Invergordon Shore Excursion: Exploring Clava Cairns, Culloden Moor, Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle

Embark on an exciting shore excursion from Invergordon, exploring Clava Cairns, Culloden Moor, Loch Ness, and Urquhart Castle. Discover the mysteries of ancient standing stones, relive the historic Battle of Culloden, search for the legendary Loch Ness Monster, and immerse yourself in the rich history of Urquhart Castle.

Duration: 7 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Clava Cairns - Our first stop we find The Clava Cairns—or the Prehistoric Burial Cairns of Balnuaran of Clava—are all that remains of what was once a much larger Bronze Age burial complex. Dating back 4,000 years, the evocative cemetery site retains original features, including passage graves, standing stones, and ring cairns (stone circles).
What's Included
  • Pick up & drop off from the port
  • Local guide
  • Air-conditioned vehicle
  • Bottled water
What's Not Included
  • Admission fees
  • Admission fees
Additional Information

Allow us to fetch you right from your cruise ship at the Invergordon port of Cromarty.
We would first head to the Clava Cairns, where the standing stones that feature in Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander are located. There’s more to this famous site than meets the eye. Your guide will unravel the stories and puzzles of this location that dates back 4000 years….

Location
Invergordon Cruise Port
Shore Road
We are opposite the pedestrian crossing after security gate. Timings will be adjusted for later ships and earlier departure of ships. WE WILL EMAIL TO CONFIRM. NEW FOR 2025 SEASON shuttle buses will be provided to meeting point.
Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
5.0
(32 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Gman-kayaker
Oct 2, 2025
Great Day in the Highlands - We had a small group, just one other couple besides us, so Richie was able to tailor the tour to our suggestions. Because the group was not interested in a sit down lunch, we were able to a couple of additional stops, including a drive through Inverness, and a stop at the village of Beauly with the Priory where some of Outlander was filmed. The primary points of interest including the Cairns, Culloden, Loch Ness, and Urquhart Castle were very interesting. Urquhart was my favorite castle of all we saw traveling through Ireland and Scotland. Richie provided information throughout. Thanks!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Yolanda_m
Sep 23, 2025
Our favorite tour indeed!!! - Richie was amazing - so knowledgeable and agreeable. he took us to all the right places in one day. It was wonderful!!!
Review provided by Viator
Rick_t
Sep 16, 2025
True Scotland - Before our tour my wife said I hope our guide wears a kilt. Richie did indeed wear one and was a fantastic driver and guide! Right away he asked us where we wanted to spend extra time and customized the tour for us. We saw Clava Cairns first and learned about the ancient people who built them. None of us has seen Outlander but we will after the trip. Next to the Culloden Battlefield where Richie explained what took place there. No need to tour the museum as we left having learned a lot. Along our route we saw beautiful Highlands with sheep and Highlands cattle or Coos. We had time for brunch and to relax. Then on to Loch Ness to search for the monster. Don't take the boat trip because you can see from the road! We pre-purchased tickets to Urquhart Castle and after the movie spent time exploring. We also did a local gin tasting and explored the Beauly Priory church ruins. An awesome just packed with adventure and beauty!
Review provided by Viator
Jasellemp
Aug 12, 2025
Inverness w/ Richie and Highland Bucket List Tours - From ancient cairns to monster-filled lochs, Richie gave us the ultimate Inverness adventure. Our tour with him was the absolute highlight of our entire 7-country European cruise. He took us to incredible sites including Clava Cairns, Culloden Battlefield, Loch Ness, Urquhart Castle, and Great Glen Distillery, all with great stories and details. Every stop was an OUTLANDER fan’s dream! He even showed us a great lunch spot that was his personal favorite. As the owner-operator of HIGHLAND BUCKET LIST TOURS, he keeps the group size small (there were 3 in our family, plus another couple, so total of 5) and adds a personal touch you don’t get with those other big tours. A great guy, Richie always made sure my 86 year old mom was comfortable and enjoying the day as well. We would highly recommend Richie to anyone visiting Scotland, you won’t be disappointed!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sally_h
Aug 7, 2025
Invergordon/Inverness - This is much better than a large group tour. Able to change up the itinerary based on interests and time schedule. Our guide Richie was fantastic...so knowledgeable and friendly
Review provided by Viator
Sandra_b
Aug 2, 2025
Perfect tour for a cruise stop - We had a great day and saw more than you could ever see if you booked on a big tour bus. We were able to make a couple of specific requests and were so grateful that they were able to make our day so specialized and perfect!
Review provided by Viator
Andre
Jul 30, 2025
Everything you need for a day - The tour was great, we saw a lot of things, also asked what else we might want to see, which was not officially planned. The tour manager was super nice, explained everything in detail, just spoke a little too fast sometimes.... (here the request or a tip: not everyone grew up with native English including Scottish dialect, so a little slower talking to the next other-speaking guests would be great.) Thanks again 👍👍
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Delphine_t
Jul 30, 2025
Very good guide. Very... - Very good guide. Very interesting tour. Visits to additional places on the initial tour. Clean car.
Review provided by Viator
Michelle_c
Jul 22, 2025
Stop your research and book this tour - Excellent and knowledgeable local guide, fun and informative small group tour. Ritchie is terrific and lives in the Highlands so you get a real perspective about this beautiful, magical place. Definitely recommend.
Review provided by Viator
Karen_p
Jul 17, 2025
A day in Iverness - Our husbands weren’t feeling weak so it was just my friend and I on the tour. We recruited some new friends to join us and we all toured with Richy. He was wonderful. We got to pick where we wanted to go with his suggestions. We had a delightful time. The tour and Lunch at Cawdor was wonderful. The back roads were beautiful.! We had a wonderful day. ❤️
Review provided by Viator
From $107
up to 8 guests
2 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).