Private Tour: Loch Ness, Culloden Battlefield, Clava and Cawdor
5.0
14 Ratings
Scottish Highlands
Embark on a private tour of Loch Ness, Culloden Battlefield, Clava Cairns, Cawdor Castle, and more. Explore the stunning landscapes and historical sites of Inverness with your own personal guide.
Duration: 8 hours, 40 minutes
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Loch Ness - Loch Ness is 23 miles long and at its widest point it is just 1.5 miles wide. Nessie was first seen by St. Columba in 564 AD. Every year people are reporting sightings - in 2017 there were 11 sightings, and in 2018 there were 13 sightings. Keep your eyes peeled as we journey around the loch.

Our first stop is at the Wellington lay-by where on the 31st December 1939 a Wellington Bomber from RAF Lossiemouth was forced to ditch after suffering engine failure. The remains of the bomber were recovered in 1985 and it has been fully restored and is now in Brooklands Museum in Weybridge in Surrey.

  • Urquhart Castle - Carrying on through Drumnadrochit we come to Urquhart Castle sitting on a rocky promontory with fantastic views over Loch Ness. This 800 year old castle has had a turbulent and bloody history. Explore the ruins and visitor centre.
  • Beauly Priory - Leaving Urquhart Castle, we head back to Drumnadrochit and take the Culnakirk Hill Road towards Beauly and our next stop, the Beauly Priory. The priory was founded in the 13th century for monks of the Valliscaulian order. In the grounds of the priory you will find the Beauly Elm Tree, this tree is 800 years old and is the oldest elm tree in Europe.
  • Cawdor Castle - Cawdor Castle re-opens on the 29th April 2023
    Cawdor Castle, has been home to the Thanes of Cawdor since 1370. The castle is set in stunning grounds and gardens and is surrounded by the magnificent Cawdor Big Wood, one of the finest woodland areas in Europe.
  • Clava Cairns - We head back towards Inverness to the Clava Cairns. The Clava Cairns are 4000 years old and the area is an ancient cemetery. The sites contain a range of prehistoric burial monuments and the remains of a medieval chapel.

The Clava Cairns provided inspiration for Creag Na Dun in the Outlander series and the Cleft Stone can be found here.

  • Culloden Battlefield - Less than a mile from Clava Cairns is Culloden Battlefield where on the 16th April 1746 the last battle on British soil was fought and the final Jacobite Rising came to a brutal end. In less than one hour, 1600 men were slain, 1500 of them Jacobites. This was to change the way of life in the Highlands forever.

Walk round the battlefield and see the memorial cairn and the clan burial stones, and visit the visitor centre.

  • Inverness Castle - We pass by Inverness Castle where you will see in the grounds of the castle a statue of Flora Macdonald who was famous for helping Bonnie Prince Charlie escape after the Battle of Culloden.
  • Inverness Cathedral - Inverness Cathedral is the most northerly Anglican Cathedral in the UK. The Cathedral was commissioned by Bishop Eden and was completed in 1866.
What's Included
  • Private transportation
  • WiFi onboard
  • Complimentary bottled water
  • Assorted snacks provided
  • Convenient pick-up and drop-off included
What's Not Included
  • Alcoholic Beverages
  • Lunch
  • Admission Fees to Urquhart Castle of $14
  • Admission to Cawdor Castle $14
  • Culloden visitor centre $16
Additional Information

This tour is an exclusive experience customized for you and your group alone. We will travel to the locations of your choice. Destinations may include Loch Ness alongside Urquhart Castle, the historical Culloden Battlefield, Clava Cairns, Cawdor Castle, and Beauly Priory. You can visit the cultural hub of Inverness City, where you’ll see landmarks such as Inverness Castle and Inverness Cathedral, as well as Abertarff House- the city’s oldest house. We’ll also make a stop at the old High church - a site associated with the tragic fate of Jacobite prisoners after the Battle of Culloden.

  • Alcohol is not served to underaged
Location
Loch Ness
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(14 Ratings)
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Sheryl
May 4, 2024
What a treat! Lawrence exceeded our expectations! - We had a wonderful day with Lawrence Macleod. He picked us up at our hotel in Aberdeen and our first stop was the Glenfidditch Distillery for a tasting His car was clean and comfortable and he had water for us. He took us through beautiful scenery and was very flexible. My husband thoroughly enjoyed the tastings and we continued on to Cowdor castle for lunch at the tavern and a tour. Lawrence found out we were Outlander fans; so, he added taking us to the “Craigh Na Dun” stones. He gave us a personal tour of the Cullodon battlefield, as well. We finished our day with feeding the Highlander cows, a highlight for me, and driving over to Loch Ness and the Urquhart castle. A very busy but fun filled day. Lawrence is a history buff so he had many a story or tale to tell which enriched our experience even more. We cant recommend him enough!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cmb6028
Feb 22, 2024
Best experience in all of Scotland - Our multi day tours were customized. We removed Loch Ness and went to a castle and some special places recommended along the way. This company is great for that reason. They aim to please, giving you the experience you want. We planned our bespoke trip in advance and these guys (Larry and Billy) were so helpful with dining and entertainment suggestions. They exceeded our expectations. We plan to go back to see other areas of Scotland and will have them assist us again with our sightseeing journey.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Thomas_k
Jan 24, 2024
Billy was great. ... - Billy was great. Wonderful knowledge of the area and very flexible service. Wind and rain was horrendous but we still had great tour.
Review provided by Viator
H2581vldianav
Sep 15, 2023
Fantastic tour! - We had a wonderfull day! Our driver and guide Billy was super!! He told us a lot about the historie and the surroundings!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Daniel
Sep 7, 2023
Phenomenal Service - Lawrence was phenomenal, very knowledgeable and easy to talk to, we had a 7 month old baby with us and he accommodated us no problem. Highly recommend their services if you want to tour the highlands
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Chargen2017
Sep 4, 2023
A+ Perfect day in Scotland - Creating a customized tour was easy with the great knowledge and good communication from Lawrence. Tour guide Billy was great!! Funny, Informative and very good at navigating the sites to save us time. Highly, highly recommend Highlander Private Tours.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
S49
Sep 2, 2023
A great day out in the Highlands - A group of 8 from a cruise ship had an excellent tour with Billy. He was a wealth of information about the Highlands, history, Inverness and all things Scottish. We saw some great sites and learned a lot! Thanks Billy for a great day out in the Highlands!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Denisecq9057xs
Jun 20, 2023
THE BEST TOUR IN THE HIGHLANDS! - I'm a little late with this review, as I had lost the contact info, then just found it! But, it was such an amazing trip, I just HAD to come leave a review for them! We had a private tour, 3 of us, with Lawrence as our guide. He was absolutely perfect! Picked us up from our cruise ship, took us to all the places we were interested in, told us great history and stories about everything, it was just an incredible tour. Definitely the highlight of our trip to Scotland. I would not hesitate to book with them again in the future!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gayleng2023
Jun 16, 2023
Best tour Inverness! - Wonderful tour, fun surprises! Our driver was the best ever!! We loved all the sites. And learned so much.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mkh369
Jun 12, 2023
Best day our cruise! - The best day of our British Isles cruise was our tour day in Inverness, Scotland!! Billie our driver was the best! His knowledge, expertise, and familiarity with the traditions, history, and geography were unmatched!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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