Private Car Tour to See Coos, Canals, A Castle & Maybe Nessie!

Embark on a 4.5-hour private car tour of Loch Ness, exploring the stunning Highlands and Inverness. Cruise on the Loch, visit the Nessie Village, and enjoy the expertise of a knowledgeable guide. Extend your tour for an even more immersive experience!

Duration: 4 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Inverness - We will drive to Inverness and then through the city centre to reach Loch Ness.

The drive to Inverness will take us along the shore of the Cromarty Firth. It’s packed with interest including history and wildlife. We will try and spot some seals on the way, some Red Kites and from April to October we may see an Osprey.

We will then cross over the Black Isle, keeping an eye out for sheep and cattle. The fields here produce barley for making whisky.

As we approach Inverness we cross over the lovely Kessock Bridge which gives great view of the Moray Firth. Dolphins live here too.

We will drive through the centre of Inverness which is the capital of the Highlands.

We will cross over the River Ness and then follow the Great Glen to our first stop.

It will take around 1 hour and 15 minutes to reach our first stop depending on traffic.

  • Dochgarroch - We will make our first stop at An Talla, a lovely visitor centre right beside the Caledonian Canal.

Hopefully we will be able to get a good photo of a Heilean Coo or two. These shaggy cows with horns are an iconic Highland sight.

The visitor centre has a great takeaway if you fancy a coffee or snack and a lovely gift shop too.

An Talla is beside the Caledonian Canal. This huge engineering project joined a series of lochs and enabled boats to travel between the East and West coasts of Scotland.

After our visit to this lovely spot we will continue South passing by Dochgarroch Loch before reaching the edge of Loch Ness.

We will travel down the Western side of Loch Ness, where Mrs Mackay saw Nessie in 1933.

We will spend around 15-20 minutes at An Talla visitor centre. The drive to Drumnadrochit will from An Talla will take around 20 minutes.

(You can swop the boat trip for a visit to the fab Loch Ness Visitor centre instead if you prefer - please advise at time of booking)

  • Drumnadrochit - We arrive at Drumnadrochit where you will join a minibus and head for your boat trip on Loch Ness.

The boat trip on Loch Ness is on a smaller boat (max capacity 12 people). This gives plenty of time to ask all those Nessie related questions!

This cruise gives a fantastic view of the dramatic Urquhart Castle, which is located on the edge of Loch Ness.

The cruise also travels over the deepest part of Loch Ness - where there are the most sightings of Nessie. Just to make sure you don’t miss anything the boat has sonar fitted so you can see what’s happening underneath your boat!

The cost of the cruise is included in your tour price.

The cruise itself is 50 minutes and the transfer and boarding takes around 10 minutes.

After your cruise we pop down to the centre of the village where you can pick up some Nessie or local gift items. Check out the Irn Bru soap!

The boat trip, including the minibus transfer takes around 1 hour 15 minutes. The shopping stop in the village is 20 mins.

  • Invergordon - We leave Drumnadrochit and head inland, returning to Invergordon via Beauly.

This gives us a chance to enjoy some different views and scenery on our return to the ship. If time allows we will travel through Invergordon High Street to give you some suggestions of things to do in any free time in Invergordon port. The journey back to the ship will take around 1 hour.

(If you want to include a stop at a distillery we can visit The Singleton distillery on the return journey. You can buy a tasting selection of their whiskies at the bar. This would take an extra 30 minutes. If you want to do this just let me know when you book)

What's Included
  • Private transportation
  • 50-minute cruise on Loch Ness
  • Note: Step into minibus and big step down into boat
Additional Information

Experience Loch Ness with this private car 4.5-hour tour from Invergordon. This circular tour takes in the scenery of Loch Ness, along with a beautiful return drive through the Highland countryside.

This half-day tour includes a 50-minute boat trip on Loch Ness. There are fantastic views of the dramatic Urquhart Castle. It’s also the part of Loch Ness that has the most sightings of Nessie!

There’s a stop to see some Highland Coos (those lovely shaggy coated cows), plus a shopping stop to get some Nessie souvenirs.

This tour is in my private car - it’s an older, but much loved BMW 3 series with leather seats and air conditioning. I’m also your guide. I love showing people my adopted home, the Highlands, where I’ve lived for 20 years.

(I only have 3 seats and there is only 1 of me so I can only accept 1 booking at a time for 1 tour - no matter what anyone else says)

You can extend this tour for an extra £40 per hour. You can also personalise this tour (see some suggestions below)

Location
37 Shore Rd
Shore Road
Exit the port and cross the road at the pedestrian traffic light crossing. I will be there on the right hand side of the lights. The start time depends on the arrival time of your ship. For morning tours I recommend one hour after arrival in port as the start time for the tour.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
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(2 Ratings)
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John_t
May 24, 2024
Best Highlands Experience - Melanie is a gem. Friendly,easy going and down to earth. A great knowledge of the highlands. If you are short on time and want a an exceptional experience then this is the tour for you.
Review provided by Viator
Sandi_r
Aug 29, 2023
Beautiful day in the Highlands with a great tour guide! - We only had one day in Inverness, and our tour guide, Melanie, made the most of it for us. After exchanging a few emails to specify our interests, she put together a great day of touring, including a lovely spot for lunch, a visit to the Highland Cows, and an intimate boat ride on Loch Ness with amazing views of Urquhart Castle. It was a great relief to be picked up and brought back to our cruise ship and have all of the details coordinated by Melanie. I highly recommend her to anyone who wants to see the best of the Highlands without joining a crowded bus or boat tour.
Review provided by Viator
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