Highland Bus tour: Experience Outlander, Culloden, Castles, and Loch Ness in One Day
4.4
148 Ratings
Highland Council
Experience the best of the Scottish Highlands on our Highland Bus tour. Explore Outlander locations, visit Culloden, discover castles, and search for Nessie at Loch Ness. Book now!
Duration:
8 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
learn more
Highlights
- Culloden Viaduct - After a half hour visit at Clava Cairns, we will pop around the corner to see the famous Culloden or Nairn viaduct, designed by Murdoch Paterson and opened as a railway crossing in 1898. It is a spectacle to behold – there will be photo opportunities.
- Inverness Castle - Journeying onwards through the city of Inverness we will pass the historic town hall and the Inverness Castle. There will be photo opportunities for the castle and Inverness Cathedral. You’ll be able to visit the castle viewing gallery and the shops, cafes or historic bars.
Photos only until 2024 as castle is being renovated.
- Cawdor Castle - Cawdor Castle is a lived in castle which is written about in Shakespear’s MacBeth, when he refers to the Thane of Cawdor and the prediction. It has spectacular gardens and guided audio tours in your own language.
- Loch Ness - Going over the River Ness onto Loch Ness, where you need to be ready to spot our legend, Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster. Enjoy the comfortable ride by Loch Ness, which takes just around 30 minutes , searching for a sighting of Nessie herself. The last famous recorded sighting of her was a few decades ago, but we live in hope she will be photographed again soon. The scenery is second to none, so have your cameras ready. In recent months there has been footage circulated online of video recordings of an animal similar to Nessie playing in Loch Ness. We will stop at the Loch Ness lay-by for photos but it isn’t possible to paddle in Loch Ness due to the steep hillside location. You’ll travel past Loch Ness for 30 minutes enjoying it and waiting for a glimpse of Nessie.
Drive by for 20 minutes
- Culloden Battlefield - We will travel to the Culloden Battlefield, where the Jacobites lost many a soul in the 1946 uprising. This was the last battle to be fought on British soil. If time allows we will give guests a chance to walk on the battlefield. Depending on tour we may not stop but just drive by.
- Beauly Priory - We will leave the castle around 2-2.30pm to journey via a scenic route to Beauly to drive by the historic priory, now a ruin, built in 1230 by a little-known French order of monks. It is also the location where Claire of Outlander fame, is supposed to have met Mairi. It is the true site of the burial ground for the chiefs of Clan Fraser of which the fictional character from Outlander, Jamie Fraser is related.
If time allows we will stop.
- Inverness - Drop off in the city for shopping or seeing the historical churches and streets. It can vary between 30-90 minutes for this stop.
- Robertson’s Farm Shop Beauly - Go see a local farm shop but most of all see the two Highland cows Jamie and Katie-Morag
What's Included
- Entrance to Inverness Castle included in the booking price.
- Note: Inverness Castle is currently closed for refurbishment.
Additional Information
Our tours have been meticulously crafted based on YOUR feedback. We have considered your desires and suggestions and integrated them into our tour planning. We assure you a high-quality experience, including complimentary rain macs if needed and a knowledgeable local guide or a driver guide on our minibuses. Our guides will share insights about the Highlands and will happily answer any questions you may have.
Do visit our website to confirm the tour schedules, which might not sync with the times mentioned here. Usually, tours start between 30 minutes to 1.5 hours post the ship’s arrival and return at least 1 hour prior to the ship’s departure timeframe. Our website will provide you with the precise departure and return times for all our tours.
Our bus tour from Invergordon brings together some stunning highlights - Outlander, Culloden, Castles, Loch Ness & Nessie! This one-day tour is extremely well-priced and designed to give you maximum value for your money. The entrance fee for the castle is covered in the tour cost. All details regarding our tours and booking procedures can be found on our website.
- Wheelchair travellers difficult
Location
37 Shore Rd
Shore Road
If docking at Invergordon pier disembark cruise ship, walk 2-5 minutes to the meeting point at the west harbour exit gates. Cross the pedestrian crossing at the traffic lights - Invergordon IV180EH or look for our Thistle Guides wearing purple and a Thistle lanyard.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.4
(148 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Kim_r
Oct 11, 2023
A fun & full day - Loved our guide, Culloden & the stones. Enjoyed Inverness. Appreciated mentions of the Outlander series during tour experiences.
Review provided by Viator
Joan_p
Sep 30, 2023
Go everywhere with Viator tours! - So many points of interest and a wonderful guide, Mo, who made sure everyone had a great experience! And operators who helped get us on tour even when date was incorrect! Highly recommend and again, Viator has never let us down!
Review provided by Viator
H3071lflorim
Sep 26, 2023
Battles, Castles and Monsters - Inverness was one of our cruise port stops and we booked this excursion independent of the ship. Mo was a fantastic guide and provided lots of information at each stop. I liked that we were able to stop at a bunch of different places and also receive the relevant background information before exploring them. Mo had a great sense of humor and kept the group entertained throughout the tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Carol_a
Sep 26, 2023
Very pleased with thistle... - Very pleased with thistle tours . They were early and waiting for their customers. They had a sign so it was easy to spot. Mo was an excellent guide. Would highly recommend using them
Review provided by Viator
Helaineusa
Sep 26, 2023
A Great Sampler of Places - We had Mo as our tour guide and she gave a great narrative of everything we saw. She was very knowledgeable and pleasant. This tour was a great way to see a sampler of things with one day in port at Invergordon. There was a lot to see and we made it back to the ship in plenty of time. We had some free exploration time with specific time limits which everyone respected. It was well worth the time and money.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Marlene
Sep 26, 2023
Wonders of Inverness - No was informative and entertaining. The time at each stop was just right. She gave us all the information we needed to enjoy each stop
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Donald_b
Sep 17, 2023
Good excursion, pleasant experience - Our Thistle Excursions guide, Mo, and our Thistle Excursions bus driver both did an excellent job. Mo, who has a background in teaching children, was gifted with the adults in her charge--anticipating their needs, addressing their educational interests, and managing to herd them through crowds without making them feel herded. We benefitted from having a driver who focused on driving and a guide who focused on us, and we appreciated that Mo wore a mic that made her easily heard throughout the bus. The bus itself was clean, comfortable, and not filled to the brim with passengers--a nice change from some of our cruise ship venues. I preferred this excursion to pricier ones in smaller vehicles in which the driver doubled as a guide and had to make himself heard by speaking loudly. In the far back corner of one of these vehicles, it's very hard to hear anything but the motor and, being physically able to climb into the back seat and fit there with two others, I was stuck back there for the duration of most of these excursions. Yes, I would choose the Viator-sponsored tour again!
Review provided by Viator
Sightsee42113703904
Sep 16, 2023
Great experience covering everything you mustn’t miss. - This tour was very well done by Mo. very good information and presentation. She was great. The places we went were great and everything was accessible for us Seniors. I did expect that the tour group and vehicle would be only 6 or i people so I’m not sure where the cross up was. It worked out just fine though.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ann_s
Sep 15, 2023
A lovely day in the Scottish Highlands - Our tour guide Mo provided very interesting and relevant information about each of the sites we visited, enhancing our experience along the way. We were thrilled to see the beauty of the Scottish Highlands and Lock Ness in person. Culloden Battlefield and Clava Cairns both had a sense of history, presence, and peace. Cawdor Castle and its grounds were lovely. Overall, a day well spent.
Review provided by Viator
Julie_l
Sep 15, 2023
Inverness Tour - This was the best tour of our whole trip! Perfect excursion if you are on a cruise ship and only have a short time at port. Very accommodating of times you need to be back to the ship. Great amount of time at each spot along the tour, very informative, fun and saw everything on our list for the day!
Review provided by Viator
More activities from this operator
