Loch Ness, Glencoe and the Highlands Day Tour from Edinburgh

You will be picked up and taken to the tour destinations in an air-conditioned Mercedes minibus.

Depart Edinburgh and travel northwest past Linlithgow palace, the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots. Also see the Stirling castle, which was once known as the 'Key to Scotland'. To the north is the 220ft tower of the National Wallace Monument commemorating Scotland's great hero William Wallace, played by Mel Gibson in the Oscar-winning movie Braveheart.

Take a short stop for coffee at Callander, the 'frontier town' on the edge of the Highlands.

Cross the Highland boundary fault line and see the landscape change dramatically; the flat fertile plains of the lowlands give way to shimmering lochs, rugged mountain tops and forest-filled glens.

Travel north through Breadalbane, climb towards the wild desolation of Rannoch Moor. At an altitude of over 1000ft, covered by heather and peat-bogs and dotted with dozens of lochs, the area offers spectacular views and a unique landscape.

See the spectacular mountain scenery as you pass the majestic peak of Buachaille Etive Mor and drive down into Scotland's famous valley, Glencoe. Stunningly beautiful, with its dramatic cliff faces and steep slopes, Glencoe is infamous as the site of the Glencoe massacre in 1692.

Next, enter the Great Glen, a deep glacial valley which follows a geological fault line. Passing through the town of Fort William, drive past Britain's highest mountain, Ben Nevis before arriving at Fort Augustus on the southern shore of Loch Ness. The loch is best known for the mythology surrounding the Loch Ness Monster (Nessie). You can take a boat cruise on the loch to go in search of the monster, or simply to enjoy the beautiful scenery.

You will stop at Fort Augustus where you can either have an optional lunch or time at leisure to explore.

Head south and make a short stop at Spean Bridge, before heading through the mountains of the Cairngorms National Park. Stop at the highland resort town of Pitlochry, nestled amongst the mountains of Perthshire.

Continue south through the forests of Perthshire, famous as Macbeth country, and past Perth the medieval capital of Scotland.

Drive past Loch Leven where Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned by her Protestant nobles, before escaping to England where she was eventually executed by her cousin Elizabeth I.

Pass by the famous Forth Bridge before returning to Edinburgh.

The tour ends at Waverley Bridge, Edinburgh. You will arrive in Edinburgh at around 8:00pm.