The Loch Ness & the Highlands Tour offered by Scottish Tours is an 11-hour excursion that departs Edinburgh and travels through Scotland's Midland Valley and Highlands before returning. Leaving the city, our tour entered the farm country of the Midland Valley. These green fields and rolling hills were dotted with farmhouses, cottages, and livestock.
As we continued into the Highlands, I felt like we were riding through a painting. We began to see lochs (lakes), glens (valleys), and mountains (bens). The fall foliage of late October added splashes of color. These scenes briefly gave way to the desolate land and peat bogs of Rannoch Moor before revealing colorful glens, bens, and misty lochs once again.
Although, the Highlands are popular with tourists today, this region has a brutal history. Our tour guide told us about the clans such as the Campbells and the MacDonald's, who occupied these lands. They often fought gruesome wars centuries ago that lead to the massacre of thousands of men, women, children, and animals.
My favorite stop of the tour was Glen Coe. We were given 90 minutes to check out the visitor center, get lunch, and enjoy the magnificent scenery. It was here we met Scotty who was dressed in traditional Scottish Highland attire from the 1600s. He gave us a demonstration of the weaponry and everyday tools a Highlander would have used during that time period.
The tour continued along Loch Ness, a 23-mile-long lake that was made famous by reported sightings of the Loch Ness Monster ("Nessie"). We made a stop at Urquhart Castle, which sits on the banks of Loch Ness. There is a visitor center dedicated to the castle. We viewed an excellent 8-minute film on the castle's history and how it was eventually blown up in the 17th century to keep it from being plundered by the invading Jacobites. At the film's conclusion, the screen went up and the window curtains opened to reveal a great view of the castle ruins and Loch Ness. It was the first time I've ever viewed an educational film that caused the audience to applaud. We were given some time to climb the narrow circular stairs of the castle.
From Urquhart Castle, we continued north to the modern city of Inverness. We stopped at the bus terminal to pick up two people who were doing the 2-day version of the tour. The rest of the 3-hour ride back to Edinburgh was uneventful. We made a quick stop at a cafeteria-style restaurant along the way for dinner. Meals are not included in the tour, so be sure to have money (credit cards are accepted) for snacks, lunch, and dinner.
I enjoyed this tour. Unfortunately, the stops are brief, since this excursion covers 360 miles. The multi-day version of this tour should be considered if your schedule permits. Otherwise, the 1-day version we did is a great introduction to the Scottish Midland Valley and Highlands.