£750
Tour Details
What’s included
Not included
Our service
This day tour from Inverness explores one of the remotest parts of Scotland. Departing ‘The Capital of the Highlands’ we’ll travel to the west coast. Stunning mountain landscapes open up to sea vistas across to the Isle of Rassay and Skye. We explore Eilean Donan Castle, possibly the most photographed castle in Scotland.
As we travel through this area your guide will point out the flora and fauna, expect to see wild deer, the ‘Monarch Of The Glen’ stag and maybe even catch a glimpse of The Loch Ness monster as we return to Inverness along the Great Glen.
This bespoke luxury private tour of Scotland is hosted by your knowledgable, friendly local tour guide. We'll tell you the history, folklore and stories, really bringing the places and landscapes to life! We offer flexibility and your time inside and outside the vehicle is up to you.
All our tours are conducted in luxury Mercedes-Benz V Class minivans, with great personal space, sumptuous leather seats, A/C and panoramic windows.
RECOMMENDED SIGHTS ON THIS TOUR …
Rogie Falls
Our first (or last) stop of the day is a quick walk to the beautiful Rogie Falls, a series of waterfalls on the Black Water near Loch Garve. A recent addition is a suspension bridge which affords great photos of this area of outstanding natural beauty.
North Coast 500 Route
We follow the route west along the famous North Coast 500 towards the west coast. The NC500 has become one of Europe’s most famous driving routes and it’s not unusual to see exotic cars travelling along its route. The scenery becomes increasingly dramatic as we travel along the glen towards Loch Torridon.
Loch torridon & Wester Ross
The road skirts along this dramatic sea loch and there is an opportunity to stop to stretch our legs and take in the landscape. We’ll call into the waterfront village of Shieldaig where you can pick up refreshments if required.
Applecross Peninsula
Driving to Applecross is an adventure on its own and the road is definitely unsuitable for larger vehicles (our tour vans come into their own here). “Bealach na Ba” (Gaelic for Pass of the Cattle) is a twisting hairpin pass that is impassible in winter. We climb up the 626m 2,052 ft / pass and stop at the view point which has stunning views across the desolate landscape for miles around. Then we’ll descend into the picturesque heritage village of Applecross for lunch.
Eilean Donan Castle
Eilean Donan is arguably the most magnificently located castle in Scotland, situated on a small island in Loch Duich. Named after Celtic saint Donnan of Eigg who may have held a church on the island, this rocky outcrop has been occupied since the mid 1200s. Eilean Donan was destroyed in 1719 by government forces who had heard about an arsenal of weapons being stored at the castle for use against them. Three frigates were swiftly deployed to remove the threat and the castle was destroyed. 200 years later, the castle was purchased by Lt Colonel John Macrae-Gilstrap and renovated in 1912 and that is the castle we explore today.
Loch Cluanie
After we leave Eilean Donan we travel east past Loch Cluanie. This unique landscape is more lunar than Scottish and we’ll have the opportunity to stop for photos before descending into the Great Glen geological fault line.
The Great Glen
We arrive at The Great Glen, a geological fault line that is carved through the highlands and therefore makes a natural route from Fort William in the South West to Inverness 62 miles to the North East. We’ll travel the length of Loch Ness, the Uk’s biggest body of water by volume. We might even catch a glimpse of the Loch Ness Monster!
Urquhart Castle Viewpoint
We’ll stop briefly at Urquhart Castle viewpoint to take in the views of this impressive ruin and the view over Loch Ness. Urquhart has a turbulent history and is ruined as part of the ‘oppression of the highlands’. Your guide will give you the context before we start the final leg of our journey back to Inverness.
Suggested tour route
- Distance Instructions
Tour Gallery
Traffic jam on the Bealach na Ba
Tour van in Edinburgh
Eilean Donan Castle Entrance
Places this tour visits
No two tours are the same, but these are popular places to see on the Way Out West, Applecross Peninsula Private Tour From Inverness
Frequently Asked Questions
These are some of the frequently asked questions about our Way Out West, Applecross Peninsula Private Tour From Inverness, however if you have a specific question please contact us
Absolutely! Almost all of the places we visit have toilets / restrooms. Because this is a private tour, we can stop when you need us to.
For day tours the final balance (plus any extras like admission tickets) is due 24 hours before the tour.
For multi-day tours the final balance is due 30 days before the tour.
Our climate is famous for being unpredictable. We provide umbrellas in our vans but if the weather isn’t working in our favour, just wait 5 minutes and it will change! Please don’t rely on the forecast either, it is invariably wrong!
We recommend that you bring a waterproof jacket and shoes suitable for walking over rough ground / cobbles, especially if visiting rural locations! Other than that, just bring yourself!
Absolutely! Please contact us if you’d like to make an amendment to one of our suggested itineraries or would like a customised tour.
Yes, we can end the tour in a different location from the start point. Please let us know if this is what you need. For locations further than 100 miles from the start point there maybe a charge.
We use Mercedes-Benz V Class minivans. They are modern, luxurious and safe vehicles with a Euro N-Cap rating of 5 stars. They come with privacy glass, a panoramic sunroof, reclining leather seats, dual-zone air conditioning and unlimited high-speed WiFi. Learn more about our vehicles.
Our Mercedes V Class minivans come in two configurations, a 6 passenger version and a 7 passenger version.
Yes, we can meet you at the airport and have plenty of space for baggage.
Yes, most of our tours are suitable for cruise ship shore excursions and we’ll meet you at the quayside.
Yes, our vehicle can accommodate most mobility scoters and wheelchairs. They normally require two people to lift in and out of the vehicle so one of your party will be needed to help. Note that if there is a scooter then the baggage space is limited.
Support animals are welcome onboard however we typically ask for them to stay on the floor of the vehicle.
The total price of your tour includes your tour guide, use of our luxury minivans, the fuel, tolls and parking charges and insurances. Entrance to attractions etc is on top but we can manage that for you and add it to the invoice.
Yes, there are a range of different options on each trip, from a historic tavern to a quaint cafe or bakery. We’ll make reservations to ensure that our lunch stop is quick and tasty!
A few days before the trip we’ll provide the guides contact details encase you need to contact them on the day of your tour
No, all of our tours are private so your party will be the only people on the tour.
Yes, we will guide you through attractions and monuments as part of our service. This is not possible at The Royal Yacht Britannia or Palace of Holyroodhouse.
Recent Customer Testimonials
Rolando C
Truly enjoyable and informative day trip with an outstanding guide / driver Calais. The Lindores Abbey distillery tour and tasting was excellent. [...] All in all an outstanding trip to the Scottish Low/Highlands.
Feedback from December 2025
Traveler from PA
My husband and I went on a custom experience through the Highlands, Isle of Skye, Lewis and Harris. We went to some Outlander filming sites and a Highland Games over a few days on our way back to Edinburgh. the cost was reasonable for a private tour and Sandy was [...]
Feedback from November 2025
Voyager
Our group of six friends did the Highlands, Whisky, and Castles private tour from Edinburgh. Sandy was quick to respond to all my questions when planning the day trip and helping to tailor the itinerary to our interests and customize a couple of the stops. Communication and follow-up during the [...]
Feedback from November 2025
Robert B
He told some stories of the history and pointed out things that we would have missed thereby enriching our experiences. Calais also scheduled the day so we went to Stirling Castle first avoiding most of the crowd and making it a more personal experience. Also, we are from the U.S. [...]
Feedback from October 2025
Our service
We’re a luxury private tour company, with passionate local guides, Mercedes minivans and customised itineraries
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