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Invergordon Tour: Highlands, Castles & Whisky
4.6
11 Ratings
Nairn
Explore Cawdor Castle, Inverness, and taste whisky at Glen Ord Distillery on this captivating Invergordon shore excursion.
Explore Cawdor Castle, Inverness, and taste whisky at Glen Ord Distillery on this captivating Invergordon shore excursion.
Duration:
8 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Cawdor Castle - Departing from Invergordon, the journey begins with a visit to Cawdor Castle. Nestled in the stunning gardens of Nairnshire, this castle is the historic residence of the Campbell family, dating back to the 15th century. Visitors can enjoy exploring the castle and its charming surroundings.
- Clava Cairns - Leaving Nairnshire,…
- Cawdor Castle - Departing from Invergordon, the journey begins with a visit to Cawdor Castle. Nestled in the stunning gardens of Nairnshire, this castle is the historic residence of the Campbell family, dating back to the 15th century. Visitors can enjoy exploring the castle and its charming surroundings.
- Clava Cairns - Leaving Nairnshire, the tour proceeds to Clava Cairns, a collection of burial sites that provide insight into the life and customs of the Scots during the Bronze Age, over 4,000 years ago.
- Dores Beach - After visiting Clava Cairns, the Invergordon shore excursion continues to Dores Beach, located on the shores of Loch Ness. Here, there is a brief stop for photos and refreshments, offering a chance for some Nessie spotting!
- Inverness - The adventure then moves to Inverness, the Capital of the Highlands. With over an hour to spend here, there is ample time to enjoy lunch, stroll along the River Ness, and perhaps catch a glimpse of Inverness Castle.
- The Singleton Distillery - The tour concludes at Glen Ord, the only remaining single malt whisky distillery on the Black Isle, home to Singleton Whisky. Guests can enjoy a distillery tour, ending the Invergordon Shore Excursion with a tasting of the Singleton of Glen Ord 12-year-old whisky.
What's Included
- Driver/guide
- Port pickup and drop-off
- Live commentary on board
- Driver/guide
- Port pickup and drop-off
- Live commentary on board
What's Not Included
- Attraction Tickets
- Gratuities
- Food & Drinks
- Attraction Tickets
- Gratuities
- Food & Drinks
Additional Information
Discover the highlights of the Highlands with this Invergordon shore excursion. Tour the historic Cawdor Castle, wander through the ancient Clava Cairns, and take in the picturesque views of Loch Ness from Dores Beach. Enjoy some time in Inverness, the capital of the Highlands, before visiting Glen Ord Distillery for a tasting of Singleton’s 12-year-old…
Discover the highlights of the Highlands with this Invergordon shore excursion. Tour the historic Cawdor Castle, wander through the ancient Clava Cairns, and take in the picturesque views of Loch Ness from Dores Beach. Enjoy some time in Inverness, the capital of the Highlands, before visiting Glen Ord Distillery for a tasting of Singleton’s 12-year-old single malt whisky. This tour perfectly combines history, stunning landscapes, and local culture, making it perfect for those eager to explore the essence of the Scottish Highlands.
- Children must be accompanied by an adult.
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately.
- Glen Ord closed on 11th July & 3rd October. We will visit Culloden Battlefield as an alternative.
- Minimum age is 4 years old.
- At the time of booking, cruise ship passengers must provide the following information: ship name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time.
- Collapsible wheelchairs with removable wheels can be accommodated providing the passenger is accompanied by someone who can assist them board and disembark.
Location
Cawdor Castle
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.6
(11 Ratings)
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Eileen_c
Jul 18, 2025
Stewart was our driver.... - Stewart was our driver. He was funny and he gave us plenty of time at every site. He gave us a good overview of the Highlands.
Review provided by Viator
Karen_r
Jul 14, 2025
Excellent - Great tour. Malcome did an amazing job. Definitely recommend Tailored the trip to meet everyone's needs.
Review provided by Viator
Ronald_s
Jul 4, 2025
Review 2 - Willie with Timberbush was great. Wonderful story teller, interesting facts and great driver. Beautiful sites and back to port with time to spare.
Review provided by Viator
Sightsee66213027547
Jul 4, 2025
Absolutely amazing tour - Willie is amazing amazing guide. Funny and knowledgeable. We took many many photos that were amazing. Can't say enough good about this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bsz8580fo
Jul 4, 2025
Highly recommend! - Loved Cawdor Castle and the Glen Ord tour was very interesting and informative. Willie did an amazing job and had so many great stories to make the between drives a lot of fun!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
I2664tljuliew
Jul 4, 2025
1 day tour from the cruise ship terminal. - Highly enjoyable tour, with pick up at the cruise terminal.
Fast paced and educational
Recommended tour to see everything witihn a single day,
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gwenp298
Jul 4, 2025
Fantastic time! - Willy was amazing. He kept us on time and got us in and out quickly. He was funny and I would take a trip with him again. Very professional.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Loggie23
Jul 4, 2025
Inverness 1 day tour - Enjoy Willie and his sense of humor and adventure. Beautiful countryside and the CAWDOR Castle experience was great. Loved the gardens. Only part missing was a stop at Loch Ness.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lesley_a
Sep 14, 2025
Whiskey tasting at 930am? - Tour guide they hired was great. He handled all the problems in stride. The Timberbush tour company however, needs some work with scheduling and organization. The 5 of us were picked up on time, got on the bus and then told we were going whiskey tasting at 930 in the morning. We said, um well Timberbush told us to prebuy 240pm Glen Ord tickets months ago and the online itinerary still says we are tasting in the afternoon. Guide called in and was told by Timberbush again, they can't change it. So we showed up at Glen Ord at 930 only to find out they open at 10 and that they just entered the SLOW season and won't be having normal whiskey tours. What? Why?
The whiskey tour they gave us was fine, the guy who gave us the tour said it was his first day on the job.
The rest of the day went off without a hitch. Our guide was knowledgable and kind. We showed up at Cawdor Castle in the afternoon, when we were supposed to be whiskey tasting.
The transportation to and from the cruise port was good, a nice clean bus.
Anyways, that's my review.
Review provided by Viator
Sandra_v
Sep 8, 2025
More Shuttle than Tour… - We went to the castle, cairns (cool), and whisky distillery as advertised, with a rushed stop for lunch and very brief stop at Loch Ness. What is not advertised is that the castle stop is so brief - combined with the queue to get in - that people had to essentially run through the castle to make it back to the bus. Luckily we had just opted for the garden tour.
As mentioned, the lunch stop was brief - 35 minutes in a crowded food court. Barely made it with no time to spare for bathroom. Whisky tour was a complete bust. Only the two of us had bought our tour tickets in advance (20 pounds each), and there were no other spots left for others to join. So we are supposedly getting our money back. We then made a 10 minute stop at Loch Ness (no Nessy sighting unfortunately). That was pretty cool as well, though. To substitute for the aborted whisky tour, I assume, we stopped at a farm and saw a couple of the Highland hairy cows.
The strangest aspect of the tour was the guide - he really didn’t seem like a guide. That is, he didn’t share much back story or local history along the way like others guides do. He just seemed to comment on whatever caught his eye as we drove along - for example, birds, farm animals, advertisement signs, etc. His wife was the driver and often she would nudge him to comment about something in particular.
All in all, the worst Viator tour we’ve been on. The timing of this tour really needs to be carefully reconsidered. I don’t see how we would’ve made it back to the ship in time if the whisky tour had not been skipped. Hopefully we’ll get a chance to come back to this interesting area and catch a more well-planned and informative tour.
Review provided by Viator
