Trip Advisor/Viator 2022 cruise season
Posted on
From Tripadvisor Tour 3Sep. 2022We had a long port day in Invergordon, and the tours provided by the cruise line (and other suppliers) either visited Loch Ness OR Culloden, but not both - so this tour was the perfect combination of those sites, plus more! We're also big Outlander fans, so while that wasn't the primary focus of the tour, it was nice that it was thrown in.
From the start, the team at Thistle were excellent at communication. Then three days before the tour, they sent a message saying that due to demand, the tour would be operated with a larger vehicle, but that it would only be half-full. Actually, we preferred this - we would much rather be able to stretch out on a half-full coach, than cram a bunch of strangers into a small van.
Our guide Wendy was waiting across from the port, as advertised. There's a big purple flag that says Thistle, so the guides are impossible to miss. Wendy was personable and full of knowledge about the area, the country, and the sites we visited.
As advertised, the tour included:
1. Urquhart Castle on the banks of Loch Ness (with a little free time, tickets included in the price)
2. The city of Inverness (with free time - where Wendy gave a brief free walking tour for those interested)
3. Culloden Battlefield (where Wendy again gave an informational walking tour of the moor, and then we had a tiny bit of free time - tickets to the visitor center not included in the price)
4. Clava Cairns (with a few minutes free time)
5. A bonus stop at a cute little farm shop to see a couple Highland cows (adorable! and one of them is named Jamie Fraser -- haha).
There was a fair bit of driving, because none of these sites are right next to each other - but the scenery was gorgeous, and Wendy kept us entertained with facts and other info.
Overall, this was an excellent tour. Of course there's never quite enough time at each spot, but that's just a good excuse to return to the area and spend more time on your own :)