronghold from many different tv programmes and films, such as Game of Thrones, Outlander, and Monty Python and the Holy Grail. On our way, we will pass the historic and imposing Stirling Castle, high on its volcanic rock, the Wallace Monument and The Kelpies.

We make a coffee stop at the pretty loch-side village of Luss before we start our drive over the Arrochar Alps, an attractive range of mountains, with a brief pause near the top of the Rest and Be Thankful Pass.

Visit the Historic Town of Inverary

Then it’s on to Inveraray, a quaint small town built in the mid-18th century, on the shore of Loch Fyne. We visit spectacular Inveraray Town, explore the town and pick up some Highland souvenirs, or pay an optional visit to Inveraray Castle (April to October only, optional extra), the historic home of the Duke of Argyll, chief of the Clan Campbell, which is set in large, beautiful gardens overlooking Loch Fyne. Inveraray Castle also featured in the TV series Downton Abbey.

Experience Scotland’s Stunning Scenery

After lunch, we drive further into the Highlands, passing one of Scotland's most photographed castles, Kilchurn Castle, which juts into the beautiful Loch Awe and is stunningly framed by the surrounding mountains. From there, we drive into the Highlands, passing through the impressive Glen Ogle and the stunning Loch Lubnaig, taking in the beautiful views of the surrounding scenery.

We now start our homeward journey, making a brief refreshment stop at the iconic Green Welly and a photo stop at the historic Kings Knot, in the shadow of Stirling Castle.

Tour Overview

  • Duration: 10hrs 30mins
  • Total Distance: 225 miles
  • Pick up: Castle Terrace outside the NCP Car Park, Edinburgh, EH1 2EW. Check in: 9:00am. Departure: 9:15am.
  • Group size: 16 - 53
  • Availability: All year round
  • Minimum age: Travellers need to be at least 4 years-old