LOCH NESS TOUR FROM INVERNESS

From your place of stay in Inverness we will travel towards Loch Ness, with plenty of opportunities for photos at some of the most beautiful vantage points the loch has to offer on our Loch Ness tour from Inverness.

From there we move towards the famous Urquhart Castle and its visitor centre. The castle is a truly romantic ruin, perched on a rocky outcrop overlooking the loch, and surrounded on all sides by waters over 600-feet deep, where the legendary Loch Ness Monster is said to make her home. Take your time wandering the historic ruins and learn more about its amazing history, before the tour picks up again, this time towards Beauly Priory, a beautiful ancient monastery that now lies in ruins but retains an air of reverence and mystery.

From Beauly Priory it’s a short journey to Glen Ord Distillery, a traditional distillery that boasts its own maltings and uses barley and water sourced from the local environment. Learn about the traditional distilling processes refined over hundreds of years before our tours picks up again, this time east towards Culloden Battlefield and Visitor Centre.

Culloden famously played host to the bloody Battle of Culloden, the outcome of which had ramifications far outside the local area and is intensively documented at the visitor centre. Get up close and personal with the history of the battle with artefacts, re-enactments and talks by local historians, before heading the short distance to Clava Cairns, an ancient bronze-age cemetery.

This deeply sacred place within the landscape of the Highlands is steeped in history, with the first usage of the site thought to date back over 4000 years. Set within a beautiful forested area, there is evidence that ancient peoples returned here again and again; there are even the ruins of a medieval chapel here. The Clava Cairns serves as the inspiration for the fictitious Craigh na Dun standing stones in the book and TV series Outlander, in fact, the famous “cleft stone” that transports the main character Claire back in time can be found here.

From Clava Cairns, it is just a short drive towards Cawdor Castle. Take some time to wander the beautiful walled gardens and natural woodlands while taking in the castle’s extensive history dating back as far as 1180. The castle is a popular destination and a must-see, not least for its connection to the Shakespeare play Macbeth.

The tour then turns back towards Inverness, to St. Andrew’s Cathedral, a beautiful cathedral church dating back to 1869 located near the centre of the city. The Anglican Cathedral is the most northerly in the UK, and is an excellent example of local architecture and the Gothic style. Take some time to admire the beautiful stained glass windows and intricately carved stonework.

Finally we will take some time to relax in the tranquil surrounds of Ness Islands, a group of wooded islands close to the centre of Inverness connected by suspension bridges. Here you can reflect on your adventure before being dropped off back at your place of stay.