- Multi-Day from Edinburgh
Scotland’s most dramatic island, reached over two or three unhurried days.
From £1,850
Where We Go
Scotland Tour Destinations
From the Isle of Skye to the heart of the Highlands, choose a private day out, or let us build a route around the places you most want to see.
Every trip starts at your door in Edinburgh. See where each place sits on our map of Scotland, or compare every tour from Edinburgh by length and price.
- 8 destinations across Scotland
- Private, never shared
- Door-to-door from Edinburgh
- One price per vehicle
8 Places We Go
Choose Your Destination
Day tours leave Edinburgh in the morning and bring you back the same evening. The Isle of Skye and the other islands are too far for that, so we run them over two nights or more.
- Day Tours from Edinburgh
The castle, the Old Town, Victoria Street and out to the Forth Bridges.
From £600
- Day Tours from Edinburgh
Glencoe, the great glens, film locations and time at Loch Ness.
From £680
- Day Tours from Edinburgh
- Day Tours from Edinburgh
- Day Tours from Edinburgh
- Day Tours from Edinburgh
The viaduct on the road to the isles, an optional add-on to the Highlands day.
From £680
- Multi-Day from Edinburgh
Mull, Orkney and the Outer Hebrides, planned around the ferries with stays arranged end to end.
On enquiry
Near & Far
Best Places to Visit in Scotland, by Drive Time From Edinburgh
Every tour starts at your door in Edinburgh. Here is how far each destination is, from easy half-days near the city to island journeys that need an overnight stay.
Under 1½ hours
Easy half-days, or a relaxed full day with time to linger.
25 min · Day tour
South Queensferry
A cobbled harbour village beneath the three Forth bridges, including the UNESCO-listed Forth Bridge.
30 min · Day tour
Rosslyn Chapel
A 15th-century chapel covered in intricate stone carvings, made famous by The Da Vinci Code.
1 hr · Day tour
Stirling
A royal castle on its crag, with the Wallace Monument watching over the old battlefields.
1 hr 15 min · Day tour
The Borders
Rolling hills and ruined abbeys and, just over the border, Alnwick Castle, Hogwarts on film.
1½ to 3 hours
We set off early and have you back the same evening.
1 hr 30 min · Day tour
St Andrews
The home of golf, with a ruined cathedral above the sea and the fishing villages of the East Neuk.
1 hr 30 min · Day tour
Loch Lomond
The bonnie banks: Britain’s largest loch by area, dotted with islands on the edge of the Trossachs.
2 hrs 45 min · Day tour
Glencoe
Scotland’s most dramatic glen, guarded by the Three Sisters and steeped in clan history.
3 hrs · Multi-day
Fort William
The outdoor capital of the UK, at the foot of Ben Nevis, Britain’s highest mountain.
3½ hours and beyond
Long days, overnight stays and island journeys.
3 hrs 30 min · Day tour
Loch Ness
Deep, dark and legendary. Look out for Nessie from the ruins of Urquhart Castle.
4 hrs · Add-on
Glenfinnan Viaduct
The curving railway viaduct from the Harry Potter films, above Loch Shiel. An optional add-on to the Highlands day.
5 hrs · Multi-day
Isle of Skye
Jagged peaks, the Fairy Pools and the Old Man of Storr, best over two or three days.
By ferry · Multi-day
Mull & Orkney
Colourful Tobermory, Neolithic Orkney and wild island beaches, planned around the ferries.
Your own route
Somewhere that isn’t on the board? We’ll plan it around you, for one day or several.
Custom day tour
Pick Your Own Stops for a Day
Choose the castles, lochs and villages you want to see and we’ll build one private day from Edinburgh around them. Your own driver-guide and vehicle, with no fixed departure list.
- One day, back the same evening
- Your stops, your pickup time, your pace
Bespoke multi-day trip
Your Scotland Trip, Planned End to End
Two days or a fortnight: islands, distilleries, golf or family roots, with your stays and ferries arranged for you. We design the whole journey and send a written quote within 24 hours.
- Several days, any part of Scotland
- Accommodation and ferries arranged
Start With Your Diary
How Many Days Do You Need in Scotland?
The honest answer to “what should we do?” usually comes down to how many days you have spare. Start here and work outwards.
Sample plan
A 5-Day Scotland Itinerary From Edinburgh
- Day 1: Edinburgh’s Old Town and the Forth bridges
- Day 2: Stirling Castle, Loch Lomond and a distillery
- Days 3–5: Glencoe, Eilean Donan and the Isle of Skye, back via Loch Ness
½
day
Half a day
Edinburgh & the Forth
The Old Town, Dean Village and the three Forth bridges at Queensferry. The right pick if you have a cruise sailing or a dinner booking to make.
1
day
One full day
A Day Tour From Edinburgh
Six routes of 8 to 12 hours, all back the same evening: castles and whisky, St Andrews, Rosslyn, film locations, or the long run to Loch Ness.
2–3
days
Two or three days
The Highlands, Unhurried
An overnight stay changes everything: Glencoe and Ben Nevis without the dawn start, or three days that reach the Isle of Skye properly.
4+
days
Four days or more
A Trip Built From Scratch
Islands, distilleries, ancestry research or golf, with accommodation arranged end to end and the route shaped around your dates.
Browse by Interest
Things to See in Scotland, by Interest
Most guests arrive with a theme in mind rather than a map. Pick the one that sounds like your trip and we’ll point you to the right route.
01
Castles & Lochs
Stirling, Doune and the strongholds that shaped Scottish history, plus Eilean Donan on the road to Skye.
Explore →
02
Whisky & Distilleries
A working distillery on the way home, or a longer run north into Speyside.
Explore →
03
Film & TV Locations
Doune Castle from Outlander and Monty Python, the Glenfinnan Viaduct and Harry Potter’s Edinburgh.
Explore →
04
Islands & Coast
Skye over two or three days, or bespoke routes out to Mull, Orkney and the Outer Hebrides.
Explore →
05
Golf & the East Coast
St Andrews, the home of golf, and the fishing villages of the East Neuk.
Explore →
06
Ancestry & Roots
Send us the surname, parish or gravestone you are looking for and we’ll build the day around it.
Explore →
+
Something Else in Mind?
Tell us what you love and we’ll build the route around it, with one price for the whole vehicle.
Plan a custom tour →
When to Come
Best Time to Visit Scotland
We run every route in every season. The difference is the light, the crowds and how much daylight you get, so there is no bad time, only different ones.
Best all-round
May, June & September
Longest days
June & July, up to 17½ hrs
Autumn colour
Late September & October
Fewest crowds
November to March
Spring Mar – May
Lengthening days, lambs in the fields and the glens turning green. Quieter than summer, and often the clearest light of the year.
Best for: Quieter roads · full waterfalls · clear light for photos
Snow can linger on the high peaks into April, so pack layers.
Summer Jun – Aug
Daylight until nearly eleven, so the long Highland routes never feel rushed. The liveliest months, with everything open.
Best for: Long days for Skye · island ferries on full timetable · Edinburgh’s festivals in August
The busiest months, so book early, especially for August.
Autumn Sep – Oct
Late heather on the hills, then the trees turning gold. Many guests’ favourite: the colour in Glencoe and Perthshire is worth planning a trip around.
Best for: Autumn colour · red deer in the glens · quieter roads
Days shorten quickly in October, so we set off a little earlier.
Winter Nov – Feb
Snow on the peaks, firelit pubs and almost no queues. Short days mean we start early and keep routes closer to home.
Best for: Snow-capped scenery · Christmas and Hogmanay in Edinburgh · whisky by a real fire
If snow, a weather warning or a road closure stops a tour, we move it to another day, subject to our availability.
| Month | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|
| January | 7½ hrs | Quiet |
| February | 9½ hrs | Quiet |
| March | 12 hrs | Quiet |
| April | 14 hrs | Moderate |
| May | 16 hrs | Moderate |
| June | 17½ hrs | Busy |
| July | 17 hrs | Busy |
| August | 15 hrs | Busiest |
| September | 13 hrs | Moderate |
| October | 10½ hrs | Moderate |
| November | 8½ hrs | Quiet |
| December | 7 hrs | Moderate |
Approximate hours from sunrise to sunset in the middle of each month. The far north and the islands get a little more in summer and less in winter.
From Our Tours
Scotland Destinations in Pictures
Glencoe and Loch Ness, Portree harbour, Rannoch Moor and the odd Highland coo: a sample of the places our routes take in. Tap any photo to see it full size.
Scotland Private Tour Company
Why Choose Tycoon Tours for Your Scotland Trip?
★ Your private Range Rover
Your own Range Rover and a local driver-guide, all day
Many tour companies in Scotland sell seats on a shared coach — and that’s often what a travel agency in Edinburgh will book for you. Tycoon Tours is an Edinburgh-based tour operator in Scotland that runs every tour privately, in our own Range Rover with a driver-guide who actually lives here — so the day belongs to you, not to a timetable.
Private, never shared
Your own vehicle and your own guide for the whole day. No strangers on board, no coach park, no waiting on anyone else’s schedule.
A driver-guide, not a driver
Thirteen years of Scottish history, folklore and local stories, told properly along the road by someone who grew up with them.
Your day, changed on the day
Linger where you love it, skip what you don’t. The itinerary bends around you — not the other way round.
Comfort on Highland roads
A 4×4 Range Rover or executive vehicle, collected from your Edinburgh hotel door and returned there at the end of the day.
5.0
Rated 5.0 on Google
★★★★★ Rated 5 out of 5
13+
Years guiding in Scotland
Up to 4
Guests per private tour
24h
Reply with a route & price
Good to Know
Scotland Destinations: Your Questions Answered
Straight answers about where to go, how long to allow and how our private tours work.
Can’t see your question?
Call +44 7398 181234 or email info@tycoontours.co.uk. We reply within 24 hours.
What are the best places to visit in Scotland?
For a first trip, most visitors choose Edinburgh, Stirling Castle, Loch Lomond, Glencoe, Loch Ness and the Isle of Skye. Add St Andrews for golf and the coast, or the Glenfinnan Viaduct for film scenery. All of them can be reached from Edinburgh, and our Scotland map shows where each one is.
What is the best part of Scotland to visit?
If you can only pick one area, make it the west Highlands: Glencoe, Fort William and the road to the Isle of Skye have the most dramatic scenery in the country. For a shorter trip, Stirling, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs give you castles and lochs within an hour or two of Edinburgh.
Can I see the Highlands and the Isle of Skye in one day?
The Highlands, yes: our Highlands and Loch Ness day tour reaches Glencoe and Loch Ness and is back the same evening. Skye is a different matter. It is roughly five hours’ drive each way, so a day trip would mean ten hours in the car for about two on the island. We only run Skye as a two or three-day trip.
Which destination suits a first visit to Scotland?
If you only have one day, most first-time guests are happiest with Castles, Lochs and Whisky: Stirling, the Trossachs and a distillery, without the very long drives. With two days spare, add an overnight and take the Highland loop instead.
Is Loch Ness worth visiting?
Yes, especially when you combine it with Glencoe on the same day. Our Highlands and Loch Ness tour stops at the loch and the ruins of Urquhart Castle on its shore. Allow a long day: it is about three and a half hours each way from Edinburgh.
Which Scottish islands can you visit from Edinburgh?
The Isle of Skye is the easiest, reached by road bridge in about five hours, so we run it over two or three days. Mull and Iona are reached by ferry from Oban, and Orkney and the Outer Hebrides by ferry or a short flight. We plan island trips around the ferry times, with stays arranged end to end.
Do all tours start and finish in Edinburgh?
Almost all of them. We collect you from your hotel, flat or the cruise terminal and drop you back at the end of the day. We also regularly pick up from Glasgow, both airports and hotels elsewhere in central Scotland. Just tell us where you are staying.
Can we combine two destinations?
Yes, and it is one of the more common requests. Any of these routes can be merged, shortened or extended on a custom tour. The price is per vehicle, so combining stops does not add a per-person cost.
How many people can travel together?
Up to four guests, with luggage, in one private vehicle. Four is the maximum for every tour, and the price is the same whether one of you travels or four.
What if the weather is bad on our chosen day?
Nothing is cancelled for rain. Your driver-guide reorders the stops on the day to follow the better light, swaps exposed viewpoints for sheltered ones and puts indoor stops in the middle. Scotland rarely gives you a full day of one kind of weather anyway.
Plan Your Trip
Still Not Sure Where to Go?
Tell us your dates, how long you have and one or two things you’d hate to miss. We’ll come back inside 24 hours with a suggested route and one price for the whole vehicle.
- Reply within 24 hours
- One price for the whole vehicle
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