Top 15 Day Trips in the Scottish Highlands

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

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

Review of the Edinburgh Highlands, Loch Ness and Glencoe day trip, with practical advice on stops, costs, timing, guides, and value.

“This is a MUST DO! It was an amazing trip into the Highlands. This shouldn’t be missed! Our guides gave us so much history, showed us breathtaking views of Scotland, and took amazing care to make the day phenomenal. Shout out to Brody and Jaclyn for a day well spent!”

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2.1 Day Castles, West Highlands and Loch Lomond Tour from Edinburgh

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 850 reviews · 10 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $88Top rated

Explore Doune Castle, Loch Lomond, Inveraray, Kilchurn Castle, and the West Highlands on a full-day tour from Edinburgh.

“Capturing a taste of the highlands in a day from Edinburgh is no easy task, but this trip did it very well with castles, lochs, villages, and engaging history and culture talks throughout the drive. Cara was a fantastic driver and historian of the areas we visited and has an awesome play list when not speaking! :) Doune castle (Monty Python's Holy Grail) and Inveraray on Loch Fyne were two of many highlights!”

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3.Scotland’s Glens, Highlands & Whisky Day Trip from Edinburgh

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 238 reviews · from $90

Review of Edinburgh’s whisky and waterfalls day trip, with Highland views, Glenturret, the Hermitage, Dunkeld, costs, and practical tips.

“From the start of our tour, as Louise maneuvered the bus through the streets of Edinburgh, providing commentary as she drove, I knew we were in good hands. Not only was she an excellent driver and fantastic font of knowledge of many things Scotland, but she was able Read more”

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4.1 Day Loch Ness, Whisky, Glencoe & Scottish Highlands Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 169 reviews · 12 hours 25 minutes (approx.) · from $68Best value

Review of The Hairy Coo’s Edinburgh tour to Loch Ness, Glencoe, Deanston, Pitlochry and the Highlands, with practical tips and value advice.

“What an amazing and memorable day! The Whisky Tour was interesting and samples were great. So much to see and many chances to take photos. Colin regaled us with fascinating and humorous stories from Scotland's rich history and also showed many spots made famous in films. Was a nice smaller group and a relaxing day. Would recommend to anyone.”

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5.Oban and the West Highlands Day Trip from Edinburgh

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 93 reviews · 11 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $81

Review of the Oban and West Highlands day trip from Edinburgh, with Loch Lomond, Kilchurn Castle, seafood, Inveraray, timing, and value.

“Jamie, our driver, was outstanding in every way courteous and patient with other vehicles, drove safely and cautiously, answered every question thoroughly, highly intelligent and organized, very knowledgeable in a plethora of topics, and created an environment of fun while learning.”

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6.Scottish Highlands Day Trip and Edinburgh Military Tattoo

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 84 reviews · from $296

Review of a Scottish Highlands day trip from Edinburgh with whisky tasting, woodland walks, scenic stops, and the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

“The Scottish Highlands portion of the trip was very good in that the driver was extremely knowledgeable - he's missed his calling as a history teacher! - and engaging. The visit to the whiskey distillery, on the other hand, was too long. They put on a good presentation but it was just drawn out unless I guess you were extremely interested in the subject. Now, the Tattoo....worth everything else about the trip - it was fantastic, the seats were very good - I have nothing but accolades to give. I'm so glad we were able to be part of that memorable night it was one of the top highlights of…”

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7.Oban and the West Highlands Day Trip from Glasgow

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 74 reviews · 9 hours (approx.) · from $83

Review of the Oban and West Highlands day trip from Glasgow, with Loch Lomond, Kilchurn Castle, seafood, Inveraray, whisky, and practical tips.

“This is a wonderful use of time when in Scotland, one I can't recommend high enough. You have to see this country anyway you can, and their vans are a very comfortable way. The itinerary was thorough and the guide's spiel is informative, to say the least. The only knock on the trip was the soundtrack of Scottish music played here and there. Quiet contemplation would have been as nice if not nicer.”

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8.Private One Day Highlands Tour of Scotland

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 63 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $897

Review of a private 10-hour Scotland Highlands tour from Edinburgh, with Doune Castle, Glencoe, Highland cattle, lochs, and flexible stops.

“Wish I could give more than 5 stars! This tour was the highlight of our trip to Scotland. Rowan was very knowledgable and experienced; he made our tour fun, interesting, and comfortable. We were able to see so much and Rowan kept us on time while also adjusting the schedule based on the what the group most wanted to see. The car ride itself was very comfortable for a group of 5, including a couple of older group members who had plenty of room, comfy seats, and timely stops for meal and bathroom breaks. Cannot recommend this tour enough!”

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9.Scottish Highlands, Castles, Glencoe Day Trip from Edinburgh

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 53 reviews · 11 hours (approx.) · from $372

Review of the small-group Scottish Highlands day trip from Edinburgh, with Stirling Castle, Glencoe, Highland cows, and practical booking tips.

“It was a wonderful experience! Jimmy was knowledgeable, we had great stops and were able to see so much of Scotland! Would highly recommend this trip!”

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10.1 Day Isle of Skye and Scottish Highlands Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 11 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $80

Review of the 12-hour Isle of Skye tour from Inverness, with Portree, Quiraing, Kilt Rock, Eilean Donan Castle, tips, value, and practical advice.

“saw a lot of the Isle of Skye and had a great time! Guide was very good and it added to our Scotland experience:)”

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11.Highlands Private One Day Tour of Scotland

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · 9 hours (approx.) · from $1,028

Review of a private Edinburgh Highlands tour with Doune Castle, Highland cows, Lochs Lubnaig and Tulla, and dramatic Glencoe views.

“Andy was a great guide. Very friendly and knowledgeable. We really enjoyed the stop to feed the Highland Coos! Would definitely recommend.”

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12.Small Group Day Trip to the Scottish Highlands and Loch Ness

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews · from $342

Review of a small-group Edinburgh tour to Doune Castle, Pitlochry, Inverness, Culloden, Clava Cairns, and Loch Ness.

“Booking this tour was among the best decisions we made on our trip, we were so lucky to get to experience the highlands with someone as knowledgeable and passionate about his job as Justin, he is a dream tour guide, and the most wonderful history teller!”

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13.Brooding Glencoe and the Scottish Highlands single day tour.

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2 reviews · from $985

Explore Glencoe, Lochs Lubnaig and Tulla, ancient forts, castles, clans, and folklore on a private Highland day tour from Edinburgh.

“Andrew is an amazing tour guide and we highly recommend him for a private tour! He took us to unique places and was so accommodating when we wanted pictures!! The highlands are amazing and he made the experience so much better! We will hire him again if we come back!”

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14.1 Day Complete Scottish Highlands Express

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1 reviews · from $1,722

Review of a private one-day Scottish Highlands tour from Edinburgh, with Glen Coe, Loch Ness, whisky, castles, snacks, and flexible stops.

“We visited Scotland for only a very short trip, so the one day express tour was all we could afford, time-wise, but it was well worth it! Mr. Tsiokas was very accommodating and organized the tour around the sights we wanted to see, despite tRead more”

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15.Highlands Private One Day Tour of Scotland

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1 reviews · from $897

Review of a private Edinburgh Highlands tour with Doune Castle, Loch Lubnaig, Glencoe, local guides, and flexible stops.

“We had an absolutely great day with Rowan as our tour guide on the one day private tour of the Highlands! The tour was completely customizable. We made all the stops that we wanted, including an extra stop to a whiskey distillery per our reRead more”

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