Glenfinnan Viaduct, Glencoe & Highland Cows Day Trip from Edinburgh
Description
A full day in the Highlands with the Glenfinnan Viaduct from the Harry Potter films as the grand finale of the morning, plus Glencoe, Fort William, the Cairngorms and a close encounter with the Highland cows. Every day from the Royal Mile.
This Glenfinnan Viaduct tour from Edinburgh packs film locations, history, nature and huge landscapes into one day. Your guide tells the stories behind every glen while you cross the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, Rannoch Moor and the valley of Glen Coe, shaped by an extinct supervolcano.
At Glenfinnan you will see the curving viaduct and, on days it runs, the Jacobite steam train crossing it like the Hogwarts Express in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. You will also visit the Glenfinnan Monument on Loch Shiel, where Bonnie Prince Charlie raised his standard in 1745.
The way back crosses the Cairngorms, Scotland's largest national park, through ancient Caledonian pine forest, and ends with the moment everyone waits for: meeting the famous "hairy coos".
Every day at 7.15am
Duration: 11 hours 45 minutes. No tour on Christmas Day.
Language: English
The whole tour is guided in English.
Departure: 1 Parliament Square
Check in at Caffè Nero, 1 Parliament Sq, Royal Mile, EH1 1RE, beside St Giles' Cathedral. Our staff will direct you to the bus. Open in Google Maps.
From £57
Child (3-15), students and seniors (60+): from £55. Prices vary by season.
Detailed route
Departure from the Royal Mile at 7.15 am. The first stop is Callander, the Gateway to the Highlands, before entering the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park.
Cross Rannoch Moor to Glen Coe, stop for lunch in Fort William and continue to Glenfinnan and its famous viaduct.
In the afternoon, drive through the Cairngorms and meet the Highland cows before arriving at the drop-off point in St Andrew Square at around 7 pm.
Departure from Edinburgh (7.15 am)
Callander
The first stop is this charming village, known as the Gateway to the Highlands. Browse the local shops or grab something to eat before the road climbs into the mountains.
Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park
Sweeping views of lochs and dramatic mountain scenery at every turn as we cross the national park.
Rannoch Moor
A vast and atmospheric expanse of moorland, one of the wildest landscapes in Britain, on the way to Glen Coe.
Glen Coe
Discover the extinct supervolcano that sculpted the Three Sisters, hear the sobering story of the Massacre of Glen Coe and spot the peaks used as the backdrop for the final battle of Hogwarts.
Fort William
Lunch stop at the foot of the Nevis Range, in the outdoor capital of the Highlands. See the ruins of the old army barracks, walk along Loch Linnhe or relax in a local café.
Glenfinnan Viaduct
The highlight of the day. Admire the viaduct and keep an eye out for the Jacobite steam train, the Hogwarts Express of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
Glenfinnan Monument and Loch Shiel
On the shores of Loch Shiel stands the monument marking the spot where Bonnie Prince Charlie raised his standard at the start of the Jacobite Rising of 1745.
Cairngorms National Park
In the afternoon, cross Scotland's largest national park, with ancient Caledonian pine forests and rugged Highland hillsides.
Highland cows
The final stop: a close encounter with the famous "hairy coos". Get up close and take those must-have photos.
Drop-off at St Andrew Square (7 pm)
The order of the stops may change because of traffic, weather or opening times.
What’s included
What does the price include?
- Professional tour guide all day
- Transport
Not included
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
Good to know
Free cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund.
Check-in
Check-in at Caffè Nero, 1 Parliament Sq, Royal Mile, EH1 1RE, beside St Giles' Cathedral. Check-in closes 15 minutes before departure. Please arrive in good time.
Drop-off
Drop-off: 22 St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, EH2 2AF.
Minimum age
Children under 3 are not permitted. Proof of age for children may be requested at check-in.
Seats and late arrivals
Seats are unreserved and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Tours depart promptly and cannot wait for late arrivals.
Luggage
One small or medium bag per person (maximum 15 kg) plus a small handbag or daypack.
Dress for Scotland
The weather changes fast: bring a waterproof jacket, warm layers, sunglasses and shoes for short walks on rough or uneven ground.
Cash and cards
Most attractions and cafés take cards, but it is worth carrying some cash.
Jacobite steam train
The 7.15 am departure is timed for the steam train. When the train is not running, the tour leaves at 8 am and returns at 7.45 pm, and you will be told in advance. The train is run by another company, so seeing it cross the viaduct cannot be guaranteed. On non-train days you still visit the viaduct and the Glenfinnan Visitor Centre.
What our guests say
City Explorers has a 5.0 rating on Google from 27,032 reviews. Here is a selection of real reviews, updated every week. Tap any review to read it in full.
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Cobin is amazingly good with a hint of fun story teller! He made a boring history particularly very very very interesting and easy to remember! Highly and exceptionally recommended!! If you don’t, you’ll miss half the adventure of your life!!
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Cobin was a great tour guide!! Lovely humor and a lot of fun facts. Would definitely recommend to friends and family:)
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I had fun listening to the stories our guide shared. He was totally entertaining, built the atmosphere and hooked us into the experience.
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Rory was a very cool and charming tour Guide. The storys were very nice and for us from germany very good understandble. And it was nice to learn so much about the dark history of scotland and edinburgh
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Dr Rory can tell a story! I couldn't believe how quickly the tour ended. When I looked at my watch and hour and a half had passed! Get a tour, get it with Rory !
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Griem was a fantastic tour guide ! He was very helpful, showed a great amount of knowledge about the city, and I loved his sense of humour:))
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Great tour, got all the major sights and lots of history. Kenny, our guide, was very knowledgeable and eloquent he made the tour very interesting and fun at the same time.
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I highly recommend this tour! Rory’s gory stories were amazing, you can really tell he loves the job and makes the tour feel very special!
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Had a wonderful tour through Edinburgh. Cobin is a very funny guy with great knowledge about the city and entertaining storytelling
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Cobin was an awesome guide. We got a lot of interesting information on our tour. He was clever and very engaging. He paced the tour so we could all follow along and he was very careful that we were all with him and safe. Thanks Cobin for an interesting morning!
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Cobin was very entertaining and informative. The pacing and humor of the tour was well balanced and enjoyable
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Graeme was a fantastic tour guide with many interesting stories and so much knowledge. Highly recommend this tour and guide
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Our guide was Kenny. He was very knowledgeable and informative and had a really good sense of humour! Fantastic tour. Highly recommend
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Kenny was entertaining and knowledgeable. He was happy to answer all of our questions and gave us a brilliant tour
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Absolute riveting. Our tour guide Dan was a gem and a really fantastic storyteller. He has great knowledge and even had some extra facts. Highly recommend.
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We had a great experience with Cobin! He was very friendly and made the tour really enjoyable. We had a wonderful time. Highly recommend!
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Excellent tour. Cobin was a very fun and engaging guide, with some interesting anecdotes and a strong storytelling
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Fantastic tour hosted by Glen. Very impressed with the information and interaction given, it made the whole experience very interesting and pleasant! Thanks Glen!
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Great experience, Dan was really knowledgable and full of energy and showed us all the places with their stories
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Graeme's tour was FAB! We saw so much more than we expected, lots of great stories. Thanks so much!
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He’s a charming gentleman with a great sense of humor and interesting stories about the city of Edinburgh. I highly recommend! It was a very fun tour!
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Kenny did a wonderful job of blending, history, modern recommendations and gorgeous views all while not allowing any of us to get separated. Big highlight!
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We had Stuart as our tour guide, he was great! Very knowledgeable, very funny and kept us intrigued the whole time!
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Graham was an absolute delight. His tour gave us not only a great sense of Edinburgh as a city, but the history and stories that led to it being what it is now. You can tell that he loves what he does, and it was a privilege to meet Edinburgh through his eyes
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Thank you Cobin! It was really nice time roaming around the Edinburgh and you explained us very well.
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We joined the tour on the third day of our four-day visit to Edinburgh; I wish I had joined on the first day, as I would have explored the city with a better understanding. Our guide, Kenny, was very professional. I definitely recommend it.
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Kenny is a fantastic tour guide - very knowledgeable and has a great way of sharing this which is both engaging and informative
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Cobin was great! He was super funny and the history he gave was very informational! I highly recommend!!
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Gourgeous tour! Our guide was Rory: he was very clear and involves us telling some parts of Scotland history.
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My experience was very nice and fun. Rory is very good at telling the story and he’s very charismatic!!’
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Selected real reviews from Google · Updated October 2026