Inverness Loch Ness and Highland Adventure

This is an unforgettable day tour from Inverness to Loch Ness, taking in some of the most scenic, historic and culturally significant sights available anywhere in Scotland. Our local guide will meet you at your chosen pick up address where your tour will start and take you on your own Highland adventure. We will make our way to Urquhart Castle travelling along the shores of Loch Ness. We will then travel along the Loch side towards Inverness and make our way to Culloden Battlefield, before moving onto the sacred site of Clava Cairns, home of the famous Outlander series . We then travel a short distance to Cawdor Castle and Gardens , before returning to Inverness where we will see Inverness Cathedral and all the local sites that the city offers.

What's included:

• Comfortable Vehicle
• Private tour
• Bottled Water and snacks for the Journey
• Local Guide

Not included:

• Meals
• Urquhart Castle / £13-£14.50 (Admission Fees)
• Culloden Battlefield Exhibition / £11-£14 ( Admission Fees)
• Cawdor Castle and Grounds/ £12.50 - £13.50 (Admission Fee)

What to expect:

Duration: between 7 hours and 8 hours

Urquhart Castle

A82, Drumnadrochit, IV63 6XJ

Passing through Drumnadrochit and at the top of the hill we stop at Urquhart Castle which sits on a promontory overlooking the loch. Urquhart Castle was once one of Scotland’s largest castles and has been fought over many times with control of the castle passing back and forth between the Scots and the English during the wars of independence. It is near here that St Columba is purported to have seen the loch ness monster in 580 AD, the monster came out of the water to attack one of his disciples and St Columba banished it back to the water. The castle gatehouse was deliberately destroyed in 1692 so it could never be used again as a military stronghold.

Pass by without stopping

Culloden Battlefield

Culloden Battlefield Visitor Centre, Culloden Moor, IV2 5EU

After Urquhart Castle we come to Culloden Battlefield where on the 16th April 1746 the last battle on British soil took place. The battle was fought between the Jacobites who wanted to restore the Stuarts to the throne and the Hanoverians who were the government. In less than one hour more than 1600 men were killed, 1500 of them Jacobites. The battle lasted just over one hour. The result of this battle was to change the way of life in the highlands forever.

1 hour, 20 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Clava Cairns

Balnuaran of Clava, Scottish Highlands, IV2 5EU

Less than a mile from the Battlefield we come to Clava Cairns, this ancient burial ground is more than 4000 years old. Diana Gabaldon is believed to have taken inspiration for her outlander series. The winter solstice was a very important time for these people and the cairns are aligned in a south westerly direction to face the midwinter sun.

20 minutes

Cawdor Castle

Nairn, IV12 5RD

After Clava we head to Cawdor Castle. Cawdor Castle has been home to the Thanes of Cawdor for centuries and is one of the few castles in the Highlands to be left unscathed after the Jacobite uprisings, this is very surprising considering it lies between Auldearn and Culloden where two battles took place. The castle is still lived in today by the Dowager Countess of Cawdor.

1 hour, 20 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Inverness

Inverness

Continuing back to Inverness we stop at Inverness Cathedral, this is the most northerly Anglican cathedral in the UK and was completed in 1866. Driving through Inverness we pass the Old High Church where the Jacobite prisoners were held after Culloden before they were executed in the graveyard, you can still see musket ball marks on the church wall where the executions happened. Opposite the Old High Church you will see the Dunbar Hospital, built with stones from Cromwell’s citadel, the stones originally from Beauly Priory. Further along this street we pass Abertarff House, the oldest house in Inverness dating from 1593 and once the townhouse for the chiefs of Clan Fraser. Continuing through Inverness we pass Inverness Castle and you will see the statue of Flora Macdonald, famous for helping Bonnie Prince Charlie escape to Skye after Culloden.

45 minutes