Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle Tour
Enjoy the Private Group Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle Day Tour which leaves from Invergordon Cruise Ship Port. The Inverness Tour Guides entertain and share local knowledge while you travel in style and comfort in our air conditioned vehicles. Tours priced for up to 7 passengers.
Visit world-famous sites; Beauly, Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle and then your choice of Fort Augustus and Foyers Waterfall or Glen Affric Forest and Glen Ord Distillery.
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£600.00 1 day
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
£600
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.
FAQ
Can each person in the party pay separately?
Driver/Guide licencing in Scotland will only allow us to take one payment per tour, so if people in a party wish to split the cost then they arrange that amongst themselves and make one tour payment to us.
Are entries to the various visitor attractions included?
We don’t include entry to the attractions – and that way we leave the day as flexible as possible for you.
Will I need cash with me?
Most places will accept Visa or MasterCard and some will accept American Express. It is always prudent, though, to bring a little cash with you for unexpected eventualities. You will need GBP, not Euros or Dollars.
What will we be doing for lunch?
You are responsible for paying for your own food & drink during your tour. Lunch could be in a café, pub, restaurant or even a picnic at a beauty spot. Your guide can discuss and advise on options when you meet them.
Find all of our other FAQ’s here
Why Choose Us
Why Choose 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. They were chosen because they are great storytellers, are fun to be with, and are uniquely qualified to do what they do well. We are convinced that there is no better team of guides to be found. See their individual profiles here
Performance
Here at Inverness Tours we continually monitor performance. As a result we are confident that we offer long experience and expertise in providing quality, value and enjoyment.
Our Vehicles
Our vehicles are spacious and air conditioned, easily accommodating up to seven passengers. The reclining seats and tinted windows ensure touring in comfort and style.
Our Track Record
Inverness Tours has been taking visitors on world-class tours for more than fifteen years and has been striving to make its exclusive tour business the finest of its kind available in Scotland.
Our Customer Care
The Inverness Tours admin team are frequently complimented on responsiveness, flexibility and care.
Our Environment
Inverness Tours have offset the impact of visitor footfall in the Highlands by contributing financially to environmental and community projects.
Our Precautions
Our COVID19 precautions – Inverness Tours has always carried bacteriological and virucidal disinfectant sprays, disposable gloves and the necessary wipes etc. The vehicles are cleaned on a daily basis. We are investigating and instituting further measures to keep you safe at this current time and into the future.
Our Reviews
All the above contribute to our fabulous back-catalogue of reviews. Check out the TripAdvisor reviews here. You will find that over 98% of our reviews are five-star and as a result we have achieved TripAdvisor’s annual Certificate of Excellence and placement in their Hall of Fame!
What’s included?
The 7-passenger vehicle together with qualified driver/guide is included.
Summary terms and conditions:-
- All tours are exclusive and the same price for between one and seven people. Your booking is considered confirmed once we send out your confirmation.
- While Inverness Tours shall do everything reasonably possible to provide your tour itinerary and/or services as planned, we reserve the right to alter itineraries, guide, transport or accommodation if circumstances require us to do so. If we have to cancel a tour you receive a full refund of the amount paid and that is the extent of our obligation.
- Our normal Cancellation Terms as outlined in the point below have been temporarily relaxed. The relaxation is in relation to any booking which requires to cancel due to COVID-19. Our COVID-19 cancellation terms are outlined here.
- If you wish to change any part of your confirmed booking you should inform us in writing as soon as possible. We will do our best to assist you, but cannot guarantee that we will be able to meet your request. If you cancel a booking up to 30 days in advance you receive a 75% refund of the total paid. Cancellations between 30 and 10 days before the tour receive a 50% refund. There is no refund if you cancel within 10 days of the tour or are not at the organised departure or pick-up point.
- We are happy for you to enjoy bottled water and hard candies while we travel. Other types of food and drink have proved previously to be quite hazardous (on Highland roads) both to yourselves and seat upholstery.
See our full terms and conditions here