Loch Ness & Jacobite Trail

Leaving Scotland’s capital city of Edinburgh behind us, we first travel west to Glasgow, the largest city in Scotland, where your fellow travellers will join our tour.

From Glasgow, the first stage of our journey will take us north, to the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. Here we will make a stop in the quaint conservation village of Luss on the western banks of Loch Lomond. You can wander the shores of the largest expanse of fresh water in the UK and walk past pretty cottages as whilst keeping an eye for the wildlife and stunning flowers that the village is best known for.

As we travel from Loch Lomond, further north into the Highlands, we visit Glen Coe, one of the most beautiful valleys in the world and an iconic area of dramatic Scottish scenery. Feel the past come to life as your guide tells you about the terrible massacre of the MacDonald clan. We then depart Glen Coe via the Great Glen, another one of Scotland’s majestic valleys which stretches 62 miles from Inverness all the way to Fort William.

Fort William, the second largest town in the Highlands, lies in the shadow of Ben Nevis. At an impressive 1,345 m tall, this is Britain’s tallest mountain. Over 100,000 people climb Ben Nevis annually, often as part of the 3 Peaks Challenge, making it a very popular mountain! Your driver-guide will decide the best spot for lunch depending on your group, weather and local events.

Later in the day, your journey will continue west along the road to the isles, to Glenfinnan and the iconic Glenfinnan Viaduct, made famous by the ‘Harry Potter’ films, which feature the iconic Viaduct. In the summer months, you may catch a glimpse of this magical train crossing the Viaduct.

Glenfinnan is also home to the impressive Glenfinnan Monument. Surrounded by spectacular Highland scenery at the head of Loch Shiel, the monument is a striking tribute to those who fought in the Jacobite Risings and is located at the site where Bonnie Prince Charlie launched his rebellion against the British crown.

From Glenfinnan, you will travel further through the Great Glen to the pretty village of Fort Augustus on the shores of Loch Ness, which will be your overnight stop on this tour.

After a delicious Scottish breakfast, the first stop on your second day on tour would be a chance to explore Loch Ness, Britain’s largest body of water by volume, which holds so much water that all lakes and rivers of England and Wales could fit in with room to spare! The size and depth of the loch make it a perfect hiding place for Nessie, the famous monster. Whilst at Loch Ness you would have the opportunity to take a boat cruise on the Loch, and to visit Urquhart Castle, a ruined castle perched on the shores of Loch Ness.

We then drive through Inverness, the capital of the Highlands, to visit Culloden battlefield, the site of the last stand of the Jacobites against the British government forces. With estimated casualties between 1,500 and 2,000, almost all of whom were from the rebelling Jacobite forces, from a battle that lasted less than 1 hour, the Battle of Culloden was one of the quickest and bloodiest battles in Scottish history, and it changed the Scottish Highlands forever.

Then we’ll travel south and enjoy the stunning scenery as we pass through the unique wilderness of the Cairngorms, Scotland’s largest National Park. Its mountain range has five of the UK’s highest mountains within its limits. Before returning to Scotland’s capital, Edinburgh, we will make one last stop at a beautiful Highland town chosen by your driver-guide.

Upon returning to Edinburgh, those who began their tour in Glasgow will be provided with train tickets to complete their journey back to Glasgow.