• Private Tour
• Instantly Confirmed
• Carbon Neutral

Imagine this: a scenic road trip from Edinburgh to explore the Highlands 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

10 hours

Transport mode

Car

Available languages

English

Included

• Private guide
• Car transport
• Whisky tasting
• Guest pick up
• whiskey tasting or entrance to the Stirling Castle
• All Withlocals tours are carbon neutral
• Pick-up Included

Excluded

• Entrance for other attractions then mentioned not included
• Meals

What you can expect

Choose your local

Get to know these 8 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. 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 the Highlands while telling you incredible stories and insight

5. 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

6. What’s in Store for You

   Check out from viewpoints, nature, and cultural gems such as Dalwinnie whisky distillery, Stirling Castle and Linlithgow Palace plus other stops your local host has prepared for you along the way

7. 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

8. 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

Chris🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Neil)

12 May 2024

Neil was very informative and a real pleasure to spend the day with. He allowed us to change our itinerary so we could visit Blair Castle as well as the distillery at Blair Athol, which is our family castle and distillery.Flexible

Heidi🇺🇸 United States

(About local Monica)

11 May 2024

We had picked Monica specifically because her bio mentioned a bubbly personality, and she was exactly that! Our tour of the highlands was everything we had hoped for and more. From the moment Monica picked us up in old town Edinburgh, she was a fount of knowledge for every building and landmark we passed and every question we asked. The tour was specific to our interests; even as we were driving Monica was tweaking our experience as we talked and she got to know us, so that we would see what we would enjoy most. We were given lunch options so that we could eat when we were hungry rather than at a pre determined spot. We managed to stay clear of tourists for the most part. And our takeaway was that the car ride was as much a treasured part of the experience as was the jaw droppingly beautiful sights we saw. Our tour with Monica was worth every cent! We hope to have the opportunity to tour with her again!!!Monica is the best tour guide rver!

Sharon

(About local Ross)

25 October 2023

Ross curated a personalized itinerary that covered all of our interests in a short period of time (one day). Our itinerary included amazing countryside, nature walks, waterfalls, traditional food, castles, and lots of history. Ross’ attention to detail and professionalism was fantastic. Exploring the Highlands

Shaun🇨🇭 Switzerland

(About local Ross)

11 August 2023

Had an unforgettable day with Ross, travelling up into the highlands via castles, whiskey and chocolate tastings, off the beaten track side visits, waterfalls and nature walks. Every part of it was easy, from the booking process to communication before the tour and the tour itself. Ross is a such an expert guide (ask him anything; I bet he has the answer!) and above all a super easy guy to get along with. While the highland landscapes spoke for themselves, for me Ross's company made this tour, and I couldn't give it less than a 10. The perfect introductory tour for a first visit to Edinburgh. I'd recommend Ross without reservation! Awesome tour with Ross

Shanthi 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

(About local David)

28 June 2023

I had a wonderful time on this tour. David designed it perfectly, around my interests and priorities. I got to do exactly what I wanted and wasn't stuck wasting time on things that weren't on my list just because someone else decided that's what a visitor needs to do. David was friendly, professional and so knowledgeable, with fascinating stories about the history and landscape. He's also an excellent driver, clearly very experienced and safe. I can't rate this tour highly enough!Amazing tour!

Michael🇺🇸 United States

(About local Ross)

26 November 2022

Ross is simply amazing. Don’t plan on the trip as advertised. There is so much more and not enough time. Ross did an amazing job of managing a schedule to our specific goals and will plan as much or as little as you want. Transportation was very nice, Mercedes Van with plenty of space. Ross’s knowledge and communication are better tag we expected and we could not be happier with our day together. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!Most flexible and attentive trip

Justin 🇺🇸 United States

(About local Justin)

4 September 2022

Our experience with Justin went above and beyond expectations. He is a wealth of knowledge, and seemed to have an answer to every question we had. We enjoyed our conversations with him as much as the beautiful scenery of the Scottish Highlands. He was so accommodating and patient with our party that ranged in age from 21-71. Well worth the cost. We would highly recommend taking any kind of tour with him. Next time we travel to Europe, we will definitely reach out to Justin for another tour. The Hansons Indianapolis, IN USAOutstanding experience

binayak🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Neil)

7 August 2021

Neil is the perfect fellow traveller to show you around Scotland. Best of scotland!

Christine🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Neil)

2 December 2019

Neil ended up not being able to be our guide. He let us know several days out and made arrangements for us to spend the day with a colleague of his Dave. It was a fantastic experience. We got castles, cows, Lochs and liquor! Everything we could want in a day around Scotland tour. Thanks Neil for taking care of us.Wonderful.

Duane🇺🇸 United States

(About local Mandy)

4 October 2019

We just completed two great days with Mandy. My wife and I were visiting Scotland for the first time and wanted to see as much as we could. We asked Mandy to create an itinerary that would include beautiful scenery and some filming areas for the TV series "Outlander". Mandy was on time for our pick up, the vehicle was clean and comfortable and Mandy was friendly and personable, which was great since we were going to be spending two days together. We were taken to several castles, historic in their own right, but also tied-in to the show. I am sure we would not have found these on our own, and by the amount of tourists there, many didnt know they were there either - which makes it special. The exception being Stirling Castle, but of course, that's because its Stirling castle. Our second day was more about scenery, we were taken into the backcountry, or as some in Scotland would call, the wild. Beautiful scenery and again, views and areas of the country we would not have seen on or own. We stopped an old pub from 1705 for lunch. The pub had served the likes of Rob Roy, which was the real life person for which the character Robin Hood was based. Great time and unique experience. We would book Mandy again.The gems of Scotland

Angela

(About local David)

8 July 2019

Fantastic tour. David is very knowledgeable & informative. The six of us had a great day seeing the beautiful & historic sites of Scotland in the luxury & comfort of the tour bus. Highly recommended. Fantastic

David

(About local Mandy)

8 July 2019

Mandy has shown us a castle that we did not even know existed. The secret location was great and very historical. Mandy recommended a great place for dinner, food was great. I will be booking Mandy again for future tours father afield on my next visit.Great day out

Dean

(About local Monica)

28 June 2019

One of the highlights of our trip to Scotland was the day trip we took to Glen Coe with Monica. It was a cloudy morning in Edinburgh, but the weather cleared and temperatures rose as we headed west. By the time we got to Glen Coe we had shed our jackets and were happily sitting in the sun amid the highland splendor. Monica knew all the best places to stop along he way. In Falkirk, we spent time enjoying the awe inspiring Kelpies. Monica also showed us around Edinburgh. Our first night in town, she suggested The Elephant House, not far from our hotel, which was so lovely. The delicious food and a great view of the castle! Frances Mulvey Thank you so much! You made our very special day even more special. We loved the time and effort you put in to make our trip to Glencorse woods so personal to us. We loved the Outlander style vows, the quaich and the stories so much. slainte!Highlight of Scotland

Frances

(About local Monica)

25 June 2019

Thank you so much! You made our very special day even more special. We loved the time and effort you put in to make our trip to Glencorse woods so personal to us. We loved the Outlander style vows, the quaich and the stories so much. slainte!very special

Dean

(About local Monica)

4 June 2019

One of the highlights of our trip to Scotland was the day trip we took to Glen Coe with Monica. It was a cloudy morning in Edinburgh, but the weather cleared and temperatures rose as we headed west. By the time we got to Glen Coe we had shed our jackets and were happily sitting in the sun amid the highland splendor. Monica knew all the best places to stop along he way. In Falkirk, we spent time enjoying the awe inspiring Kelpies. Monica also showed us around Edinburgh. Our first night in town, she suggested The Elephant House, not far from our hotel, which was so lovely. The delicious food and a great view of the castle! informative

Moxu

(About local Mandy)

29 May 2019

Very very good is we all can say Friends and myself enjoyed a whole day with Mandy our tour guide was very pleasant.very good

Joane🇺🇸 United States

(About local Chris)

13 September 2025

Chris truly went out of his way to answer all our questions and tailor the tour to our specific interests. He was personable and gave us a true taste of Scotland's traditions in food and drink. We all had a delightful afternoon with much laughter. 10 Tastings in Edinburgh

Alan

(About local Oluf)

12 September 2025

Oluf was wonderful. He met us right on time at our hotel and we started our scheduled six hour journey around Edinburgh. Over the next seven hours and one half hours, including lunch, we made our way around the city. We saw all the sites we wanted, and detoured whenever we requested to go off our route. Oluf was incredibly accommodating about making sure we had appropriate restroom breaks, and he found us a delightful place to eat lunch. He has a wonderful knowledge regarding the history of Scotland and Great Britain, and shared it with us appropriately. Oluf is quite personable, and he shared with us some cute non historical stories along our way. I would highly recommend a walking tool with Oluf.Great guy, great experience.

Teresa🇺🇸 United States

(About local Chris)

11 September 2025

Chris was charming and our family group enjoyed the tour very much. He was kind to our picky eaters and spent extra time with us making sure we got to see a lot of wonderful things. Highly recommend as a nice introduction to Edinburgh.Wonderful time with Chris

John and Jill🇺🇸 United States

(About local Neil)

8 September 2025

We thoroughly enjoyed our tour with Neil. He recommended a great cafe as a meeting point, on the day we landed in Edinburgh…and some great restaurants and pubs for our visit. He has deep understanding of the city history and a warm, wonderful way of telling stories that bring history to life. We especially appreciated learning about writers like RL Stevenson, a particular expertise. Neil kept us entertained and gave us an amazing overview of the Old Town. What a great way to start our Scottish adventure!Warm and wonderful storyteller

Donald🇺🇸 United States

(About local Neil)

7 September 2025

We had a great tour with Neil. He had lots of little tidbits of knowledge and suggestions for the rest of our stay. Highly recommend. Very knowledge and friendly

Michelle

(About local Chris)

7 September 2025

My husband and I recently spent 4 days in Edinburgh and decided to try out one of these food tours with a local guide. Best money we spent the whole trip! It was amazing! There's something so nice about having a guide wholly focused on you and your interests. Chris was so kind and friendly and excited to share his city's beautiful food with us. He shared a lot of very interesting history on the city and culture of Edinburg and Scotland while introducing us to food we would never have had here in the US. He helped teach us about the amazing taste of haggis and why it's really not as scary as most Americans think. He taught me how to appreciate a good whisky and fed us the best little pies I've ever had. We left our tour fully inspired to try new foods and drinks and with an excellent whisky recommendation to cook with. This tour felt like a family friend was showing us around his home city, proud to share the special parts of it with us. I will absolutely recommend this tour with Chris to anyone looking for a unique experience in beautiful Edinburgh. He left such a wonderful impression on my husband and I. We both agreed that his tour was our favorite part of our whole 8 day trip through London and Edinburgh. Can't recommend Chris's tour enough! A delicious tour from an incredible guide!

Michael

(About local Chris)

6 September 2025

My wife and I had a great tour with Chris. He was informative, friendly and adapted the tour based on what we told him we were interested in. We tasted all sorts of local food as well as some fantastic whiskey. Chris provided a nice history of the city as well as fun stories of some of the important people who added to Edinbugh's history. Highly recommend.Great history and food tour

James🇺🇸 United States

(About local Chris)

5 September 2025

Chris was an excellent guide. He adjusted his schedule to meet ours with some unexpected travel issues. He was very kind. He tailored the tour to our expectations and desires. He was well-versed and made the history of Edinburgh and Scotland interesting. I have been blessed to travel quite a bit. Chris rates equal to the best I’ve had. Book him and you will enjoy the day. What a wonderful tour and guide.

Miranda🇺🇸 United States

(About local Chris)

4 September 2025

Chris gave us an informative walking tour of the history of the city, its architecture and storied places. He also gave us some tips for our next journey to Skye. A great overview for someone new to Edinburgh!Great tour of the city!

Jennifer

(About local Monica)

3 September 2025

Monica was brilliant! We had a fun afternoon exploring Edinburgh castle with her, learning about the castle’s fascinating history, tales of Edinburgh and Scotland. She also gave us helpful travel advice for our departure to the Highlands the next day. Her tour was a special treat. Fantastic historian and storyteller

Lisa🇺🇸 United States

(About local Neil)

25 August 2025

We enjoyed a wonderful evening with Neil as our guide through Old Town. He shared many interesting stories about the famous and fascinating people who lived there and his love for Edinburgh and knowledge of the history was evident as we strolled through this lovely city. We would highly recommend Neil for your tour guide.Great evening spent with Neil!

Judith🇺🇸 United States

(About local Neil)

19 August 2025

Neil was a wonderful guide. Informative, knowledgeable, and overall great guide. Highly recommend!! Wonderful tour

Frauke🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Chris)

19 August 2025

Our Whisky-Tour with Chris was fantastic! The pubs were very traditional and he knew lots of thinks to tell. It was a really nice evening. Thank you so much!

Mark and Lynnette along with Lyle and Vicki🇺🇸 United States

(About local Chris)

17 August 2025

Chris was absolutely wonderful!!!! I would highly recommend him. He is a 10 for sure!!!Hire Chris hes awsome!!!$$$$

w

(About local Neil)

17 August 2025

Passionating visit with a passionate guide! We discovered places where we would not have gone and of course we learned a lot about Robert Louis Stevenson and other famous Scottish writers. Thank you very much Neil !Passionating

Wendy🇨🇦 Canada

(About local Neil)

16 August 2025

Neil was an amazing tour guide. We spent five hours with him, exploring the city and learning so much about Edinburgh’s history. A wonderful tour!

Russell

(About local Neil)

15 August 2025

Neil is a really nice guy who was very informative and did a great job showing us the main sites in Edinburgh. We were tuckered out when we were done. I would have like to have known more about Neil and his experience growing up in Edinburgh. 20k steps and got a lay of the land

Marissa🇺🇸 United States

(About local Oluf)

11 August 2025

We booked a private walking tour of Edinburgh with Oluf for our family and had a wonderful experience! From the start, when we were working out timing and details for the tour, he was very accommodating. We walked all over the city and he shared so much information with us. His depth of knowledge on Scotland and its history was incredible. We all got so much from the afternoon.A Wonderful Afternoon!

stacey

(About local Oluf)

9 August 2025

Olaf was a very informative and flexible tour guide. He took us to the must see sights, with interesting stories, as well as some local favorites. Our small group of 3 felt it was the perfect way to spend the morning in Edinburgh. Great tour with Olaf

Christine

(About local Monica)

8 August 2025

Tolle Führung, viele Infos, supernette Frau!Ein großartiges Erlebnis!

Sonja🇨🇭 Switzerland

(About local Neil)

5 August 2025

Just a few words - great Guide who showed us a lot from Edinburgh. We visited many spots and we heard a lot from a local. We had a blast!!! 😊👍👏Evening with Neil

Sarah🇫🇷 France

(About local Neil)

5 August 2025

Nous avons effectué une remarquable visite d'Edimbourg sous la conduite de notre guide, Neil qui est un natif de la ville, à présent à la retraite. Il a su nous faire partager sa passion et nous plonger dans l'histoire particulièrement riche de la ville et plus globalement de l'Ecosse. Neil est un guide qui s'exprime de manière extrêmement claire en anglais. Il est facilement compréhensible pour des touristes francophones et très à l'écoute. Ce fut un réel plaisir que d'effectuer cette visite avec un tel guide. Les trois heures en sa compagnie sont passées très vite et nous avons eu un très grand plaisir à prolonger cette rencontre par une bière au pub sur la Royal mile street. Tres belle visite guidée d'Edimbourg

Ashley🇺🇸 United States

(About local Alec)

3 August 2025

We absolutely loved our tour with Alec who was personable, knowledgeable and went above and beyond! He was prepared for any question we could ask and typically had additional information at his fingertips to share with us. Highly recommend! Wonderful experience with Alec

Cameron🇺🇸 United States

(About local Chris)

3 August 2025

My family is still raving about our walking food tour with Chris! He is very knowledgeable about Edinburgh’s history and took us through various neighborhoods we would have otherwise missed. Along the way, we stopped at local establishments and tried delicious Scottish foods. He even accommodated our allergy requests. Book this tour now, you won’t regret it!Excellent experience

mathias🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Oluf)

3 August 2025

Best guide ever !Oluf is tnr best !:)

Victoria🇺🇸 United States

(About local Neil)

2 August 2025

Neil was one of the best guides I have ever had. His knowledge and passion of history is very evident. I especially appreciated his interest of Robert Louis Stevenson, one reason I chose him! I learned so very much Edinburgh history with him. He is a wealth of information. Very nice man. Next time I am in Edinburgh, we hope to see him again! Thank you Neil! Full of passion and history!

Gabby & Peter🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Chris)

31 July 2025

History is obviously one of Chris’s specialties. Chris engaged early and read his clients well. As we like to walk and explore, our 3 hour walking tour took us to a larger area than expected which was superb. Would recommend being introduced to Edinburgh by ChrisFriendly, engaging and very informative

Arthur

(About local Alec)

26 July 2025

We had a great time with Alec on the food tour. At the beginning, he asked us a few questions to get an idea of our interests beyond food and quickly curated a lot of great sightseeing to go along with the snacks. Alec had great stories and histories to share about the town and kept the entire time very engaging. Because we were moving pretty quick, we also got to go on some bonus adventures, which was very welcomed. The food that was selected was great! If I had one critique, I would say that the back end of the tour where we sampled 4 different pies was a lot all at once. I think I would have preferred we did 1 or 2 pies (because you have to of course!) and maybe another quick stop for something different? However, we had such a great time on this tour and can't recommend it enough!Great Bites and Stories in Edinburgh

Heike🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Chris)

26 July 2025

Very interesting tour and Chriswas very flexible. Ask him a question and you will get the answers. We had a great tour with Chris!

Arne

(About local Monica)

20 July 2025

Wir hatten zu viert eine private Tour mit Monika. Das war super, sehr informativ , sie geht auf alle Fragen ein. Fragt zu Beginn nach unseren Interessen. Thanks a lotSuper

Kirsty

(About local David)

18 July 2025

David, went above and beyond for us. Cannot thank David enough. His knowledge was on point. We did so much in the one day, even though what we planned he gave us so much more! Cannot recommend David enough! He was so bloody brilliant! He is a good tour guide who will give you 110% and more! Even though we were the rowdy the crowd he joined in all the fun. Good job David! You were bloody awesome for us! - from (Rob Roy McGregor Family) thank you! Best Tour Guide, Scotland

Brecken🇺🇸 United States

(About local Neil)

16 July 2025

We had a fantastic afternoon exploring Edinburgh with Neil! His deep knowledge of the city's history, hidden gems, and fun facts kept us all engaged—and he even managed to keep our 9-year-old twins entertained the entire time. His warm personality and thoughtful recommendations made the experience feel like a day out with an old friend. He tailored the tour to our interests, added plenty of humor and charm, and shared insights we would’ve completely missed on our own. We ended the evening with a delicious dinner at a local spot Neil suggested—it was the perfect way to wrap up a truly memorable day. Highly recommend!A Perfect Day in Edinburgh with Neil!

Pam🇺🇸 United States

(About local Chris)

16 July 2025

Chris was fantastic! He was very knowledgeable in the history and the food was great. The tour was wonderful and we had a lot of fun.Great tour

Katie

(About local Chris)

15 July 2025

We loved our tour with Chris. He was incredibly knowledgeable of the city and took us to some really unique places. I don’t think we ever would have discovered or walked around the places he took us so it was all very fun to do. He even got my aunt to try haggis and she was adamant about not wanting to during our time here. This tour is a major highlight of our trip. Thanks again, Chris! Such a fun time!