How to Plan An Independent Loch Ness Day Trip from Inverness (& Map)

An Urquhart Castle and Loch Ness day trip is an absolute must-do when visiting Inverness. There are tons of tours available, but it is super easy and cheap (£4!) to plan independently.

The village of Drumnadrochit, just 30 minutes from Inverness, provides access to incredible panoramas of Loch Ness and the surrounding Highlands.

I have created a map of Drumnadrochit, highlighting where the best souvenir shops, hikes, sights and lunch options can be found!

2 kilometres south of the village you’ll find the ruins of the famous Urquhart Castle. Once one of Scotland’s largest castles, it was destroyed during the Jacobite risings to prevent the Jacobites using it as a refuge.

With tourist buses zipping through Drumnadrochit to reach Urquhart Castle, not many tourists take the time to explore the village. If you do, you’ll find its one of the few places you can observe rural Scottish life and enjoy the Scottish Highlands in peace.

While you can stay in the village, there are far more accommodation options in Inverness (my faves linked at the end of this post) and the sights can be completed in one day.

I visited Loch Ness in June 2023, so this definitive review of everything there is to see and do in the nearby town, Drumnadrochit!

Contents

*Some of the links included in this post may be affiliate. I may receive a small commission from purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. Please know that I only recommend products and services that I 100% trust and believe in*

How to Get to Drumnadrochit from Inverness

Take bus 17 from King Street or bus 919 from the Bus Station to the Drumnadrochit Post Office. My ticket cost £2 (as of 2024) and you can purchase on the bus using card or exact cash.

Be sure to check the bus timetable before departing so you know when you need to return, because there are only a few buses in each direction each day.

The journey takes about 30 minutes and drives past some of Scotland’s most picturesque landscapes.

Try to get a window seat on the left side of the bus because you might be able to glimpse Loch Ness and even some Highland cows!

When you first get off the bus, I recommend getting your bearings by checking out a couple of the shops around town.

Loch Ness Day Trip Map: Drumnadrochit

Click the map to expand to full screen.

Drum Farm Gallery Gift Shop

Opening Hours: 10am – 5pm
Website: https://www.kpriceart.co.uk/

Karen Price’s art gallery is definitely worth a stroll through if you are looking for unique Scottish souvenirs.

Highland cows and cottages feature strongly in Price’s artwork. I personally love to collect cards/postcards so that’s what I went with, but the prints are available on tea towels, cushions, place mats, jigsaw puzzles and mugs.

Loch Ness Gifts

Opening Hours: 9:15am – 5pm
Website: https://www.lochnessgifts.com/

This little gift shop has a great range of Scotland and Loch Ness related souvenirs, including but absolutely not limited to stuffed Loch Ness monsters, Celtic jewellery, novelty t-shirts, keyrings, magnets, anything and everything tartan.

The products in store are the same as the ones on their website, so you can check out what they have before visiting.

This was my favourite gift shop in town and when I visited, the lady that worked there was very friendly.

Loch Ness Hub & Travel

Opening Hours: 9:30am – 5pm
Website: https://www.lochnesstravel.com/

If you want more information about the hiking trails or tours available in the area, then visit the Loch Ness Hub & Travel Centre across the road.

Nessieland

Opening Hours: 10am – 5pm
Website: https://nessieland.co.uk/
Price: £8

I honestly do not recommend visiting Nessieland.

As I approached the building, I felt uneasy because the area was deserted; not many tourists had made their way up to the northern part of town that day.

I climbed the stairs and entered the gift shop area. There were some interesting looking people loitering at the tables out the front and the gift shop smelt faintly of urine so I skedaddled out of there.

Tickets for the exhibition are £8, but you can check out the front gift shop area (via the stairs from the main road) for free.

Celtic Crafts

Opening Hours: Irregular hours, closed in winter.
Website: https://www.celticcraftsgiftshop.co.uk/

I also visited the nearby Celtic Crafts store, which was very small and stocked products that aren’t boldly Scottish or Loch Ness themed.

Great Glen Gifts

Opening Hours: 9am – 5pm
Website: https://www.celticcraftsgiftshop.co.uk/

Next door to Celtic Crafts is Great Glen Gifts. This is a great little gift shop with a similar range of products to Loch Ness Gifts.

After checking out the shops, it’s time to visit Urquhart Castle.

There are two ways to get to Urquhart Castle:

1. Take the 919 bus from in front of the Post Office (15 mins).
2. Walk 2 miles (about 1 hour).

The weather was nice so I decided to walk.

Once you cross the bridge, the path separates from the road and so it is quite peaceful with a gorgeous view across the field to Loch Ness.

There were only a couple of other walkers and bike riders using the trail, but enough that it didn’t feel spooky walking by myself.

Urquhart Castle

Opening Hours: 9:30am – 8pm (4pm in autumn/winter)
Website: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/urquhart-castle/
Price: £13

Continue around the bend to catch your first glimpses of Urquhart Castle.

If you’re walking, take the first left and head down the road labelled ‘cars’ to reach the ticket booth.

You can prebook your tickets (recommended for peak summer) or you can purchase them on arrival.

Loch Ness Cruise

If you have the budget and time for it, I highly recommend taking a Loch Ness Cruise.

This one by Jacobite Cruises is highly rated.

Take the bus 17 or 919 from Drumnadrochit Post Office and just ask the driver to stop at the Clansman Hotel.

During its prime, Urquhart Castle was once one of Scotlands biggest castles and served as a medieval fortress for over 500 years.

FYI: It was blown up during the Jacobite Risings. The Castle is mostly ruins now, so there are no rooms left. Visiting the Castle involves just wandering around the crumbling remains and admiring Loch Ness up close.

You will probably spend an hour or so exploring the Castle and grounds.

Travel Essentials 

SIM cards: Airalo offers eSIMS for over 200 countries which you can install BEFORE travelling, saving you the stress of running around to find a store or from being ripped off by local vendors. This is perfect for backpackers who are travelling to multiple destinations in a short period of time.

Insurance: You should NOT go overseas without getting travel insurance. Travel insurance protects you in case you get injured or your plans change or are cancelled. I always use Covermore, because the cover is comprehensive and they were easy to work with when I needed to make a claim.

Banking: When travelling and saving for travel I use Up Bank, an online Australian bank, that allows fee-free overseas transactions, unlimited savings ‘pools’ and easy transfers. If you join Up with my invite code we both get $13!

Cemetery & Urquhart Bay Woods

Head back to town.

After crossing the bridge, turn right and head down to the Cemetery. I passed this little paddock with these gorgeous horses.

Although the cemetery is behind gates, these gates are usually unlocked. Not many tourists make it this far off the main drag, so it is a quiet and contemplative place.

Next to the cemetery gate is a sign for Urquhart Bay Wood and another gate. This gate marks the beginning of a public footpath that winds through Urquhart Bay Woods to reach the Loch Ness Viewpoint.

This peaceful walk through pretty isolated woodland takes about 45 minutes.

Loch Ness Viewpoint is one of the only places in town where you can get up close to Loch Ness. I wouldn’t recommend swimming in the Loch Ness because the waters are incredibly cold and deep, and no one can reach you quickly to help you if needed.

Where to Eat in Drumnadrochit

There are 3 main restaurants in the centre of town to have lunch.

Fiddlers Highland

Opening Hours: 12:30pm – 2:30 pm, 5:30pm – 9pm
Website: https://www.fiddledrum.co.uk/

This restaurant is the most popular in Drumnadrochit. If you are really set on eating here, consider booking a table via email or phone on their website.

They are known for having a HUGE whiskey list, and they serve classic meat and veg, salads and burgers.

Loch Ness Craft Bar and Food Truck

Technically this is part of Fiddlers Highland.

Next door to the main restaurant is this food truck that serves only burgers and chips, haggis and chips, or fish and chips.

The prices were pretty good at £12.50.

I had the Angus burger and it was very delish.

Ness Deli

Opening Hours: 9:30 am–4 pm (10am on Sundays)
Website: https://thenessdeli.wordpress.com/

At Ness Deli they serve baked goods as well as a pretty broad range of meals such as burgers, lasagne, steak pie and salads.

They also serve brekky foods like big breakfast and pancakes until 11:30am.

Prices are pretty competitive compared to Fiddlers.

Craigmonie Walk

After lunch, head west towards Craigmonie Wood.

There are other hikes around town (check out the visitor centre for details) but this one is the easiest and most accessible.

You can get a map of the trail at Loch Ness Hub & Travel or download them online.

Make your way along Pitkerrald Road and head left at the first fork in the road. Continue straight past the second fork until you reach the sign pictured above directing you to Craigmonie Wood.

The crag is named after the Viking Prince Monie, son of the King of Scandinavia. During battle, his men were defeated in the field below and Monie, his men and his sister retreated up the hill. The soldiers were eventually driven down the hill and slaughtered. Monie and his sister escaped, although Monie was captured and killed not long after.

This trail is flat and easy-going. It winds up and around Craigmonie. The most distinctive feature of the walk is the redwoods that tower over the trail. The woods are supposedly home to squirrels, badgers and birds, although I didn’t see any.

I continued along the trail until I rounded the corner to a clearing where I had panoramic views across the countryside. I didn’t complete the trail, I decided to turn back at this point and head back to town.

Tours

If after reading this, you still don’t feel confident doing this day trip independently, no worries, there are heaps of great tour options available!

Half Day Tour: On this tour you will leave Inverness Bus Station at either 9:15am or 2:15pm, go on a Loch Ness cruise, and visit Urquhart Castle (includes entry ticket) and arrive back in Inverness at either 1pm or 6pm.

Full Day Tour: After taking a Loch Ness cruise and visiting Urquhart Castle (doesn’t include ticket price), this tour continues on to Invermoriston and Fort Augustus before heading back to Inverness.

Looking for other day trips from Inverness? Read How to Visit Culloden Battlefield.

Staying in Inverness? My top choices

$ Hostel $

Inverness Student Hostel
8 Culduthel Rd, Inverness IV2 4AB, United Kingdom.
Inverness doesn’t have many options when it comes to hostels. Inverness Student Hostel is the closest to the centre of town and has quirky decor. You can also get brekky there for a decent price. Check availability or see other options.

$$ Hotel $$

Castle Viewpoint B&B 
22 Ardconnel St, Inverness IV2 3EX, United Kingdom.
I can personally vouch that the beds in this quaint b&b are the comfiest in Inverness, and potentially all of Scotland. The owner is the loveliest person and the rooms are adorable. Brekky was yum, too. It’s on a hill so it has a great view across the city. Check availability or see other options.

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