Loch Ness, Highlands and Whisky Distillery Day Tour from Edinburgh
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Loch Ness, Highlands and Whisky Distillery Day Tour from Edinburgh
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Loch Ness, Highlands and Whisky Distillery Day Tour from Edinburgh

1 day
About this activity
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Pass By: Stirling Castle, Castle Esplanade Upper Castle Hill, Old Town, Stirling FK8 1EJ Scotland

As you pass the fortress that is Stirling Castle, your guide will have you on the edge of your seat, regaling you with tales of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce, and the bloody battles fought out on these lands.

Stop At: Deanston Distillery & Visitor Centre, Deanston Distillery Near Doune, Stirling FK16 6AG Scotland

Our first stop of the tour will be Deanston Whisky Distillery. Set within an 18th century Cotton Mill on the banks of the River Teith you will learn how traditional Scotch whisky is made. Whilst at Deanston, you have the opportunity to take an optional whisky tour including the taste of a ‘wee dram’ as you anticipate the day ahead.

If whisky is not your thing, you can skip the tour and enjoy breakfast or a coffee at ‘The Coffee Bothy’, the distillery cafe.

Duration: 1 hour

Pass By: Loch Lomond, Stirling Scotland

As we enter The ‘Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park’ our bus weaves through hills, mountains and Glens. These remote places were once inhabited by Highland Clans, not to mention Scotland’s most famous outlaw, Rob Roy MacGregor, whom some consider The Scottish Robin Hood. Look out across the landscape and picture what it was like as you hear the remarkable bloodthirsty stories of betrayal and revenge as told by your guide. If we happen to spot some of our famous ‘Hairy Highland Coos’, we might stop for a selfie.

Stop At: Glencoe Lochan, Glencoe Village Scotland

Glencoe was also the scene of one of Scotland’s most shocking massacres. As you gaze at the haunting hills, you notice the Glen is eerily silent. In the 17th century one of the worst acts of betrayal occurred here. Your guide will recount the details of this betrayal for you. You can almost feel the sorrow in the mountains of the ‘weeping valley’. Above all though, Glencoe is one of Scotland’s most beautiful landscapes. A highlight of any tour to the Scottish Highlands!

Duration: 10 minutes

Pass By: Ben Nevis, Fort William Scotland

The tour then takes you through Fort William and past the spectacular Ben Nevis, the tallest mountain in the British Isles. The Nevis Range towers over the winding road as you continue your journey to Loch Ness.

Stop At: Fort Augustus Abbey, Fort Augustus Scotland

Desperate for a glimpse of ‘Nessie’? St Columba, an Irish monk, was one of the first people to record a sighting of the Loch’s infamous monster back in the 6th century. If you can’t trust a saint, who can you trust?! 1500 years worth of recorded sightings of “The Water Horse” have made Loch Ness the most famous body of freshwater in the world. Why not see if you can spot ‘Nessie’ up close by taking the optional boat cruise from Fort Augustus? The sonar system on-board scans all 755-feet of the murky-depths, constantly searching for her presence, so you can relax and enjoy the views. Alternatively, you can enjoy a spot of lunch in one of the many cafes, pubs and restaurants in Fort Augustus. Take in the views of Loch Ness with a leisurely stroll along the gorgeous Caledonian Canal which dates back to 1803. You have around 2 hours to enjoy the boat cruise and the enchanting village before heading to the Cairngorm National Park.

Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Commando Monument, Spean Bridge PH34 4EG Scotland

Along the route, we’ll stop at the Commando Memorial. In 1942, this setting became the training ground for Britain’s Special Forces. Harsh, unforgiving, and breathtakingly beautiful. A statue of our heroes overlooks the Nevis range. Bring a camera – this is undoubtedly one of our favourite photo-stops in all of Scotland.

Duration: 10 minutes

Pass By: Cairngorms National Park, PH22 1QH Scotland

Heading south we travel through the Cairngorm National Park where Red squirrels, roe deer, red deer, soaring buzzards, pine martens, golden eagles and osprey can be found. Our final stop of the day is Pitlochry

Stop At: Atholl Rd, Pitlochry PH16 5BH, UK

Pitlochry is situated in the heart of the stunning scenery of Highland Perthshire. The town sits below Beinn Bhracaigh (Ben Vrackie), the speckled mountain and beside the River Tummel, in some of the most magnificent scenery in Scotland. With a backdrop of surrounding hills and beautiful woodlands, it is wonderful walking country.

Duration: 20 minutes

Pass By: Forth Bridge, North Queensferry KY11 1HP Scotland

As we re-enter Edinburgh from the North, you will be met with views of Scotland’s greatest piece of engineering, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Forth Bridge. This 19th century engineering marvel was at one point the World’s longest cantilever bridge. Today it neighbours the 20th century Forth Road Bridge and the 21st century Queensferry Crossing which opened in 2017. Three spectacular bridges, from three different centuries, span the Firth of Forth connecting our Capital city and the Kingdom of Fife.

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Included
  • All taxes, fees and handling charges
  • Local guide
  • Pick-up and drop-off from designated meeting points
  • Air-conditioned vehicle
Not included
  • Food and drinks
  • Gratuities
  • The optional whisky distillery tour costs £8 per adult, £5 for children under 18 no whisky tasting
  • Optional boat cruise on Loch Ness costs £14 per adult, £9.50 for children under 16
  • Entry/Admission - Deanston Distillery & Visitor Centre
Additional
  • Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Minimum age to travel is 7 years old (Under NO circumstances will children under 7 years old be permitted to travel on our tours/vehicles)
  • There are opportunities to take short nature walks, it is recommended to bring suitable clothing and footwear.
  • This tour in an air-conditioned mini-coach, hosted by a local Scottish guide, rated 5-stars by the official Scottish Tourist Board
  • Children must be accompanied by an adult
  • Service animals allowed
  • Near public transportation
  • If a service animal to required please contact us to discuss options for how we can best accommodate your needs.
  • Most travelers can participate
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 33 travelers
Features
Tourism
100%
Cultural
65%
Reviews
4.8
63
W
Wendy P
5 | 2019-08-27

This was a great day trip with the Hairy Coo company. John the driver/tour guide was amazing and kept us informed about the local sights we were seeing and the history around them. Would thoroughly recommend this trip

A
Abigail S
5 | 2019-07-11

John, King in the North, was a hilarious and knowledgeable guide! He should have his own comedy show! We were able to see the beauty of Scotland's Highlands, enjoy a cruise across the gorgeous Loch Ness, feed carrots to hairy coos, and stop for both much-needed bathroom breaks and photo spots!

a
amoghpatel4u
5 | 2019-07-11

Rose was outstanding and funny. She is actually a package of a good driver, story teller and a historian. She had planned the 12.30hrs/around 330 miles tour very conveniently and no rush at any spot. My wife and I had a great time seeing Deanston distillery, Highlands, Loch Ness cruise and beautiful Scotland. Definitely recommend this tour specially with Rose. Cheers!

M
Meghan Q
5 | 2019-07-03

My boyfriend and I took the single-day bus tour to Loch Ness. Along the way we made multiple stops at Doune Castle, a whiskey distillery, photo op at Glen Coe, and eventually made our way to Fort Augustus for a boat ride on Loch Ness. Words cannot describe the beauty! What made the trip a 12/10 was our driver (Calum) and tour guide (Brian, or Brizo) - the sheer amount of knowledge shared was astounding. We highly recommend this tour / tour guide!

b
borka m
5 | 2019-07-03

if I would go again I would definitely ask for Rose :) she is excellent story teller, she knows history very well, very kind person always replies on the questions and gives info as much as possible.

t
tampa6010
5 | 2019-07-03

We had SUCH a great time on this tour! We highly recommend it and Graham was such a great driver and kept us entertained the whole day with his stories and knowledge of Scotland. Scenery going through the Highlands was amazing!!!

D
Diana L
5 | 2019-07-03

I had a blast on the Hairy Coo tour to the Highlands! Our driver was John and he was absolutely hilarious the whole time. He kept the energy in the bus up at all times while he regaled us with stories about Scotland, its history, and his own experiences. The tour of the distillery was pretty cool though it would've been even cooler if they had actually been producing whisky when we went (it was the off season). The boat ride on Loch Ness are relaxing and you had enough time to walk around the town for a bit before as well. One of the highlights was the busaraoke (bus karaoke) in the afternoon while we were driving back to Edinburgh. It was a long day but really worth it and also had just the right amount of stops in between all the driving so you didn't feel too cooped up in the bus.

S
Stefan B
5 | 2019-04-24

Great trip, perhaps a bit long but thanks to Brian, excellent guide and driver the tour got to be a success.

Z
Zoila C
5 | 2019-04-22

We had Martin knowledge and humor to make this 12 + hours tour an awesome experience. Highly recommended for those wanted to experience the Scottish highlands and don’t have too much time for it!

e
emily w
5 | 2018-07-02

Incredible! The tour guide was so informative and friendly and knew so much about Scottish history. The Highlands were breathtaking, was really the highlight of our trip to Scotland.

t
tcarmstrong
5 | 2018-06-29

John was an awesome tour guide - informative and funny. The trip is amazing, well worth the long day. Wont forget Johns great sense of humor - had us laughing all day. dontstopbelieving tablet buskaraoke

M
Madeline W
5 | 2018-03-16

My friends and I had a lot of fun aboard the Hairy Coo Bus! Our tour guide, John, was very knowledgable and punctuated the ride with humorous, vivid, and detailed anecdotes about Scottish history and the sites we were seeing from the bus window. In between the storytelling, he played a custom playlist of Scottish artists, and sometimes included fun facts about the songs and artists we were hearing. The bus was not crowded which made it so that everyone was able to have a window seat and really enjoy the incredible scenery. After passing the massive Kelpie statues and the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots, we made our first stop at Deanston Distillery, which is in a pretty riverside location. On the tour, they showed us their massive mash tun, one of the only uncovered ones still in operation, where you could see giant agitators circulating the mash. We learned about the history of the distillery building, which was once a cotton mill, and more recently served as the setting for the film The Angel's Share. For 10, we got to taste two drams of whisky before getting back on the bus and driving to the Highlands. John warned us that we were about to cross the invisible line into the Highlands, but we had no idea that the scenery would change dramatically almost instantly. Suddenly there were snow-capped peaks and dramatic green valleys. We stopped to take pictures at Glen Coe, which is breathtakingly beautiful and was also extremely windy. We drove through Fort William, with great views of Ben Nevis, and past a series of majestic lochs, finally arriving at Fort Augustus, the quaint town at the base of Loch Ness. For 13, we were able to purchase tickets to cruise Loch Ness. The hour-long journey was aboard a boat with a small cafe counter where you could purchase snacks, tea, and beer. There was a roof deck with beautiful views of the loch and we saw mountain goats and deer walking on the steep hillside. Back inside on the lower level of the boat, one of the guides explained the sonar screens, where you can see the contours of the loch floor, more than 600 feet below. After the boat cruise, we had a little time to explore Fort Augustus and get a snack before boarding the bus and making a brief stop at the Commando Memorial, a striking WWI monument with stunning views of the Nevis Range all around. Our drive home took us through the Cairngorms, a national park with truly otherworldly scenery. A bubblegum-hued sunset descended, one of the most beautiful I have ever seen, as we learned about the history of the sites we passed, including Blair Castle and the Dalwhinnie Distillery. We made a brief stop in a small town called Pitlochry on the way back, where we were able to enjoy a local delight, Aberfeldy tablet. We arrived back in Edinburgh around 8:30 p.m. It was a long day but I felt like I truly got to see the greatest hits of the Highlands. If you are short on time, this is a great way to see the major sites in a day trip. One thing you should be aware of is that there is no bathroom on the bus, so plan accordingly there were well-spaced bathroom stops, which was appreciated!.

A
Anjalipdogra
5 | 2017-12-07

A wonderful day. It is a long one, but totally worth it for the beautiful scenery and experience.

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