Soak up the majesty of northwest Scotland on a full-day trip through the West Highlands and Oban from Edinburgh. With a friendly guide, see some of the world’s most stunning scenery from the green hills of seaside Oban to the lochs and mountain peaks of Trossachs National Park. See landmarks like Kilchurn Castle, visit the villages of Luss and Inveraray, and hear tales of famous Scots such as Robert the Bruce.

Travel from Scotland's East coast to West coast in one day
See the rugged natural beauty of the Scottish Highlands
Hear historical tales of Clan rivalry from your expert guide
Visit quaint Highland towns, castles and lochs on your small group tour
Explore Oban, the seafood capital of Scotland and walk up McCaig's Tower
Smaller group tour, with a maximum of 15 people, ensures a more personalized experience

What's Included

Transport by air-conditioned minivan
Professional guide

Food and drinks
Gratuities
Hotel pickup and drop off
Children under 3 years not accepted

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

192 High St
192 High St, Edinburgh EH1 1RW, UK
Please check in with Highland Experience staff inside/outside Caffe Nero by 07:45

Start time

08:00 AM

End point

Lawnmarket
Lawnmarket, Edinburgh EH1, UK
Please note: During August, and other times when there are events taking place at Edinburgh Castle we will use an alternative end point in Edinburgh's New Town.

What To Expect

Your full-day day tour of Scotland’s enchanting Highlands and seaside Oban begins in Edinburgh, where you’ll meet your guide on the Royal Mile. You’ll set off in the morning through the Lowlands towards your first stop in the village of Luss, passing through Glasgow to pick up fellow travelers. Then head into Trossachs National Park for a beautiful scenic drive through forest-covered terrain, punctuated by dramatic mountain peaks. You’ll stop near Loch Lomond to stretch your legs and takes in the sights before continuing west.

Cruise along the shoreline of the tranquil Loch Awe to the romantic ruins of Kilchurn Castle. As you travel, learn about battles that occurred in this region and rulers like King Robert the Bruce and Clan Campbell, who possessed the Argyll lands for centuries.

You’ll soon arrive in the colorful coastal town of Oban, where seafood abounds and you can indulge in a lunch of prawn sandwiches, fresh oysters or crab (own expense). Take some time to eat and explore the Victorian town. Visit McCaig's Tower, a granite tower in Roman style that offers stunning views of the bay. Don't hesitate to climb to the top to see all the way to the Isle of Mull!

From here, make your way back to Edinburgh, stopping at the white-washed village of Inveraray. Explore the town’s shops, purchase some local sweets and admire sweeping views of Loch Fyne before returning to the capital. Your tour ends back at the original departure point.

Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park (Pass By)

Luss

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Kilchurn Castle (Pass By)

Loch Awe (Pass By)

Oban

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Inveraray

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Inveraray Castle

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation

Most travelers can participate
Children under 3 years not accepted
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 32 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Kathleen_L

Our guide and driver, Joe, did a great job of making sure we saw all the photogenic highlights of the Western Highlands, Oban, and Inveraray Castle. He helped us time our lunch reservations at Ee-usk in Oban which we’d highly recommend. It was an incredible day; so glad we picked this tour !

Reviews

4.0

75 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

Showing 1-10 of 75 reviews

Picture perfect Western Highlands trip

Kathleen_L, Sep 2023

Fantastic

Olwyn_H, Aug 2023

Oh wow all of it the castles. The scenery was spectacular loved winding around the country roads and who can forget the hairy coos our bus driver Joe was funny and made the stories he told come alive

Amazing

Louise_W, May 2023

Brodie our tour guide who was also our driver was amazing. He was so accommodating and had a wealth of knowledge. He took us to a number of other interesting places as we were ahead of schedule. Thank you so very much.

Enjoyed the experience

Rakesh_A, Sep 2021

It was a real fun trip. We had a good experience with Graham , our guide and story teller. I would recommend this tour to anyone who is looking for a day outing in the highlands.

Nice if you love sea food

Cosmin_P, Aug 2021

This trip was okay. It’s a long drive to go have some sea food but worth it I suppose. In Oban I recommend Eeusk - their sea food was top quality and the prices weren’t ridiculous. We didn’t have a lot of time at Iveraray castle but it’s okay. The rest and be thankful stop was cool - stunning view!

Nice and decent trip, would recommend for friends

KapildevNeelamegam, May 2021

Liked Oban street walk and scenic photography spots was unfortunate the castles was closed.but still a decent ride.

An amazing trip.. Totally recommended!

Giulia_R, Sep 2020

Our daily trip to Oban and west highlands had been great! Our tour guide has made the day unforgettable. She entertained us throughout the trip with stories about Scotland and curiosities we didn't know about, and always put our needs and entertainment first. Really a recommendable experience!

Edinburgh 2018

Mary D, Sep 2018

Overall the trip was ok, only thing is that I just wished there was a little more time in Oban. An 1 1/2 is just not enough to do the Oban distillery and see other attractions in the town.

Our driver Norman needed to talk...

TERESSA_M, Aug 2018

Our driver Norman needed to talk loader even after being told 3 times by different people during our trip. Also he needed more personality. Could do with making some 10minute stops for photos as it is a long trip. Other then that the trip was nice.

fantastic!

Godelieve_S, Jul 2018

Great tour, great guide, he was very funny. The scenery was amazing and we did some extra photo-stops, great day out!!!!

A great way to see the beautiful...

Elizabeth J, Oct 2017

A great way to see the beautiful country-side. We had a spectacular lunch in Oban. Unfortunately, we had an inconsiderate group on the tour who were constantly late for departures during the day.

waste time in areas other than Oban...

Scott M, Sep 2017

waste time in areas other than Oban so that when you get to Oban there is only an hour of time there. Didnt get to enjoy town.

A nice day, despite the rain. The...

mhartnag, Aug 2017

A nice day, despite the rain. The stops were nice, but more time needs to be spent in Oban. Having a little over an hour to have lunch and take in the sights was definitely not doable. Traffic was a little heavy going through the preserve but that should be taken into account by the operator. We were able to get up to McCaigs Tower and a quick drink in the Oban Distillery before we had to rush to catch the bus.

My Dad and I really enjoyed the trip...

Susanne M, Aug 2017

My Dad and I really enjoyed the trip out to Oban and the west highlands. The tour guide was very knowledgeable in the history of the area and Scotland in general. It was a nice trip and a good learning experience. We enjoyed the music, the sights, and the stories.

The trip included a lot of...

r_pascal5, Aug 2017

The trip included a lot of interesting stops, especially in Inveraray. The highlight of the trip was definitely Oban. There were a lot of great seafood options available and the views from McCaig's Tower were amazing!

A day being driven down the...

Treasa P, Jul 2017

A day being driven down the interstate to Oban, then an hour for lunch and back on the bus and down the interstate. There were a few short stops for scenery views, but not many and not great views. You also stop at a castle for about 20 minutes which was probably the best part, but not good enough to justify this trip.

The length of the trip was just...

Zakiah_B, Oct 2016

The length of the trip was just right. Our guide was accomodating and knowledgable. He greeted us warmly as we joined the group. It was a small group tour and it felt cozy. We weren't rushed but there were times when the driver guide was late to show up. At Oban, we had a short lunch break. It would be appreciated if he had shown us where the seafood place that visitors would usually go. I managed to discover that place after i had my lunch. Thank god i found it. Thats the reason why i jpined the trip! To satisfy my craving for some seafood!! The weather then was rainy and mostly wet. We went to the the castle where Downtown Abbey was filmed and the group split up. As i was a solo traveller, at times, i felt as though i had been left behind. I panicked a little. I had to walk quite a distance to the pick up point which the driver had shown us earlier, past a very quiet path, with no other visitors and cars in sight. The driver just left us on our own, which was ok if it wasnt raining. Otherwise, the drive to the west highlands was extremely breath-taking. There were many tree tunnels, just like the ones illustrated in the fairy tales. We did see the hairy coos, shaun the sheep and probably many other inspired cartoon characters thats familliar to some of us. Recoomended to go if thats the only time you have in the highlands.

Jamie, our driver, was outstanding...

Catherine_W, Oct 2016

Jamie, our driver, was outstanding in every way courteous and patient with other vehicles, drove safely and cautiously, answered every question thoroughly, highly intelligent and organized, very knowledgeable in a plethora of topics, and created an environment of fun while learning.

The guide was great even thought the...

Mary W, Sep 2016

The guide was great even thought the weather that day was terrible. He knew of a fantastic water fall. got some really interesting and impressive pictures. I would recommenced this tour in good or Bad weather .

Enjoyed the bus tour very much...

Robert H, Sep 2016

Enjoyed the bus tour very much. Only thing that was disappointing was the amount of time actually spent in Oban. Only had an hour and half -- barely time for lunch in busy restaurant. Had no time for sight seeing. Rob, the driver was a lot of fun.

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