Departing from Inverness we head South west down the Great Glen to Loch Ness and stop for a photo opportunity at Urquhart Castle. We will also take the opportunity to stop to see some Highland Cows on our trip.
We pass through Fort Augustus at the southern end of Loch Ness
We stop at the Well of the Seven Heads Monument and go down to the well where the heads were washed before they were presented to the chief of Clan Macdonell.
We stop briefly at the Commando memorial just outside Spean Bridge where on a clear day you will get a wonderful view of Ben Nevis and the Nevis range.
The Glenfinnan monument stands at the end of Loch Sheil where Bonnie Prince Charlie raised his standard in 1745.
The railway viaduct in Glenfinnan is more than 100 years old and is most famous for it being used as the filming location for the steam train in the Harry Potter series.
Travelling back from Glenfinnan to Fort William hopefully we will get a nice view of Ben Nevis , the highest mountain in the UK.
We stop briefly at Neptunes staircase , the series of lock gates where the Caledonian canal meets Loch Linnhe
We stop at the Glencoe visitor centre where we can see a reproduction of a 17th century dwelling , the turfhouse. We also carry on up the Glen to the 3 sisters of Glencoe viewpoint.
Our 8 person group had a variety of ages. Lawrence picked us up promptly and helped us solve logistical issues. We had a tour that was catered to our interests, informative and comfortable. Lawrence was so warm and friendly. We enjoyed his company tremendously and felt comfortable asking any questions. I cannot recommend this travel group more highly.
This was our first day of touring on our three night stop in Inverness. We wanted to book a private tour so that we could get a lay of the land and also let my husband enjoy the scenery and not concentrate so much on having to drive. There were five of us, myself, my husband, and our three teenage children. Our driver, Kevin was wonderful. He picked us up from our hotel and started off right towards the Glenfinnan viaduct. We got there in plenty of time to hike up and see the train as it came across the overpass. From there we went on to Glencoe, Fort William, Lock ness and several other different stops along the Highlands taking lots of pictures. There were plenty of local Scottish snacks in the van and even carrots to feed the hairy coos! Kevin was so helpful on giving us tips for our drive to the Isle of Skye the following day. He even taught my husband about how to correctly navigate the single track roads. I can’t recommend this tour enough! It really was the highlight of our 10 day trip in Scotland.
Our guide, Billy, is a very knowledgeable local guide, very experienced and engaging. The tour was tailored to our requirements, we went to the Glenfinnan viaduct, Glencoe, Loch Ness, Loch Achtriochtan and Falls of Foyers. We thoroughly enjoyed this tour and would recommend it, you won’t be disappointed.
Such an amazing tour of the Highlands Kevin made an effort to “cram” lots of the history of Scotland into our heads - at the same time making an effort to adjust to our wishes and desires. With great enthusiasm, tact and a wonderful sense of humour, he made our day both memorable and eventful.
We had an amazing day with Lawrence touring around the Highlands. Loved the sites and Lawrence made sure to personalize the tour for us. We would highly recommend his tour!
We spent the day exploring the Scottish Highlands with Highlander Private Tours, and it was truly an unforgettable experience. Our guide, Lawrence, was exceptional—warm, knowledgeable, and full of great stories that brought the landscape and history to life. He tailored the tour to our interests, shared incredible local insights, and made the whole day both fun and meaningful. From stunning scenery to hidden gems, we couldn’t have asked for a better guide or a better way to experience Scotland. Highly recommend this tour—and if you can, request Lawrence!
Lawrence is an amazing tour guide. He is very knowledgeable and personable. He tailored the tour to us. We had a great time! Will definitely be back and will book again with him!
Absolutely amazing day. One of our highlights of the trip. So nice having the driver for the windy roads as I had been driving up to this point. Plus great facts and storytelling while he drove, and plenty of good jokes to boot! Billy was great, the van was really nice and comfortable. He was so hospitable and knew so much, you could tell he really loves giving these tours. Plus he really listened to us and effectively created a custom tour to and from Glencoe (from Inverness). I’d recommend skipping Fort William and getting food at the Glencoe visitor center instead. Leave time for a hike in Glencoe, maybe even bring blankets and food for a picnic, tons of great spots and it is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been.
We loved our private tour with Billy as our tour guide for our party of 5. He was entertaining,funny and knowledgeable. Regaling us with the history of the clans and information about places of interest on the way to Glencoe and back. We were able to customize the tour so that our children could have time for a short hike and still visit the locations that interested us. The Mercedes van was comfortable and Billy is an excellent driver-not to be minimized on the sometimes narrow roads around Glencoe. We would definitely book another tour with Billy and Highland Private Tours.
Billy was a great guide, a true local with vast knowledge of the area and its history, made the trip a real pleasure! Highly recommend.
This tour was great. Our guide, Billy, is a true local and very knowledgeable about the area. We enjoyed seeing the Jacobite train, Glencoe, Loch Ness and much more! He was very gracious with his knowledge of the area and its history. Highly recommend!
Slow driving. Didn’t tell us that taking a bit extra time will end up skipping most other itineraries. Demanded extra money. Skipped most itinerary.
Lawrence Maclean with Highlander Private Tours saved the day when another company cancelled our booking a few weeks before our trip. Turns out it was even better as Lawrence was able to create a bespoke trip tailored to our desires. Lawrence was FANTASTIC! He is local with a wealth of knowledge about the area, Scottish history & culture, we learned so much. We will definitely be using Highlander Private Tours again and can’t recommend them highly enough!
Thoroughly enjoyed trip on this train but wish we had been in 1st Class! Photo opportunity at beginning and end of the trip of steam engine. Plenty of photos to be had on journey through windows. Love the scottish countryside!
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