Share this tour
Offered languages
- English
PLEASE NOTE: In the 2026 cruise ship season this tour will no longer visit the Nessie Centre. Instead it will go to Outlander’s Clava Cairns, used for the idea of Creag na Dun.
This tour visits Loch Ness and the visitor centre to learn all about Nessie and it goes to tour Urquhart castle. You’ll see Inverness too and highland cows.
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 49 seaters depending on numbers.
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
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.
Itinerary
-
1Culloden Battlefield
⸻ 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.
45 minutes • Admission ticket not included -
2Clava Cairns
• The 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.
15 minutes • Admission ticket free -
3
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.
45 minutes • Admission ticket free -
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.
Admission ticket free -
4
See real life highland coos and alpacas at Robertson’s farm on the outskirts of Beauly
30 minutes • Admission ticket free -
5Urquhart Castle
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.
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission ticket included -
6
Pass through the quaint village stopping when you visit the Nessie centre and gin shop
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
7Loch Ness
Travel beside Loch Ness for 15 miles, stopping for photos of Nessie (if you’re very lucky).
30 minutes • Admission ticket free -
8
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.
5 minutes • Admission ticket free
Additional info
- 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
Tags
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Show more
Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Rating
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Your guide to the flawless travel experience
Top Searches
Company
Get our app
