Inverness: Loch Ness & The Highlands
Recommended by 94% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Inverness, Scotland
- 8 hours 45 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Explore the best of the Scottish Highlands' scenery on this day tour from Inverness. Soak up the views and learn all about Scottish history as you cruise across the mysterious Loch Ness, visit Fort Augustus Abbey and loch-side Urquhart Castle, admire the majestic Falls of Foyers, and wander along Dores Beach.
- Day tour of the Highlands from Inverness: Ideal for those with limited time
- Learn all about Scottish history and culture from your guide
- Visit the most scenic viewpoints for great photo opportunities
- Group-size of no more than 16 guests means a crowd-free experience
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
- Railway Terrace, Inverness, UK
Railway Terrace, Inverness, IV1 1NW. Look out for our coach or our sign on the lamp post.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Start time.8:45 am
Itinerary
1
Urquhart Castle
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
2
Fort Augustus
3 hours • Admission Ticket Free
3
The Falls of Foyers
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
4
Dores Beach
1 hour • 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.
- The castle & cruise currently need to be pre-booked, details will be provided on the ticket.
- 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.
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately.
- Digital translations in English, German, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian & Mandarin available on request.
- Please arrive a minimum of 15 minutes before your tour's departure time.
- If you are driving, we recommend parking at the Old Town Rose Street Multi-Storey Car Park, 24 Rose St, IV1 1NQ, conveniently located next to our departure point.
- Please note: the Loch Ness cruise will not be operating on the 20th and 24th December 2024. On those dates, we will stop at Fort Augustus for lunch where you will have the opportunity to view and enjoy Loch Ness.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 32 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.8
based on 390 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Didn't have the greatest weather day but still enjoyed seeing so many beautiful sites around Loch Ness and the Highlands Our guide was Alex, and he was very knowledgeable. Enjoyed the view from Urquhart Castle, and the waterfalls/bridges at Invermoriston. In Fort Augustus, we chose to skip the boat ride since it was raining and had a nice lunch at one of the pubs there. I would recommend for a nice day around the area.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you for your lovely review. We’re delighted you enjoyed exploring Loch Ness and the Highlands with Timberbush Tours, even with the weather not at its best. It’s great to hear Alex’s knowledge, the views from Urquhart Castle, and the waterfalls and bridges at Invermoriston made the day memorable. Thanks for the recommendation!
Actually saw so much more of Inverness, Loch Ness & Highlands with this tour than if we tried to drive around ourselves. Jason was fantastic, so much information and humorous anecdotes, he managed to keep everyone entertained all day. Thank you!
Fantastic tour with the best driver! Mike was lovely and very entertaining. It would have been good to know in advance that cash is needed to book the boat as we didn’t have any. There was a cash point in Urquhart castle but theoretically you need a ticket to the castle to get there which we didn’t have. Staff were lovely though and let us through anyway.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you for your review, Paloma. We're delighted to hear you enjoyed the tour and that Mike helped make the day so entertaining. We appreciate your feedback regarding the boat trip payment information and will review how we communicate this to guests in advance. We do offer a prebooked cruise too, but appreciate your comments. Thank you for choosing Timberbush, and we hope to welcome you back on another Highland adventure soon!
Our Timberbush tour guide Jason was great! Very knowledgeable and friendly. We saw a lot and he even gave us an extra - Clava Cairns - that was not on the itinerary. Though we saw a lot he never rushed us. Definitely recommend him and this Viator tour.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you for your review, Daniel. We're delighted to hear you enjoyed your Loch Ness & The Highlands tour with Jason. It's great that his knowledge, friendly approach and the extra stop at Clava Cairns helped make the day even more special. Thank you for choosing Timberbush Tours and for your recommendation. We hope to welcome you back on another adventure soon!
Great time. Beautiful countryside
Driver was nice and informative
Amazing to see the Loch and got to watch the boat loch
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Thank you for your review! We're delighted you had a great time exploring with Timberbush. It's wonderful to hear you enjoyed the beautiful scenery, found your driver informative, and even had the chance to take a boat trip on the loch. We hope to welcome you back for another Scottish adventure soon!
This daytrip was fantastic for many reasons not only to do with beautiful sights. Out tourguide and driver Liall was truly amazing: a 100percent both highlander and „educator“ of highland history and culture (in the best sense) eager to show us more than renowned highlights, including insider knowledge! Great sense of humor, safe and calm driver, super playlist on board, all very well balanced! We are thrilled and thankful!
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Hi there,
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a lovely review!
It is amazing to hear that you enjoyed Liall's deep knowledge of Scottish history and culture, whilst enjoying his humour and music! We are thrilled that you had a wonderful time with us, and hope to see you again soon!
Kind regards,
Eleanor
Karen and Jason from Timberbush were absolutely amazing! They took us all around Loch Ness, sharing the fascinating history and stories behind every stop, making the whole journey both entertaining and unforgettable. Their passion, knowledge, and friendly personalities truly made the experience special.
I would definitely recommend this tour to anyone visiting Scotland—an easy 10/10! Thank you for such an incredible day. I’ll definitely be back someday!
It was awesome. Staff were amazing and very knowledgeable. The locations were brilliant and ample time given to make the most of each one. Thank you Karen and Jason
Fantastic day with Stewart curcimnavigating Loch Ness from Urquhart Castle to Fort Augustus to the waterfall at Foyers to the lovely beach at Dores. Stewart was full of fun facts, wonderful history and great chat. A day we would recommend! Thank you Stewart!
Lewis our guide was very knowledgeable and the sights were amazing so much to see and great not to have to drive so u can enjoy the day together. Will book more trips like this
The driver Mr. Ben was very friendly. Also, the journey was very smooth and completed on time. We enjoyed it.
Be prepared to walk! It can get quite cold and windy at the Loch so be prepared. Urquhart Castle is stunning, pay the fee to go in and look around. The Falls of Foyer are a LONG hike down steep stairs with no railings just to reach the top observation area, so be ready! They are beautiful to see though. The Highlands are breathtaking, no picture can do them justice. It’s hard to believe that places like that exist on earth.
Fiona was an excellent guide—caring, friendly, warm, and incredibly knowledgeable. She made the experience enjoyable from start to finish, sharing interesting insights while ensuring everyone felt comfortable and included. Her expertise made the tour truly memorable. Highly recommended!
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Hi Hui,
Thanks for the amazing review!
We're sure Fiona will be delighted to hear that she made such a positive impact on your tour experience!
We hope to welcome you back on tour with us someday soon!
Best wishes,
Faye
From pickup to drop off, it’s was a wonderful adventure trying to find Nessie. While weather was moody, it added to the mystery and time spent hunting this monster down. Truly enjoyed it.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Hi there,
Thank you for the fantastic review!
We are delighted to hear your Loch Ness tour went well, hopefully you managed to catch a glimpse of the Loch Ness Monster!
We hope we will see you again in the future!
Kind regards,
Faye
A very fun, easy and relaxed day through the Scottish highlands. Doreen was a very personable and charismatic guide. The day was enjoyed by all of us!
Allen was an excellent guide. Very knowledgeable and take us through the tour in a way that everyone really have a great time.
Response from Host, May 2026
Hi there, thank you for your review,
We are very happy to hear that you had a brilliant time on tour with our driver-guide Alan and appreciated his deep knowledge of Scottish history. We will be sure to inform him of your kind comments. We hope we can welcome you on another one of our tours again in the future!
Many thanks,
Luisa
À fabulous experience. Great tour guide, lots of knowledge, attentive, carrying and with a great sense of humour. Highly recommend this tour , the cruise was not a must for me, but if you need to see the monster, try your luck. spend your time enjoying the falls, the small villages and the sightseeing. And if you still have time try one of their Scottish sandwiches in one of the small villages.
We were disappointed to find out we had to pay to enter gift coffee shops also toilet at the castle. Also disappointed with the cruise. Made it a very expensive tour. The tour director Stewart was excellent
Well worth the time. Small group which truly allows for more time at each stop. Our driver, Alex, was funny and knowledgeable about all the sites along the way. Urquart Castle is breathtaking and well worth the entrance fee. It is walkable although spread out. Loch Ness is beautiful - the cruise informative. Unfortunately no sign of Nessie. More than enough time at each stop. I would recommend this tour.
Alex gave a great tour. Got to see history and nature in a lap around Loch Ness, and with plenty of local charm. Highly recommend for a comfortable and enjoyable day seeing the sites.
The tour takes you through the beauty of Loch Ness with stops like Urqhardt Castle, Fort Augustus, and Foyers.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Hi there,
Many thanks for your feedback on our Loch Ness & The Highlands Day Tour !
We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your time exploring Scotland with us
We hope we will be able to take you on one of our tours again in the future!
Kind regards,
Hannah
Fiona was a wonderful tour guide. We had a nice day and loads of time to explore the sites of the Highlands.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Hi there, Thank you for your review,
We are very glad to hear that you enjoyed your tour to Loch Ness with Fiona and appreciated exploring the highlands with her! We hope we can welcome you back on tour with us again very soon!
Best wishes,
Luisa
Bundle up in January and hopefully you’ll get Michael. We recommend the Castle and boat which are additional but worth it. Very informative and interesting. A very good experience.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Hi Brandi,
Thank you for the great review!
We are glad to hear you had a great time with Michael on your tour!
We hope to welcome you back on tour with us someday soon...perhaps when the weather is warmer!
Best wishes,
Faye
Malcolm, our tour guide, was lovely and very knowledgeable, and he shared a lot of interesting information throughout the day.
The low rating is not because of him, but due to poor planning by the tour company, particularly around the boat ride.
The boat ride tickets at Fort Augustus were not pre-booked, even though they could have been arranged in advance based on the number of confirmed reservations.
As a result, the ferry we were supposed to take was already full, and we had to wait for the next one. This delay had a knock-on effect on the rest of the itinerary.
Because of this, by the time we reached the waterfall and the beach, it was completely dark.
We were very disappointed that we were unable to properly see the last two spots, even though we were taken there.
With five locations included in the itinerary, the tour should either have started earlier or been planned better around daylight hours and the boat ride.
This would have made a significant difference to the overall experience.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Hi Monalisa_B,
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re very pleased to hear that you enjoyed Malcolm’s guiding and found him knowledgeable and engaging throughout the day, we’ll be sure to pass along your kind comments to him.
We’re sorry to hear that the timing of the boat trip at Fort Augustus affected your experience later in the day. The cruise on Loch Ness is operated by an independent provider and tickets cannot always be pre-booked in advance for our groups, as availability can vary on the day.
At this time of year in particular, daylight hours in the Highlands are quite limited. Even without the delay at the boat dock, it is very likely that the later stops on the itinerary would have been visited around or after sunset. Our tours are planned to include these locations as part of the scenic route, but during the winter months some stops can naturally fall later in the day due to shorter daylight hours.
That said, we do appreciate you sharing your feedback regarding timing and planning, and we will certainly take your comments into consideration as we continue reviewing our schedules.
Thank you again for travelling with us, and we’re glad to hear that Malcolm’s guiding was a highlight of the tour.
Best wishes,
Jodie
Mike was a wonderful driver and historian. Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate (unexpected snow!) but he did the best he could and tried to get us back for a later tour of the castle but it was unfortunately still closed.
The only recommendation I would give is to offer to book you cruise tickets in advance like the castle bc everything was sold out when we got there and missed the chance to cruise the Loch.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Hi there,
Thank you for the feedback on your tour!
Mike really knows how to ensure everyone has the best time possible, even during tricky situations.
We are sorry to hear that you were not able to take the cruise whilst on tour, we will take this into consideration for future bookings.
We hope we can welcome you on another tour soon!
Kind regards,
Fatima
This tour was fabulous with a wonderful guide and driver. Highly recommend this tour to all. Thankyou
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Dear Debra,
Thanks for your e-mail.
We're very proud to have entertaining and informative drivers, and we are glad that you enjoyed your time with Timberbush tours!
We hope we can welcome you on another tour soon!
Kind regards,
Fatima
Great tour, loved the boat tour especially but in general was a fun day,lots of lovely scenery and plenty of stops for photos. Malcolm was very friendly and informative, couldn’t have asked for a better guide
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Dear Matthew,
We are delighted to hear your Loch Ness tour went well – hopefully you managed to catch a glimpse of the Loch Ness Monster!
We will make sure to pass along the lovely feedback to Malcom as well - he will be thrilled that you enjoyed your day with him!
Hopefully we can welcome you on another tour soon!
Kind regard,
Fatima
Our tour guide, Karen, took us on a great tour starting with Urquart Castle. We also learned a lot about driving etiquette in Scotland. The cruise was great, we got to see the depth via sonar. Foyer Falls we magnificent and we enjoyed meeting Steve Feltham.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Hi Marilyn,
Thank you for your review! We are glad to hear that you had such a great time with Karen on your tour. It's great to hear that you enjoyed the cruise on Loch Ness and hopefully you managed to catch a glimpse of Nessie! Please don't be a stranger, we hope to welcome you back on tour with us someday soon.
Kind regards,
Sandy
We had the best day on our Loch Ness tour. Fiona was so warm and friendly, and very informative. I loved the little tidbits of history of the area around Loch Ness, and appreciated that Fiona gave us a good amount of time at each stop. Would book through Timberbush tours again for sure. This was probably my favorite part of our entire Scotland trip.
This was a nice tour to take if staying in Inverness as it covers areas of importance all around Lochness. Alex was our tour guide, and he was kind and knowledgeable on all the stops we had in the tour.
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per personWas $74.16(-5%)
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Inverness: Loch Ness & The Highlands
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