Glasgow Day Trips & Excursions

With a maximum group size of 16 passengers, you are sure to have a memorable and personal experience on this special day trip to the Scottish Highlands. Traveling in a small group means you can reach out-of-the-way places to discover the real Scotland!

Head north towards the Highlands along the "bonnie, bonnie" banks of Loch Lomond - Scotland's largest Loch. Continue into the Highlands to reach the most dramatic of all Highland glens, Glencoe. This area is steeped in history, and you will hear the truth about the infamous 1692 massacre of Clan MacDonald.

Journeying through Fort William, site of the military post built during the Jacobite Rebellions in the 18th century, you'll continue up the Great Glen, between Fort William and Inverness.

After lunch at Fort Augustus on the shores of Loch Ness, you have the option of visiting the dramatic ruins of Urquhart Castle or taking an hour-long cruise on the loch (not included).

Head back through Inverness, the Cairngorms National Park, and the countryside, where the TV series Monarch of the Glen was filmed. Continuing over the Drummochter Summit, where herds of red deer often graze, you'll visit the Victorian town of Pitlochry.

Continue through Perthshire and past Stirling Castle and the Wallace Monument, commemorating Scotland's great hero William Wallace, played by Mel Gibson in the Oscar-winning movie Braveheart. Then just a short drive back to Glasgow.

The Scottish Highlands and Islands are Europe's last great wilderness! This personalized tour is as close as you can get to touring in your own car, with the added benefit of gaining intimate knowledge of Scotland. Traveling in a small group means you can take lots of stops and reach "out of the way" places, giving you more time off the bus to discover the real Scotland.

This three-day trip from Glasgow to the Isle of Skye and the Scottish Highlands will show you Scotland?s most beautiful scenery. Tour highlights include Glencoe, the Lochaber region around Fort William, Eilean Donan Castle (set of the movie Highlander) and over the sea to the Isle of Skye, where you'll stay in the picturesque harbor town of Portree.

You'll spend the entire second day on Skye, exploring the wild north of the island, the Old Man of Storr, the mountain pass of the Quiraing and Skye's most westerly point at Neist.

On the third day, you'll return to the mainland and travel through the Five Sisters of Kintail. You?ll visit eerie Loch Ness (boat trips are available April to October), where you can try to spot the Loch Ness Monster, before making your way to the central Highlands and Glasgow.

With a maximum group size of 16 passengers, this special trip allows you to have memorable and personal experience. You'll travel in a comfortable air-conditioned minivan and receive individual attention from your expert driver/guide. Traveling in a small group means you can reach out-of-the-way places to discover the real Scotland!

See Itinerary section below for details on each day?s activities.

Stirling Castle was Scotland's most important medieval stronghold and is set high on a volcanic outcrop. There has been fortification on the rock since 1000 BC, as it guards the main route north into the Scottish Highlands. You have the option of visiting the castle to see some of the finest Renaissance architecture in Scotland.

Leaving Stirling, you'll travel past Doune Castle, Callander and into the Trossachs, an area popularized by authors such as Sir Walter Scott and Daniel Defoe. This is also the territory of Rob Roy MacGregor, Scotland's Robin Hood. The tour stops for a leisurely lunch (own expense) outside the village of Aberfoyle.

After lunch, continue to the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond, Scotland's largest loch where you can enjoy a walk before heading to the picturesque Distillery of Glengoyne. You can choose to take an optional tour of the distillery (additional cost) or enjoy some refreshments at the 'Slainte Mhath Shop'.

The Scottish Highlands and Islands are Europe's last great wilderness! This personalized tour is as close as you can get to touring in your own car, with the added benefit of gaining intimate knowledge of Scotland. Traveling in a small group means you can take lots of stops and reach "out of the way" places, giving you more time off the bus to discover the real Scotland.

Winner of the Inaugural Scottish Thistle Award for Sustainable Tourism, October 2007

With a friendly local expert as your guide, you will travel by luxury minivan from Glasgow to Islay, "Queen of the Hebrides". Your small-group (maximum 15 people), 4-Day Islay Whisky Tour includes visits to many of the island's whisky distilleries. Learn how to nose and taste the distinctive malt whiskies and identify the characteristics that make each one so unique!

Even the most avid of whisky-lovers will appreciate that "theres more to life than a good malt", and your small-group tour will certainly deliver on showing off the rest of the Islay's delights. In between distillery tours and tastings, enjoy bracing walks along dramatic coastal paths and sandy beaches. Additionally, there is a brewery tour and fresh oyster sampling at a local oyster farm.

The return journey provides further chance to explore, passing classic sights from mainland Scotland including the town of Inveraray, Loch Lomond and Loch Fyne. Arrive back in Glasgow feeling refreshed after discovering one of Scotland's best kept secrets - the fascinating Isle of Islay.

Starting from a central Glasgow location, your small group tour departs early to beat the traffic on the drive west. You'll head to the first stop at the conservation village of Luss, which sits on the western shores of Loch Lomond - Britain's largest freshwater loch.  Take time to relax and enjoy the scenery before your tour continues into the heart of the Highlands.

Pass the hauntingly beautiful ruins of Kilchum Castle on the shores of Loch Awe, and hear tales of the Campbell Clan who once claimed the land as a stronghold. Loch Awe also follows the Pass of Brander, where Robert the Bruce (Scotland's heroic King) fought many a fierce battle in bygone times.

Reaching the Victorian seaside town of Oban in the early afternoon, take the chance to sample the freshest seafood from the town named as the Scottish Seafood Capital! Walk off your lunch with a stroll over to McCaig's Tower, the magnificent granite folly which has dominated the town's skyline since 1895. Don't be put-off by the long climb to the top! You'll be rewarded by spectacular views across the sea to the Isle of Mull.

On the return route back to Glasgow, there will be a stop in Inverarary, a quaint village which lines the shores of Loch Fyne - characterized by it's pretty white-washed houses. Spend time at leisure and try some of the town's home-made sweets before heading back to Glasgow, passing Scottish countryside steeped in myth and legend.

With a maximum group size of 16 passengers, you are sure to have a memorable and personal experience on this special day trip to Scotland's west Highland lochs, Glencoe and castles. You'll travel in a comfortable air-conditioned minivan, reach out-of-the-way places and receive individual attention from your expert driver/guide.

Highlights include:

• Loch Lomond - Scotland's largest loch
• Inveraray
• Loch Awe - Scotland's longest loch
• Ruins of Kilchurn Castle
• Castle Stalker
• The stunningly beautiful Glencoe
• Majestic peak of Buachaille Etive Mor 
• Rannoch Moor

This two-day trip from Glasgow to Loch Ness and Inverness will show you the Scottish Highland?s most beautiful scenery. The tour includes views of Stirling Castle and an optional boat ride on eerie Loch Ness, where you can look for the Loch Ness Monster.

You?ll visit Glencoe, a wilderness steeped in grim history, where you can soak up the atmosphere during an afternoon walk. You?ll take a walk in Glen Affric, featured in the 1970s BBC TV series The Last of the Mohicans. See the stronghold of Urquhart Castle. Admire the Grampian Mountains. And spend the night in Inverness, the capital of the Scottish Highlands.

The Scottish Highlands are Europe's last great wilderness! This personalized tour is as close as you can get to touring in your own car, with the added benefit of gaining intimate knowledge of Scotland. Traveling in a small group means you can take lots of stops and reach out-of-the-way places, giving you more time out of the van to discover the real Scotland.

See Itinerary section below for details on each day?s activities.

With great views from the top of the bus, strategically placed stops and an interesting commentary, this truly is the best way to see the sights of Glasgow.

You can hop-on and off as many times as you like aboard this open-top double-decker bus. There are 21 stops and the entire route takes approximately 80 minutes. The bus departs every 15 minutes from each stop. Tickets are valid for 2 consecutive calendar days.

Glasgow is miles better - don't take our word for it, find out for yourself. The most vibrant and exciting of Scottish cities boasts excellent museums and art galleries as well as beautiful parklands and buildings. Treat yourself to a tour of the Jewel of Scotland, the city whose inhabitants work hard and play hard.

Depart Glasgow at 9am and travel towards Stirling. Your route north is one that has been used for thousands of years by invading armies. As you approach Stirling the magnificent castle dominates your view and itself upon the surrounding land. Known as the ?Key to Scotland?, for centuries this was the most important castle in Scotland.

To the north is the 220ft high tower of the National Wallace Monument commemorating Scotland?s great hero William Wallace, played by Mel Gibson in the Oscar-winning movie Braveheart. From the top you can look down over the scene of Wallace?s greatest triumph, the battle of Stirling Bridge, where he defeated the English army in 1297.

Then you'll travel onto Crieff, a lively resort town which was once the main centre for the cattle trade in Scotland. The town was burned down for harbouring Bonnie Prince Charlie during his 1745 Jacobite rebellion, and was rebuilt by the local landlord, the Duke of Perth.

You'll continue north over the Highland line, through the beautiful Sma' Glen and onto Aberfeldy. You will notice the immediate change in scenery from rolling farmland to mountain and moor as we cross over the fault line separating Lowland Scotland from the Highlands. Nearby is Dewar?s Whisky distillery, where you can enjoy a 'wee dram'. Known in the Gaelic as Uisge Beatha (or 'water of life') whisky has been produced for centuries in Scotland and the art is now close to perfection.

Later you travel west into the ancient lands of Breadalbane, or the ?High Country? surrounding Loch Tay and make your way along the loch towards Killin. The small town is situated beside the River Dochart and has the fantastic Falls of Dochart at its heart. After Killin you take a drive through the stunning Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park where you will stop at the gorgeous conservation village of Luss. From here you return to Glasgow at approx 7pm.

Leave the city bustle behind in Glasgow and head out by luxury minivan through Scotland?s Renfrewshire Hills. On the drive southwest to the Ayrshire coast, your friendly guide will keep you entertained, explaining some of the history of this charming yet relatively undiscovered region.

First stop on the coast is Culzean Country Park in South Ayrshire, a glorious retreat set in the middle of 600 acres (243 acres) of countryside. Your time here is spent at leisure, so you can do as much, or as little, as you like!

Explore the park?s pretty woodland trails and landscaped gardens, seeking out enchanting features like the Swan Pond or the Victorian Walled Garden. Alternatively, check out Culzean Castle if you wish (own expense). Created in the 18th century by renowned British architect Robert Adam, the cliff-top castle is akin to a treasure trove, with an array of fascinating rooms all brimming with history. Visit the armoury room to see an impressive display of pistols and swords, and learn of President Eisenhower?s links to the castle at the end of World War II.

After having lunch in the park grounds (own expense), meet your guide and continue by minivan to the tiny fishing village of Dunure with its ancient ruined castle. After passing through its picturesque streets, you?ll arrive in the heart of Burns Country -- the market town of Ayr -- where celebrated Scottish poet Robert Burns was born.

You?ll have the afternoon to spend in Ayr independently, and your guide will give you plenty of tips for the best sights to see. Visit places mentioned in Burns? poems and songs, like ?Auld Kirk Alloway? (the graveyard in his poem Tam o? Shanter), or perhaps check out the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum (any entry fees at own expense).

From Ayr, you?ll return to Glasgow by minivan, arriving in the city in the early evening.

With a maximum group size of 16 passengers, you are sure to have a memorable and personal experience on this special day trip to the Scottish Highlands. Traveling in a small group means you can reach out-of-the-way places to discover the real Scotland!

Head north towards the Highlands along the "bonnie, bonnie" banks of Loch Lomond - Scotland's largest Loch. Continue into the Highlands to reach the most dramatic of all Highland glens, Glencoe. This area is steeped in history, and you will hear the truth about the infamous 1692 massacre of Clan MacDonald.
Journeying through Fort William, site of the military post built during the Jacobite Rebellions in the 18th century, you'll continue up the Great Glen, between Fort William and Inverness.

After lunch at Fort Augustus on the shores of Loch Ness, you have the option of taking an hour-long cruise on the loch (not included). The boat has a sonar system, so if Nessie is around you will not miss her! (Operational from Easter to end October.)

Stop at Spean Bridge before heading through the Cairngorms National Park, Craig Meagaidh and along the shores of Loch Laggan, where the TV series Monarch of the Glen was filmed. Continuing over the Drummochter Summit, where herds of red deer often graze, you'll visit the Victorian town of Pitlochry.
Continue through Perthshire and past Stirling Castle and the Wallace Monument, commemorating Scotland's great hero William Wallace, played by Mel Gibson in the Oscar-winning movie Braveheart. Then just a short drive back to Glasgow.

Winner of the Inaugural Scottish Thistle Award for Sustainable Tourism, October 2007

The journey northwards takes you through Rob Roy MacGregor country to desolate Rannoch Moor. You will travel through haunting Glencoe, the "Glen of Weeping", where 40 of the resident MacDonald clan were massacred in cold blood by the Campbells in 1692.

Next, you'll travel to Fort William in the shadow of Ben Nevis, Britain's tallest mountain. A real highlight is the drive through the Great Glen, which is also the route taken by the Caledonian Canal. You will criss-cross the canal several times as you travel to Inverness. The Great Glen contains three lochs which offer spectacular vistas: Loch Lochy, Loch Oich and, most famously, Loch Ness.

The pretty little village of Fort Augustus is the gateway to Scotland's largest and best-known loch, Loch Ness. You will tour the entire length of Loch Ness, stopping at Urquhart Castle for a photograph. You can take an optional visit to the castle and enjoy a cruise (not included in tour cost) on the loch ... could that shadow be the monster?!

In Inverness you will make a stop to discover the Capital of the Highlands for yourself, before starting the journey southwards through the Spey Valley and on to the dramatic scenery of Glen Garry. You'll have a brief stop in the delightful Victorian resort of Pitlochry before returning to Glasgow.

Highlights of your four-day Skye and Highlands excursion include:

• Rannoch Moor and Glencoe, Scotland's most famous glen and the scene of the terrible massacre of the MacDonalds in 1692
• Fort William and the striking scenery of the Great Glen
• Excursion to the Isle of Skye by mini coach
• Drive over one of Scotland's highest roads to scenic Applecross
• Free time in Inverness
• The Victorian resort town of Pitlochry
  

You'll stay in first-class hotel or guesthouse accommodations on this four-day tour, specially selected for their convenient locations close to the main sights and shopping areas. There's a hearty Scottish breakfast to get things off to a good start each day, and your dinner arrangements have been kept free so you can dine as the mood takes you.

A popular feature of this tour is the extended free time available for independent sightseeing or shopping. You'll have plenty of time to relax in the Highland surroundings without feeling rushed, following your own interests at your own pace.

Start your tour with a drive to the medieval city of Stirling. Here there is an opportunity to visit Stirling Castle. The castle overlooks the
ancient city of Stirling and is one of the historic buildings that have come to symbolise the spirit of Scotland. Your extended stop in Stirlingwill allow a leisurely visit to the Castle or the chance to explore the town itself.

The Trossachs is a wonderful area of lochs and wild mountain vistas. You will travel by Loch Venachar then climb the dramatic Dukes Pass to the pretty village of Aberfoyle, where you will make a stop for lunch (not included).

The Queen of Scotland's lakes-Loch Lomond- is sure to put a song in your heart! Loch Lomond is the largest stretch of inland water in Britain and a stop here will be made so you can take a stroll along the "bonnie, bonnie banks".

Your last stop of the day is to pretty Glengoyne Malt Whisky Distillery. As well as having a behind the scenes tour to learn all about the distillers art there will be a chance to taste the end product too!

Highlights of your two-day Inverness, Loch Ness and Highlands excursion include:

• Rannoch Moor and Glencoe, Scotland's most famous glen and the scene of the terrible massacre of the MacDonalds in 1692
• Fort William and the striking scenery of the Great Glen
• Drive from the attractive village of Fort Augustus along the entire length of Loch Ness
• Optional cruise on Loch Ness or visit to Urquhart Castle
• Free time in Inverness
• The Victorian resort town of Pitlochry

You'll stay in first-class hotel or guesthouse accommodations on this two-day tour, specially selected for its convenient location close to the main sights and shopping area. There's a hearty Scottish breakfast to get things off to a good start on day two, and your dinner arrangements have been kept free so you can dine as the mood takes you.

A popular feature of this tour is the extended free time available for independent sightseeing or shopping. You'll have plenty of time to relax in the Highland surroundings without feeling rushed, following your own interests at your own pace.

With a maximum group size of 16 passengers, you are sure to have a memorable and personal experience on this special day trip to Scotland's west Highland lochs, Glencoe and castles. You'll travel in a comfortable air-conditioned minivan, reach out-of-the-way places and receive individual attention from your expert driver/guide.

Highlights include:

• Loch Lomond - Scotland's largest loch
• Inveraray
• Loch Awe - Scotland's longest loch
• Ruins of Kilchurn Castle
• Castle Stalker
• The stunningly beautiful Glencoe
• Majestic peak of Buachaille Etive Mor 
• Rannoch Moor

Highlights of your three-day Scottish Scenic excursion include:

• Rannoch Moor and Glencoe, Scotland's most famous glen and the scene of the terrible massacre of the MacDonalds in 1692
• Fort William and the striking scenery of the Great Glen
• Drive from the attractive village of Fort Augustus along the entire length of Loch Ness
  
• Drive over one of Scotland's highest roads to scenic Applecross
• Free time in Inverness
• The Victorian resort town of Pitlochry
  

You'll stay in first-class hotel or guesthouse accommodations on this three-day tour, specially selected for their convenient locations close to the main sights and shopping areas. There's a hearty Scottish breakfast to get things off to a good start each day, and your dinner arrangements have been kept free so you can dine as the mood takes you.

A popular feature of this tour is the extended free time available for independent sightseeing or shopping. You'll have plenty of time to relax in the Highland surroundings without feeling rushed, following your own interests at your own pace.

Highlights of your three-day Scottish Wilderness excursion include:

• Rannoch Moor and Glencoe, Scotland's most famous glen and the scene of the terrible massacre of the MacDonalds in 1692
• Loch Ness
• Seal spotting at Cromarty Firth
• Golspie and the statue of the First Duke of Sutherland
• Caithness and its beautiful harbors
• The dramatic cliff-top scenery of John O'Groats, popularly considered Britain's northernmost point
• Bird and wildlife spotting - look out for puffins, red deer and hairy Highland cows
• Free time in Inverness
• The Victorian resort town of Pitlochry
  

You'll stay in first-class hotel or guesthouse accommodations on this three-day tour, specially selected for their convenient locations close to the main sights and shopping areas. There's a hearty Scottish breakfast to get things off to a good start each day, and your dinner arrangements have been kept free so you can dine as the mood takes you.

A popular feature of this tour is the extended free time available for independent sightseeing or shopping. You'll have plenty of time to relax in the Highland surroundings without feeling rushed, following your own interests at your own pace.

Highlights of your five-day Highlands excursion include:

• Rannoch Moor and Glencoe, Scotland's most famous glen and the scene of the terrible massacre of the MacDonalds in 1692
• Fort William and the striking scenery of the Great Glen
• Drive from the attractive village of Fort Augustus along the entire length of Loch Ness
• Excursion to the Isle of Skye by mini coach
• The dramatic cliff-top scenery of John O'Groats, popularly considered Britain's northernmost point
• Drive over one of Scotland's highest roads to scenic Applecross
• Free time in Inverness
• The Victorian resort town of Pitlochry

You'll stay in first-class hotel or guesthouse accommodations on this five-day tour, specially selected for their convenient locations close to the main sights and shopping areas. There's a hearty Scottish breakfast to get things off to a good start on days two to five, and your dinner arrangements have been kept free so you can dine as the mood takes you.

A popular feature of this tour is the extended free time available for independent sightseeing or shopping. You'll have plenty of time to relax in the Highland surroundings without feeling rushed, following your own interests at your own pace.

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