Inverness Scenic Highlands Road Trip Adventure

Let's Meander! North, South, East, or West. You choose. We can create a fantastically memorable road trip by exploring the myriad of back roads here in The Highlands, discovering the secret highlights they reveal. Did you know, six of the top ten highest mountains in Scotland are only half an hour's drive south of Inverness!? We don't need to climb them, but we can take a funicular railway to very near the top of one of them, Cairngorm. The views from Strathspey up to the mountains are spectacular too.... The places we list below aren’t destinations but opportunities. We can decide during the day! All of these tours are available from Inverness. The North, South & East tours are also available from Invergordon.
SOUTH; South Loch Ness, The Falls of Foyers, The Garbole, Strathdearn Community Hub, Loch an Eilien, The Cairngorms, Loch Morlich, The Strathspey Steam Railway, Nethy Bridge, the Cairn Distillery, Tomatin Distillery

Not included:

• Cairngorm Mountain Railway; Adult £22.00, Child £12.50 (under 6 free), Family £38.00 - £55.00
• Strathspey Steam Railway; Prices tbc
• The Cairn Distillery Tour (Adults only) £25
• Tomatin Distillery Tour; Adults £15 Children £5

What to expect:

Duration: 9 hours

Loch Ness

, , Scottish Highlands

Enjoy the best view of Loch Ness from high up above its southern shore.... the view the tour buses don't get to

10 minutes

Dores

Dores

Phenomenal view along the length of Loch Ness from Dores beach. Dip your toes in the loch and have a chat with Steve the Monster Hunter!

30 minutes

The Falls of Foyers

, , Foyers, IV2 6XU

Further along the south side of Loch Ness in the small village of Foyers we will find the Falls of Foyers. A spectacular waterfall with a 140ft drop into a gorge that winds its way through tall trees until it eventually meets Loch Ness.
The pathway winds you through stunning woodland, where you must look out for the illusive red squirrels, and then down steep steps to the first of two viewpoints. At the upper viewpoint the surrounding rocks open up to give you a spectacular full view of the falls where you can capture some fantastic photos.
Exploring further you can take the path down more steep steps to the lower viewpoint or even follow the path along the gorge and right down to the shores of Loch Ness if you are feeling energetic!

The surrounding landscape changes throughout the seasons and the snow melt, rainfall or even the sunnier summer months changes the level of flow you’ll see from the falls, it can go from a gentle trickle to a dramatic forceful surge overnight.

30 minutes

Strathdearn

Strathdearn, Inverness IV13 7YD, UK

Our journey from Foyers to Tomatin will take us along some of The Highlands most narrow and winding wee roads, over The Garbole mountain pass before arriving at The Strathdearn Community hub and Three Bridges Cafe. We can grab a snack and takeaway coffee here or sit and enjoy the view along the strath from the cafe

1 hour

Loch an Eilein

Rothiemurchus Forest, Cairngorms National Park, Aviemore, PH22 1QT

Hidden in the forest of Rothiemurchus, this beautiful place is one of the most loved in Scotland.
Loch an Eilein (loch of the island) with its island castle ruin and stunning surroundings of forest and hill, has seen human use for many centuries. It has also long been a much loved favourite of countless thousands of visitors. No surprise, then, that Loch an Eilein was voted Britain’s Favourite Picnic Spot in a poll organised by Warburtons to commemorate National Bread Week.
You can explore the area at your own pace; a short stroll from the car park will reveal dramatic views of ancient pine trees, mountain and castle. A walk of 3 miles (5 kilometres) along some of the best low level walking paths in Scotland and part of a Rothiemurchus network of trails, will take you all the way around the loch.

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Cairngorm Mountain

CairnGorm Ski Area, , Aviemore, PH22 1RB

With fun things to do for families and visitors of all ages, Cairngorm Mountain is open all year round and transforms into Scotland’s top ski resort in winter. Well known for Scotland’s only mountain railway, visitors can reach the UK’s highest restaurant and bar in just 8 minutes.
Next to the restaurant is a 270° immersive exhibition space showcasing the stunning landscape while at the Cairngorm Learning Zone, children can enjoy interactive 3D sandboxes and create their own natural environments. The extensive viewing terrace offering panoramic views at 1,097 metres above sea level.

1 hour • Admission Ticket Not Included

Loch Morlich

Glenmore Forest Park, Aviemore, PH22 1QU

A stunning beach in the beautiful settings of the Cairngorms and Glenmor Forest
Loch Morlich enjoys one of the finest settings of any loch in the country. It is surrounded by forests and fringed by beaches, with the stunning backdrop of the often snow-clad peaks of the northern Cairngorms.

20 minutes

Strathspey Railway - (Aviemore, Station)

Station, Dalfaber Rd, Aviemore PH22 1PY, UK

Enjoy a trip on The Strathspey Steam Railway from Aviemore to Broomhill (Nethy Bridge). I'll meet you at Broomhill from where, depending upon time of day, we can head for a wee wander around Nethy Bridge (the forest village), take a tour of the brand new Cairn Distillery or head back towards Inverness via The Tomatin Distillery

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

The Cairn Distillery - Visitor Experience

The Cairn Distillery, Grantown-on-Spey PH26 3NT, UK

Whether you’re keen to take the first steps into the world of whisky or scale new heights of knowledge alongside our distiller, we aim to honour the traditional wisdom that the journey is more important than the destination.
Plus, you’ll have the opportunity afforded exclusively to visitors—to taste the future, today. Our master blender has created stunning whiskies designed to emulate the style and character of the whiskies to be released from The Cairn in years to come.

There’s The Gathering, a shop and outdoor trails to the banks of the River Spey for you to explore.

Please note that you must be 18 years old or over to be able to join us for a tour.

1 hour • Admission Ticket Not Included

Tomatin Distillery Visitor Centre

Inverness, IV13 7YT

Tomatin is are more than just another whisky distillery. Since 1897, they have worked hard to build the Tomatin community that exists today and lies at the heart of everything they do.
We can pop into their sampling room to enjoy a dram, or perhaps a flight, of their fabulous whisky.
If you'd like to take a tour of the distillery, please mention this when booking our day out and we can ensure an appropriate arrival time.

45 minutes