Urquhart Castle, Culloden Battlefield, Inverness & Loch Ness

Urquhart Castle and Loch Ness (Outlander fame)

Inverness Castle - visit viewing gallery and see over the city

Duration6h - 8h

Free cancellationFull refund up to 24 hours before

Instant confirmationYour booking is confirmed right away

TicketMobile or paper ticket accepted

LanguagesEnglish

Group sizeUp to 33 travelers

Overview

Return journey:

We WILL have you back to your ship around 1 hour prior to its departure time. We nearly always arrive back BEFORE the ship’s own buses. We’re very efficient and have been doing this for 7 years, serving thousands of cruise passengers every summer season.

You’ll see Clava Cairns from Outlander fame, Culloden battlefield, Urquhart Castle, Inverness, Loch Ness and the famous highland cows at Beauly.

This tour is taken usually in an 8 seater minivan but sometimes up to a 33 seater which is still a small bus.

Our tour is based on a quality experience from feedback from our customers in 2019. We are a new company who aim to please and our guides will offer you local knowledge and answer all your questions.

Our tour will depart 30 minutes to 1.5 hours after the ship’s arrival.

This tour can be in anything from 8 seaters to 33 seaters depending on numbers.

You will love our experienced tour guides in their purple uniforms or tartan and kilt attire.

What's included

Parking Fees

Snacks
Clava Cairns - we can’t go over weak bridge in a large bus so please check - usually in a small veh

What to expect

Culloden Battlefield
1h 30m · Admission ticket not included

⸻

Culloden Battlefield
• Culloden Moor, just outside Inverness, is the site of the Battle of Culloden (16 April 1746), the last pitched battle fought on British soil.
• It marked the end of the Jacobite Rising of 1745, when Prince Charles Edward Stuart – “Bonnie Prince Charlie” – tried to reclaim the throne for the exiled Stuart dynasty.
• The Jacobite army, made up largely of Highland clansmen, faced the government forces of the Duke of Cumberland.

This includes travelling time to get there from port of 45 minutes. 30-45 minutes on site.
Clava Cairns
30m

** OPTIONAL **
Only visited if tour is in a small vehicle. When tour is in a bus over 18 tonne it cannot cross the weak bridge. Please ask about this if it is important to you.

Clava Cairns are a group of Bronze Age burial cairns, about 4,000 years old, located near Culloden Battlefield, just outside Inverness.

• The site includes passage graves, ring cairns, standing stones, and kerb cairns, arranged in a circular pattern.

• Fans of the TV series Outlander will recognise Clava Cairns as the inspiration for the fictional Craigh na Dun, where Claire Randall is transported back in time through the standing stones.
• While Clava Cairns itself doesn’t have a magical “split stone” like in the series, the setting – with its circle of standing stones – feels very similar.

Includes 15 minutes travelling time from last location.
Inverness
1h 30m

Arrive Inverness city centre where your entrance is included to Inverness Castle’s new viewing gallery. See right across the city. Visit Flora MacDonald’s statue outside the castle and see the shops and cafes in Inverness. Maybe try a local beer in the oldest bar in Inverness, the Gellions, dating back to 1841.

Unfortunately only photos until 2024 as vast he is clouded for complete renovation.

Includes 30 minutes travelling time from last location
Loch Ness
30m

Travel beside Loch Ness for 15 miles, stopping for photos of Nessie (if you’re very lucky).
Drumnadrochit
10m

Pass through the quaint village stopping when you visit the Nessie centre and gin shop
Urquhart Castle
2h · Admission ticket included

Visit the ruins of Urquhart Castle as well as the video centre. Watch a 6 minute historic video with own language subtitles. Wander down to the ruins or browse the shop or cafe.

Includes driving by loch ness for 30 minutes
Robertson's - The Larder & Highland Cows - Beauly
1h

See real life highland coos and alpacas at Robertson’s farm on the outskirts of Beauly.

Includes 30 minutes travelling time from last location.
Culloden Viaduct
5m

Structure
• The viaduct is the longest masonry viaduct in Scotland, stretching 1,800 feet (549 metres).
• It is made of red sandstone and consists of 29 graceful arches, each about 50 feet high.
• The viaduct has a sweeping curve, giving it a very elegant appearance across the landscape.
Beauly Priory
Pass by

Leave the village Drumnadrochit then back to the ship via wild land 1000 feet up a mountain the dropping down into the village of Beauly, passing by the ancient Priory.

Meeting and pickup

Meeting point

In 2026 walk from the shop along the designated pathway a few hundred yards to the west harbour, cross at the pedestrian crossing to meet the independent tour guides. Thistle guides wear purple/burgundy (females), and carry clipboards saying Thistle Excursions. There may also be Thistle flags.

End point

In 2026 walk from the shop along the designated pathway a few hundred yards to the west harbour, cross at the pedestrian crossing to meet the independent tour guides. Thistle guides wear purple/burgundy (females), and carry clipboards saying Thistle Excursions. There may also be Thistle flags.

Additional information

Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Specialized infant seats are available
Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

Cancellation policy

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

Reviews

4.7 (132)