The 15 Best Scottish Highlands Tours

From Inverness: Loch Ness Cruise and Urquhart Castle - Meeting your coach at Inverness Bus Station

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 2,241 reviews · 3.5 hours · from $76Our pick

Review of the Loch Ness cruise and Urquhart Castle tour from Inverness, with practical advice on timing, value, weather, guides, and stops.

“Both guides - Katie and Peter (guide on the boat) are brilliant. The tour is very interenting, educational and fun. One can experience and appreciate this wonderful area even more with them. I wholeheartedly recommend booking this tour. P. S. Try the hot chocolate on the boat.”

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2-Hour Experiences, Cruises & Boat Tours, Loch Ness & Highlands Tours, Scottish Highlands Tours, Tour Reviews

Loch Lomond: Island Discovery 2-Hour Cruise

2.Island Discovery 2-Hour Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 1,576 reviews · 2 hours · from $40

Cruise Loch Lomond from Balloch through the Narrows and island waters, with Highland views, live commentary, indoor seating, and a bar.

“All the staff were friendly and helpful, the tour information was intriguing and interesting and it was fantastic we could take the dogs on board.”

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Isle of Skye Tours, Scottish Highlands Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

From Inverness: Isle of Skye and Eilean Donan Castle Tour

3.Isle of Skye and Eilean Donan Castle Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 1,440 reviews · 12 hours · from $57Top rated

See Loch Ness, Eilean Donan Castle, and Skye’s top sights on a 12-hour small-group tour from Inverness for $57.

“Covered a lot of ground and got to see wonderful scenery.”

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Loch Ness & Highlands Tours, Scottish Highlands Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Train Experiences

From Inverness: Jacobite Steam Train and Highlands Tour

4.Jacobite Steam Train and Highlands Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 921 reviews · 12.5 hours · from $268

Ride the Jacobite Steam Train from Inverness, see Loch Ness, Glenfinnan, Mallaig, and the Highlands on a full-day guided tour.

“Emily was the best tour guide we have ever had. She was very informative and kept up laughing.”

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1-Day Tours, Isle of Skye Tours, Scottish Highlands Tours, Tour Reviews

From Inverness: Isle of Skye and Fairy Pools Day Trip

5.Isle of Skye and Fairy Pools Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 890 reviews · 12 hours · from $93

Explore Skye, the Fairy Pools, Eilean Donan Castle, and Loch Ness on a scenic 12-hour minibus tour from Inverness.

“My friends and I keep talking about how wonderful Peach was as a guide. She was so engaging and had a genuine love for her job and it was apparent. And unlike other tour guides, she did not ask for a review or a tip - she was just absolutely perfect.”

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1-Day Tours, Isle of Skye Tours, Scottish Highlands Tours, Tour Reviews

Inverness: Isle of Skye and Eilean Donan Castle Day Trip

6.Isle of Skye and Eilean Donan Castle Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 748 reviews · 12 hours · from $55

Review of the 12-hour Isle of Skye and Eilean Donan Castle tour from Inverness, with Loch Ness, Portree, and dramatic Highland views.

“Sonia was the best guide. She spent the whole time telling us about the history, traditions and myths. It was the most incredible experience. Highly recommended”

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Cruises & Boat Tours, Loch Ness & Highlands Tours, Scottish Highlands Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Inverness: Loch Ness Cruise, Castle, and Outlander Tour

7.Loch Ness Cruise, Castle, and Outlander Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 668 reviews · 9 hours · from $47

Review of Inverness’s Loch Ness cruise, Urquhart Castle, Culloden, Clava Cairns, Beauly, and whisky stop in one full day.

“The Loch Ness Cruise, Castle and Outlander Tour was an absolutely fantastic day out and one of the highlights of our trip. The itinerary was well planned, offering a great mix of stunning scenery, fascinating history, and fun storytelling that kept everyone interested throughout the day. The Loch Ness cruise was a real highlight, giving us incredible views and plenty of time to take it all in, while the castle visit added depth and context to the area’s rich past. Our guide, Donnie, was excellent and truly made the experience special. He was very engaging, incredibly knowledgeable about all the sites we visited, and shared lots of extra information and…”

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1-Day Tours, Loch Ness & Highlands Tours, Scottish Highlands Tours, Tour Reviews

From Inverness: Loch Ness and the Highlands Day Trip

8.Loch Ness and the Highlands Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 638 reviews · 9 hours · from $65

Review of Timberbush Tours’ Loch Ness day trip from Inverness, with Urquhart Castle, Fort Augustus, Falls of Foyers, Dores Beach, and cruise tips.

“Without any doubt the highlight of our 10-Day-Scotland journey! Karen was a wonderful guide and a hella great bus driver 💙 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 🤍 Thank you sooo much for all the fantastic spots you showed us and your caring support troughout the trip.”

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Scottish Highlands Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Inverness: John O’Groats and the Far North Day Tour

9.John O’Groats and the Far North Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 634 reviews · 11 hours · from $77

Review of Timberbush Tours’ 11-hour trip from Inverness to John O’Groats, with Dunrobin Castle, Loch Fleet, wildlife, and coastal views.

“You have a first class guide in Fiona. Engaging, mindful of the group’s needs, and went above and beyond the course of duty in every respect. Her knowledge of the area is second to none and she shared interesting aspects of local history throughout the trip. Filip Zielinski”

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1-Day Tours, Guided, Loch Ness & Highlands Tours, Scottish Highlands Tours, Tour Reviews

From Inverness: Loch Ness Guided Day Trip

10.Loch Ness Guided Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 591 reviews · 7 hours · from $76

Explore Loch Ness from Inverness with castle ruins, waterfalls, Highland villages, a one-hour cruise, and lively local guides.

“Doug was a great tour guide and we loved the experience”

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Cruises & Boat Tours, Scottish Highlands Tours, Tour Reviews

Fort William: Seal Spotting Loch Linnhe Cruise

11.Seal Spotting Loch Linnhe Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 522 reviews · from $51

Cruise Loch Linnhe from Fort William to see seals, Ben Nevis, the Caledonian Canal, and Highland wildlife with live commentary.

“a brilliant way to spend a few hours in Fort William. Commentary was excellent and the whole team were friendly from start to finish . Overall a great activity.”

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Scottish Highlands Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

From Inverness: Glen Affric, Culloden, and Clava Cairns Tour

12.Glen Affric, Culloden, and Clava Cairns Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 463 reviews · 9 hours · from $62

Explore Glen Affric, Culloden, Clava Cairns, Beauly Priory, and Loch Ness on a scenic 9-hour small-group tour from Inverness.

“our guide was very good and information was helpful even if he was in agony with his hip.”

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Guided, Scottish Highlands Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Walking Tours

Inverness: Guided Walking Tour with a Local

13.Guided Walking Tour with a Local

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 430 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $20Best value

Walk Inverness with a local guide, taking in the castle, cathedral, River Ness, Jacobite history, folklore, and Highland culture for $20.

“Steve gave an excellent tour, lively and entertaining! His love of Inverness shone through, as did his enthusiasm for Scottish history and folklore. The route was not too challenging, suitable for most fitness levels, and very well paced. A perfect introduction to Inverness and the Highlands.”

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Isle of Skye Tours, Scottish Highlands Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

From Inverness: Isle of Skye Scenery Tour with Fairy Pools

14.Isle of Skye Scenery Tour with Fairy Pools

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 418 reviews · 12 hours · from $148

Review of WOW Scotland’s 12-hour Isle of Skye tour from Inverness, with Eilean Donan, Portree, Old Man of Storr, Fairy Pools, and Loch Ness.

“Great day touring with Mr. Fabulous. Awesome and engaging storytelling with a mix of lore and history, and of course the views and outdoor experiences were breathtaking. Also thank you for the great homemade lunch from Lisa & Barry at the Scottish Baking Company! Great vegan and gluten-free options!”

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Loch Ness & Highlands Tours, Scottish Highlands Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Inverness: Glenfinnan Viaduct, Mallaig, & Loch Ness Day Tour

15.Glenfinnan Viaduct, Mallaig, & Loch Ness Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 414 reviews · 12 hours · from $75

Review of Timberbush Tours’ 12-hour Glenfinnan, Mallaig, and Loch Ness trip from Inverness, with train views, history, and practical tips.

“The Timberbush guide, Jack, was entertaining and knowledgeable. The tour was well planned to get the best from the day, and we even got to see some lovely hidden gems. Meeting Steve, the Nessie hunter, was particularly exciting. But the highlight was definitely Jack's funny stories, my children (age 14&8), were entertained all day. Thank you 😊”

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