12 Hours in the Scottish Highlands | Guided Bus Tour Recap

I’m a huge proponent of taking guided tours when traveling to new places–why stress out about planning your own excursions and tours when you could spend nearly the same amount of money and have someone do it for you?

I’ve taken guided tours in almost every single city and country I’ve been to, and I haven’t regretted a single one. They’re so much fun, and it’s so helpful to have a seasoned guide showing you around and explaining so much history to you that you might not experience if you were exploring on your own.

One of my absolute favorite guided tours was the bus tour through the Scottish Highlands that I took last winter, and I’m here to share all about the booking process, what to know before you go, and the ins and outs of the specific tour I took. A guided bus tour is a great way to see the Highlands if you’ve never been and don’t want to rent a car to explore yourself. Keep reading to get alllll the good info for your next trip to Scotland!

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CHOOSING YOUR TOUR

So, you’re choosing your Scottish Highlands bus tour–where to start?

It might seem daunting when you search the above and find hundreds of options…I know I immediately felt overwhelmed when I did. Luckily, one of my friends who was visiting Edinburgh at the same time as me had just gone on a bus tour a few days prior to us meeting up, and she recommended the one she took super highly. I always prefer to spend money on experiences that someone I personally know can vouch for, so I was confident booking the same tour as she did.

Your tour choice is going to depend on what you want to do and see in the Highlands, and that’s going to depend on the time of year you book your tour. If you want to see the Jacobite Steam train at Glenfinnan Viaduct, you’ll have to book between April and October, since the train doesn’t run during winter months. If you want to visit Alnwick Castle, you’re out of luck in the winter as well. Make sure you read the full itinerary of each tour you’re thinking of taking, too–if something is closed or unavailable, there should be a disclaimer somewhere for you to see. The full details of each tour will also tell you what’s included in the tour price, where your pick up and drop off location is, where you’ll stop for food, and more.

If you don’t know of any direct companies to book through, GetYourGuide and Viator are both reputable websites for finding tours. I personally used Timberbush Tours and thought my experience was wonderful. It all depends on the specifics of the tour you want to take!

WHAT TO BRING

You’ll want to base your clothing on the weather, obviously. Good boots or sneakers, a rain jacket, and/or a hat are always safe bets, but I suggest bringing a small bag with you, too. That way you can bring a hat without wearing it, an umbrella, gloves, snacks, etc. Water and snacks are a must, especially since most tours are 8 hours or more–you’ll want to have supplies in case you get peckish during a long stretch of driving. If your tour doesn’t stop for lunch (though most do), you’ll want to pack one obviously. Even if you do stop for lunch and you just don’t want to spend extra money, a sandwich or two in your bag is a good call!

If you have a camera, now’s the time to bring it. I brought my film camera with me and I took some of my all-time favorite photos. Your phone camera is perfectly fine, and a disposable would be super fun, too! I’d also suggest a portable phone charger just in case your battery drains quickly from picture-taking, as well as cash for extra excursion fees and for tipping your guide. Here’s a pretty solid list of everything I brought on my Highlands bus tour in December:

winter hat
Blundstone boots
long wool coat
wallet/fanny pack
umbrella
film camera
water bottle
bag of peanuts
cash for admission fees
cash for tip

Also enjoy my BeReal that conveniently went off after we stopped for a chippy at the end of the night–hat, coat, umbrella, wallet all in tow!

PICK UP AND DROP OFF

First, see what sort of meeting point your tour has for pick-ups and drop-offs: is it a local spot in walking distance? Will you have to Uber or take a bus to the pick-up spot? Do they offer hotel pick-up and drop-off? These details will determine how soon you have to leave in the morning before your check-in time, so plan accordingly. You’ll want to get to the spot early so you can check in smoothly and get in line for a good spot on the bus, especially if you’re solo (get that window seat!). Your tour will likely have a specified meeting time, so make sure you find that–some tours require you to get there 15 minutes early, and some 30 minutes. Regardless, leaving early is a good opportunity to grab a coffee on your way to the bus, stop by an ATM to get some cash, or even grab a quick bite to eat. Whatever you do in the morning, make sure you do it with plenty of time to spare.

START OF THE TOUR | HIGHLAND COWS

And we’re off! My tour started out with a drive up to Kilmahog where we stopped at a small farmstead that sold refreshments, souvenirs, and had a couple Highland cows outside in their pastures. A dream of mine is to see them in the wild, but this was a really close second. It was pretty crowded there, naturally, since multiple bus tours took the same route at the same time, but it was still a great little stop to get a drink and some photos before we headed out again.

On our way here, we also passed the Kelpies statues in Falkirk–two huge states of mythical Kelpie horses that represent the history of horse-power in Scotland’s heritage. They’re the largest equine statues in the world!

GLENCOE & BEN NEVIS

After our first pit stop in Kilmahog, we made our way up to the Highlands. It was an incredible, scenic trip, driving through different glens and past lochs to eventually reach Glencoe. You’ve probably seen this iconic spot in a movie or two–many of the Harry Potter films, Skyfall, Rob Roy, and more. Glencoe is arguably Scotland’s most famous glen, and is the setting for many legends and stories in Gaelic culture. It’s also world renowned for hillwalking and hiking, and was the site of the infamous massacre of Clan MacDonald in 1692.

We were able to get off the bus for a few minutes to take in the scenery, snap some photos, and have a look around. I was SO lucky to have brought my film camera with me on this trip, and got some of my favorite photos I’ve ever taken (shown below) during this tour.

Now, if you’re not familiar with the Scottish terminology for the scenery out in the Highlands, here’s a crash course:

Glen: a narrow valley

Loch: a lake

Ben (or Beinn): a mountain peak

Munro: a Scottish mountain over 3,000ft tall

Your tour guide will likely explain these all to you during your trip, but it’s good stuff to know beforehand anyway. After we stopped for lunch, we passed by Ben Nevis, Britain’s tallest mountain–though it was completely overcast and raining, so I sadly have no pictures of that.

URQUHART CASTLE & LOCH NESS

Driving up through the Highlands some more, we finally made our way to Urquhart Castle, which sits proudly beside the iconic Loch Ness. Here, we had an option to tour the castle and take a boat ride around the Loch, or just take a longer boat ride. I opted to tour the castle first, and I’m so glad I did! It was a beautiful site filled with rich Highland history, playing a role in the Scottish Wars of Independence in the 14th century until it was later ruined and abandoned. The ruins became a monument open to the public much later in the 20th century, and I got to walk around its entirety, climbing up its famous tower and exploring the different rooms and pathways left behind.

After spending time at Urquhart Castle, our group met up at the dock for our trip across Loch Ness. It was a quick one, and since the weather wasn’t great and it was getting later in the afternoon, we didn’t see much of a view, but it was still exciting to be traveling across one of the most famous lakes in the world. Once we reached the visitors’ shop, we had a few minutes to look around and hop back on the bus to Inverness.

INVERNESS

We made a very quick stop in Inverness to grab some food and/or ice cream before we headed back to Edinburgh. Giving that it was early December, the sun set pretty early in the afternoon, so by the time we got there it was pitch black outside. I don’t have any photos since we essentially hopped off the bus, walked three minutes over to get a chippy, and then got back on the bus, but from what I saw at night time, Inverness is a cute, quaint city! Plus the chips I got were phenomenal–our tour guide took me and one other guy from the group over to get them while everyone else got whisky ice cream (which I’m bummed I didn’t get). Nothing like a box of chunky chips smothered in gravy after a long 7 hours on a bus.

After we all got the food we wanted, we headed back to Edinburgh and made it home around 8:30pm. It was a really long day, but so worth the memories and photos!

WHAT TO REMEMBER

The biggest things to remember when taking a bus tour like this are that, again, it will be a LONG day. You sit on the bus for most of the tour, only hopping out for food and pictures a few times throughout the 12 hour tour. Make sure you bring snacks, water, and a phone charger, and wear comfy clothes!

Also be sure to plan for the weather and the time of year you’ll be taking your tour. If you go in the winter like me, it’ll get dark early, it’ll be cold, and it’ll probably rain–you’re in Scotland, so that’s expected. Bring a coat, hat, and umbrella with you just in case.

Lastly, bring extra cash! You’ll need it for any additional excursions you take, like touring castles or doing whisky tastings, etc. Plus, you’ll want some to tip your guide, too.

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