The Best Day Trip from Edinburgh To The Highlands

The loch your guidebook probably missed (and why that's actually the point)

Sir Walter Scott wrote one of his most famous poems about it. J.M.W. Turner painted it. William Wordsworth made the journey to admire its shores. And yet, Loch Katrine remains one of the most overlooked lochs in all of Scotland.

That's part of what makes it so special.

While Loch Ness draws the crowds and Loch Lomond fills the parking lots, Loch Katrine sits quietly in the Trossachs, offering its own folklore without the crowds. Home to the mythical Urisks, mischievous, part-human, part-goat beings said to live in a cave on Ben Venue, as well as the legendary Kelpie, a shape-shifting water spirit, it has plenty of stories to tell. Add some of the most beautiful scenery in Scotland, a Victorian steamship still sailing across the loch, and a 14-mile car-free road that cyclists have largely kept to themselves, and it's one of the country's most underrated destinations.

We'd like to change that. Quietly, mind you. We're not in the business of overcrowding a good thing.

Why this loch started Highland tourism

Here's something worth knowing: before the Trossachs became a national park, before "Highland tourism" was even a phrase, it was largely Sir Walter Scott's fault that people started heading north.

His 1810 poem, The Lady of the Lake, was set right here on Loch Katrine. It became an enormous success, capturing readers' imaginations and sending curious visitors in search of the real place behind the verses.

Artists followed. Then writers. Then everyone else. The Trossachs became Scotland's very first tourist destination, long before Skye or the North Coast 500 entered the conversation.

You can still feel that pull today. The loch looks, quite frankly, like it belongs in a painting.

It isn't just history that draws people here. It's the feeling the place creates. Long before Outlander introduced millions of viewers to Scotland's wild beauty, poets, painters, and writers were making the same journey to Loch Katrine in search of dramatic scenery, unforgettable stories, and a place that stirred the imagination. More than 200 years later, that same sense of romance and adventure continues to draw visitors looking for more than just another scenic stop.

Three ways to actually experience Loch Katrine on a day trip from Edinburgh

This is where our Scottish Highlands Sail, Bike or Trail Experience tour from Edinburgh does something a little different. It takes freedom even further, giving you three genuine options for how you want to spend your time at the loch.

By bike

The 14-mile road that follows the shoreline has no traffic on it. None. You can rent a bike and ride as much or as little of it as you like, with forests, mountains, and open water keeping you company the whole way. It's the kind of cycling that doesn't feel like exercise. It just feels like a really great day.

On foot

If you'd rather slow things down, the woodland trails and lochside paths give you the chance to really take in the surroundings. The Trossachs has a way of making you stop mid-sentence. Birds, water, the occasional rustle in the trees. Good for the soul.

On the water

The SS Sir Walter Scott has been sailing on Loch Katrine since 1900. That's not a typo. It's a Victorian steamship that's still in operation, and you can cruise aboard it. Seeing the loch from the water is a completely different experience. The mountains look different. The scale of the place becomes even clearer. And there's something quietly remarkable about traveling the same stretch of water that inspired all those Romantic poets and painters.

Our driver-guide Simon put it best: "It's like an oil painting. You can definitely see where Scott got the inspiration."

Then comes the whisky

After Loch Katrine, the tour continues through some truly spectacular Highland scenery to Glenturret Distillery. Scotland's oldest working distillery, to be exact, with records dating back to 1763. It's a genuine visit, not just a photo stop. If whisky is your thing, we have a full range of Scotland whisky tours that go even deeper into the dram.

The drive between the two is worth mentioning in its own right. Highland scenery at its very best, with a driver-guide who actually knows the stories behind everything you're seeing.

Who is this day trip from Edinburgh for?

Anyone who wants a day that's about more than checking attractions off a list. It's perfect for people who enjoy the outdoors, who'd rather bike along a peaceful lochside road than wait in line at a crowded viewpoint, or who want to spend time somewhere that still feels undiscovered.

The tour departs from Edinburgh, and you can find everything you need to know about what's included in your tour on the Scottish Highlands Sail, Bike or Trail Experience tour page. If you're still weighing up your options, browse our full range of day trips from Edinburgh to the Highlands and beyond or explore everything departing from the city on our Edinburgh tours page.

The loch will still be there, looking much as it did when Scott wrote about it. You might as well experience it properly.