 |
Depart Edinburgh 8.00 am and travel northwest past Linlithgow palace, birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots, and Stirling Castle. Stirling castle was once known as the 'Key to Scotland', with its imposing position in the centre of the country. To the north is the 220ft high tower of the National Wallace Monument commemorating Scotland's great hero William Wallace, played by Mel Gibson in the Oscar-winning movie Braveheart.
You pass close to the scene of Wallace's greatest triumph, the battle of Stirling Bridge, where he defeated the English army in 1297. To the south is Bannockburn where, in 1314, the great Scottish warrior-king Robert the Bruce defeated the English army of Edward II, restoring independence for Scotland. A little further on you will make a short stop for coffee at Callander, the 'frontier town' on the edge of the Highlands. Crossing the Highland boundary fault line the scenery changes quickly and dramatically, the flat fertile plains of the lowlands giving way to shimmering lochs, rugged mountain tops and forest-filled glens. It's easy to forget that this was once thought of as a dangerous frontier, fought over by the fiercely territorial Highland clans such as the MacGregors, and made famous by highland folk hero, Rob Roy MacGregor.
Travelling north through Breadalbane (meaning the 'High Country of Scotland'), you climb towards the wild desolation of Rannoch Moor. At an altitude of over 1000ft, covered by heather and peat-bogs and dotted with dozens of lochs, it's an unique landscape. This contrasts with the spectacular mountain scenery as you pass the majestic peak of Buachaille Etive Mor (meaning 'the great shepherd of Etive') and down into Scotland's most famous valley, Glencoe. Stunningly beautiful, with its dramatic cliff faces and steep slopes, Glencoe is infamous as the site of the Glencoe massacre in 1692. Following orders from King William, Scottish soldiers under the leadership of Captain Robert Campbell slaughtered 38 men, women and children of the Macdonald clan. This was especially shocking as the soldiers had been living with the people of Glencoe for 2 weeks and killed them in their own homes. No-one was ever punished for this crime, as the King himself had signed the order, but because it was murder under trust, the Highlands would never be the same again. Beyond Glencoe you will enter the Great Glen, a deep glacial valley following a geological fault line.
Passing through the town of Fort William you drive under Britain's highest mountain, Ben Nevis before arriving at Fort Augustus on the southern shore of Loch Ness. At 23 miles long and over 700ft deep it's the largest loch by volume in Scotland and contains more water than every lake in England and Wales combined! The loch is best known for the legendary sightings of the Loch Ness Monster ("Nessie") and you can take the opportunity of a boat cruise* on the loch to go in search of the monster, or simply to enjoy the beautiful scenery. Fort Augustus is a pretty little town in its own right, the Caledonian Canal which links the lochs of the Great Glen dominates the town and makes a great place to relax and watch the boats sail by. You will stop here for nearly 2 hours to give you time for lunch and take in the scenery around Scotland's most famous loch.
From Loch Ness you head south through the mountains of the Cairngorms National Park. Your route takes us alongside Loch Laggan (the setting for the BBC series 'Monarch of the Glen'), over the Drumochter Pass (1500ft above sea level) and past 13th century Blair Castle, ancestral home of the Duke of Atholl. Your next stop is the Highland resort town of Pitlochry, built on Victorian tourism and nestled amongst the mountains of Highland Perthshire. After Pitlochry, you continue south through the forests of Perthshire, famous as Macbeth country, and past Perth itself. Perth was the medieval capital of Scotland, where for hundreds of years Scottish monarchs were crowned at nearby Scone Palace. South of Perth you drive past Loch Leven, where Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned by her Protestant nobles, before escaping to England where she was eventually executed by her cousin Elizabeth I. Then it is over the famous Forth Bridge before returning to Edinburgh.
Return time - Approx 20.00
Photography Credits: Visit Britain, Visit Scotland, Britainonview, Mike Hasted, Luke Sheppard, Ingrid Rasmussen, Pawel Libera, Tony Pleavin, Craig Easton, David Angel, Martin Brent, Bob Berry, Paul Watts |
 |
Posted by Agnese on 21/05/2013
I was on a one day tour to Loch Ness, Inverness with my partner from Glasgow on 05/05/2013. I was on guided tour before already so I have some experience with this kind of tours. Our guide/driver was Mike ( I hope I spell his name right). Conclusion: he is simply THE BEST I have ever met. We have even fed deers on our trip!!! Unbelievable. He gave us so much information about basically everything and even more! I enjoyed every minute of this trip. My partner felt the same. This day of ours was simply perfect. I highly recommend to everybody.
Posted by Tibor on 06/05/2013
The commentary and imformation provided by your driver (Jamie) was outstanding.His knowledge,humour and entertainment were brilliant.We enjoyed many tours on our trip but this was by far the best due to Jamie.
Posted by Graham Adams on 28/04/2013
Duncan's banter and knowledge was very impressive! The tour was a big highlight and we would recommend to any who are in Edinburgh
Posted by Luke Brettingham on 26/04/2013
We loved every part of the tour! The beauty of the highlands and the information Michael provided was stupendous!
Posted by Lee Yonika on 25/04/2013
The whole tour was amazing! Loved hearing alllll the stories and see the Highland. Loch Ness - of course but on the way back as well the different beautiful Lochs are just AMAZING!!
Posted by Ildiko Szabo on 24/04/2013
It was wet and gloomy weather but Alan made our trip enjoyable, educational and great value. His knowledge of not only the places we visited but also of Scotland in general was amazing and the commitment and enthusiasm with which he conducted the tour was fantastic. Thank you Rabbies and Alan for a wonderful experience. Stuart Chapman & Family - 16th April 2013
Posted by Stuart Chapman on 17/04/2013
Its a very quick and easy way to get to know the place within a limited time and the tour guide was really informative.
Posted by Judy Lin on 14/04/2013
Shelby was excellent, made everything really enjoyable. My lost oyster card, £80 and reimbursement receipts were found and I was contacted -- couriered back to me in London. Really excellent. Will recommend tour.
Posted by Gary Ler on 12/04/2013
I took a one-day tour to the Highlands; my real interest was not in Loch Ness, really, but in everything we were to find on the way, especially the mountains at Glencoe and the Cairngorms. And we did see a lot of them! The tour guide, Emily, was reeeeeeeeeeeally great! She told us about a lot of Scotland's history as we were driving by the most historical sites, as Stirling, Glencoe or Perth. She also told us a lot about culture, language and nature, which I highly appreciated, and she never made it boring at all, but sometimes even ironical or funny :-) she also put on Scottish music, both fiddle and accordeon and bagpipes, and also some music in Gaelic and some poems by Robert "Rabbie" Burns set to music, which were beautiful and went very well with the landscape. The tour was never tiring, because how can you get tired of seeing such scenery? We had a lovely day, sunny and not cold at all, and we got so see a lot of things and to make many extra stops to take pictures of the breathtaking mountains and lakes, and we even stopped in a very nice Scottish forest, which I loved! So Emily was very generous, and even stopped for us to see Highland cows ("hairy coos"), which was great because I really wanted to see them! Everything went as planned, totally according to schedule, and I can say nothing but good things about both the tour and our guide! It has inspired me to come back to Scotland soon and explore more of the country! Meanwhile, I'll make sure that if my friends or family visit Edinburgh they take a Rabbie's tour, because it's really worth it! Thanks for a great day in the Highlands, I feel completely in love with them and with Scottish history and culture!
Posted by Anna Ng on 07/04/2013
Most enjoyable part for me was the abandoned castle that we stopped at. Being on the bus with only 6 other guests was fantastic.
Posted by angela buckwell on 25/03/2013
Thank you John for making or day the 28th of february! The day was fantastic, a scottish guide in kilt with fantastic stories during the ride in the bus. The music you'd put together to fit the different areas we passed made our impression even stronger. We still play your music back home in Sweden. Letting Felicia use the guide seat gave her the chance to take the most beautiful pictures. Thanks John, we will recomend you and hope to see you again! Annelie & Felicia
Posted by Felicia Andreasson on 21/03/2013
Very knowledgable tourguide, gave us lots of information and inside tips.
Posted by Gunter Vuegen on 21/03/2013
My wife and daughter (kudos to April whom encouraged us to take this tour) joined me for this trip on 8 March 2013. One theme that continues to reemerge throughout our many conversations about our experience was how much we were made to feel welcome and at home by our guide, Shelby. Aside from the dramatic scenery we witnessed along the way, her enthusiasm, pride in country and profession, and her sense of humor all contributed to make this “a trip of a lifetime.” We look forward to returning to accept her recommendation to visit the Isle of Skye. Again, well done Shelby! Sincerely, Victor Salazar
Posted by vicnpam on 11/03/2013
We had a truly amazing day. It is in large part due to our fantastic guide. We have never met a guide that passionate, enthousiastic and full of knowledge! He enjoys its job and it really shows and makes us have a good day. He literally entertained us during every single minute. He even helped us find the perfect restaurant we were seeking. We want to say a million thanks to Alastair (sorry I hope we spelled your name right). Bravo! Matthew and Camille from Wales and Canada
Posted by Camille Raynauld on 10/03/2013
Loved stopping off at all the smaller locations along the way for photos--Duncan really knew where good spots would be.
Posted by Steven Brisley on 07/03/2013
I loved seeing the scenery and the mountains. It was great also that Ally was so willing to take pictures for me and my friends. We now have wonderful souvenirs of the three of us in front of the mountains.
Posted by Katie Palmer on 28/02/2013
Excellent tour guide, Duncan kept us engaged in the knowledge and history of scotland over the whole day, and I would and will recommend this tour to everyone! Thank you!
Posted by Richard + Ruth on 20/02/2013
Neil was outstanding. So friendly and full of information and personal stories that really enhanced the tour. The music also made for a dramatic experience. My favorite scenery was Glencoe and Neil stopped a lot for us to take pictures.
Posted by Victoria Pardo on 15/02/2013
Have a top day touring the Highlands and Loch Ness with John. Experienced at least 7 seasons within the first 2 hours. Our Host and driver, John, set the scene dressed in his kilt and was one of the best guides we have ever been with. His knowledge of the areas we visited was very entertaining and the game of "Guess the Movie Themes" had us all in stitches all the way home. An absolutely brilliant day whic we will thoroughly recommend to our friends in Australia. Good job, Rabbies & John!
Posted by Dean on 11/02/2013
I enjoyed the drive into Glen Coe. the stop over at scenic views were definitely highlights of the tour. Ally was awesome! a genuinely wonderful person. the music was perfect and timed so perfectly during moments that the memory and experience of the highlands is somewhat heightened. I enjoyed every moment.
Posted by Nisha Santhar on 30/01/2013
My sister Virginie and I (the french girls) would like to thank our wonderful guide George. He is such a gentle and warm hearted man ! We were deeply touched by is kindness. Being on tour and discoverind the highlands with him was a beautiful experience. We'll keep a great memory of this tour and this meeting. THANK YOU GEORGE and take care!!! We'll try to post pictures as soon as possible. Marie & Virginie (the french girls)
Posted by Marie on 20/01/2013
It's been an amazing tour and an incredible Tour Guide Michael thank you very much for all the information and fun! Cheers June from Manchester
Posted by chteh-88 on 09/01/2013
Our guide Eric was amazing. Friendly and very knowledgeable. Made the whole experience better.
Posted by Antonina Pilat on 08/01/2013
We went on a day when it was raining all the time and completely miserable but Our tour guide made the drive very interesting and his commentary was our favourite part. The stories and interesting facts were great and he made it fun. He also made every effort to stop in good photo spots and whenever it cleared for a second he would take the opportunity to let us explore.
Posted by Catherine Graham on 03/01/2013
My wife and I went to Loch Ness and some of other sites around the highlands on a small group day tour. We had a brilliant time and a fantastic guide, John, who made the day even better. We saw some beautiful sites, listened to great music, were told intresesting information and had a great time playing music trivia on the way home. Outstanding day. Would definitely recommend.
Posted by Thomas and Rebecca on 01/01/2013
Barney was excellent. Very knowledgable and made the tour educational for the kids as well as us adults.
Posted by Michael Fienemann on 24/12/2012
Our guide Eric was amazing. Friendly and very knowledgeable. Made the whole experience better.
Posted by Antonina Pilat on 08/01/2013
We went on a day when it was raining all the time and completely miserable but Our tour guide made the drive very interesting and his commentary was our favourite part. The stories and interesting facts were great and he made it fun. He also made every effort to stop in good photo spots and whenever it cleared for a second he would take the opportunity to let us explore.
Posted by Catherine Graham on 03/01/2013
Barney was excellent. Very knowledgable and made the tour educational for the kids as well as us adults.
Posted by Michael Fienemann on 24/12/2012