When planning your time in Edinburgh, be sure to allocate time for an unforgettable day trip. While the city itself is enchanting, the Scottish countryside is nothing short of stunning and is an experience not to be missed. Here are my top picks for the BEST day trips from Edinburgh offering a glimpse of the beauty that lies beyond the city limits.
Edinburgh is one of my favorite destinations and a place I've returned to many times. After collectively spending about 6 weeks here, I can honestly say I fall more in love with the city each time I visit.
The old-world architecture, panoramic views, proximity to the breathtaking Highlands, the beloved Scottish people and their wee accent, and of course the ties to Harry Potter make this an unforgettable destination.
When discussing how long to spend in Edinburgh, I always recommend a minimum of four days. This allows ample exploration of the city while still leaving room to embark on a fantastic day tour.
I always carve out time for at least one, if not two, day trips from Edinburgh.
While Edinburgh is a beautiful city, the countryside is STUNNING. Not joining a day tour from Edinburgh would be a mistake.
The bright green hills, misty lochs (lakes), enchanting forests, and adorable highland cows (or coos) make for incredible memories.
After six visits to this city...I've had plenty of opportunities to sample day tours from Edinburgh. This post will take you through my three favorites.
While I enjoy doing day trips on my own, joining an organized tour is a wise move. These tours combine multiple worthwhile stops that you can only get to via car. Tour guides provide insight into what you're seeing and you don't have to worry about parking. Plus, you're able to fully enjoy the scenery since you aren't the one driving!
Let's dive into the BEST day tours from Edinburgh!
Glencoe - Best Day Trips from Edinburgh
Loch Ness - Best Day Trips from Edinburgh
Glencoe - Best Day Tours from Edinburgh
1. Loch Ness and the Highlands
ONE OF THE best day trips from Edinburgh for first-timers
Loch Ness & Highlands Day Tour Including Cruise from Edinburgh
- Best for First-Timers
- Tour Operator: Rabbies
- Duration: Approximately 12 hours
- Cost: $112 to $125
- Highlights: Glencoe, Fort Augustus, Loch Ness, Cairngorms National Park
This was one of the first day tours from Edinburgh that I joined and boy did it impress. So much so that I did it a second time years later.
The tour is run by Rabbies, known for their small-group experiences with a maximum of 16 people. You'll travel in a comfortable Mercedes mini-coach, which I much prefer the the giant tour buses. The guides are always fantastic, providing plenty of history and insight.
I've done multiple day trips with this company and can't recommend them enough.
Considering it's an all-day tour (around 12 hours) with an included 50-minute Loch Ness cruise, the $112 to $125 price tag is a good deal.
This Edinburgh day trip takes you through the Scottish Highlands with stops in Glencoe and Fort Augustus. A 50-minute Loch Ness cruise is included. You'll pass by the gorgeous Cairngorms National Park on your way back to Edinburgh.
If Rabbies is fully booked, try these other small tours. Just be careful when booking your tour, because some have 50+ people!
- Loch Ness and the Highlands Very Small Group Tour from Edinburgh - 16 people max
- Private Day trip to Loch Ness and Scottish Highlands via Glencoe - consider a private tour to avoid the bus/van experience and for flexibility with your itinerary
- Private One Day Highlands Tour of Scotland - a great private tour if you'd rather skip Loch Ness
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Jacobite Steam Train (Hogwarts Express) - Best Day Trips from Edinburgh
2. Hogwarts Express and Scottish Highlands Tour
One of the best day trips from Edinburgh for Harry Potter fans
Hogwarts Express and Scottish Highlands Tour
- Best for Harry Potter Fans
- Tour Operator: Highland Explorer Tours Ltd
- Duration: Approximately 13.5 hours
- Cost: $240
- Highlights: Glenfinnan Viaduct, Glencoe, riding the Hogwarts Express
Harry Potter fans can't miss the chance to ride the real-life Hogwarts Express (aka The Jacobite Steam Train in the muggle world). West Coast Railways lent the steam engine and train carriages for the Harry Potter films.
Those who aren't die-hard fans will still appreciate this tour. In fact, this journey was famous before Harry Potter even existed. It has long been described as one of the greatest railway journeys in the world for the stunning scenery and dramatic backdrops.
Jacobite Steam Train on your own vs. a tour
I looked into doing the train ride on my own versus joining a tour. I'm very happy I joined a tour, though there is one downside (more on that later).
If you decide to do the Jacobite Express on your own, you will have to buy roundtrip tickets. This means 2 hours each way for the train ride and a 1.5 hour break in Mallaig. Basically your entire day.
Plus, you will have to get yourself to and from Fort William.
The roundtrip journey also does not guarantee a stop at Glenfinnan Viaduct (the famous 21-arch bridge used in the Harry Potter films). A short stop is included "if time permitting". If a stop is made, it's only about 15 minutes, which is not long enough to explore the area.
The one positive of doing this tour on your own is you may be able to snag first-class seats on the Jacobite Steam Train. There are also a few "HP carriages" that have the same setup you see in the films. To book the HP carriage you need to buy the entire carriage (six seats). I will also mention that first-class tickets are hard to come by as they sell out quickly.
"HP Carriage" - Jacobite Steam Train
Glenfinnan Viaduct - Best Day Trips from Edinburgh
The one negative of JOINING A TOUR
When joining a tour, you will be in the regular class, which was a complete letdown. It was very "tired" and in serious need of some upkeep and love. The stunning views make up for it though.
The positives for JOINING A TOUR
A major plus of joining a tour is that you aren't required to do the 4-hour roundtrip train ride. Instead, you ride the tour bus (with several stops) to Mallaig. From Mallaig, you hop on the one-way journey to Fort William.
After riding the Jacobite Steam Train, I was glad I didn't do the 4-hour roundtrip journey. While the scenery was gorgeous, I didn't need 4 hours. Especially considering the tired state of the cabins. 4 hours would have been much too long.
Riding the tour bus to Mallaig allows you to stop at the Glenfinnan Viaduct. You'll have plenty of time to walk to the viewpoints and snap a million photos. Something you won't have time for if you ride the train on your own.
Island of Eilean na Moine (Dumbledore's grave) - Best Day Trips from Edinburgh
On the Hogwarts Express and Scottish Highlands Tour you'll see famous Harry Potter sights like Dumbledore's grave and the Black Lake (Triwizard Tournament) plus the dramatic landscape of Glencoe and Rannoch Moor. You might even get lucky and find some Highland coos.
I also want to mention that this is a larger tour (30 to 50 people). Not many tour operators offer this day trip from Edinburgh and it fills up fast. I usually stay away from tours larger than 16 people, but was pleasantly surprised at how great it ended up being.
The guide was wonderful, provided a lot of information during the drive, and everything was beyond organized and smooth.
AWA Tip: your lunch break will most likely be in Mallaig (where you board the Jacobite Steam Train). This is a tiny tiny fishing village. There are very few restaurants and cafes and many spots are only open a handful of days and hours.
We ended up eating at The Tea Garden. It was fine. I recommend having someone get in line (it gets long), while another person in your party scouts out other options. I had planned to get lunch at The Cornerstone, but they were full. My next choice was to get lunch to-go from The Bakehouse & Crannog. They were closed. Basically, have a game plan.
Midhope Castle (Lallybroch) - Best Day Trips from Edinburgh
Culross (Cranesmuir) - Best Day Trips from Edinburgh
Blackness Castle (Fort William) - Best Day Trips from Edinburgh
3. Outlander Adventure Tour from Edinburgh
One of the best day trips from Edinburgh for Outlander fans and a mix locations: castles, forts, villages, and more
Outlander Adventure Tour from Edinburgh
- Best for Outlander Fans
- Tour Operator: Rabbies
- Duration: Approximately 9.5 hours
- Cost: $110
- Highlights: Doune Castle, Culross, Midhope Castle, Blackness Castle, Linlithgow Palace
There's no denying that the "Outlander effect" has created a considerable impact on Scottish tourism. The acclaimed TV series, adapted from Diana Gabaldon's very lengthy book series, features beautiful filming locations across the country. Avid fans have traveled to Scotland to see and experience these locations for themselves.
Unsurprisingly, Outlander's popularity prompted several tour operators to offer themed tours that visit all the top filming locations.
Fans of the books and TV series will get to see iconic sites such as Doune Castle (Castle Leoch), Culross (village of Cranesmuir, Clair's herb garden, and Geillis Duncan's home), Midhope Castle (Lallybroch), Blackness Castle (Fort William), and Linlithgow Palace (Wentworth Prison).
Culross - Best Day Tours from Edinburgh
Culross (Geillis Duncan's home) - Best Day Tours from Edinburgh
Will non-Outlander fans enjoy this tour? Yes! While the tours are designed for fans, it just happens that the filming locations make for a well-rounded tour experience. You'll see a variety of historically significant sites, gorgeous scenery, castle ruins, ancient villages, and more.
All in all, this tour exceeded my expectations and I would do it again in a heartbeat!
AWA Tip: tour itineraries will sometimes change based on closures. On my tour, we visited Hopetoun House in leu of Linlithgow Palace. Hopetoun ended up being one of my favorite parts of the tour. This is where a lot of season 2 was filmed.
Other tour options:
Additional day trips from Edinburgh
Fancy sampling some Scotch whiskey or visiting St. Andrew's? Check out these tours:
I couldn't not include some cute Highland coos
Hairy coo - Best Day Trips from Edinburgh
In summary
While I adore Edinburgh, I strongly recommend leaving the city to see other parts of Scotland. Luckily there are several incredible day trips from Edinburgh that combine gorgeous scenery, historical sites, castles, villages, and more. With a tour, all the work is done for you. Just show up and enjoy the views!
I can't recommend these day tours from Edinburgh enough and would repeat each of them in a heartbeat.
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Best Day Trips from Edinburgh - TOP 3 Tours
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