Fort George - Inverness & Local Area Tours
Fort George - Inverness & Local Area Tours

2024 – Inverness & Local Area Tours – including Loch Ness Tours

Our Inverness & Local Area Tours for 2024 are a range of trips very close to our heart. The Inverness Tour Guides have been putting the local into local knowledge here since our beginnings, as Inverness Tours, nearly 20 years ago. We love our tours and trips throughout the Highlands and Scotland. However there’s a special thrill when doing show and tell in your own heartlands. Our day trips in the local area allow us to showcase the nearby Loch Ness too. This is great because, of course, Nessie (the Loch Ness Monster) is famous around the world! See below for our current range of fantastic tours in Inverness and the surrounding area. They include the Inverness Walking Tour, three local area tours, and a further three tours that include Loch Ness.

Inverness Walking Tour

Our walking tour of Inverness covers many places of interest. Chief among them would be the Cathedral, the Castle Esplanade, and then some of the locations in the heart of the old town. There we will see some of the oldest buildings still standing – such as Abertarff House and the Old High Church. And we will even visit Greyfriars churchyard so you can have a wee read of the tombstones, if that’s your thing.

Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle - Inverness & Local Area Tours

Loch Ness Tours

Loch Ness has a starring role in many of our tours. We have three further quite specific tours which concentrate on the loch, and indeed its famous resident! There is a longer tour which adds both Culloden Battlefield and Clava Cairns to your itinerary. We also have two slightly shorter tours all described below.

Loch Ness with Culloden and Urquhart Castle Tour

The Culloden Battlefield and Clava Cairns Tour with Loch Ness or Cawdor Castle is a full day experience. We begin by visiting Clava followed by Culloden, and then there is a clear choice for you. We can travel through Inverness to the west and visit Loch Ness, Urquhart Castle and Glen Affric Nature Reserve. Our alternate afternoon would see us staying east of the city of Inverness and visiting Cawdor Castle and Fort George.

Guides at Loch Ness - Inverness & Local Area Tours

The Loch Ness and Glen Affric Tour

The Loch Ness and Glen Affric Tour from Inverness begins with a drive along Loch Ness side and a visit to Urquhart Castle. Then we head west into Strathglass and Glen Affric. After enjoying this National Nature Reserve we head back towards Inverness by way of Aigas and the south shore of the Beauly Firth.

The Loch Ness and Fort Augustus Tour

The Loch Ness and Fort Augustus Tour begins with a drive along Loch Ness side to Urquhart Castle. There is time for a castle visit, before continuing down the full length of Loch Ness to Fort Augustus at the opposite end. There will be free time in Fort Augustus before your return towards Inverness through the hills on the other side of the Loch. Here, at the village of Foyers, there is a path to an impressive waterfall.

Elgin Cathedral - Inverness & Local Area Tours

Day Tours in Inverness & Local Area 

We have four tours that cover the local Inverness Area and surrounding region. One is a full day tour reaching as far as the neighbouring city of Elgin. One is a walking Tour around Culloden and Clava. And we also have tours that cover these with Cawdor Castle and Fort George. If you can’t see quite the tour you want then please contact us and we will be happy to arrange a custom day tour of the area for you! 

Local Dark Deeds Tour

The Local Dark Deeds Tour sees you travelling east to visit the exterior of Brodie Castle, before continuing on to the historic city of Elgin and it’s ruined cathedral. The rest of the morning will be either a visit to the luxury shop, Johnstons of Elgin or the ruined bishop’s residence of Spynie Palace. If timings have gone well then there is an outside chance of being able to see them both. After lunch you will travel on, to Pluscarden Abbey, followed by Cawdor Castle. On your return to Inverness there will be time for a photostop at the darkest deed of them all; Culloden.

Clava Cairns - Inverness & Local Area Tours

Fort George with Culloden and Clava Tour

The Culloden Battlefield and Clava Cairns Tour with Fort George is a short tour from Inverness. The day begins with a visit to Clava Cairns and Standing Stones followed by Culloden (Battlefield and Visitor Centre). We then head down to the coast to visit 1700’s Fort George, the largest artillery fortress in the country.

Cawdor Castle with Culloden and Clava Tour

The Culloden Battlefield and Clava Cairns Tour with Cawdor Castle is a short tour from Inverness. The day begins with a visit to Clava Cairns and Standing Stones followed by Culloden (Battlefield and Visitor Centre). Our final visit of the day is fairy-tale Cawdor Castle. This 1300’s castle has cafe, shops and gorgeous gardens.

Inverness - Inverness & Local Area Tours

Inverness & Local Area Tours –  Information

Inverness has been the main settlement in the Highlands for more than fifteen hundred years. That is more than enough time to have built up an impressive history and a rich culture of words, music, arts and crafts.

Inverness History

We know that Inverness was the capital of the Highlands when St Columba first journeyed to the court of the Pictish King located here, in 565. At the time of the Crusades, the town had become a major ship-building centre. James I held a parliament here in the 1400’s, and Mary Queen of Scots captured the castle in the 1500’s. Oliver Cromwell built a citadel in Inverness, in the 1600’s, and Bonnie Prince Charlie blew up Inverness Castle in the 1700’s. A busy few centuries, just filled with stories for us to share with you! Nowadays the city continues to function as the administrative heart of the Highlands.

Custom Tours of Inverness & Local Area

Of course, we did say that Inverness is our heartland. This is why we are happy to build tours to any of the surrounding delights not currently on our website. We love the chance to create your ideal tour. The north of Scotland has many places of interest and as a result we can keep you spellbound for tours of any number of days you desire.

 

    Why Inverness Tours

    Inverness Tour Guides

    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

    Track Record

    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!