Dreaming of following the “Harry Potter” route through the Highlands in 2026 – but without being crammed on a big coach? On this private day tour from Inverness we follow the Great Glen to Glenfinnan, where you can gaze out over the viaduct made famous by the Hogwarts Express and the waters of Loch Shiel. From here we swing south into Glencoe, one of Scotland’s most dramatic glens, rich in clan history and jaw-dropping scenery. With your own Inverness Tours driver-guide, you set the pace: time for photos, short walks, extra viewpoints in the West Highlands, or simply soaking up the stories as we wind through mountains, lochs and sea-lochs before returning to Inverness in the evening.
We get to Glencoe, and the other locations in the West Highlands, by travelling down Loch Ness in the Great Glen. Eilean Donan Castle stands farther north than the other sites, but the rest are all found not far from Fort William on the west coast. Where we can, and when time permits, we like to return to Inverness by an alternative route, so you see as many diverse areas as possible.
Our tours to Glencoe and the West Highlands from Inverness cover a broad range of country. Because of that we have four very different tours which reflect the diverse aspects of this area. Our longest day tour, due to the ferries involved, is to Mull, largest of the Inner Hebrides. Another tour of similar length is our Harry Potter tour. We have built in some walking time, to ensure you see the best of the filming sites. Our shortest tour is a trip to Eilean Donan Castle. And our scenic one day tour takes in Fort William and four of the most beautiful glens in the Highlands.
You have lots of choice on our one day tour from Inverness to Fort William and the Scenic Glens. Firstly we travel south, along Loch Ness and the Great Glen to Fort William. Then, because Glencoe, Glenfinnan and Glen Nevis are all within easy reach, you can enjoy all three. We will return to Inverness through the Cairngorm National Park.
If you enjoy a ferry ride in spectacular surroundings then this one day tour from Inverness is for you. It has no less than two such return crossings. You travel down Loch Ness, through Fort William and onto the Isle of Mull. You will visit ancient Duart Castle before recrossing the sea and returning by an alternate route.
You will travel west by Loch Ness on this short day tour to Eilean Donan Castle in the West Highlands from Inverness. You can choose to visit the castle, or if all you want is time for photographs then we could make a brief landfall on Skye.
You can find many of the film locations on our Harry Potter in the West Highlands Tour from Inverness. We can show you the site of Hagrid’s Cottage and the Forbidden Forest in Glencoe; the Quidditch Stadium site in Glen Nevis; Hogwarts locations at Glenfinnan and “the Harry Potter Bridge” on the West Highland Railway. And that is just for starters.
This railway line originally ran from near Glasgow to the port of Mallaig. Nowadays West Coast Railways use the section from Fort William to Mallaig for the well known Jacobite steam train. They are delighted that this route is often described as one of the greatest rail journeys in the world.
Glencoe is a valley with a deep and fascinating past. Fire created it, and ice shaped it. It stood witness to an awful human tragedy, the Massacre of Glencoe, and yet just a couple of hundred years later became one of the world’s first mountaineering areas. It is a treasure house for plants and wildlife and is a firm favourite with those who love its brooding grandeur
Glencoe and the West Highlands is our way of describing the western seaboard from Eilean Donan Castle southwards past Fort William and Oban, and even all the way to the Mull of Kintyre If you wished. So if you wanted to spend more days getting to know this fascinating area then we can accommodate that too. We can build a custom tour to your requested length adding any of your other desired places; activities or cultural experiences.
Inverness Tours has been taking visitors on world-class tours for more than fifteen years. We have been working to make our exclusive tour business the finest of its kind available in Scotland. Our solid (but constantly updated) knowledge is a tool for your use. As a result, you will enjoy the best eating places, the most rewarding visits, and the locals’ choice of “off the beaten track” walks and vistas. We strive to enthral, excite and entertain as we show you the real Scotland.
Our Inverness Tour Guides are a hand-picked team. As well as being accredited members of the Highlands of Scotland Tour Guide Association, they are all well-recognised as being at the top of their fields. We chose them because they are great storytellers, fun to be with, and uniquely qualified to do what they do well. We know you deserve the best team of guides available. See their individual profiles here
We have a fabulous back-catalogue of reviews. Over 98% of our hundreds of TripAdvisor reviews are five-star, so we have received their Certificate of Excellence every year, and a placement in their Hall of Fame!
