Loch Ness & Culloden Battlefield Private Tour from Inverness
Recommended by 97% of travelers
Inverness, Scotland
- 8 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Immerse yourself in Scotland’s spectacular natural landscapes on a day tour of the Scottish Highlands from Inverness. In a small group limited to eight travelers, visit Loch Ness for a chance to spot the elusive monster; admire the prehistoric Clava Cairns, immerse yourself in the Highlands' tragic history at Culloden Battlefield, and make stops at a farm shop and whisky distillery.
- Discover the highlights of the Scottish Highlands in one day
- Clava Cairns, Culloden Battlefield, and Glen Ord Whisky Distillery
- Keep an eye out for the Loch Ness Monster at Loch Ness
- Small-group tour (maximum eight): A more personal experience
What's Included
- Professional Kilted Guide
- Private Transportation
- Air Conditioned Vehicles - Land Rover or Minibus
- Pick-up & Drop-off from your accommodation if in Inverness or en route
- Gratuities
- Lunch
- Full Glen Ord Distillery Tour (time does not allow for this)
- Cost of Glen Ord Distillery Tastings
- Entrance fee to Urquhart Castle£16.00 per person
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 7 Ness Walk, Inverness IV3 5NF, UK
Leaves from in front of the Columba Hotel or from your accommodation if in Inverness or en route. Meet at 8:45am
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Operating hours.8:30 am
Itinerary
Make your own way to the meeting point in the center of Inverness, meet your guide, and hop aboard your vehicle for the ride north toward Loch Ness. Your first stop is at the ruins of Urquhart Castle, set on the banks of Loch Ness. Take in the view and learn about the castle’s history from your guide, then head further north to Beauly.
After a short stop at Robertson’s Farm Shop to meet the resident Highland cows and alpacas, it’s on to the Singleton Distillery where you’l learn about its whisky production and (for an additional fee) sample a few drams.
There’s time for lunch in Beauly (at own expense) before heading east to the Culloden Battlefield where a guided walk immerses you in the story of the infamous battle.
After a visit to the Bronze Age-era Clava Cairns (made famous by “Outlander”) you return to Inverness.
After a short stop at Robertson’s Farm Shop to meet the resident Highland cows and alpacas, it’s on to the Singleton Distillery where you’l learn about its whisky production and (for an additional fee) sample a few drams.
There’s time for lunch in Beauly (at own expense) before heading east to the Culloden Battlefield where a guided walk immerses you in the story of the infamous battle.
After a visit to the Bronze Age-era Clava Cairns (made famous by “Outlander”) you return to Inverness.
1
Happy Tours
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Loch Ness (Pass By)
2
Urquhart Castle
1 hour 20 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
3
Robertson's - The Larder & Highland Cows - Beauly
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
The Singleton Distillery
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
5
Beauly
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
6
Culloden Battlefield
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
7
Clava Cairns
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Minimum age is 6 years
- Children (ages 6 to 17) must be accompanied by an adult
- Operates in all weather conditions so dress appropriately
- Near public transportation
- Booster seats are available on request
- A maximum of 8 people per booking
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour is not available to people who are on a cruise ship in the Port of Invergordon. This is because the meeting point for this tour is 25 miles from the ship and we can't guarantee at the end of the tour you would be back on time for your ship to sail.
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Shelby_M
Great introduction to Highland culture and history. Our guide Brian was very engaged and attuned to our interests. The castle is a must see - the views of Loch Ness are amazing! Singleton Distillery was a nice break after lunch. For Outlander fans, touch the standing stone that sent Claire back in time! End the day on a more solemn note at Culloden battlefield.
Reviews
4.9
based on 932 reviews
Andrew_B, Oct 2025
Wonderful day. Wonderful guide. Highly recommend this trip if you are in the area. Love Scotland and would love to visit again.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you Andrew for leaving a great review of the tour you did with us.
We love you recommend our tour and Scotland too.
Better get saving for your next trip!
Haste ye back.
Shelby_M, Sep 2025
Great introduction to Highland culture and history. Our guide Brian was very engaged and attuned to our interests. The castle is a must see - the views of Loch Ness are amazing! Singleton Distillery was a nice break after lunch. For Outlander fans, touch the standing stone that sent Claire back in time! End the day on a more solemn note at Culloden battlefield.
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Thank you so much Shelby for the great review of the tour you did with Brian.
There is such a variety of stops on this tour that it really does give you a great introduction to Highland history and culture as you say
We hope you captured some fabulous photos to remember your day.
Haste ye back
David_M, Aug 2025
The guide was simply fantastic. The rating is really for him. But to be honest, the Loch Ness, Urquhart, etc. area was our least favorite part of visiting the country of Scotland. Culloden Battlefield was a big standout, and Inverness the city is well worth visiting. But Loch Ness and Urquhart were quite underwhelming after having visited Loch Lomond, Edinburgh Castle, Eilean Donan Castle, etc. But the guide was so good that I still recommend doing this if you decide to see this area!
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Thank you David for taking the time to leave a great review for your guide Andrew.
We are truly surprised that you felt underwhelmed by the magnificent Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle. We are all individuals so we can appreciate you seem to have enjoyed other attractions more.
It's nice that you still had a great time with Andrew at the other attractions on the tour an we agree that Culloden Battlefield is very memorable.
haste ye back
Scott_S, Jul 2024
William made the entire day so much fun. He joked with us, he helped my elderly mom, he went slow to accommodate us and told such wonderful stories. We will come back and request him and happy tours again.
Response from Host, Aug 2024
Thank you so much Scott for leaving a lovely review for William.
We are very "happy" you had such a fun day on your Private Loch Ness and Culloden Battlefield Tour and that you and your mum were able to set the pace that was enjoyable for you both.
It's lovely to get all the local folklore along with the history and William is just the man to do this for you.Thanks so much for sharing your brilliant photos too.
Haste ye back!
John_T, Jul 2024
You could feel the history in every blade of grass at Culloden. Our driver/guide, Drew, was an absolute treat and knew of so many locals-only treats and tricks.
Response from Host, Jul 2024
Thank you John for such a lovely review for Drew. We are really "happy" that you had such a great tour and that you enjoyed all his local knowledge and off the beaten track sights. Culloden Battlefield is certainly an atmospheric place to visit and with a guide explaining the history it takes on a special significance.
Haste ye back
Rebecca_C, Nov 2023
This tour leaves from a very central location in Inverness and left right on time. First you have views of and stories about Loch Ness from your guide on the way to Urquhart Castle. At the castle we were given the history and then set loose to explore. We then went for a whisky tasting where you can choose from an extensive menu to taste from although they encourage you to try the singletons and our whole party did. While at the distillery they provided a menu for the upcoming restaurant and you choose your meal so that when you arrive there's no waiting. After lunch you tour the visitor center/museum at Culloden Battlefield and finish the day at Clava Cairns. If you have a limited time in Inverness I can't recommend this tour highly enough! Our guide, Bill Macdonald, is a retired history professor and he was an expert on all the sites as well as the history of the Highlands which really made the tour so much more valuable. Take a piece of bazooka Joe bubble gum with you, and if you get Bill, tell him you've brought him a can of ginger and give him the bubble gum, he'll love it. (He won't love this, don't do it🤣). Also, a note about the restaurant, I ordered a cheese and onion omelette and the chef obviously made this omelette as we were sitting down. It was brought to me piping hot and was made with plenty of butter a delicious sharp cheddar and perfectly sauteed onions. Omelettes are the easiest thing in the world to make and the easiest thing to mess up. This one was absolutely perfect. We were there during Storm Babet and weren't really able to do the battlefield at Culloden, although Bill gave it a valiant effort! I will be back in the Highlands at some point so I can spend hours at Culloden (history major, we're massive nerds) and may have to try and find that restaurant again! I went with my best friend and we both really enjoyed it and can't recommend it highly enough. *side note - we were meant to catch the 17:30 train back to Glasgow and would not have made it as the tour ran a little long, probably down to road conditions on the stormy day. As it happened all the trains to Glasgow had been cancelled in the morning so we had already booked another night at the hotel, but if you're planning on leaving the same day be sure and buy a flexible return. (I mean, everyone always buys a flexible return anyway, right? So this tip is unnecessary 😄)
Response from Host, Nov 2023
Thank you so much for this great review for Bill and the tour you did with him. If you have a train to catch we always say to make sure your guide knows. Bill is so enthusiastic and loves his guests to get as much as possible on his tours so can be a wee bit over time! The White Cottage is the name of the restaurant Bill takes his guests to, situated in North Kessock so just google this next time. If you're a history nerd then you absolutely had the perfect guide for this. Haste ye back and Slàinte Mhath.
Buck, Oct 2023
William the tour guide was amazing his knowledge of the area especially of Culloden. Was very impressive.. He was funny, engaging and interactive
He made the tour very enjoyable!
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Thank you so much for the lovely review for William. We love you found him funny, engaging and interactive and really liked his in depth knowledge of Culloden. Haste ye back
Linda_B, Oct 2023
Very comfortable van and well-paced tour led by extremely knowledgeable guide, Malcolm! We also appreciated his lunch recommendations. Highlights for me included Urquhart Castle, Beauly Priory, Culloden Battlefield and Clava Cairns.
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Thank you Linda for the great review for Malcolm . It's great you felt comfortable and really enjoyed the pace of the tour. It's great to have a variety of stops to suit all tastes. Haste ye back.
Emma_B, Oct 2023
What a wonderful tour! A lot was packed into one day without us feeling crunched for time at any one spot. Stuart was an excellent guide and brought all the locations to life, particularly the wrenching story of the Battle of Culloden. Would highly recommend!
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Thank you Emma for the great review for Stuart and your lovely photos. We are really glad you enjoyed the tour so much and had plenty of time to savour it. There is so much history to tell about Culloden and with a guide like Stuart you will really feel all the atmosphere of the Battlefield. Haste ye back.
Jacob_S, Oct 2023
Our tour guide, Bill was the best! Very knowledgeable, friendly, and personal. We appreciated the up to date history of Scotland and the tie in’s to Outlander. He is very proud of where he comes from and that comes across in all aspects of the tour. Our tour day was our favorite day of vacation!
Alba gu brath!
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Thank you Jacob for the fab review for Bill. We are delighted this tour was the favourite of your vacation and you had such an enjoyable day. Learning about current day Scotland is as important as the ancient history. Haste ye back and Slàinte Mhath
Timothy_M, Oct 2023
This tour is a full day and all the sights are exceptional. There would be no way for us to have this experience without the tour and our guide, Malcolm. Well worth spending a day to see, each place is a significant part of the Highlands.
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Thank you Timothy for the great review for Malcolm. We are so "happy" you enjoyed the day with him and loved all the sights. You hit the nail on the head with saying a great guide gives you a fantastic and informative day. Haste ye back
Crista_S, Oct 2023
We loved the special touches the guide brought to the experience. He was well versed in history and knew how to set the tone for the day. Well done!
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Thank you Crista for the lovely review of the tour you took with Bill. We are very "happy" you enjoyed his personal extras and enjoyed the happiness of the whole day. Haste ye back.
Halima_R, Oct 2023
Seeing Culloden and putting my hands in the Loch Ness were both meaningful experiences. I enjoyed our guide very much and appreciated learning more about the Highlands.
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Thank you Halima for the lovely review for Malcolm. We love you enjoyed a meaningful experience at Loch Ness with us and enjoyed learning more of our local history. Haste ye back.
Jennifer_G, Oct 2023
This tour was fantastic. It was a small group and our guide, Stuart, was excellent. His hospitality was top notch and he was very informative and had a great sense of humor. Each stop was fascinating and we really enjoyed the diversity of the itinerary. I would highly recommend this tour and ask for Stuart to guide you!
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Thank you Jennifer for the lovely review for Stuart. We love you thought he was excellent and enjoyed the sense of fun along with the facts. It's a lovely mixed itinerery with something for everyone.. Thanks too for your recommendation. Haste ye back.
ChungKung_C, Oct 2023
Our tour guide William is an excellent storyteller. I enjoy the tour a lot, with great sunshine that day.
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Thank you Chung for the lovely review for William and for your beautiful photos. We are so "happy" you really enjoyed the tour and you were very lucky to have such a beautiful day. Haste ye back.
Peggy_D, Oct 2023
Enjoyed the tour. Best part was the tour guide. Stuart was excellent. Friendly & knowledgeable. Full of interesting stories. Put everyone at ease. Great day!
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Thank you Peggy for a lovely review for Stuart. We are very "happy" he made your day so enjoyable . A great guide keeps you interested, makes all the stops come to life and helps you to be at ease all day. Haste ye back.
Gretchen_B, Oct 2023
Our guide, Naill, was incredible! He brought the history of this area to life and skillfully avoided the crowds. Highly recommend this tour.
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Thank you Gretchen for a lovely review for Niall. We are delighted you had a great tour with him and thought him incredible. It's lovely to really enjoy the history. Thanks too for the recommendation. Haste ye back.
Paul_H, Oct 2023
The tour was simply wonderful. Our tour guide and driver, Stuart, was personable, knowledgeable, and friendly. He kept the tour moving along without rushing things. He was particularly informative about the Scottish culture for each of the stops throughout the day and made the tour memorable for me and my wife. We couldn't have asked for a better tour.
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Thank you Paul for the lovely review for Stuart. We are very "happy" you thought him personable, knowledgeable, and friendly. We love the tour was made memorable by Stuart's input to all the stops. Haste ye back.
JODY_E, Oct 2023
Great local guide. He was able to share stories from the area from a first hand point of view. Greme was funny and very engaging. Made recommendations when we before sending us on our own.
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Thank you Jody for a lovely review for Graeme. We love you thought him engaging and funny. All our guides are full of local information to help you once your tour is over. Haste ye back.
Agnethe_N, Oct 2023
We had the best time with our excellent guide Malcolm, who gave a very good commentary throug-out the trip. Highlight of our visit to Scotland!
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Thank you Agnethe for the lovely review for Malcolm. We are so "happy" your tour with him was the highlight of your visit to Scotland! It's so nice to have a fun and knowledgeable guide to interact with. Haste ye back.
Robert_P, Oct 2023
Ian was wonderful and so knowledgeable. He was very fun. Superb at the Culloden Battlefield. The castle on loch ness was really excellent even in the rain. But the Cava Cairns were just grand. We had been to knowth and New Grange several weeks ago so these really were different but as important plus few people visit. Ian gave us some extra time so I could do more filming of the site. Just a grand day all around.
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Thank you Robert for the great review for Ian. We love you really had a great day all round and especially enjoyed all the history of Clava Cairns. We hope you captures some great images, it's certainly a place well photographed since Outlander. Haste ye back and Slàinte Mhath
Judy_D, Oct 2023
We thoroughly enjoyed our tour with Stuart our guide. His humour as well as his extensive knowledge of historical sites and events was appreciated and enjoyed.
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Thank you Judy for the lovely review for Stuart and your fab "happy" smiling pictures. I see you're having an Outlander moment with Stuart! We love you appreciated and enjoyed his sense of fun and all his knowledge. Haste ye back.
annvinod10, Oct 2023
Our guide, Stuart, made the trip wonderful with his great sense of humor, knowledge of the sites we visited and their history, and his attention to detail. He welcomed everyone’s questions and answered them with ease. The day went by very quickly and on time. Oh, yes, the sites we visited were excellent too.
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Than you so much for the great review for Stuart. We love he made your time wonderful with his great sense of humor and knowledge of the sites you visited. When a day goes by quickly you know you are really having fun. Haste ye back.
Sara_M, Oct 2023
It was a great tour! Drew was a wonderful tourguide! He was knowledgeable about all of the sites and the surrounding areas and kept us entertained with his humor :). His lunch pick was excellent!
Response from Host, Oct 2023
Thank you Sara for the fab review for Drew. We are so "happy" you thought he was wonderful and were entertained by his knowledge and humour too. Haste ye back.
TimothyM_S, Sep 2023
Our tour guide was Malcom who did an absolutely great job. All the sites we visited he was very knowlledgable and provided the history that made the tour so interesting. We visited a castle on Loch Ness, saw some fun cows, toured a battelfield and ancint ruins - a super day!!!
Shirlene_L, Sep 2023
The castle and loc ness. Whiskey tastings fine but must already like whiskey. The battle field was very humbling.
Response from Host, Sep 2023
Thank you Shirlene for this lovely review. We love your group had such a good time at the Battlefield and enjoyed some whicky tasting at Glen Ord. It's nice to try a wee variety to find a whisky that suits your palate. Haste ye back
Edward_W, Sep 2023
This tour had a lot of interesting stops. Our driver William was fantastic and made the experience well worthwhile. He worked tirelessly for 8 hours to keep us informed, laughing and at times tearful. Clava Cairns, Culloden, the whiskey stop were the highlights of the tour. The hairy coos and Urquhart castle were less impressive. Our stop for lunch and the priory were a lot of fun. William was the greatest highlight of all. He told us so many stories. You could fill a book.
Response from Host, Sep 2023
Thank you Edward for the lovely review for William. It's awesome he became the greatest highlight of your tour. Having a fun guide, that's personally interacting with you is what really makes the tour such fun. With a good sense of humour you can't go wrong. Local knowledge is key to having a really genune experience. Haste ye back and Slàinte Mhath
Marc_P, Sep 2023
Had great time and tour with Malcolm as ouemr guide. We really liked the small group and great vehicle for it. Malcolm is a good driver, he keeps things moving and on time, and he shares his knowledge well. He's experienced and knows what people came to see. Great stops, had plenty of time at each. Dress for the weather and you'll be fine. The day went by really fast. We recommend!
Response from Host, Sep 2023
Thank you Marc for leaving Malcolm a great review. WE love you enjoyed the small numbers and malcolm's driving skills. It's nice you enjoyed the time at all the stops and never felt hurried. Haste ye back.
Stephen_T, Sep 2023
Our driver and tour guide, Craig, was outstanding - very attentive to our needs and highly informative at all times. My only issue was that I could not understand his Scottish brogue occasionally because my hearing aids were not working properly.
The castle on Loch Ness was memorable as well as the later whiskey tasting, a first for me. Craig’s commentary at Culloden was brilliant and made the battlefield come alive. Wish we could have stayed longer. Finally, the stop at the stones location was amazing.
Overall it was an outstanding day - the small group and guide commentary/attentiveness were why I would recommend Happy Tours without hesitation.
Response from Host, Sep 2023
Thank you Stephen for this fab review for Craig. We love you felt overall the tour was outstanding for commentry and attentiveness. We thank you too for the recommendation. Haste ye back.
Stephanie_W, Sep 2023
Robbie had a lot of old books in the trunk that he let us go through to find out more about our family history.
Response from Host, Sep 2023
Thank you so much Stephanie for the lovely review for Robbie and for sharing your fab photos. It's lovely Robbie could help you get some more history on your family. Haste ye back.
From $1,008.52
per group (up to 3)up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Loch Ness & Culloden Battlefield Private Tour from Inverness
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