• Private Tour
• Instantly Confirmed
• Carbon Neutral

Imagine this: a scenic road trip from Edinburgh to explore Loch Ness with stops along the way to discover viewpoints, villages, incredible nature, and cultural gems. Sounds like a dream? No, it’s possible on a Withlocals day trip with a local host leading the way!

Destination

Edinburgh, Scotland

Category

Day Trips

Duration

12 hours

Transport mode

Car

Available languages

English

Included

• A/C car
• Guest pick up and drop off
• CO2 neutral: all tours carbon emissions are offset
• Pick-up Included

Excluded

• Lunch (on guest expenses)
• Loch Ness cruise

What you can expect

Choose your local

Get to know these 6 passionate locals, each bringing unique perspectives and talents. Choose your favorite, check their availability, and book to create an unforgettable adventure tailored to you.

This is the plan

Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with the host of your choice.

1. Meeting point

   You will be picked up anywhere in Edinburgh. Your local host will contact you regarding the exact pickup point.

2. Itinerary

   This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.

3. Convenient Pick-up & Drop Off

   On the day of your day trip, your local host will pick you up from your accommodation or an agreed location. Once the day trip comes to an end, they’ll drop you off at your accommodation

4. Station Meeting Point

   Meet and greet your local host at an agreed station and get an introduction to your full-day trip and what to expect

5. Scenic Trip

   This full-day trip is arranged for you, so all you have to do is enjoy the sights as your host takes you through Loch Ness while telling you incredible stories and insights

6. Only You & Your Host!

   Forget about cramped touristy buses, on this private day trip, you’ll have all of your host’s attention. Get the chance to speak 1-1 and get all of your questions answered for a personal experience that will make this trip more memorable

7. What’s in Store for You

   Check out from viewpoints, nature, and cultural gems such as Loch Laggen, Pitlochry and Loch Ness cruise plus other stops your local host has prepared for you along the way

8. Optional Lunch

   Along the way, your local host will recommend you typical and local places where you can stop to have lunch and catch a break. Lunch is not included in the price

9. Make it yours

   Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.

   Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.

   Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.

Flexible cancellation policy

• Feel confident booking

  Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.

• Change of plans?

  Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.

• Loved by travelers worldwide

  Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.

Reviews from guests

Jessica🇺🇸 United States

(About local Justin)

13 July 2023

My mother and I spent 11 hours (round trip via car from Edinburgh) touring the highlands with Justin and it exceeded our expectations! He was knowledgeable, engaging, and tailored the experience especially according to our interests. He also knew the best spot to stop for delicious scones and tea along the way! I would highly recommend Justin to anyone who wants an extra special private tour. Wonderful experience!

William🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Justin)

27 November 2022

It was an all-in carefree package with a great guide who knows a lot about the history of Scotland and the hidden places too. Definitely back again! Must_have

Annette🇩🇰 Denmark

(About local Neil)

21 May 2022

We vent with Neil on friday 13th of May, on a tour in the Highlands. He made the tour out of our little groups interest. He was very easy going and we can highly recommend you to chose Neil as your local guide.World class tour!

Frédérique🇫🇷 France

(About local Neil)

2 May 2022

Neil a su s'adapter à notre demande, il a été parfait, une très bonne conduite en voiture. Très prévenant et courtois. Merci d'avoir réalisé mon rêve ! Les paysages étaient magnifiques ! Mille fois merciUne tres bonne journée !

Silvia🇦🇹 Austria

(About local Monica)

29 April 2022

Monica hat unsere Besichtigungserwartungen eindeutig übertroffen. Kleine Änderungswünsche wurden berücksicht, was letztendlich dazu geführt hat, daß wir genau das gesehen haben, was wir besichtigen wollten.Wunderschöner Tagesausflug

Scott🇺🇸 United States

(About local Monica)

11 October 2021

We had a wonderful day driving through the Scottish Highlands with Monica! We visited castles, made photo stops, and learned some Scottish history. Monica was very friendly and fun to be with. It was a great day! A day in the Highlands

Kate🇺🇸 United States

(About local Neil)

8 January 2020

The day I spent with Neil traveling around the Highlands was the highlight of my trip. He was incredibly easy to get along with and a great conversationalist. He also knew when to chat and when to simply let me enjoy taking everything in. Neil put together a great itinerary for the day, and given we had limited daylight, we covered A LOT of ground! High on my list was seeing Loch Ness and visiting a cairn, and he delivered. His knowledge of history and his country helped me, as a first-time vistor, put everything in context. What an absolutely wonderful day! I've already shared his name with some of my friends in Boston who are interested in exploring Scotland, as well as learning more about whisky. I'll bet his whisky trips are fantastic! Totally worth the money to book a day with Neil. You won't regret it!Day in the Highlands with Neil

Jennifer🇺🇸 United States

(About local Mandy)

2 December 2019

This was a truly wonderful tour. We are glad to have booked this. Despite the length of the tour, our guide, Mandy had her prepared itinerary. She took us to enjoy the highlands, with a side tour of Stirling Castle and Duck Bay Marina, and opportunities for pictures. What made this tour more memorable was the care and preparation Mandy took. She had little bags for me and my husband and my 2 boys, which were filled with snacks, coloring books and a nice little present. She made sure we stopped for a quick coffee break, and a nice lunch overlooking Loch Lomond. Because the weather started out rainy and foggy, she was constantly checking the wether report to make sure we didn't venture into unsafe territories. This is definitely a good choice, rain or shine. Mandy was very informative and a great conversationalist!Good Tour, Great Guide!

michael 🇩🇰 Denmark

(About local Monica)

28 November 2019

We had a really nice Thursday in November with Monica, to Loch Ness, no rain, cold and some sun, with snow on the mountains a fantastic view, you have a very beautiful country, not like in Denmark where everything is flat. Monica knows a lot about Scotland's history, which she tells about with warmth and insight. She has a great sense of humor. Thank you to Monica for a really nice day to Loch Ness. The three older ladies and Michael. Scottish Highlands & Loch Ness

Sheila de

(About local Monica)

29 October 2019

My friends and me had a wonderful day experience with Monica at the Highlands! She is very kind, attentive and knows a lot about the Highlands! She did everything that was at her hand to offer us a great trip! Once I love Outlander, we went to Doune castle and she played the musics of the film for us at car music player! So lovely!!! She also took us to as many places as possible in one day at the Highlands! It was really a great experience! And I really recommend Monica for your trip to the Highlands!! A wonderful day at Highlands

Bob🇺🇸 United States

(About local Monica)

15 October 2019

We planned a no-castle day trip with Monica via the website. Monica was very receptive and flexible in planning. After picking us up at our flat near the university, we left Edinburgh about 0900. Despite morning traffic, we soon left the busy routes. Stopping briefly on Linlithgow for hot chocolate, we stopped to see the beautiful Loch and Linlithgow Castle. The early light, swans and trees changing colour were spectacular. That really started our day – with laughter, informed discourse, beautiful sights and education. Monica is a great host - talkative, informed and fun. We stopped at several beautiful spots as we headed for Glen Coe. Glen Coe is so fantastic, and Monica’s detailed historical description was both informed and passionate. After lunching in Glen Coe, we headed towards Oban, passing the beautiful Stalker Castle and views of Loch’s Laiche and Linnhe before heading back to Edinburgh. All in all, it was a great day. We thoroughly enjoyed Monica’s history lessons, ability to find and stop at beautiful sights and great driving. Great day with Monica touring west to Glen Coe

Alex🇺🇸 United States

(About local Monica)

4 October 2019

Because of unexpected last-minute changes in plans, my wife and I found ourselves with some down time in Edinburgh. Even though our request for a tour came at the last minute, Monica fit us into her schedule. She was great all the way through a long but extremely worthwhile tour through the Highlands and Loch Ness. Her knowledge of history, geography, culture, current events, and many other areas was impressive. We never ran out of things to talk about. And she has a great personality. She immediately put us at ease. Her main goal was making sure we got what we expected out of the tour; she was not handcuffed to a predetermined script. The memories will last us a lifetime. We're so glad that she was able to accommodate our late request. And the next time we plan to visit Edinburgh again, we will certainly book her for another tour. Strongly recommended!! Great way to spend a day!

Alesya

(About local Monica)

12 September 2019

We had a tour with Monica to Loh Ness, visiting on our way other spectacular lakes, glades, waterfall, valleys, all that nature beauties of Scotland! We also went to the castle, where Mary the queen of Scotland was born, wend to a hidden gem - the grave of Rob Roy - the location Robbing Good. Monica loves what she does, she is so cheerful and she love history, so she is a great storyteller! Highly recommend to book a tour with her, you’ll have wonderful time then!! Monica is absolutely amazing!!!

Michele🇺🇸 United States

(About local Monica)

2 September 2019

My sister and I were in Scotland for three days as part of a yearly sister trip. We are not fond of "group tours" but after two days in Edinburgh on our own we wanted to get a flavor of the countryside. We searched and found the withlocals.com travel site and read the review of Monica. She sounded perfect and with a few clicks we booked for the next day. She immediately contacted us with confirmation and pick-up arrangements. She arrived to pick us up a few minutes early and off we went. Monica was more of an instant friend than a tour guide. She asked us what we wanted out of the trip and listened and made suggestions and tweaks to the itinerary to enable us to have the adventure we wanted. We saw waterfalls, mountains and mists, kelpies (have to see to believe), churches, whiskey distillery, shops, parks, Loch Ness, etc. Wonderful meals in quaint out of the way places with friendly people and off the tourist track. She then went out of her way to drop us off at the train station at the end of our trip. Anyone who is fortunate to book with Monica will have a wonderful day! Wonderful Day With Monica

miranda

(About local Monica)

24 February 2025

Konrad

(About local Alec)

16 February 2025

We definitely recommend a private tour with Alec for the first moment you arrive in Edinburgh. We enjoyed the whole tour from the first moment and it was a great start to our long weekend. It was very informative and interesting. It was lovely to hear all the stories from Alec. Awesome way to know the city

andrewmackay48

(About local Monica)

16 February 2025

I visited for my first time, we took a tour of the castle, stopped in a fantastic little pub, walked through greyfriar etc. Thoroughly enjoyed my trip and Monica was supper friendly and made my trip a memorable one by making a few amendments by request. Including a picture with the grave of he who shall not be named for my daughter. Fantastic experience

Alan🇮🇪 Ireland

(About local Alec)

9 February 2025

Very informative and thought provoking tour with Alec. Lots of history (naturally) laced with plenty of good humour. Real privilege getting to see the Thistle Chapel in St Giles Cathedral.Edinburgh Old Town Tales

Charles🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Alec)

8 February 2025

Exploring the Edinburgh castle with Alec was a wonderful experience and was a highlight of out trip. He is super knowledgable, attentive and has a very warm personality. My wife and I are looking forward coming back to Edinburgh and have Alec show us more of the wonders of the city. The perfect guide

Victoria

(About local Scott)

4 February 2025

I would highly recommend this experience! Scott is a wonderful guide-he is very attentive and knowledgeable, and made our first trip to the Highlands special.Highlands

Maria🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Alec)

2 February 2025

We had an absolutely fabulous tour of Edinburgh with Alec. We saw all of the key sights in the old town which is beautiful. Alec was extremely knowledgeable and was full of stories which were enlightening and funny! Alec was a pleasure to spend our afternoon with and we would highly recommend him as a tour guide. Thank you so much.Cannot recommend Alec enough

Johanna

(About local Alec)

1 February 2025

Alec met us in front of the Royal Mile Whiskies right on time and took us on a very interesting and entertaining historic tour through Edinburgh. He was very knowledgeable and a good storyteller, with many details that only locals know. We had three lovely hours with this guide, although our expectation was that we would have a food tour with ten different samples of local food and some culinary explanation. So, a great experience, although not what we expected.History tour

Mike

(About local Scott)

20 January 2025

Incredible private tour of the Highlands! Excellent communications beforehand between louis and Scott. Asked in advance what we would like to experience is their website and was given advice based upon the weather forecast. On time pick up and drop off at our accommodations! Very comfortable transportation for our family of five. Scott wad knowledgeable, safe, friendly, and easy to get on with. The weather was a bit dodgy and Scott was super flexible and made sure we saw everything and had ample time to relax and explore. We did the glen or tour and visited Doune Castle. The Geography was breathtakingly beautiful and majestic and exceeded our expectations for awe and natural beauty. We enjoyed the small towns we stopped in and the food recommendations. We felt like we were traveling with a family member and would highly recommend this this tour.Castles

Rebekah

(About local Scott)

17 January 2025

Highly recommended! Gorgeous locations and great conversation. We had the best day with Scott! If you want a day trip to St Andrews, you can't go wrong with this tour.St Andrews

Debbie

(About local Scott)

14 January 2025

We thoroughly enjoyed this private tour with louis' associate Scott! He was extremely knowledgeable about history and geology of Scotland and was terrific conversationalist. He went above and beyond for us and we highly recommend this business.History tour

Melonie🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Alec)

12 January 2025

Our time in Edinburgh was really special thanks to Alec. In our short time together, he shared many of Edinburgh’s hidden gems and interesting historical stories. We would never have learned all of the neat things he shared roaming Edinburgh on our own. We can’t say enough great things about Alec and his fun, energetic personality. We will be back to tour with Alec again!Edinburgh with a pro!

Kristen

(About local Scott)

10 January 2025

Scott was our tour guide for a day trip to the Highlands. He arrived promptly, had a very clean and comfortable SUV and most importantly he was a great host for the day. He had a great knowledge about a lot of topics beyond, and helped us see Stirling castle, a great waterfall and the Highlands ( we went to Glencoe) lunch at the bakery in Callander was delicious and easy as well. Easy to talk to, the day flew by. Would definitely hire him for other tours if we return to Edinburgh!Highland tour

Mary🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alec)

3 January 2025

Don’t hesitate if you are thinking of booking the city kickstarter tour. ALEC personalized our tour and it met our needs perfectly. I highly recommend both him and this tour on your arrival to Edinburgh. My granddaughter and myself are thankful to have done this. Thank you again, Alec. Local knowledge helps to plan your trip

Allie

(About local Scott)

1 January 2025

Our highland day trip with Scott was phenomenal. He customised the day to fit our needs/interests, and asked if we would like to stop or skip certain activities along the way. We stopped at Deanston distillery for a 1hour tasting/tour and it was wonderful! Because of this, we needed to rearrange our day, and Scott walked us through all our options. He was professional, communicative, knowledgeable and very friendly. The entire drive was comfortable and safe, and we stopped at Mhor bakery ( definitely recommended). The weather was a bit rainy/cloudy/cold given the time of year, but Scott helped us make the most of it- and he took some lovely photos of us throughout the day. If your looking for a great trip out of Edinburgh, look no further!Distillery tour

Stuart🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alec)

25 December 2024

The tour with Alec was great. In addition to a cutting witty humor, Alec was full of interesting facts only a local would know. His intimate connection and love for his city was evident and made for a lovely tour experience. Absolutely worth it. Excellent Experience

Simon🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Alec)

15 December 2024

We took a 90 minute tour with Alec which was a great introduction to the city Alec has an amazing depth of knowledge relating to the history of the city and he was happy to share this with us. I would highly recommend him and will certainly book him again on my return.Wonderful Edinburgh

Pascal🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Alec)

14 December 2024

Starting off, Alec is simply amazing and a well of information! We had a blast walking the Royal Mile, looking at lots of details and getting funny and interesting insights into things to see in Edinburgh. Would not have wanted to miss it for the world and would him straight away for next time. As a matter of fact - we will for when we get back to visit the Highlands 🤩Alex is a MUST-BOOK when in Edinburgh!!!

Robin🇺🇸 United States

(About local Monica)

12 December 2024

Monica was a fantastic tour guide! Very accommodating to customize our tour so that we could see everything we wanted on our day. I will definitely use her again when I return to the area. Wonderful Tour!

Kristin

(About local Scott)

8 December 2024

Scott was so knowledgeable about the history of Scotland. He also put us right at ease with his sense of humour like. We communicated the about an itinerary based on our interest. Everything we did was so unique. It felt like a once in a lifetime experience. We can't wait to come back to Scotland to see more!Countryside tour

Tammi

(About local Scott)

23 November 2024

We just completed a whirlwind trip through several countries and took several tours. Without question this was our favourite tour of all. Scott is a great conversationalist, thoughtful host and superb at imparting his knowledge of history. It was if he knew our family for a long time as we shared many great laughs. He's also a great photographer and caught many good family photos of us along the way. We highly recommend this full day 5- star experience.Day trip

lynda🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alec)

25 October 2024

1

Alec was an amazing historian and story teller. He exposed us to areas and stories we would most definitely have missed. The city tour was diversified and Alec was accommodating, adapting the tour to our mobility concerns. 10+++Fantastic Edinburgh city tour

Mark🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Alec)

25 October 2024

William

(About local Scott)

24 October 2024

Scott was an excellent guide and was clearly extremely knowledgeable. We loved his consistent flow of facts throughout the comfortable ride. He was friendly, professional, calm. Flexible. We saw several beautiful sights in the Highlands paired with an informative historical narrative. He also even gave us a whole or restaurant recommendations once we were back in the city. We are lucky we had him as a guide and you would be too.Highland review

6y5ywzrcby

(About local Monica)

22 October 2024

My husband and I had an amazing tour with Monica in late September. She was very personable and we felt like old friends fairly quickly. Her knowledge of the City and history was perfect. She gave wonderful recommendations for things to do and places to eat/drink for the rest of our stay, and they all turned out to be perfect. One of her pub recommendations was so good that we went there a few times over the course of the week. We’d absolutely recommend Monica for anyone looking for a good walking tour.We had a wonderful tour with Monica!

Birgitta🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Alec)

13 October 2024

My daughter and I had a lovely time with Alec despite the not so welcoming weather (rain and hail). He had answers to all our questions and was pleasant to listen to. He was very knowledgeable with a good sense of humor. We highly recommend him.Fun and knowledgeable tour

Larry

(About local Alec)

12 October 2024

Alec was a friendly and knowledgeable guide. He was flexible when it came to what we were interested in eating. Highly recommend you spend some time with Alec in Edinburgh.Great fun

Allison

(About local Scott)

12 October 2024

This was such a wonderful experience!!! We only had a few days in Edinburgh but really wanted to experience the Highlands. This was a perfect way to have exposure to this beautiful side off Scotland in a short amount of time. Scott was an amazing tour guide. So Knowledgeable, kind, and entertaining! I highly recommend this tour. It was gorgeous and so much fun!Edinburgh

Megan

(About local Scott)

10 October 2024

Scott was a fabulous tour guide! He was very knowledgeable about a variety of subjects and could carry on a conversation during the entire day. You could tell he is passionate about Scotland and sharing with visitors. This tour was magical with the snow covered hills and mountains and fog in the valleys. We were lucky when the clouds broke enough to see the peaks. So glad we booked this tour!Winter your

Liza

(About local Alec)

7 October 2024

We booked Alec for a food tasting tour around Edinburgh old town on a busy Saturday. Alec was extremely friendly, polite, approachable and knowledgable. It was great to hear tales of bygone era as well as from Alec’s own childhood in the town. Many of the historical sites we visited we may have just walked on past and not fully appreciated but Alec really brought the history to life. I wouldn’t recommend eating anything prior to your tour as we were well fed (the Greggs lorne sausage being a highlight). Thanks Alec for sharing your knowledge and for being a top tour guide. A brilliant experience

Erin🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alec)

6 October 2024

Alec was a delight. Witty, professional and knowledgeable- couldn’t ask for anything more from a tour. We had the best time learning about Edinburgh from him. Absolutely book Alec. Exceptional guide & tour!

Neha

(About local Scott)

5 October 2024

We did our tour with Scott and it was such a wonderful experience! We had limited time in Edinburgh wanted to feel like we could actually see the Highlands and Scott was so flexible in working with us to experience so many different places! It was also so comfortable getting around in his van, and even with the weather being gloomy and rainy, we still had a magical time due to his vast knowledge of the region and dedication to picking unique spots that we could still enjoy! Thank you Scott for such a wonderful day!Edinburgh/ Highlands

Jen

(About local Scott)

3 October 2024

We did a tour with Scott and had a fantastic day seeing the gorgeous views. There were a lot of Stops but nothing felt rushed. This was our favourite part of our trip and would recommend it to anyone on the fence DO it!Countryside tour

Mathilde🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Alec)

3 October 2024

This was probably the highlight of our weekend in Edinburgh! Alec is a fantastic guide, very knowledgeable about history and his city, it was a real pleasure to discover Edinburgh with him. He also gave us great tips on other things to do and discover in our own time, and recommended some other good food places to try. One thing to clarify, before booking the tour I saw other reviews mentioning the fact that the title of the tour "The 10 tastings of Edinburgh" was misleading as there were less than 10 dishes. This was true in our case, so maybe the title and the description of the tour should be amended to reflect that better. We tried 6 different dishes in total, and those were all delicious and a true discovery! I would definitely recommend the tour to other people, especially if you are lucky enough to get Alec as a guide, but with the caveat that you will most likely not get the 10 dishes as advertised in the title. However, it's still a tour that is 100% worth your time!! Great tour, great food, great guide!!

Thomas🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Neil)

30 September 2024

Unsere Gruppe hatte einen tollen Tag mit Neil in St. Andrews und den Fischerdörfern. Super Tür zu Tür -Service vom Hotel in Edinburgh mit tollen Infos und immer wieder überraschenden neuen ImpressionenEin toller Tag in Five

Teresa

(About local Scott)

30 September 2024

Scott was an amazing guide! He knows plenty of details and historic facts about the places. He was incredible, my family and I decided to make this tour on new years day and I am so grateful because Scott helped us to adapt the route so we can make the best of the time taking in to account everything was closed. I highly recommend this tour, it gave us such a special perspective of the Highlands; we were very very lucky! And the scenery just wow! When we get back to Scotland we'll be doing more tours with you!Scenery tour