West Highland Lochs & Castles Tour (Edinburgh)
A fantastic day out in the heart of the scenic Western Highlands taking in Doune Castle, the superb ruins of Kilchurn Castle - stunningly situated at the head of Loch Awe - and the historic 18th century town of Inveraray, home to the Duke of Argyll. Runs every day all year.
Highlights: ~ Kilchurn Castle ~ Inveraray ~ Doune Castle ~ Loch Awe ~ Rest and Be Thankful pass ~ Conservation village of Luss ~ Loch Lomond National Park. If you love old ruined castles, tales of old clan rivalries, west coast lochs, baronial mansions and brilliant mountain scenery then you'll find this tour difficult to beat.
Depart Edinburgh at 08.30 and travel west, past Stirling Castle to your first stop at Doune Castle. This area of Scotland has certainly seen its fair share of fighting and warfare. Stirling Castle was once known as the 'Key to Scotland', and it was here that William Wallace (immortalised by Mel Gibson in the film Braveheart) defeated the English army in 1297. After William Wallace's death it was Robert the Bruce who continued the fight for independence and you will pass the site of his most famous victory in 1314 at the Battle of Bannockburn.
Then you arrive at the impressive medieval stronghold of Doune Castle. Built for Robert Stewart, the Duke of Albany, over 600 years ago the castle is still in excellent condition and you will have time for photos. You might even have seen the castle before, it was made famous by the film 'Monty Python and The Holy Grail', with many scenes filmed here. More recently it was featured in Outlanders as the main castle.
You then continue a little further on to Callander. After a short coffee stop you cross the Highland boundary fault line leaving the rolling farms for the wild mountains and forests of the Highlands. You will make a short stop at Loch Luibnaig before you continue over the Braes of Balquhidder, the final resting place of Highland outlaw Rob Roy MacGregor. Made famous by Sir Walter Scott, Rob Roy was a sort of Highland Robin Hood, he stole from the rich, but never quite got round to giving it to the poor.
From Balquhidder the tour winds its way through the tough knot of mountains known as Breadalbane (meaning the 'high country of Scotland') before we stop to see Kilchurn Castle, a magnificent ruin situated in the middle of Loch Awe and former home of the Campbells of Breadalbane. You will continue along the banks of Loch Awe through Campbell country to the picturesque town of Inveraray on the shores of Loch Fyne. Here you will have lunch and can visit the 18th-century castle and home of the Duke of Argyll, chief of the Campbell clan. The town was built at the same time as the castle and has the air of a classic 18th-century planned village with its straight wide streets and dignified Georgian houses. You can take time to explore the town and maybe call at the Old Jail or the maritime museum, the Arctic Penguin.
Leaving Inveraray, you take a drive up through the steep-sided mountains known as the Arrochar Alps to the great viewpoint at 'Rest and Be Thankful'. It was given its name in 1753 by the weary soldiers who had just finished building the old military road up through Glen Croe. From here you skirt around Loch Long and down to the Bonnie, Bonnie banks of Loch Lomond. This is Scotland's largest loch and it takes its name from the mountain Ben Lomond on the eastern shore. You make a short stop at the conservation village of Luss, with its quaint houses and stunning views across the loch. From here you make your way back to Edinburgh, with a short photo stop underneath Stirling Castle.
Return time to Edinburgh (traffic depending) - approx 18.30
Inclusions
Transportation by top of the range Mercedes minicoach for a more personal experience with a maximum of 16 passengers on tour.
Air Conditioning as standard.
Services of a professional Rabbie's driver/guide
Rabbie's Discount Card - For money off restaurants, shopping and attractions
Exclusions
Lunch and refreshments.
Entrance to Doune castle and Inveraray Castle (open Easter to October only)
The Little Details
- Minimum Age: Age 5+
- Min Age: 5 years
- Tour Vehicle Type: Mini Coach
- Months of Operation: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December, All Year
- Duration of Tour: Full Day
- Departure Point: Edinburgh
- Departure Point: Rabbie's Café, Waterloo Place, EH1 3EG
- Departure Time: 08:30
- Expected return Time: 18:30
- Duration of Tour: Full Day
Rates & Dates
Adult Prices: £39 - £44
Discount Prices: £36 - £41
Discount Price :
Students, Seniors over 60 and Children between 5 and 16 (Rabbies regret they do not carry children under 5 years old)
Departing: Every day (All year)
Booking Notes
Click on the 'Book Now' button to check availability and process your booking. Payment will be required during the booking process, and you will be emailed your confirmation.
We believe a small group tour with a maximum of 16 passengers really does make a big difference to your trip. It allows them to give you a more personal service and remain the only 5 Star operator to offer this personal guarantee. Touring with a maximum of 16 passengers you get more for your money, more personal attention, more time with the locals, more time off the bus, more time on the back-roads and just more of an authentic, friendly experience. The smaller groups allow you to meet people from all over the world and make friends for life.
Some Places We Will Visit
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Inveraray
Inveraray is the classic 18th-century planned town (don't call it a village), with its straight wide streets and dignified Georgian houses, and enjoys the most stunning of settings, on the shores of Loch Fyne.
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Callander
The small Trossachs town of Callander lies right on the main tourist trail from Stirling through to the west Highlands. The town became famous during the 'Scottish Enlightenment' of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries with the gleaming reports given by poets Sir William Wordsworth and Sir Walter Scott and developments came to a full swing with Queen Victoria choosing to visit Callander and with the arrival of the train line in the 1860s.
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Balquhidder
The forlorn village, set in a beautiful and remote Highlands landscape, Balquhidder - the home of legends is a village located at the Eastern end of Loch Voil in Scotland. The place at one time has witnessed many clan battles which took place here. Balquhidder pronounced as Baile-chuil-tir” means ‘the distant farm’.
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Luss
Small traditional village on Loch Lomond that is a heritage site protecting its pretty streets. The Loch Lomond cruise boats depart from pier here.
Castle Visited
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Kilchurn Castle
One of the most photographed castles in Scotland and in a strong position on the loch. A stronghold for the Campbells of Glenorchy. Used between 1475 to 1745
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Inveraray Castle
Home to Clan Campbell's chief and a substantial baronial pile built in 1743 on the site of previous castle. Open to visitors and includes lovely gardens.
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Doune Castle
Built for the Regent Albany, Doune Castle is a magnificent late 14th century courtyard castle that is familiar to film buffs for its role in Monty Python's Life of Brian.