Edinburgh
Price £58
Min age 7
Rating 4.80 / 5 [5576 ratings]
Tour supplied by:
Bucket list destination:
Scottish Highlands, United Kingdom (UK)
Expect stunning scenery – here Kilchurn Castle next to Loch Awe
The Highlands is a land of tartan-clad myth and legend: a dramatic, mountainous region, twice the size of Wales, slashed with jagged lochs and peppered with gnarled castles.
It’s a magnet for history buffs, a world-class adventure playground and a hotspot for wildlife enthusiasts: magnificent stags roam across mist-shrouded moorland while golden eagles soar overhead.
There are wild, deserted beaches to tramp and empty roads snaking through forest-fringed glens sprinkled with whisky distilleries – perfect road-trip territory.
And for the end of the day, there are cosy castle hotels where you can tuck into wild venison or salmon from the rushing rivers.
Inverness, at the Highland’s core and staging point for Loch Ness, sits at the top of the Great Glen, which cuts diagonally across Scotland from the southwest to northeast.
On the wild north coast you’ll find white-sand beaches and soaring cliffs. Head down the sea loch-indented west coast to activities centre Fort William, at the southern end of the Great Glen, in the shadow of Ben Nevis, the UK’s highest mountain.
Our selection of the best Viator tours of this destination, plus helpful tickets and transfers
Edinburgh
Price £58
Min age 7
Rating 4.80 / 5 [5576 ratings]
Tour supplied by:
Edinburgh
Price £87
Min age 5
Rating 4.71 / 5 [5576 ratings]
Tour supplied by:
Edinburgh
Price £59
Min age 5
Rating 4.69 / 5 [2653 ratings]
Tour supplied by:
Edinburgh
Price £59
Min age 3
Rating 4.63 / 5 [2304 ratings]
Tour supplied by:
Edinburgh
Price £52
Min age 4
Rating 4.47 / 5 [1540 ratings]
Tour supplied by:
Hogmanay is a traditional highlight – nobody celebrates New Year quite like the Scots and there are ceilidhs (dances) scattered all over the Highlands.
However, if you want to sightsee, many attractions close over the winter months. Spring and autumn are probably the best times to visit.
The summer season can be mobbed in the tourist hotspots and midges can be a nightmare on the west coast particularly (the midges are at their worst June to September). If you want to experience the traditional Highland Games you’ll need to brave the peak season crowds.
Inverness is the main gateway to the Highlands and its transport hub, with an airport and train station on the main east coast line. However, Glasgow and Edinburgh airports are also access points. It’s just a three-hour drive from Edinburgh to Inverness up the A9.
Driving is a dream in the Highlands. You’ll often have the route to yourself, especially along the coastal roads in the far north.
However, take care on the A9 (the main north–south route) as it’s a muddle of dual and single carriageway; slow-moving trucks and driver frustration can cause tailbacks and accidents. During the summer there is also a plague of caravans on the roads.
Inverness is the small, bustling capital of the Highlands and a good base for sightseeing, outdoor activities and Loch Ness.
Fort William, in the shadow of Ben Nevis and the Nevis range ski slopes, is the west coast’s outdoor activities hub. Aviemore is its equivalent on the east in the Cairngorm National Park.
For staggering coastal scenery, the northwest coast can’t be beaten, while foodies should head to gourmet hotspot the Isle of Skye.