Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle Tour from Invergordon Cruise Ship Port – Itinerary
The Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle Tour from Invergordon Cruise Ship Port begins with a brief stop in the village of Beauly. Then it’s on over a hilltop road to the main highlights of the tour – Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle. Our afternoon can be either a visit to the pretty village of Fort Augustus, and a waterfall walk at Foyers, or it could be a walk in the ancient Caledonian Forest of Glen Affric and a visit to the Glen Ord Whisky Distillery.
Beauly
Beauly, a pretty market town, was the main settlement for the Lovat Frasers. The ruined priory, dating from the 1200’s, was in the Outlander books, as was Beauly harbour. Beauly is popular with our visitors because it has a wide range of interesting shops and hotels.
Loch Ness
Loch Ness is the largest lake in the country; 23 miles long by 1.5 miles wide. This is more than enough water to hide its most famous inhabitant; Nessie! We’ll tell you her stories, even if you don’t glimpse her. One option you can discuss with your guide is taking a boat trip, and arriving at the castle by water.
Urquhart Castle
Urquhart Castle is one of the iconic castles of Scotland. Held first by Pictish tribal chiefs, later a Royal Stronghold, and finally a Clan Grant seat, it saw 1,000 years of continuous occupation. Even its destruction, in 1692, did not end the story as it became a favourite of painters and poets in the 18th and 19th centuries, and as a result today it is one of Scotland’s most visited castles.
Fort Augustus
Fort Augustus is the pretty town at the south-west end of Loch Ness. Unusually, it is the Caledonian Canal that gives the village its centre, rather than the road. The bustling bars, cafes shops and restaurants can be found on the banks, and watching boats negotiating the locks is a fascinating pastime.
Falls of Foyers
Falls of Foyers is an impressive waterfall due to a drop of 165 feet (or 50 metres). It is accessed by a short, steep, but spectacular walk through the woods. Robert Burns wrote a poem in praise of these Falls and their name in Gaelic translates as the “Smoky Falls”.
Glen Affric
Glen Affric is one of the last remnants of the Great Caledonian Pine Forest. Ptolemy, in the second century AD first named it the Caledonian Forest – meaning “wooded heights”. Today Glen Affric is a nature reserve and a wonderful place to visit, with regular sightings of deer, osprey, red squirrel, heron, foxes, golden eagle and pine marten.
Glen Ord Distillery
Glen Ord Distillery first legally produced whisky in 1838. It is one of only a few in Scotland that still malts its own barley. The whisky produced here is also very rare, as it all goes to south-east Asia. This distillery is the only place you will be able to buy this excellent whisky. The distillery also has a choice of a full tour of the facility or a shorter visit to film and exhibition. Both options include a tasting.
Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle Tour – Price
£610
Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle Tour from Invergordon Cruise Ship Port – Departure
The tour departs from just outside the harbour gates. We will always inform you directly if there is any alteration of departure point.