Invergordon Shore Excursions: Loch Ness, Culloden, Cawdor & More
This is an unforgettable day tour from Invergordon to Loch Ness, taking in some of the most scenic, historic and culturally significant sights available anywhere in Scotland. Our local guide will meet you as you disembark from your cruise ship at the port of Invergordon and take you on your own Highland adventure.
Your tour will start at Beauly Priory, before moving onto the famous Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle. We will then travel along the Loch side towards Inverness where we will see St. Andrew’s Cathedral, before moving onto the sacred site of Clava Cairns, home of the famous Outlander series . We then travel a short distance to Culloden Battlefield and our final stop will be Cawdor Castle and Gardens , before returning to Invergordon.
Options
1 to 3 Passengers
option 2
Pickup included
What's included in Invergordon Shore Excursions: Loch Ness, Culloden, Cawdor & More
(Subject to Option Inclusions)Itinerary
Beauly Priory
Firstly, we proceed along the shore of the Cromarty Firth and make our way to Beauly where we visit Beauly Priory. Beauly Priory was built in the 13th century for an order of Valliscaulian Monks from Dijon in France. Most of the Priory was destroyed by Oliver Cromwell in the 16th century and he removed a lot of the stone to build a citadel. In Inverness when the citadel was destroyed after Cromwell’s death the same stone was then used to build the Dunbar hospital in Inverness – you will see this building later in the day. The Priory was an ancient burial ground for the chiefs of clans Fraser and Mackenzie. Leaving Beauly behind us we make our way over Culnakirk Hill to Drumnadrochit.
Urquhart Castle
After passing through Drumnadrochit and at the top of the hill we stop at Urquhart Castle which sits on a promontory overlooking the loch. Urquhart Castle was once one of Scotland’s largest castles and has been fought over many times with control of the castle passing back and forth between the Scots and the English during the wars of independence. It is near here that St Columba is purported to have seen the loch ness monster in 580 AD, the monster came out of the water to attack one of his disciples and St Columba banished it back to the water. The castle gatehouse was deliberately destroyed in 1692 so it could never be used again as a military stronghold.
Inverness
Continuing back to Inverness we stop at Inverness Cathedral, this is the most northerly Anglican cathedral in the UK and was completed in 1866. Driving through Inverness we pass the Old High Church where the Jacobite prisoners were held after Culloden before they were executed in the graveyard, you can still see musket ball marks on the church wall where the executions happened. Opposite the Old High Church you will see the Dunbar Hospital, built with stones from Cromwell’s citadel, the stones originally from Beauly Priory. Further along this street we pass Abertarff House, the oldest house in Inverness dating from 1593 and once the townhouse for the chiefs of Clan Fraser. Continuing through Inverness we pass Inverness Castle and you will see the statue of Flora Macdonald, famous for helping Bonnie Prince Charlie escape to Skye after Culloden.
Inclusions
- Comfortable Vehicle
- Private tour
- Air-conditioned Vehicle
- Bottled Water and snacks for the Journey
- Local Guide
- Meals
- Urquhart Castle/ £13-£14.50 (Admission fee)
- Cawdor Castle and Grounds / £12.50-£13.50 ( Admission fee)
- Culloden Battlefield / £11-£14 ( Admission fee)
- Culloden Battlefield
- Cawdor Castle and Grounds
- Urquhart Castle
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Child seats available on request.
- The travel time is included on the total tour duration.
Meet
Pickup and Dropoff
You can choose to be picked up from a list of locations, or alternatively, have the choice to make your own way to the meeting points
Please arrive at the pick up point 45 minutes before departure time.
Additional Information
We will start your tour between 8am-10am, meeting you from the Port Gate with your Lead travellers name on our pick up board. Your tour can start 45 minutes after your ship has docked or sooner if possible. You will be returned to the ship one hour before departure.
