Edinburgh: West Highland Lochs, Mountains & Castles
Recommended by 92% of travelers
Edinburgh, Scotland
- 10 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Experience the beauty of rural Scotland on a full-day tour of the West Highlands—with its lochs, mountains, and castles—from Edinburgh. Visit Doune Castle (all admissions own expense), admire fine views over shimmering lakes and soaring peaks, and enjoy free time and a visit to the castle in Inveraray. Then, head onward to Kilchurn Castle—one of Scotland's prettiest castles.
- Avoid the stress of navigating unfamiliar roads through a distractingly beautiful landscape
- An easy way to explore the Scottish countryside from Edinburgh
- Ideal for first-time visitors to Scotland, and anyone short on time
- Learn more about local history and culture from your guide
What's Included
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Knowledgeable driver-guide
- Live commentary on board
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
- Attraction Tickets
- Restroom on board
- WiFi on board
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Timberbush ToursNCP Castle Terrace Car Park, Castle Terrace, Edinburgh EH1 2EW, UK
Our Edinburgh tours depart from Castle Terrace, Edinburgh EH1 2EW, outside the NCP Car Park. What3Words Address: ///casino.cove.works
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Operating hours.9:15 am
Itinerary
1
Doune Castle
1 hour • Admission Ticket Not Included
2
Luss Pier
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Rest and be Thankful
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
Inveraray Castle & Gardens
1 hour • Admission Ticket Not Included
5
Kilchurn Castle
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
6
The Green Welly Stop
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
- Minimum age is 4 years old.
- Collapsible wheelchairs with removable wheels can be accommodated providing the passenger is accompanied by someone who can assist them board and disembark.
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately.
- Digital translations in English, German, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian & Mandarin available on request.
- Minimum numbers apply. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there are not enough passengers to meet requirements. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or a full refund.
- Please arrive a minimum of 15 minutes before your tour's departure time.
- Please note Inveraray Castle is open to visitors Thursday to Monday, 26 March – 31 October
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 53 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Amy_C
What a fantastic tour!
We visited three castles, made multiple stops in quaint villages with time to explore and catch a bite to eat drink. We stopped at beautiful lochs, drove through the awesome highland hills and learned the names of many munros (mountains).
Freddy is an amazing, friendly and knowledgeable guide. He had so many great stories to tell about Scottish history and fun facts about the locations we visited. He also has a wonderful Spotify playlist, carefully curated for our journey. He even let play DJ and choose songs from the list. :)
We highly recommend this tour!
Reviews
4.7
based on 556 reviews
Krystan_M, Dec 2025
Our tour guide was Gary, who's been with Timberbush for 20+ years!!! Gary made an already spectacular experience exponentially better; he gave everyone space and time to organically explore and experience the sites, knew the answers to all our questions - a living, breathing encyclopedia about Scotland, played fascinating playlists during our drives, and had a voice that could make angels weep!! The experience overall was one for a lifetime, my family and I will always remember it. We couldn't believe how much we saw and learned, we're ready to take another tour.
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Hi there,
It means so much to hear such positive feedback about our tours, so thank you for taking the time to leave us a review!
We are sure Gary will be happy to hear that they made such a positive impact on your tour experience.
Please don't be a stranger, we hope to welcome you back on tour with us someday soon!
Kind regards,
Faye
Jeanette_B, Oct 2025
Amazing day exploring castles and the west Highlands with Mary who was the best guide of my trip! This was a long day but it was filled with the best sights. The Higlight of my trip and I took 4 tours!
Gina_G, Oct 2025
Scott is a friendly and amazing guide! He was very knowledgeable about Scotland and its history, and answered all of my questions! I learned so much from him! A+
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Hello there, thank you for your lovely feedback.
We are glad to hear that you enjoyed learning about our country's amazing history!
Please don't be a stranger, we hope to welcome you back on tour with us someday soon!
Best wishes,
Cami
Carl_R, Oct 2025
Tour was great and the guide was very informative and funny. The Sterling Castle stop was nice. Not a lot of time to really get into the Castle, especially if you have difficulties walking. The red of the day was enjoyable and easily enjoyed.
Jacques_L, Sep 2025
Good times! Linda was very knowledgeable and friendly. And the highlands were beautiful, I would recommend this tour.
Amy_C, Sep 2025
What a fantastic tour!
We visited three castles, made multiple stops in quaint villages with time to explore and catch a bite to eat drink. We stopped at beautiful lochs, drove through the awesome highland hills and learned the names of many munros (mountains).
Freddy is an amazing, friendly and knowledgeable guide. He had so many great stories to tell about Scottish history and fun facts about the locations we visited. He also has a wonderful Spotify playlist, carefully curated for our journey. He even let play DJ and choose songs from the list. :)
We highly recommend this tour!
Darcy_A, Sep 2025
We had a very good driver for this trip, Jaime N. He would make several stops along the way to be able to take pictures & to explore the area. We saw some beautiful sights along our way to our different destinations.
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Hi there!
Thank you so much for your wonderful review!
We are so happy to hear that you had a great time on tour with Jamie! He really knows some of the best spots in Scotland and we are so glad that you enjoyed them! We hope you got some amazing photos while you were on tour with us!
We hope to see you again sometime soon so we can help you experience more of the magic of Scotland.
Best wishes,
Elizabeth
Jonie_K, Sep 2025
The bus can seem cramped, so don’t bring much with you. The driver was awesome, she was very sweet & knowledgeable.
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Hi there!
Thank you so much for your review!
We are happy to hear that you enjoyed your West Highland Lochs, Mountains & Castles tour! It is always lovely to hear positive feedback about our drivers! We will pass along your kind words!
Thank you so much for your feedback about the size of the coach on your tour! Our buses are UK standard size, which we understand can feel slightly cramped for taller guests, especially on our longer tours. We make sure to include lots of stops to let guests stretch their legs and hope you were still able to enjoy all that Scotland has to offer.
We hope we will see you again in the future!
Best wishes,
Elizabeth
Isabeau_T, Sep 2025
DO NOT BOOK. We booked 3 months in advance and the morning of, once we had already arrived, they informed us they had overbooked the tour and could not fit us on. Offered barely any solution except coming the next day which we could not because we were leaving Scotland. Staff was incredibly rude. Complete waste of money and time. Infuriating after planning an entire trip across the world to see the Highlands.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you for informing us about the issues regarding your booking.
Unfortunately, on your date of travel we had an issue with the coach that meant it was not safe to have you on tour with us. We understand that this can be extremely infuriating, and that this may spoil your plans so last minute.
We do hope that despite these issues, you were still able to enjoy your time in Scotland.
Kind regards,
Fatima
Subhash_C, Sep 2025
I booked this tour for Tuesday without being informed that the Castle remains closed on that day. The Viator app prominently displayed castle images in its advertisements, which created a misleading impression and directly influenced my decision to purchase the tour. This constitutes misrepresentation and amounts to unfair trade practice. Despite raising a complaint, Viator has refused to issue a refund. Accordingly, I have escalated the matter to the Tourism Department of Scotland for appropriate action.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review regarding your tour.
I do apologise you were unable to visit Inverary Castle during your tour with us. Unfortunately, Inverary Castle is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays no matter the time of year. We do highlight this on the itinerary page that 'Inveraray Castle is open to visitors Thursday to Monday, 1 April – 31 October', and this is also highlighted on the additional information section. When the castle is closed, passengers are given a photo opportunity instead; which can be done when explore Inverary Town.
I understand that this can be disappointing when you are expecting to visit a specific location. However, we have not misrepresented anything in regards to the advertising of out tours and as the tour did go ahead as planned on this day, you would not be eligible for a refund on this occasion.
I do hope despite not being able to explore the castle, you enjoyed your time exploring the West Highlands of Scotland.
Kind regards,
Christie
Rebecca_f, Aug 2025
Marty was amazing. He had us laughing and engaged for all 10 hours. We saw so much on this journey. He was an incredible storyteller and we learned a lot.
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Dear Rebecca,
Thanks for the awesome review!
Marty really knows how to make a tour fun with his great jokes - even though they might be cheesy!
Hopefully we can welcome you on another tour soon!
Kind regards,
Fatima
Rona_B, Aug 2025
Mark was a great driver and guide. He shared a great deal of information, humor, and music as well as we drove to each destination. The van was comfortable. We had plenty of time at each site. This one is a must for Monty Python fans!
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Dear Rona,
Thank you for your fantastic review!
We are sure Mark will be happy to hear that you enjoyed your time on your West Highlands Lochs, Mountains and Castles tour with him, and we hope you learned a lot of new and interesting facts about Scotland!
Hopefully we can welcome you on another tour soon!
Kind regards,
Fatima
Mooris_T, Aug 2025
Great transport, friendly Timberbush staff & incredibly knowledgeable + really cool Tour guide (Shafiq).
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Dear Mooris,
Thanks for the amazing review!
We are sure Shafiq will be happy to hear that you enjoyed your time on your tour with him, and we hope you learned a lot of new and interesting facts about Scotland!
We hope to welcome you on another tour soon!
Kind regards,
Fatima
Anusha_K, Aug 2025
Loved the guide- Shafiq. He was incredibly nice.
Had a beautiful day. The ride was easy and it was really very informative and pleasant.
Thank you!
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Good Afternoon,
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us a review.
We are thrilled you had a lovely time on tour with Shafiq, and that you learnt so much while exploring the beautiful Scottish scenery.
We would love to welcome you on tour with us again in the future.
Best Wishes,
Hannah
Valentyna_L, Aug 2025
very good. excellent route and guide. there were rest stops. wonderful views. i liked everything. if you choose this route, you will definitely not regret it:-)
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thanks for your review!
It's lovely to hear that you felt so comfortable with our driver and were able to just sit back, relax, and enjoy the beauty of Scotland.
We hope to see you on another Timberbush tour in the near future!
Kind regards,
Fatima
Elisa_W, Jul 2025
This has been my favorite tour while visiting the UK. Ewan was an amazing tour guide — warm and funny and knowledgeable. We got to see more things than I realized we would, we had the right amount of time at each stop, and we had several opportunities to purchase meals and other refreshments along the way. Highly recommend this tour!
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Hi there!
Thank you so much for your outstanding review!
It is amazing to hear that your West Highland Lochs, Mountains & Castles tour with Ewan was your favourite while visiting the UK! He really knows how to make a tour special with his warm nature and great sense of humour! We hope you learned a lot of new fun facts while on tour with him!
We hope we can welcome you back on tour with us again soon!
Best wishes,
Elizabeth
Ann_M, Jul 2025
LORNA was such an AMAZING tour guide!! A true royal gem. I’d tour anywhere in Scotland with her. She had an incredible running commentary for our entire 9+ hour adventure, and was courteous but efficient in managing our group so that we quickly moved from stop to stop, which is such a skill. She gave great descriptions of what to expect and how to make the most of our time. Plus she shared fun personal details about growing up in Scotland that added a whole extra layer. 10/10 highly recommend.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Hello Ann,
Thank you for your amazing review!
We are sure Lorna will be happy to hear that you enjoyed your time on your West Highland Lochs, Mountains & Castles tour with her, and we hope you learned a lot of new and interesting facts about Scotland.
We hope that you will join us again on tour and we can show you some more amazing scenery!
Best regards,
Paulina.
Gretchen_M, Jul 2025
A fabulous tour that exceeded expectations! The majesty of the highlands was breathtaking in a comfortable and clean small bus. Jonathon was an excellent driver and tour guide with informative and fun commentary! The small group size of 17 made our many stops quick and easy. We stopped for several castles, lochs, and highland cows! This was the perfect length of 9 1/2 hours. Jonathon was conscientious of personal needs of the group. Highly recommend Timberbush tours!
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Hello Gretchen,
Thank you for your kind words!
We are sure Jonathan will be happy to hear that you enjoyed your time on your West Highland Lochs, Mountains & Castles tour with him, and we hope you learned a lot of new and interesting facts about Scotland!
We love that we were able to share the beautiful scenery of Scotland with you, and hope to see you again sometime soon for another adventure!
Best regards,
Paulina.
Neil_M, Jul 2025
Alistair provided a marvelous backdrop of stories, music and history throughout our tour. We saw more than we ever expected and thoroughly enjoyed the day with our 24-year-old twins in tow for our first trip to Scotland.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you for your amazing review!
We are glad to hear you had a great time with Alistair on your West Highland Lochs, Mountains & Castles tour! He certainly knows how to make a tour special.
We are glad to hear that you enjoyed learning about our country's amazing history!
We hope to see you again soon!
Ellen_A, Jun 2025
Lolly was an authentic Scot and we truly enjoyed everything she shared with us about the history and beauty of Scotland and the Highlands. We loved the multiple stops and had plenty of time at each location. She even shared her love of Scottish music! Highly recommend!!!
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Hi there!
Thank you so much for your lovely review!
We are thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your West Highland Lochs, Mountains & Castles tour! The Higlands are some of the most beautiful landscapes in Scotland and we are so glad that you enjoyed your time there!
We hope we can welcome you back on tour with us again soon!
Best wishes,
Elizabeth
Teray_T, Jun 2025
This Tour was an absolute blast. Shafiq packed in awesome adventure with a healthy balance of history knowledge and music. Be prepared to make lasting memories and to have the ability to traverse the beautiful lamdscapes
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Hi there!
Thank you so much for your great review!
We are thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your West Highland Lochs, Mountains & Castles tour with Shafiq! He really knows how to make a tour an awesome adventure with his amazing knowledge of Scotland's history and great music taste! We will be sure to pass along your kind words to him!
Please don't be a stranger, we hope we can welcome you back on tour with us again soon!
Best wishes,
Elizabeth
Louise_H, Jun 2025
Great driver Shug. Informative & flexible. He knew his history & Scottish country side. I wish Aibola had not given us incorrect boarding time. Cost 2 additional Uber rides to debarkation location.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you for your feedback,
We'll be sure to pass on your compliments to Shug; he'll be delighted to know that he contributed to your great time.
I'm so sorry to hear you arrived early to your departure point, however when booking any of our the tours the arrival time is stated on our website and on the email confirmation you received.
We have many tours departing at different departure points and times and we are sorry for any confusion caused.
If you ever decide to explore more of Scotland, we'd be honoured to have you back on another adventure.
Best wishes,
Amy
renealfonso, May 2025
Excellent tour. Our guide Linda was awesome. She was super helpful and kept the tour lively and engaging. I highly recommend this experience.
Response from Host, May 2025
Hello,
Thank you so much for your excellent review!
We're thrilled to hear you had such a great experience and that Linda made the tour lively and engaging. She truly loves what she does, and your kind words will mean a lot to her.
We really appreciate the recommendation and hope to welcome you on another tour soon!
Best wishes.
Abiola.
Tori_B, May 2025
This tour was our favourite one we have done while being in the UK!
John A was a fantastic tour guide and provided a TONNE of knowledge. We really enjoyed the first tour at Doune Castle and the highlands - absolutely incredible views.
John A made this 9+ hour day a fantastic experience. Highly recommend
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Good Afternoon,
Thank you for taking the time to leave us such a lovely review.
We are thrilled that John's vast knowledge of Scottish History made this tour so enjoyable, and that you liked the stops tha were made, our driver's always know teh best places to visit!
We would love to welcome you on tour with us again in the future.
Best Wishes,
Hannah
John_S, May 2025
It was great, very educational and a wonderful experience. I would definitely recommend this to others
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Hi There,
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review.
We are very happy that you learnt so much from your tour experience with us, we would love to welcome you back on tour with us again in the future!
Best Wishes,
Hannah
Anonymous, May 2025
Sam was very informative a great tour guide and drove the van with ease. He knows those roads like the back of his hand gave us lots of details going to the sites that we went to and he was very informative very friendly and very nice a great guy.!
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Hi there
Thanks for your review about Sam!
He really knows how to make a tour exciting with his great sense of humour and wonderful jokes - we will make sure to pass along the lovely feedback!
We hope we can welcome you on another tour soon!
Kind regards,
Fatima
Gary_Y, May 2025
Great way to experience the Highlands. Our guide, Linda, was great. She had many interesting stories revolving around the fascinating history is Scotland and the Scottish people. The scenery and the visits to historical sights and the natural beauty of the area resulted in an unforgettable day.
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Linda will be thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your tour with her - we will make sure to pass along the kind words and we hope we can welcome you on another tour soon!
Kind regards,
Fatima
Chitra_S, May 2025
The Doune river walk and the Inveraray castle are worth visiting. Enjoyed the scenes in the castle cafe
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Hi there!
Thank you for the kind words!
We're thrilled to know your trip to the West Highlands, and we hope you were able to sit back, relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery that Scotland has to offer.
We hope we can welcome you back on tour with us again soon!
Best wishes,
Elizabeth
Katrina_D, Apr 2025
It was a beautiful drive, the views were phenomenal. The stops were interesting and Photo worthy. The ruin castle was still beautiful and fascinating and the Inverarey Castle was a proper fairytale castle. Lovely. Our driver and guide, Marty, was extremely knowledgeable and had the best stories to tell. But the part I loved the most was the stop that afforded us the most magnificent view of the grace and beauty of the highlands.
Response from Host, Apr 2025
Hi there,
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback! We're absolutely delighted to hear that you had such a memorable experience on your tour. It’s great to know that the stunning scenery, historic stops, and fairytale castles made such an impression—and we couldn’t agree more about the Highlands' breathtaking beauty. We'll be sure to pass your kind words along to Marty; he’ll be thrilled to hear that his stories and knowledge added so much to your journey.
Kind regards,
Mirren
Natalie_S, Apr 2025
We had this fantastic experience with Stuart, a Highlander very passionate about the history of his country. He gave us plenty of information about the colture of Scotland, its history, miths and legends. We felt the real atmosphere and the intensity of these tales. The castles, lochs and the Highland cows were amazing, the landscapes are like out of fairytale, and i'm so glad we could experience this all under the wise guide of Stuart. We all totally recommend this trip, in a group of friends, as a romantic trip or also as a solo-adventure.
Response from Host, Apr 2025
Hi there,
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're thrilled to hear that Stuart made your experience so special with his passion for Scotland’s history, culture, and legends. It’s fantastic that you were able to immerse yourselves in the breathtaking landscapes, castles, lochs, and even the famous Highland cows. We completely agree—the atmosphere and beauty of the area feel like something straight out of a fairytale! Your recommendation means the world to us, and we’re so glad you had such a memorable time.
Kind regards,
Mirren
From $78.24
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