Day Trip to Loch Ness and the Highlands in a Private Minibus from Edinburgh
Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Rating: 
Trip Type: Day Trips
Duration: 12 hours
Departing Edinburgh we pass Linlithgow palace, Stirling Castle and Bannockburn where, in 1314, Crossing the Highland boundary line the scenery changes dramatically, the lowlands giving way to the lochs, mountains and glens. Then we make our way towards the wild desolation of Rannoch Moor and the true Highlands before stopping in the breathtaking scenery of Glencoe. After lunch in Fort William it's along the Great Glen and the mystic Loch Ness and the opportunity for you to do some "Nessie" hunting. Later on we travel through the Cairngorm National park towards the little village of Pitlochry for the last stop of the day before heading South and back to Edinburgh.
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Departing Edinburgh we pass Linlithgow palace, Stirling Castle and Bannockburn where, in 1314, Crossing the Highland boundary line the scenery changes dramatically, the lowlands giving way to the lochs, mountains and glens. Then we make our way towards the wild desolation of Rannoch Moor and the true Highlands before stopping in the breathtaking scenery of Glencoe. After lunch in Fort William it's along the Great Glen and the mystic Loch Ness and the opportunity for you to do some "Nessie" hunting. Later on we travel through the Cairngorm National park towards the little village of Pitlochry for the last stop of the day before heading South and back to Edinburgh.Departing Edinburgh we pass Linlithgow palace, birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots in 1542, and Stirling Castle, with its imposing position in the centre of the country it was strategically the most important Castle in the Kingdom, and close to the scene of Wallace’s greatest triumph, the battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297. To the south is Bannockburn where, in 1314, the great Scottish warrior-king Robert the Bruce defeated the English army of Edward II. A little further on we stop for coffee at Callander, on the edge of the Highlands. Crossing the Highland boundary line the lowlands give way to the lochs, mountains and glens made famous by the folk hero, Rob Roy MacGregor and the writings of Sir Walter Scott.
Travelling north, we head towards Rannoch Moor. At over 1000ft, covered by heather and peat-bogs and dozens of lochs, it is a truly unique landscape. This contrasts with the spectacular mountain scenery as you pass the Buachaille Etive Mor and down into Glencoe. Stunningly beautiful, with its dramatic cliff faces and steep slopes, Glencoe is infamous for the massacre in 1692. Following orders from King, soldiers under the command of Captain Robert Campbell slaughtered 38 men, women and children of the Macdonald clan, especially shocking as the soldiers had been living with the people of Glencoe for 2 weeks and killed them in their own homes. Leaving Glencoe behind us, we enter the Great Glen, a deep glacial valley following a geological fault line.
Passing through the town of Fort William you will see Britain’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis before arriving at Fort Augustus on the southern shore of Loch Ness. At 23 miles long and over 700ft deep it’s the largest loch by volume in Scotland and contains more water than every lake in England and Wales combined! The loch is best known “Nessie” the Loch Ness Monster, and here you can take the opportunity to go and see if you can find her, on your optional boat trip aboard “The Royal Scot”, or simply to enjoy the beautiful scenery. Fort Augustus is a pretty little town in its own right, the Caledonian Canal dominates the town and makes a great place to relax and watch the boats sail by. You will stop here for nearly 2 hours to give you time for lunch and take in the scenery around Scotland’s most famous loch.
From Loch Ness you head south through the mountains of the Cairngorms National Park. Your route takes us alongside Loch Laggan , over the Drumochter Pass and past 13th century Blair Castle, ancestral home of the Duke of Atholl. We continue south through the forests of Highland Perthshire making a short refreshment stop on the way and then on past Perth itself. Perth was the medieval capital of Scotland. Leaving Perth behind us we drive past Loch Leven, where Mary, Queen of Scots was imprisoned Then it is over the famous Forth Bridge before returning to Edinburgh.
Travelling north, we head towards Rannoch Moor. At over 1000ft, covered by heather and peat-bogs and dozens of lochs, it is a truly unique landscape. This contrasts with the spectacular mountain scenery as you pass the Buachaille Etive Mor and down into Glencoe. Stunningly beautiful, with its dramatic cliff faces and steep slopes, Glencoe is infamous for the massacre in 1692. Following orders from King, soldiers under the command of Captain Robert Campbell slaughtered 38 men, women and children of the Macdonald clan, especially shocking as the soldiers had been living with the people of Glencoe for 2 weeks and killed them in their own homes. Leaving Glencoe behind us, we enter the Great Glen, a deep glacial valley following a geological fault line.
Passing through the town of Fort William you will see Britain’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis before arriving at Fort Augustus on the southern shore of Loch Ness. At 23 miles long and over 700ft deep it’s the largest loch by volume in Scotland and contains more water than every lake in England and Wales combined! The loch is best known “Nessie” the Loch Ness Monster, and here you can take the opportunity to go and see if you can find her, on your optional boat trip aboard “The Royal Scot”, or simply to enjoy the beautiful scenery. Fort Augustus is a pretty little town in its own right, the Caledonian Canal dominates the town and makes a great place to relax and watch the boats sail by. You will stop here for nearly 2 hours to give you time for lunch and take in the scenery around Scotland’s most famous loch.
From Loch Ness you head south through the mountains of the Cairngorms National Park. Your route takes us alongside Loch Laggan , over the Drumochter Pass and past 13th century Blair Castle, ancestral home of the Duke of Atholl. We continue south through the forests of Highland Perthshire making a short refreshment stop on the way and then on past Perth itself. Perth was the medieval capital of Scotland. Leaving Perth behind us we drive past Loch Leven, where Mary, Queen of Scots was imprisoned Then it is over the famous Forth Bridge before returning to Edinburgh.
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