Monsters, Lochs and Legends (incl. Castle & Cruise)

Name: Day 1: Monsters, Lochs and Legends

Short Description: Your tour departs from Inverness before you journey to the world-famous Loch Ness, where you will join a cruise to the ruins of the 13th century Urquhart Castle. Then there’s free time to enjoy lunch in one of the charming local cafés in beautiful Beauly and walk it off exploring Beauly Priory; featured in the Outlander book 'Dragonfly in Amber'. Our next stop is a Highland whisky distillery, where you can learn about whisky and sample a wee dram in the bar. Listen to tales of the Jacobite rebellions and the brutal Battle of Culloden, on our visit to Culloden Battlefield. Outlander fans will love the mysterious burial chambers and standing stones at Clava Cairns. When you’ve heard the harrowing history behind the Outlander story, you might not want to travel back in time to meet Jamie Fraser after all! Your Loch Ness tour returns to Inverness in the early evening. Please note: during winter the route goes in reverse.

Description: Your tour departs from Inverness before you journey to the world-famous Loch Ness, where you will join a cruise to the ruins of the 13th century Urquhart Castle. Then there’s free time to enjoy lunch in one of the charming local cafés in beautiful Beauly and walk it off exploring Beauly Priory; featured in the Outlander book 'Dragonfly in Amber'. Our next stop is a Highland whisky distillery, where you can learn about whisky and sample a wee dram in the bar. Listen to tales of the Jacobite rebellions and the brutal Battle of Culloden, on our visit to Culloden Battlefield. Outlander fans will love the mysterious burial chambers and standing stones at Clava Cairns. When you’ve heard the harrowing history behind the Outlander story, you might not want to travel back in time to meet Jamie Fraser after all! Your Loch Ness tour returns to Inverness in the early evening. Please note: during winter the route goes in reverse.

Highlights

• Loch Ness(LN)
• Loch Ness Boat Cruise (Cruise)
• Beauly(Beauly)
• Culloden Battlefield(Culloden)
• Whisky Distilleries(Distilleries)
• Clava Cairns (CC)

Inclusions

Item 1: Your Legendary Local HAGGiS Guide

Item 2: Scottish Stories & Live Commentary (in English)

Item 3: Loch Ness Boat Cruise

Item 4: Urquhart Castle Entry

Item 5: Foreign Language Audio Guide Available

Item 6: Audio guide links will be provided after booking. Please download over WiFi and bring your own headphones

Item 7: Full Refund if Cancelled More Than 24 Hours in Advance

Name: Loch Ness

NameShort: Loch Ness

It’s time to tick Loch Ness off your Scotland bucket list, as we go in search of the infamous Loch Ness Monster. We promise you’ll get cool photos of Loch Ness and the surrounding scenery. A glimpse of ‘Nessie’ in the background is just an extra bonus!

Loch Ness is not the biggest or the deepest loch in Scotland, but it is definitely the most well-known. For this, we can thank the legend of the Loch Ness Monster. The first sighting of ‘Nessie’ was in 565AD by St Columba, when the monster reared its ugly head and launched an attack on his man servant. Much later, the ‘Surgeons Photograph’ from 1934 was considered the best and most famous capture of the beast, until it was later revealed to be a fake.! Of all Scotland’s lochs, Loch Ness has the highest volume of water. Glaciers carved the crazy-deep cavity of the loch, which holds more water than all the lakes in England and Wales. The water is so full of peat from the surrounding hills, its depths are almost pitch-black. Perfect hiding place for a monster if you ask us!

Image Name: Loch Ness

Image Alt: Loch Ness tour

Name: Loch Ness Boat Cruise

NameShort: Loch Ness Boat Cruise

Don’t just look at the loch, get on it! Loop around the southern end of Loch Ness on this water-based adventure, taking in the scenery, history and legends of the Loch Ness Monster. Will you be convinced ‘Nessie’ lurks beneath?

Don’t just look at the loch, get on it! Loop around the southern end of Loch Ness on this water-based adventure, taking in the scenery, history and legends of the Loch Ness Monster. Will you be convinced ‘Nessie’ lurks beneath?

Image Name: Loch Ness Boat Cruise

Image Alt: Loch Ness Boat Cruise

Name: Beauly

NameShort: Beauly

Spend some time exploring picturesque Beauly Priory; used in the filming of Outlander. Beauly Priory from the French beau lieu meaning ‘beautiful place’ and abbey church which remains today is nestled in a charming, wooded, riverside location.

Spend some time exploring picturesque Beauly Priory; used in the filming of Outlander. Beauly Priory from the French beau lieu meaning ‘beautiful place’ and abbey church which remains today is nestled in a charming, wooded, riverside location.

Image Name: Beauly Priory

Image Alt: Beauly Priory Scotland tours

Name: Whisky Distilleries

NameShort: Whisky Distilleries

Whisky always tastes better when you sample it straight from the source! We take you on tours and tastings at various world-famous distilleries, where you can discover each whisky’s own unique story, production process, and flavours. Then, pick your favourite!

Whisky always tastes better when you sample it straight from the source! We take you on tours and tastings at various world-famous distilleries, where you can discover each whisky’s own unique story, production process, and flavours. Then, pick your favourite!

Image Name: Islay Whisky Distilleries, Scotland

Image Alt: Islay Whisky Distilleries, Scotland

Name: Culloden Battlefield

NameShort: Culloden Battlefield

Culloden was the last battle fought on British soil, and the real-life story which inspired the hit series Outlander. Visiting the battlefield is an evocative experience, as you learn about the Jacobite defeat against the Hanoverian army, and the destruction of the highland clan culture in the aftermath.

On the 16th April 1746, the Jacobite and Hanoverian armies met on Culloden Moor, in what would be their final confrontation. The Jacobite forces were led by Bonnie Prince Charlie, who aimed to reclaim the British throne for his family, the House of Stuart. After decades of rebellion against the British government, the battle was over in 45 minutes, the Jacobite cause lost forever. Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series was inspired by this bloody and brutal period in Scotland’s history. Visitors now come from across to visit the battlefield, and pay tribute to the fallen clans. Outlander is a fictional tale of romance and time-travel, but the history is very real. Those who have fallen in love with the story of Jamie and Claire can visit the grave of Clan Fraser on the battlefield.

Image Name: Culloden Battlefield

Image Alt: Culloden Battlefield

Name: Clava Cairns

NameShort: Clava Cairns

Clava Cairns is a mysterious and atmospheric Bronze Age burial site which is aligned with the stars. Outlander fans can attempt their own journey through the standing stones, while a wander into the well-preserved passage cairns will you imagining the people who built them, in a time so long ago.

There is something very special about Clava Cairns, from the peaceful setting to the arrangement of ancient stones. The prehistoric structures include a kerb ring cairn, two passage graves, a central ring cairn and standing stones. The exact purpose of Clava Cairns is a mystery, though it’s believed it was a place of ritual and burial. Knowing that it was used over 4000 years ago is reason alone for the mind to boggle. No complete human skeletons have been unearthed during excavations of the site, so it is thought that each cairn was used to bury just one person. Given their size, these must have been very important people! The passageways into the cairns were built in alignment with the winter solstice, illuminating the chambers as the sun sets. The free-standing stones reflect the position of the stars, and are perfect for staging your very own Outlander-inspired photo.

Image Name: Clava Cairns

Image Alt: Clava Cairns