The Best Scotland Day Trips From Edinburgh & Glasgow
You’re planning an epic trip to Scotland but you don’t want to just stay in the cities…
You want adventure, you want the highlands, you want to see the ruins and standing castles, walk back in time and witness Scotland’s incredible views.
Well, we’ve got you covered. In this article, we’ll lay out the best Scotland day trips that can be taken from the two major cities in Scotland, Glasgow and Edinburgh, and what you can expect from each.
Let’s get stuck in!
Loch Ness & Highland Walks Tour from Edinburgh & Glasgow
By far one of our most popular tours in Scotland is the Loch Ness tour. It takes the better part of an entire day and you’re sure to come back feeling you’ve experienced the magic Scotland has to offer.
Travel to Loch Ness and search for the Loch Ness Monster on a Cruise along Scotland’s most famous Loch. Explore the wild Highlands of Scotland on 2 wonderful short walks to Waterfalls and a Nature Reserve.
Visit the scenic beauty of Glencoe in the heart of the Highlands of Scotland and journey through Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National park on one of the most scenic days possible in the Highlands of Scotland. All of this (and maybe a wee dram, too) on our Loch Ness day tour from either Edinburgh.
Hiking Tour of the West Highland Way from Edinburgh & Glasgow
Hiking isn’t for everyone, but for those who love it there’s nothing better than getting on the West Highland Way in Scotland. See the vast beauty of the highlands as you travel up the side of Loch Lomond and see the incredible views on top of Conic Hill.
You’ll travel from Scotland’s capital city Edinburgh, or from our biggest city, Glasgow, and walk a 7.5 mile (11.1km) journey along the world famous route that’s captured many hearts and has people coming back every year!
It’s an unforgettable experience and soon we will be offering a longer trip along the West Highland Way, potentially to walk the entire route in 10 days!
Stirling Castle, Loch Lomond and Whisky Distillery Tour from Edinburgh & Glasgow
There are few tours where you’ll see an epic Scottish castle, travel to the most incredible views of the highlands and visit a whisky distillery all in one day! But that’s what we offer on this tour and it is a belter.
If you’re one of those people looking for a taste of everything while you’re in Scotland, consider this tour for it’s variety.
Leave Edinburgh for the day and travel west to the Historic Stirling Castle which has wonderful history linking to Mary Queen of Scots, William Wallace (Braveheart) and King Robert the Bruce (Outlaw King). From here you’ll then enter the Highlands of Scotland to go for a beautiful, scenic, short hike in Loch Lomond.
With all this traveling, you’re sure to be thirsty, so your fantastic Scotland Tour Guide/Driver will then drive you to a Highland, Scotch Whisky Distillery to drink some of Scotland’s largest Export, delicious Scotch Whisky. Check out the tour from either Edinburgh or Glasgow.
Glencoe, Waterfalls Walk & Highlands of Scotland Tour from Glasgow
Ahhh, Glencoe… It’s that place you’ve probably seen on your screen saver at one point with the looming mountains behind a beautiful white washed house at the base.
It’s a place you can never tire of and a drive through Glencoe will stay with you for the rest of your life. Trust us, it’s a must-see on any Scotland trip!
Travel with your Scotland’s Wild Tour Guide and get out for scenic walks to waterfalls, learn about King Robert the Bruce (Netflix’s Outlaw King) and where he was ambushed, hear about the MacDonald Clan of Glencoe & the beautiful land they called home. For now, we only have this tour available from Glasgow, but with it’s growing popularity we’ll most likely have to create it from Edinburgh too!
Standing Stones, Inveraray Castle, Kilchurn Castle & The Highlands of Scotland Tour from Glasgow
Another mouth full of a tour, and for good reason. In this tour you’ll see two epic castles - one still standing and one that’s long been a ruin (Kilchurn, Pictured).
Travel back in time and visit historic Standing Stones, Stone Circles and Dunadd Fort, the location the Irish settled and crowned their Kings over 1000 years ago.
There’s no whisky distillery visit on this tour but that’ll suit some people just fine. Check it out here, for now tours only leave Glasgow on the regular.
That’s by no means all of the day tours that we have and we are always out looking for fun, new adventures to offer visitors of Scotland. You can see all our day tours here, or for a longer multi-day adventure, check out what we have to offer here (NEW for 2024!).
Whatever you decide to do we hope you have the most amazing experience of our beloved country and that’ll a small piece of your heart will remain when you leave.
