Invergordon Shore Excursions: Loch Ness, Culloden, Cawdor & More Discount Tickets

4.8
★★★★★ ★★★★★
Based on 18 reviews |
location pin icon Drumnadrochit, IV63 6XJ, Scotland
location pin icon Drumnadrochit
4.8 /5
18 reviews
View all Invergordon Shore Excursions: Loch Ness, Culloden, Cawdor & More photos
View all Invergordon Shore Excursions: Loch Ness, Culloden, Cawdor & More photos

Get your discount tickets for the Invergordon Shore Excursions: Loch Ness, Culloden, Cawdor & More, save up to 9% !

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9% OFF Refundable
4 to 8 Passengers
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$830.66

REG. $911.57

Offer details

option 1 Pickup included
9% OFF Refundable
1 to 3 Passengers
FROM

$616.70

REG. $676.77

Offer details

option 2 Pickup included

Overview

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.

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Shore Road, Scotland, IV18 0HD, United Kingdom

Pickup 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.

Language Offered

English-GUIDE

Itinerary

1. 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.
Duration: 30 mins
2. 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.
Duration: 60 mins
3. 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.
Duration: 45 mins
4. Clava Cairns
Heading out of Inverness we come to Clava Cairns, this ancient burial ground is more than 4000 years old. Diana Gabaldon is believed to have taken inspiration for her outlander series. The winter solstice was a very important time for these people and the cairns are aligned in a south westerly direction to face the midwinter sun.
Duration: 20 mins
5. Culloden Battlefield
Less than a mile from Clava Cairns we come to Culloden Battlefield where on the 16th April 1746 the last battle on British soil took place. The battle was fought between the Jacobites who wanted to restore the Stuarts to the throne and the Hanoverians who were the government. In less than one hour more than 1600 men were killed, 1500 of them Jacobites. The battle lasted just over one hour. The result of this battle was to change the way of life in the highlands forever.
Duration: 60 mins
6. Cawdor Castle
After Culloden we head to Cawdor Castle. Cawdor Castle has been home to the Thanes of Cawdor for centuries and is one of the few castles in the Highlands to be left unscathed after the Jacobite uprisings, this is very surprising considering it lies between Auldearn and Culloden where two battles took place. The castle is still lived in today by the Dowager Countess of Cawdor.
Duration: 90 mins

Inclusion

Comfortable Vehicle

Private tour

Air-conditioned Vehicle

Bottled Water and snacks for the Journey

Local Guide

Exclusion

Meals

Urquhart Castle/ £13-£14.50 (Admission fee)

Cawdor Castle and Grounds / £12.50-£13.50 ( Admission fee)

Culloden Battlefield / £11-£14 ( Admission fee)

Admission fees

Admission fees

Admission fees

Cancellation Policy

Check mark icon Refundable tickets

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

  • 100% refund if cancelled 1+ days before the start date
  • 0% refund if cancelled less than 1 day(s) before the start date

Additional Info

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.

Supplied by Highland Tours and Transfers

Reviews

4.8

★★★★★ ★★★★★
Based on 18 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

5 stars
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4 stars
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