Edinburgh sits at the narrow waist of Scotland, which makes it a surprisingly good base. The edge of the Highlands is little more than an hour away, the ancient capital of Stirling under an hour, and the coast of Fife just across the water.
Some places are easy by train. For the Highlands, unless you hire a car, a coach or mini-coach tour is the realistic option: public transport to Glencoe and Loch Ness is too slow for a return trip in a day.
The Highlands: Glencoe and Loch Ness
The most popular day out from Edinburgh, and the longest. Tours leave around 8 am and return about 8 pm, travelling by Callander and across the bleak, beautiful Rannoch Moor to Glencoe, a glacial valley walled in by mountains and shadowed by the massacre of the MacDonalds in 1692. The road continues past Fort William and Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest mountain, to Loch Ness, where there is usually time for a boat trip, and returns through Perthshire.
It is a great deal of driving, and you see Loch Ness for an hour or two at most. But the scenery from the window is the point, the drivers are usually excellent storytellers, and for many visitors this is the day they remember. A variant swaps Loch Ness for the Glenfinnan Viaduct, the curving railway bridge known from the Harry Potter films.
Stirling Castle, Loch Lomond and the Kelpies
A gentler day. Stirling Castle, on a crag commanding the lowest crossing of the River Forth, rivals Edinburgh’s for history and beats it for restored Renaissance interiors; below it are the battlefields of Stirling Bridge and Bannockburn. Tours usually add a stop on the “bonnie banks” of Loch Lomond, at the edge of the Trossachs, and at the Kelpies, two 30-metre steel horse heads beside the Forth and Clyde Canal. Stirling alone is also easy by train, in about 45–50 minutes.
St Andrews and the East Neuk of Fife
St Andrews packs a ruined cathedral that was once the largest church in Scotland, a clifftop castle, the country’s oldest university and the Old Course — the home of golf — into a small seaside town with a long beach. On the way, tours pass through the East Neuk, a string of fishing villages with red-tiled roofs; Anstruther is known for its fish and chips. There is no railway station in St Andrews itself, which is why a tour is convenient.
Rosslyn Chapel and the Borders
Rosslyn Chapel, seven miles south of the city, was founded in 1446 and is covered inside with some of the most intricate stone carving in Europe. Its role in The Da Vinci Code made it famous. You can reach it by Lothian bus in under an hour. Tours continue south into the Scottish Borders: the red sandstone ruins of Melrose Abbey, and the gentle hill country that Sir Walter Scott made his home.
The Forth Bridges and South Queensferry
The Forth Bridge, the great red cantilever railway bridge opened in 1890, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the wonders of Victorian engineering. See it from the old town of South Queensferry, beneath its southern end: take a train to Dalmeny (about 20 minutes) and walk down. Boat trips sail under the three bridges and out towards Inchcolm, an island with a medieval abbey.
Glasgow
Scotland’s largest city is 45–55 minutes away by frequent train, and quite different in character: Victorian, energetic and funny. Go for the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, the medieval cathedral and the Necropolis behind it, the buildings of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, the shops, and the best live music scene in the country. You do not need a tour.
More ideas
- North Berwick — a seaside town about half an hour away by train, with beaches, the Scottish Seabird Centre and boat trips around the gannet colony on the Bass Rock.
- Linlithgow Palace — the roofless birthplace of Mary, Queen of Scots, beside a loch, 20 minutes by train.
- Outlander country — Doune Castle, Culross, Blackness Castle and other filming locations, best linked by a tour.
- Northumberland — Alnwick Castle and Holy Island, across the border in England.
- The Isle of Skye — too far for a day; allow three.
Day trips compared
| Trip | Time needed | Best by | Why go |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glencoe & Loch Ness | About 12 hours | Coach tour | The classic Highland scenery |
| Glenfinnan & Glencoe | About 12 hours | Coach tour | The “Harry Potter” viaduct |
| Stirling & Loch Lomond | About 9 hours | Tour, or train to Stirling | A great castle and a first loch |
| St Andrews & Fife | About 9 hours | Tour | Golf, ruins and fishing villages |
| Rosslyn Chapel & Borders | Half or full day | Bus or small-group tour | Extraordinary medieval carving |
| Forth Bridges | Half day | Train + boat | Engineering and sea air |
| Glasgow | Full day | Train | Art, architecture and music |
| North Berwick | Half or full day | Train | Beaches and seabirds |
Full-day coach tour from €68 Edinburgh: Loch Ness, Glencoe & the Scottish Highlands Tour
The classic Highlands loop in a single long day: Callander, Glencoe, Fort William, Loch Ness and back through Perthshire. It is a lot of time on a coach, but it is the only practical way to see Loch Ness and Glencoe from Edinburgh without a car, and the scenery does the rest.
- Glencoe and Rannoch Moor
- Free time at Loch Ness, optional cruise
- More than 20,000 reviews
Full-day coach tour from €67 Edinburgh: Glenfinnan Viaduct, Glencoe & Highlands Day Tour
A full-day tour west to the Glenfinnan Viaduct — the curving railway bridge made famous by the Hogwarts Express — by way of Glencoe and Fort William. In season the itinerary aims to catch the Jacobite steam train crossing, though this cannot be guaranteed.
- The “Harry Potter” viaduct at Glenfinnan
- Glencoe and Loch Shiel
- Timed to see the steam train in season
Full-day coach tour from €60 From Edinburgh: Loch Lomond, Stirling Castle & Kelpies Tour
A shorter, easier day than the Loch Ness run: the 30-metre Kelpies, Stirling Castle — Scotland’s other great royal fortress — and the shores of Loch Lomond in the Trossachs. Castle admission is usually paid separately.
- The Kelpies horse-head sculptures
- Time at Stirling Castle (entry extra)
- A walk by Loch Lomond
Full-day coach tour from €67 From Edinburgh: St Andrews and Fishing Villages of Fife Tour
Across the Forth to the Kingdom of Fife: the pretty harbours of the East Neuk, then several hours in St Andrews for the cathedral ruins, the castle, the university and the Old Course, the home of golf.
- Free time in St Andrews
- East Neuk fishing villages
- Views of the Forth bridges
Small-group day tour from €56 Rosslyn Chapel and the Scottish Borders Small-Group Tour
South from Edinburgh to the 15th-century chapel made famous by The Da Vinci Code, then on to the ruined abbey at Melrose and the rolling country Sir Walter Scott loved. Entry fees are usually extra.
- Rosslyn Chapel’s extraordinary carvings
- Melrose Abbey and the Borders hills
- Mini-coach, 16 seats at most
Full-day coach tour from €44 From Edinburgh: The Outlander Experience Guided Tour
A day among the castles, palaces and old villages around the Forth that stand in for 18th-century Scotland in the television series. You do not need to be a fan to enjoy the places. Entry fees are generally extra.
- Doune Castle (“Castle Leoch”)
- Culross, Blackness and Linlithgow
- Good value for a full day
Boat cruise from €21 Edinburgh: “Firth of Forth” Three Bridges Sightseeing Cruise
A boat trip on the Firth of Forth from South Queensferry, passing beneath the great red rail bridge of 1890 and its two road-bridge neighbours. You make your own way to the pier — about 20 minutes by train from Edinburgh to Dalmeny, then a walk downhill.
- Sail under the UNESCO-listed Forth Bridge
- Views of Inchcolm island and its abbey
- Seals and seabirds on a good day
Full-day coach tour from €63 From Edinburgh: Holy Island, Alnwick Castle & Northumbria
A day over the border in England: the tidal island of Lindisfarne, the coast past Bamburgh, and Alnwick Castle, which appeared as Hogwarts in the first two films. The order — and whether the island can be reached — depends on the tides. Castle entry is usually extra.
- Alnwick Castle, a Harry Potter film location
- Holy Island of Lindisfarne (tide permitting)
- The Northumberland coast
Multi-day tour from €212 From Edinburgh: 3-Day Isle of Skye and The Highlands Tour
Skye is too far for a sensible day trip, so this three-day tour is the way to do it without driving: across the Highlands to the island, a full day among its cliffs and peaks, and back by Loch Ness. Check what accommodation is included in the option you choose.
- A full day on Skye
- Glencoe, Eilean Donan and Loch Ness
- Accommodation arranged (see options)
Tour or do it yourself?
Take a tour for the Highlands, St Andrews, the Borders and anything with several stops: the logistics are done for you and a good driver-guide adds a great deal. Small-group mini-coaches (usually 16 seats) cost a little more than big coaches and are more flexible and more sociable.
Go independently to Glasgow, Stirling, Linlithgow, North Berwick and South Queensferry, all on frequent trains from Waverley, and to Rosslyn Chapel by bus. Buy off-peak return tickets on the day.
Practical tips
- Most tours leave from the city centre, often near Waverley station or the Royal Mile. Check the meeting point the night before.
- Entry fees to castles, boat trips and lunch are usually not included in the tour price. Bring a card.
- Highland weather changes by the hour. Take a waterproof and a warm layer even on a fine morning.
- In winter the days are short: Highland tours still run, but you will see part of the route in the dark.
- From late spring to early autumn, midges — tiny biting insects — can be a nuisance in the western Highlands on still days. Repellent helps.
- Summer and festival dates sell out. Reserve a few days ahead.
