Loch Ness, Glencoe & the Highlands from Edinburgh

Our Loch Ness tour from Edinburgh will take us past Stirling Castle, also known as the “key to Scotland”. Its location even rivals Edinburgh Castle for sheer magnificence as it sits high on a volcanic crag. There have been several Scottish Kings & Queens crowned at Stirling Castle, it also has a long and bloody history.

Our first stop of the day for refreshments will be in the small highland town of Callander.

We are now heading through Rob Roy MacGregor territory. Rob Roy was one of Scotland’s most notorious outlaws who gained notoriety as a bandit, a soldier, a clan leader, a castle raider, an outlaw and above all, a Scottish folk hero. He’s immortalised in the historical novel Rob Roy by Sir Walter Scott and subsequently in the film by the same name

Continuing north, our route will take us over the wild and desolate Rannoch Moor, one of the last remaining wildernesses in Europe. This bleak but beautiful place is filled with heather, rocky outcrops, birds and sparkling lochans (small lochs).

We will then stop at Glencoe, scene of the infamous Glencoe Massacre. We'll have the chance to get off the coach to stretch our legs and you'll certainly want to take some photos of Scotland's most famous glen, its stunning beauty will take your breath away. From beautiful, haunting Glencoe we'll make our way through Fort William which sits in the shadow of Ben Nevis, Britain's highest mountain.

We’re now following the Great Glen, a deep glacial valley that follow's a natural fault-line that divides Scotland from coast to coast. It was in 1822 when one of the world’s great waterways, the Caledonian Canal was opened. This linked the Great Glen’s lochs so that ships could have safe passage across the country therefore avoiding the dangerous waters around the north coast.

One of these lochs is the legendary Loch Ness and at its southern tip lies the historic hamlet of Fort Augustus. With around 2 hours here, you'll have time for lunch or enjoy a wander beside the Caledonian Canal watching the boats of all shapes and sizes passing through the series of locks. You will also have the option of taking a one hour monster spotting cruise on the mysterious waters of Loch Ness.

Back on dry land, our return to Edinburgh will see us travel through the Grampian Mountains and across sweeping ‘Monarch of the Glen’ country where once again you'll see the landscape change from mountain and moorland to lush forest and woodland.

We’ll pass Blair Castle, ancient seat of the Dukes of Atholl and home to Europe’s only remaining private army the Atholl Highlanders. A little further on we'll enjoy our final refreshment stop in the Victorian resort town of Pitlochry, favoured by Queen Victoria and Scots novelist Robert Louis Stevenson.

Finally, we return to Scotland’s capital city Edinburgh, ending our Loch Ness tour via the Queensferry Crossing. As you cross, look left for a great view of one of Scotland’s most iconic structures, the Forth Rail Bridge which has been declared a UNESCO world heritage site.