Scotland Do: the best tours in Scotland

Here’s how to make the most of Scotland without getting lost on a single-track road – Though honestly, that can be half the fun!

The best tours in Scotland to book now:

• Best Highlands day trip from Edinburgh: Loch Ness, Glencoe & the Highlands – Timberbush Tours – from £55
• Best multi-day tour: 3 Day Isle of Skye, Highlands & Loch Ness – Rabbies – from £250
• Best whisky experience: Scotch Whisky Experience Tour & Tasting – from £24
• Best city walking tour: Glasgow Street Art Tour – from £12
• Best ghost tour: Edinburgh Underground Vaults Ghost Tour with Whisky – Mercat Tours – from £22

Scottish Highlands tours from Edinburgh

The Highlands are the reason most people come to Scotland, and honestly, I don’t blame them. Glencoe alone is worth the trip.

If you’re based in Edinburgh and don’t have a car, a day tour is by far the easiest way to reach the mountains, glens and lochs that make this country so extraordinary.

Highlands tours tend to be long days – expect 12 hours on the road – but the scenery more than makes up for it.

Here are the best:

Isle of Skye tours

The Isle of Skye is genuinely one of the most beautiful places in Europe. The Fairy Pools, the Quiraing, the colourful harbour at Portree – it’s the kind of place that makes you want to move there immediately and never come back.

Skye can be done as a very long day trip from Inverness, but if you have a few days to spare, a multi-day tour is a much better way to actually take it all in.

Loch Ness tours

Is the monster real? Probably not. Is Loch Ness still one of the most atmospheric places in Scotland? Absolutely.

Most tours combine a lochside drive with an optional cruise and a visit to the atmospheric ruins of Urquhart Castle – and they’re worth every penny.

Outlander tours

If Jamie and Claire brought you here, welcome – you’re in very good company.

Scotland has embraced Outlander tourism wholeheartedly, and there are some brilliant guided tours taking you to the real filming locations.

Harry Potter tours in Edinburgh

Edinburgh inspired a lot of the world of Harry Potter – J.K. Rowling wrote much of the early books in the city’s cafes – and the Old Town’s closes and rooftops will feel very familiar to fans.

Whisky tours and tastings

In Scotland, whisky is not just a drink – it’s history, geography and identity in a glass.

Whether you’re a complete beginner or a seasoned dram drinker, there is a whisky experience in Scotland that will change the way you think about it.

Food tours in Scotland

Scotland’s food scene has had a quiet revolution over the last decade – and the cities – Edinburgh and Glasgow especially – are genuinely brilliant for eating out. Food tours are a great way to skip the tourist traps and find the good stuff.

Glasgow street art tour

Glasgow is one of the most creative cities in the UK and its street art scene is world class.

The city’s murals are constantly evolving – there is always something new to find around the next corner.

Photography tours

Scotland’s light is unlike anywhere else – that low golden glow, the mist rolling off the mountains, the way the lochs reflect the sky.

Edinburgh ghost tours

Edinburgh is one of the most haunted cities in the world – or at least, it’s one of the best cities in the world at telling ghost stories convincingly. The underground vaults beneath the South Bridge are genuinely atmospheric, and the tour guides here are some of the most entertaining in the business.