Loch Ness & Urquhart Castle Private Day Tour with Scottish Local

As your tour leaves Edinburgh admire magnificent views across the Firth of Forth as you drive north to Fife. Keep a look out for the UNESCO-listed Forth Bridge as you cross the Forth Road Bridge, then soak up the scenery as you wind through the countryside.

Pitlochry is nestled amongst the stunning scenery of the Highland Perthshire, breathe in fresh air and stand back to admire the view. A traditional resort town you can take a stroll looking on local stores for gifts and crafts enjoy a drink in one of many Cafes or bistros. A favourite of Queen Victoria this stop is about soaking up the best of the Scottish Highlands.

On arrival at Loch Ness you have two options to enjoy, Option 1: Cruise Loch Ness, view the castle on this one-hour voyage across the deepest, mysterious waters of Loch Ness. From here, treat those peepers – and your camera – to the breathtaking sight of the historic Urquhart Castle. Taking either a 1 or 2 hrs Cruise using Jacobite Cruises. Option 2: Loch Ness Centre & Exhibition, Explore the mysteries and discover the history of the world famous Loch at the Loch Ness Centre and Exhibition Experience. Discover the history of Loch Ness from the ice age to the third millennium in a seven room, themed, automated walk through. Explore the history of the loch and the many mysteries and explorations that have surrounded its past. Learn about the rumours, the hoaxes and the truths and discover what may really live in Loch Ness.

Discover more than 1,000 years of stirring history centred on the Great Glen. The magnificently situated Urquhart Castle, on the shore of Loch Ness, has seen some of the most dramatic chapters in our nation’s story. Once one of Scotland’s largest castles, Urquhart saw great conflict during its 500 years as a medieval fortress. Control of the castle passed back and forth between the Scots and English during the Wars of Independence. The power struggles continued, as the Lords of the Isles regularly raided both castle and glen up until the 1500s. The last of the government troops garrisoned here during the Jacobite Risings blew up the castle when they left. Urquhart’s iconic ruins remain, offering glimpses into medieval times and the lives of its noble residents.

Inverness the capital of the Scottish Highlands is one of Scotland’s seven cities and sits in the south of the Highlands, on the banks of the River Ness. Crowned by a pink crenellated castle and lavishly decorated with flowers. The city boasts a number of historic buildings in the Old Town that can be appreciated.

Visit the powerfully moving site of the final Jacobite Rising – the last and most harrowing pitched battle to be fought on British soil. On 16 April 1746, the final Jacobite Rising came to a brutal head. Jacobite supporters, seeking to restore the Stuart monarchy to the British thrones, gathered to fight the Duke of Cumberland’s government troops. It was the last pitched battle on British soil and, in less than an hour, around 1,500 men were slain – more than 1,000 of them Jacobites. The Culloden Visitor Centre, which stands beside the battlefield, features artefacts from both sides of the battle and interactive displays that reveal the background to the conflict. A visit to Culloden is a poignant experience. Headstones mark the graves of hundreds of clansmen who gave their lives for the Jacobite cause. There is a 6m-high memorial cairn honours the fallen; and an eerie silence often falls across wild Drummossie Moor, there is no escaping the emotions Culloden evokes.

On your return you will pass through the stunning Cairngorms National Park, with the best of what the Scottish Highlands have to offer the journey will fly by.

The lovely village of Dunkeld sits on the banks of the River Tay. The majestic Dunkeld Cathedral dominates this picturesque Perthshire village. Today, part ruin and part parish church, the cathedral features the tomb of the notorious 'Wolf of Badenoch'! Nearby, walk along Atholl Street's variety of specialist shops or take a walk down by the river, which provides excellent views of Thomas Telford's Dunkeld Bridge.