A Review of the West Highlands, Lochs & Castles Day Tour with Rabbie’s

Have you ever wanted to see some of Scotland’s most scenic lochs and historic castles? This summer, I decided to go on Rabbie’s West Highlands, Lochs & Castles 1 Day Tour to do just that.

On the morning of the tour, I made my way to Rabbie’s Café in the heart of Edinburgh, where I met my tour guide Stephen and the rest of the group. We all boarded the 16-seater mini-coach and set off on our adventure just after 8am. Stephen was great at breaking the ice between everyone and made sure spirits were high for the day ahead.

Our first stop was Doune Castle which is situated in a quiet, historic village on the River Teith, not far from Stirling. We spent our time here exploring the charming woodland grounds and admiring the views of the striking 100 ft high gatehouse.

We then continued through Callander and crossed the Highland Boundary Fault Line, leaving behind the rolling farmland for the wild mountains and forests of the Highlands. A very fitting time for Stephen, our tour guide, to play some bagpipes for us all to enjoy.

Our next stop was Loch Lubnaig, a small but stunningly located stretch of freshwater nestling between two striking mountains, Ben Ledi and Benvane. The perfect place to grab a coffee while taking in the picturesque views and watching the open water swimmers and kayaks go by.

The next part of our adventure took us to Kilchurn Castle, a 15th Century ruin situated on a rocky peninsula at the head of loch Awe. The Scottish weather made for a dramatic, mystical view of the castle and surrounding landscape. I can now understand why Kilchurn is of the most photographed castles in Scotland. We were also lucky enough to spot some Highland coo’s on our walk up to the fortress!

We then travelled along to the traditional town of Inveraray where we stopped at Inveraray Castle. I decided to admire the fairytale-like castle from the beautiful grounds, but you could also pay a small fee to go inside. This was our longest stop of the trip so an ideal opportunity to grab some fresh fish and chips from one of the local pubs and enjoy the fantastic views of Loch Fyne from the harbour.

Our last stop of the trip took us to Loch Lomond, where we parked up in the village of Luss. Stephen made sure we had a warm welcome by playing ‘The Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond’ as we approached the shores. I spent my time here wandering along the waterfront, watching the watersports, and taking in the stunning views of the loch.

Before we knew it, the tour was almost over, and we made our way back to Edinburgh for 6.30pm. One of the best things I’ve heard about Rabbie’s Tours is the quality of the tour guides, and Stephen exceeded my expectations. He was welcoming, knowledgeable, funny, and played some great music. This created a sociable atmosphere on the bus which made it feel like I was exploring with friends, rather than strangers. I learned so much about Scotland from the many fascinating stories Stephen told on our journey and got to discover some hidden gems. This is a great tour for someone who wants to see some of Scotland’s most beautiful lochs and castles in just one day. If you haven’t already, I highly recommend booking one of Rabbie’s day tours for a memorable day out.

Briony works for Rabbie's as a Digital Marketing Executive. In her spare time, she likes to travel and explore new places.