Day Trips from Inverness

URQUHART CASTLE AND LOCH NESS

Among the most popular and busy places in the Highlands! Read on for descriptions of Urquhart Castle, Loch Ness including a boat trip, and four options for visiting either or both.

Urquhart Castle

Situated on the shores of Loch Ness, the castle is almost entirely ruined, and yet remains one of Scotland's top visitor attractions. Here you can learn about 1000 years’ of history including conflict, power struggles and being blown up in 1692. 

It has amazing views over Loch Ness and is one of the few places on the west side of the loch where you can reach the water – there is a small, stony beach there (no swimming). There is also a visitor centre with a small exhibition, a film show, shop and cafe.

You will be glad you're arriving by bus when you see the fight for car parking. During the summer this attraction gets incredibly busy (booking is essential). The quietest times of day are first thing in the morning and evenings.

Our favourite conditions for seeing the castle are on a dry, sunny summer's day in the late afternoon as the castle, grounds and surrounding landscape look lovely in the warm, late afternoon sunshine.

If you can, avoid days when there are cruise ships in Invergordon (check the timetable) as large numbers arrive by coach morning and afternoon. Coach tours arrive everyday but cruise ship days are particularly busy.

Loch Ness

This mighty and picturesque loch has impressive statistics – it is 23 miles long, has the largest volume of fresh water in Britain, is the second deepest loch in Scotland at 788 feet (240 metres), and is allegedly home to Nessie the Loch Ness Monster. 

There is limited access to the water on the west side of the loch, however, it is possible to explore it on a boat trip.

FOUR OPTIONS FOR VISITING URQUHART CASTLE AND/OR LOCH NESS BOAT TRIP

Pre-booking is highly recommended for all aspects of your trip.

Option 1, Boat trip and Castle      

'Temptation' tour covering a boat trip with Jacobite Loch Ness Cruises and visit to Urquhart Castle. You are transported by coach from Inverness Bus Station to the boat cruise which departs from Dochgarroch Lock. Afterwards you are brought back to Inverness by coach from Urquhart Castle.

From 10 November 2025 – 29 March 2026 the tour also includes admission to the Loch Ness Centre in Drumnadrochit.

Option 2, Boat trip only   

Jacobite Loch Ness Cruises offer various cruises departing from either Dochgarroch Lock or Clansman Harbour, some of which include views of the castle. Citylink service 917 or 919 or Stagecoach service 17 from Inverness Bus Station to either Dochgarroch or Clansman Harbour and back.

SAVING! The Spirit of Scotland Travel Pass (for rail travel) will entitle you to a 10% discount on standard fares with Jacobite Loch Ness Cruises.

Option 3, Castle only   

Citylink service 917 or 919 from Inverness Bus Station to Urquhart Castle and back. 

Option 4, Castle and Drumnadrochit    

Citylink service 917 or 919 from Inverness Bus Station to Urquhart Castle. Afterwards walk 30 minutes down the hill (lovely views over the loch) or catch the 917 or 919 bus to visit the village of Drumnadrochit. Take the bus back to Inverness from Drumnadrochit (Citylink 917 or 919, or Stagecoach service 17). 

What to do in Drumnadrochit: visit the Loch Ness Centre to find out all about the Loch Ness Monster, visit the tiny Great Glen Gin Distillery, have a Meet & Greet with Highland Coos, and local walks - we like Craigmonie Woods, Balmacaan Woods, and Urquhart Bay Woods.

CULLODEN BATTLEFIELD

Culloden Battlefield is the site of the final Jacobite Rising in 1746, the last pitched battle on British soil in which 1,600 men died, 1,500 of them Jacobites. Today it is looked after by the National Trust for Scotland who have a visitor centre with a 360-degree battle immersion theatre, a museum, roof garden, shop and cafe.

You can reach here with a 25 minute journey by bus from Inverness - see Stagecoach service 2 and alight at stop 'Culloden Battlefield'.

TOMATIN DISTILLERY

Founded in 1897, this popular distillery produces three ranges of single malt whiskies and a blended malt. The Tomatin range are all winners of multiple awards.

The distillery offers various tours and has a bar on site where you can have a complimentary taste of the Tomatin 12 year old single malt. It is also possible to hand fill your own bottle of one of the cask strength distillery exclusive whiskies.

There is no cafe on site and no safe path to walk into Tomatin village, so if you are going to be visiting over lunchtime, take a packed lunch.

Tomatin is 35 - 50 minutes' bus journey from Inverness - see Stagecoach service 37, X37 and Highland Council service 300. Alight at stop 'Tomatin Layby Southbound' on the A9 from which it is around 20 minutes' walk to the visitor centre.

The A9 is a very busy road so carefully cross to the bus stop for the north direction, where there is a path through the woods. Then turn left onto the lane and down to the junction where you can pick up the path again which takes you down to the distillery entrance road.

There are major roadworks going on in the area until 2028 so you may find that the pedestrian arrangements differ slightly from the usual.

THE BLACK ISLE

The Black Isle peninsula is one of our favourite areas in the Highlands. It has a peaceful, slow paced feel. The land is beautiful, being mostly farming and woodland.

The main part, which is nestled between the Cromarty Firth and the Moray Firth, is easily accessible by regular bus service from Inverness.

See our Guide for Inverness to the Black Isle for details of the busy town of Fortrose including one of the best places in Britain for viewing dolphins, the attractive village of Rosemarkie with its long sandy beach, and the popular and idyllic historic town of Cromarty.

BEAULY

Beauly is an attractive, thriving and popular large village on the River Beauly. It is just 15 minutes' train journey from Inverness on the Far North Line. See our guide for more details of its historic priory, high quality independent shops, and opportunity to meet Highland Coos.

SINGLETON OF GLEN ORD DISTILLERY

These attractions are located in Muir of Ord, which is just 20 minutes' train journey from Inverness on the Far North Line.

See our Guide to Muir of Ord for more details of this distillery dating from 1838 which won Scotland's Leading Distillery Tour 2024, and the nearby beautiful Estate of Ord set in attractive grounds.

DUNROBIN CASTLE AND GARDENS

Get up early for a long day trip to the fairytale Dunrobin Castle, returning on the last train of the day. It is just over 2 hours' train journey each way on the Far North Line, which is one of Britain's most scenic railway lines.

This would be a long day but is doable if you want to see this magnificent castle with its private train station. See our Guide to Dunrobin Castle for more details of the castle, gardens and museum.

KYLE LINE

This is one of the great railway journeys of the world. The route begins in the Capital of the Highlands, Inverness, and ends in remote Kyle of Lochalsh, gateway to the Isle of Skye.

Along the way travellers see the farmlands of the Moray Firth, the heather covered hills of the Highlands and the beauty of the west coast as the line makes its way along the sea lochs after Strathcarron.

One option to explore the Kyle Line is as a day trip is breaking your outward journey at one of the smaller stops along the line.

Or you could travel the whole route, which takes around 2 hours 40 minutes each way. Catch the first train of the day to arrive in Kyle of Lochalsh late morning, where you will have around 2 hours or 5 hours 30 minutes before returning to Inverness.

BLAIR CASTLE AND GARDENS

This is the best visitor attraction we have visited and the best value for money. Seat of the Dukes of Atholl, this picturesque white castle is set in beautiful grounds with mountains in the background.

Visitors can choose to visit the castle and grounds, or grounds only. Even if you visit the grounds only, there is so much to see. With a grounds only ticket we spent 3 hours here and could easily have stayed longer; visiting the castle and grounds you could spend the whole day here.

When we visited most recently, we were genuinely sad not to live closer as we would buy the (very good value) annual pass to the Castle and visit here on every day out (which wouldn't be good for our website!).

The village of Blair Atholl is around 1 hour 30 minutes' train journey from Inverness on the Highland Main Line. Either catch a very early morning train to spend the day there, or the mid morning train to spend half a day there. Return on the late afternoon/early evening train.

See our Guide to Blair Atholl for more details of Blair Castle and other attractions in the village.

Page last updated 9 September 2025