Day trip from Edinburgh Loch Ness and the Highlands
Scotland's best-known loch, 113 rail miles north of Edinburgh near Inverness, usually combined with Glencoe and Fort William on a one-day coach loop.
Is Loch Ness and the Highlands worth a day trip from Edinburgh?
Only with a tour. Expect a long day.
Go with a tour, and only if you accept what it is: a 12.5-hour coach day with about an hour at the loch itself. The scenery on the road through Glencoe is the real reason to go, and Loch Ness is the turnaround point. Doing it alone by train means 3 hours 18 minutes to Inverness at best, then a bus down the loch, so more than 7 hours of travel for one castle. Urquhart Castle (£ 14 online) and the 1-hour cruise are optional extras on the tour and you only have time for one of them. With two days to spare, sleep in Inverness instead.
The decision sheet
- Travel time
- 3 h 18to Inverness, then a bus along the loch · one way · Trainline (ScotRail and LNER services)
- Transport
- Tour coach, or train + bus
- Self-guided cost
- Not verified yet
- Tour price
- From € 77.99Civitatis catalogue
- Time needed
- 12–13 hDaytripo editorial
- Closed days
- Urquhart Castle: 25-26 Dec
- Best time
- May-Sep for daylight; in Oct the castle shuts at 17:00Daytripo editorial
- Verdict
- Only with a tourDaytripo editorial
What to see and do in Loch Ness and the Highlands
- 01
Glencoe
A steep glacial valley on the A82, seen from the coach with one photo stop below the Three Sisters ridges. About 15 minutes outside, and the best scenery of the day.
- 02
Urquhart Castle
A ruined medieval fortress on a headland above the loch. An hour covers the visitor centre film, the tower house and the shore. Entry is extra, £ 14 online.
- 03
Loch Ness cruise
A 1-hour boat ride on the loch, paid separately on the day. You sit on deck or inside and see the castle from the water. It replaces the castle visit.
- 04
Kilmahog and the Highland cattle
The first coffee stop, about 90 minutes out of Edinburgh, at a woollen mill with a field of long-horned Highland cattle beside the car park. Around 20 minutes.
- 05
Pitlochry
A Victorian resort town in Perthshire on the way home. The stop is short, enough to walk the main street and buy a sandwich for the last two hours.
How to spend the day
Be at Castle Terrace 15 minutes before the morning departure, check-in closes 5 minutes before the coach leaves. First stop is Kilmahog for coffee, then Glencoe for photos and Fort William for lunch. The coach reaches Loch Ness in mid-afternoon: choose the cruise, Urquhart Castle or an hour on the shore. The return runs through the Cairngorms with a short stop in Pitlochry. You are back in Edinburgh about 12.5 hours after leaving, so book nothing for that evening.
Loch Ness and the Highlands in summer and in winter
Summer
June to AugustThis is when the trip makes most sense. You get up to 17 hours of daylight in June, so every mile of the road is visible, and highs sit around 17-19°C. Coaches fill days ahead in July and August, and Urquhart Castle is crowded when several arrive together. Midges come out at Glencoe on still, damp days.
Winter
December to FebruaryThe tour still runs daily and Urquhart Castle only closes on 25 and 26 December. The problem is light: in December the sun sets before 16:00, so the Cairngorms leg home is in the dark. Snow on the Glencoe peaks is a real reward. Go on a clear forecast or pick another trip.
How crowded it gets
Very busy- Busiest
- Jul-Aug, when coaches arrive at Urquhart Castle between 13:00 and 16:00
- Quietest
- Nov-Mar, and weekdays in May or late September
You cannot change the coach's timing, so choose the date instead. Book a weekday in May, June or September. At the loch, the shore path is far quieter than the castle and the boat pier.
How do you get to Loch Ness and the Highlands from Edinburgh?
Organized tour
- Travel time
- 12.5 hours door to door
- Frequency
- Daily
- Cost
- From € 78
- Departs from
- Castle Terrace, outside the NCP car park
One coach, one driver-guide, stops at Kilmahog, Glencoe, Fort William, Loch Ness and Pitlochry. Castle entry, the cruise and meals are not in the price. Guiding is in English only, with written translations on request.
Train + bus
- Travel time
- 3 h 18 min to Inverness, plus a bus to the loch
- Frequency
- About 12 trains a day
- Departs from
- Edinburgh Waverley
The first direct train leaves around 07:37 and the last one back to Edinburgh is in the early evening, which leaves three or four hours in the north at most. From Inverness bus station a Citylink coach runs along the loch to Urquhart Castle. Feasible, but you skip Glencoe entirely.
Practical: clothes, food and money
What to wear
Dress for the stops, since the coach is heated. A waterproof with a hood, a warm layer even in July, and shoes with grip for wet grass at Glencoe. Midge repellent from June to August.
What to eat
Lunch is in Fort William, where the stop is short: order soup or fish and chips, or bring a sandwich and use the time to walk. Cullen skink and venison turn up on Highland menus. Carry water and snacks for a 12.5-hour day.
What you will spend
The tour starts from € 78 and covers only the coach and the guide. Urquhart Castle is £ 14 online, the cruise is paid separately, and meals are yours. You only have time for the castle or the cruise, so budget for one. The shore is free.
How to get the most out of the day
- Sit on the left side of the coach going north. Loch Lubnaig and the first views of Rannoch Moor are on that side.
- Decide between the cruise and the castle before you arrive. The guide takes numbers on the coach and there is no time to change your mind.
- Charge your phone the night before and bring a power bank. Not every coach has working sockets, and the day is long.
- Check sunset time before booking a winter date. From November to January, pick a day with a clear forecast or the views are lost.
How long do you need in Loch Ness and the Highlands?
Plan 12–13 h on site, plus 3 h 18 of travel each way from Edinburgh.
When is Loch Ness and the Highlands closed?
Urquhart Castle: 25-26 Dec. Best time: May-Sep for daylight; in Oct the castle shuts at 17:00.