Lochness tours - Inverness

Sterling R.

Our tour date was 8/6/24. We called Richard 2 nights ahead of time to arrange the tour. More lead time during peak season is probably appropriate, but we were lucky that Richard had a free day and was able to accommodate us on short notice.

Richard is a genuinely awesome guy with a love for the history and beauty of Inverness and Loch Ness. He hails from the Isle of Sky but is a 20 year resident of Inverness and has a deep knowledge of Scotland as a whole.

We hired him for the 3.5 hr tour and had a blast! We probably could have done an extra 2 hours, though, as entertaining as it was. The tour van was clean and comfortable.

We met him at a local Inverness hotel around noon after driving from craigendarroch, near Ballater. Richard has a routine but is flexible for your group if you prefer to spend more time in one particular site or skip one for time. Our tour schedule was as follows:

1. A short drive through the heart of Inverness to see bridges and antique buildings.

2. A stop by a local farm to visit the highland cows. * Most are kept as pets, and you'll understand why when you see them.

3. A visit to the Caledonian canal. A modern marvel that is now used for pleasure crusing. 🏞

4. LOCH NESS - no spoilers here, but ask where our underwater ally Nessy sleeps.

5. Urquhart Castle - no castle tour but viewed from above. Ask Richard for castle tours he recommends. He has the low down in the best/cheapest ones.

6. Harry Potter Bridge. - fans of the show will recognize this Roman style viaduct. It's still in active use today!

7. Clava Cairn - ancient highlander burial grounds. Very cool and old. Pollen inclusion in the stones onsite date this holy structure back to 4,000 BC.

8. Culloden Battlefield - the site of the last battle of the last major rebellion of the Scots against the crown. Spoiler alert, they lost, with repercussions on Scottish culture for a century. Come see the bravery of your ancestors.

9. Return to pickup point.

Overall, we had a great time, and Richard has the personality you want in a tour guide. Educated and enthusiastic, I would recommend Richard to my family in friends.
5 stars - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Daniel B.

We booked Richard because he told us he grew up on Skye in the village of Torrin and we were so happy we did as he took us to places away from the crowds, Elgol was out of this world, I wanted to stay there! We left from Inverness, along the LochNess saw Urqhart Castle and Eilean Donan Castle and Richard stopped long enough so we could have a good look. After Skye he took us another route via Stromeferry and Achnasheen which was equally stunning. Richard even had a single malt whisky flask for us to enjoy 😀

Priscillia C.

great expérience i love it the boat is small and the staff are Nice 😄😄😄😄

Paul J.

We've been to Inverness a few times, but we always wanted to tour the amazing countryside. Loch Ness Tours were very good.
Our driver was very friendly and knowledgeable. Nothing wa too much trouble.
Would use again.

Mug S.

We had a wonderful day with our tour guide Richard. He was fun and informative and let us take the time we needed to see what we wanted. I would highly recommend this tour company if you are in the Inverness area.

syd B.

The tour guide designed the day around what we wanted to see. He was very relaxed and easy to be with. He even took us to a distillery which was a fun surprise. Would highly recommend.

Harken B.

Emil was super nice, and everyone seemed to love him, including us.

Angela B.

Great tour guide & very knowledgeable.