Edinburgh · SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS DAY TRIPS

The 15 Best Highlands Day Trips from Edinburgh

92 tours  ·  from $53

A Highland day out of Edinburgh is twelve hours and about 250 miles, so the route matters more than the coach. These 15 sort the Glencoe runs, the Great Glen and the western loop by price, group size and how much time you spend standing outside.

Edinburgh: Loch Ness, Glencoe & the Scottish Highlands Tour - Callander: coffee, cattle, and an early break
Loch Ness Day Trips, Scottish Highlands Day Trips, Tour Reviews, Tours

Edinburgh: Loch Ness, Glencoe & the Scottish Highlands Tour

1.Loch Ness, Glencoe & the Scottish Highlands Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 17,446 reviews · 12.5 hours · from $62Our pick

Travel from Edinburgh to Callander, Glencoe, Fort William, Loch Ness, Urquhart Castle, and Pitlochry by comfortable coach. A live guide such as Adam, Brian, or Stevie B fills the long drive with Scottish history, music, folklore, and humor. Add a castle visit, whisky tasting, or loch cruise.

“Our guide, Stevie B. was such a great guy, experienced driver and funny guide. The trip gets you through lovely landscapes, small villages, victorian houses and mountainous terrain.”

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From Edinburgh: Loch Ness, Glencoe & Scottish Highlands Tour - Choosing between the three tour versions
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From Edinburgh: Loch Ness, Glencoe & Scottish Highlands Tour

2.Loch Ness, Glencoe & Scottish Highlands Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 11,381 reviews · 12.5 hours · from $61

Travel from Edinburgh through Glencoe, Loch Ness, Cairngorms National Park, and Pitlochry with an English-speaking driver-guide. Choose a Loch Ness cruise, Deanston whisky tour, or cruise and Urquhart Castle visit. Expect a long coach day, strong scenery, Scottish stories, and possible Highland cows.

“Really smooth trip and the places were beautiful. Everything was good and all the facilities were nice.”

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Loch Ness, Scottish Highlands, Glencoe and Pitlochry Tour - Glencoe: short stop, powerful setting
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Loch Ness, Scottish Highlands, Glencoe and Pitlochry Tour

3.Loch Ness, Scottish Highlands, Glencoe and Pitlochry Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6,854 reviews · 12 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $67Top rated

Travel from Edinburgh through Loch Lomond, Glencoe, Fort William and the Cairngorms to Loch Ness and Pitlochry. Choose a boat cruise, Urquhart Castle visit or Deanston whisky stop. Expect long coach stretches, short photo stops and live commentary from guides such as John, William and Rod.

“The tour was a lot of fun. David was a great driver and super funny. He’s the kind of guy you’d want to sit near at a pub. The tour was mostly spent in the bus, but views were worth it. We took this tour end of November so it was dark by 3pm.”

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Loch Ness & Highlands Small-Group Tour from Edinburgh with Cruise - Callander and Loch Lomond country
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Loch Ness & Highlands Small-Group Tour from Edinburgh with Cruise

4.Loch Ness & Highlands Small-Group Tour from Edinburgh with Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 6,022 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $84

Travel from Edinburgh in a 16-seat Mercedes mini-coach with an English-speaking guide. See Glencoe, cruise Loch Ness from Fort Augustus, pass through Spean Bridge and Cairngorms National Park, and stop in Pitlochry. Guides such as Jim, Kenny, Shea, and Andrew are known for lively stories and music.

“Wow what a great tour all the way around. Martin was the best. Knowledgeable of history and very professional and entertaining. Loved every minute. Would highly recommend Rabbies and hope you are lucky and get our tour guide. Martin is terrific.”

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Edinburgh: Glenfinnan Viaduct, Glencoe & Fort William - Callander and the first Highland views
Glenfinnan Viaduct & Jacobite Steam Train, Scottish Highlands Day Trips, Tour Reviews

Edinburgh: Glenfinnan Viaduct, Glencoe & Fort William

5.Glenfinnan Viaduct, Glencoe & Fort William

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4,337 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $62

Take a full-day coach tour from Edinburgh through Callander, Glencoe, Fort William, Glenfinnan, and Pitlochry. English-speaking guides such as Keith, Scott, Alastair, and Brian add history, humor, music, and local stories. The Jacobite Steam Train may cross the viaduct, but it is not guaranteed.

“We had Fisher as our guide and boy did we hit jackpot! Everything he said was so interesting and he’s hilarious! Our bus did not laugh as much as they needed too haha Knowing everything I knew, I would definitely book again! I also loved how quickly they communicated with me about whether we would see the Jacobite steam train and they shared how they do try to time it so we can see it. I loved that because another tour bus emailed saying they would go to the location but not see it. I ate up every recommendation he gave and tried to pick up on his Scottish ways…”

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Edinburgh: Loch Ness, Glencoe & The Highlands - Callander gives you the first break
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Edinburgh: Loch Ness, Glencoe & The Highlands

6.Loch Ness, Glencoe & The Highlands

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3,771 reviews · 12 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $62

Travel from Edinburgh to Callander, Glencoe, Fort William, Loch Ness, and Pitlochry on a full-day coach tour with an English-speaking guide. Expect scenic photo stops, Scottish history, Highland Cows when available, and an optional Loch Ness cruise for an added fee.

“It’s a very long day & lots to see the drive was very knowledgeable about history and everything else was good to hear all the stories he had to tell very nice chap”

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Edinburgh: Glenfinnan Viaduct, Glencoe & Fort William - Callander and the first Highland views
Glenfinnan Viaduct & Jacobite Steam Train, Scottish Highlands Day Trips, Tour Reviews

Edinburgh: Glenfinnan Viaduct, Glencoe & Fort William

7.Glenfinnan Viaduct, Glencoe & Fort William

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 3,366 reviews · 12 hours · from $60

Travel from Edinburgh to Glencoe, Fort William, and the Glenfinnan Viaduct with an English-speaking driver-guide. Expect film locations, Loch Shiel views, Scottish stories, music, comfort stops, and a chance to see the Jacobite Steam Train from April to October.

“An amazing day with Fisher. Super Knowledgeable and engaging. Can tell he takes great pride in his country and his job. We Thoroughly enjoyed our time”

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Scottish Highlands, Loch Ness and Glencoe Day Trip from Edinburgh - Through the Cairngorms National Park
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Scottish Highlands, Loch Ness and Glencoe Day Trip from Edinburgh

8.Scottish Highlands, Loch Ness and Glencoe Day Trip from Edinburgh

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 2,793 reviews · 13 hours (approx.) · from $74

Travel from Edinburgh into the Cairngorms, stop at Loch Ness, optionally cruise to Urquhart Castle, and hear the story of Glencoe. An English-speaking driver-guide such as Chris, Ben, Terry, or Graham handles the long drive, with photo stops and free time along the way.

“The experience was good but our bus got missed and we went for a trip to st Andrews’s from the same company and the trip was really good especially the our guide Aaron he was so good and friendly”

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Edinburgh: Loch Ness, Glencoe, Coos & the Highlands Day Tour - Starting on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile
Highland Cow & Wildlife Tours, Loch Ness Day Trips, Scottish Highlands Day Trips, Tour Reviews, Tours

Edinburgh: Loch Ness, Glencoe, Coos & the Highlands Day Tour

9.Loch Ness, Glencoe, Coos & the Highlands Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 2,539 reviews · 12.5 hours · from $72

From Edinburgh, Highland Experience Tours takes you through Perthshire, the Cairngorms, Loch Ness, Urquhart Castle and Glencoe in 12.5 hours. Expect a full coach, frequent photo stops, optional cruise and castle entry, and lively English commentary from guides such as Terry, Charlie, Jamie and Stephen B.

“It was grate, very beautiful places. Our tiur guide Hugh absolutely one of the best guides I ever meet. He told us a lot history, legends and interesting facts. He also played to us on bagpipe, that was really amazing. He absolutely succeeded to create a Scottish vibe on this tour”

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From Edinburgh: 3-Day Isle of Skye and The Highlands Tour - Day one: Kelpies, Callander, Glencoe, and Glenfinnan
3-Day Experiences, Isle of Skye Tours, Multi-Day Scotland Tours, Scottish Highlands Day Trips, Tour Reviews, Tours

From Edinburgh: 3-Day Isle of Skye and The Highlands Tour

10.3-Day Isle of Skye and The Highlands Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 2,405 reviews · 3 days · from $244

Travel from Edinburgh to Skye and Inverness by comfortable, air-conditioned vehicle with a local Hairy Coo guide such as Stephen, Rod, Nick, or Paul S. Expect dramatic scenery, Scottish stories, film locations, photo stops, two nights in self-booked Inverness accommodation, and a fast but rewarding schedule.

“Craig was the best guide/driver ever. Always had little stories about everything which made the trip very interesting.”

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From Edinburgh: Loch Ness & Scottish Highlands Tour - Leaving Edinburgh for the Trossachs and Callander
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From Edinburgh: Loch Ness & Scottish Highlands Tour

11.Loch Ness & Scottish Highlands Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 2,366 reviews · from $94

Travel from Edinburgh through the Trossachs, Glen Coe, Fort William, and the Cairngorms to Loch Ness. Choose a boat cruise with sonar and underwater imaging, or enjoy Fort Augustus on foot. English-speaking guides such as Jenny, Greg, Laurie, and Alistair bring the history to life.

“We had a great guide-Ali. She was very lively, full of positivity and gave us a lot of interesting information. It was 10/10 experience, we has enough of guided time, enough of alone time and the whole day went by very quickly. Highly recommended!”

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Loch Ness, Glencoe & the Highlands Guided Day Tour from Edinburgh - From Edinburgh to Callander and Stirling country
Guided, Loch Ness Day Trips, Scottish Highlands Day Trips, Tour Reviews, Tours

Loch Ness, Glencoe & the Highlands Guided Day Tour from Edinburgh

12.Loch Ness, Glencoe & the Highlands Guided Day Tour from Edinburgh

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 2,233 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $85

Spend 12 hours crossing Scotland by coach from Edinburgh to Glencoe, Fort William, Loch Ness, and Pitlochry. Your English-speaking driver-guide handles the long roads while you enjoy mountain views, optional Loch Ness cruises, Urquhart Castle, and lively commentary from guides such as Mark, Holly, Nick, and Shafiq.

“It was a good experience & Jada our tour guide was great as she explained us everything & covered all the spot.”

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From Edinburgh: Loch Ness, Glenoce & The Highlands Day Tour - Callander gives you a gentle first stop
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From Edinburgh: Loch Ness, Glenoce & The Highlands Day Tour

13.Loch Ness, Glenoce & The Highlands Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 2,130 reviews · 12 hours · from $53Best value

Travel from Edinburgh into the Highlands with an English-speaking driver-guide, stopping at Callander, Glen Coe, Loch Ness and Pitlochry. Expect a long day on the road, striking scenery, Scottish history and folklore, plus an optional Loch Ness cruise paid for on the day.

“Brilliant , with a brilliant tour guide and beautiful scenery”

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Loch Ness and the Scottish Highlands Day Tour from Edinburgh - Loch Ness and Fort Augustus are the day’s anchor
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Loch Ness and the Scottish Highlands Day Tour from Edinburgh

14.Loch Ness and the Scottish Highlands Day Tour from Edinburgh

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,884 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $59

Travel from Edinburgh into the Highlands with a driver-guide, stopping at Callander, Glencoe, Loch Ness, and Pitlochry. The $59.64 coach tour covers more than 300 miles in about 12 hours. An optional Loch Ness cruise costs extra, and guides such as Brendan, Ian, and Dougie add history and humor along the way.

“Pros : The quality of bus, availability of Toilet, good rest stops for food and drinks Cons: The guide/ driver are talking consistently non stop from 12hrs. The tourists were disengaged and was not able to get that alone time or to sleep for sometime.”

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3-Day Isle of Skye Inverness Highlands and Glenfinnan Viaduct Tour from Edinburgh - Two nights in Inverness, with planning on your shoulders
3-Day Experiences, Glenfinnan Viaduct & Jacobite Steam Train, Isle of Skye Tours, Loch Ness Day Trips, Multi-Day Scotland Tours, Scottish Highlands Day Trips, Tour Reviews, Tours

3-Day Isle of Skye Inverness Highlands and Glenfinnan Viaduct Tour from Edinburgh

15.3-Day Isle of Skye Inverness Highlands and Glenfinnan Viaduct Tour from Edinburgh

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,351 reviews · 3 days (approx.) · from $224

Ride a small air-conditioned coach from Edinburgh through Glencoe, Glenfinnan, Skye, Loch Ness, Culloden, and the Cairngorms. Local guides such as Paul, Ewan, John, Nick, and Stephen provide stories, music, and photo stops. You arrange two nights in Inverness yourself.

“What a beautiful way to travel through the highlands. Our driver/tour guide Micheal was an incredible story/history teller. His stories along with his music selection made the history come to life. His recommendations on food, drinks and stores were very helpful. He was so accommodating with his stops for photos and highland cow feeding.”

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