Commonwealth Games 2026 · Private Highland Day Tour

Glasgow to Inverness Private Day Tour

Eleven days of sport, a few free mornings, and the whole of the Highlands an hour up the road. If you're in Glasgow for the 2026 Commonwealth Games (23 July–2 August), one of those free days belongs to Loch Ness. We drive you there in your own car, at your own pace, with a local guide who knows every glen on the way.

No 40-seat coach. No 7am roll-call in a car park. Just your group, one vehicle, and the best of the Scottish Highlands in a single day.

From £600 per vehicle · up to 8 guests · not per person

Prefer to talk? Call +44 7741 836244

Your day, in one look

The Tour at a Glance

Route
Glasgow → Loch Lomond → Glencoe → Fort William → Glenfinnan → Loch Ness → Inverness
Duration
Full day (early-morning pickup, evening arrival)
Group size
Up to 8 passengers
Price
£600 for up to 4 · £700 for up to 8, per vehicle, not per person
Pickup
Your Glasgow hotel or apartment
Guide
Private local driver-guide, commentary included
Return to Glasgow
Available same evening on request
Transparent pricing

What You Get for the Price

Your price covers the car, the driver-guide and the driving for the whole day. You only pay extra for the entries and treats you actually want.

Included

  • Private vehicle for the day, up to 8 seats
  • Professional local driver-guide with live commentary
  • Fuel, parking and all road costs
  • Door-to-door pickup and drop-off in Glasgow
  • Bottled water, Wi-Fi and air conditioning on board
  • Child and booster seats, free on request

Paid separately, only if you want them

  • Urquhart Castle entry (around £12–£15 per adult, best pre-booked)
  • Loch Ness Centre admission at Drumnadrochit
  • A Loch Ness boat cruise (roughly £19 per adult)
  • Jacobite Steam Train tickets, if you'd rather ride than watch
  • Lunch and snacks

Keeping admissions separate is deliberate. Some groups want to go inside the castle and cruise the loch; others are happy photographing both from the shore and keeping the cash. You decide on the day.

Twelve stops, one relaxed run north

Where the Tour Goes

West coast to the Great Glen. This is our recommended route. Go private and you can swap, skip or linger anywhere you like.

Glenfinnan Viaduct, the Harry Potter bridge, on the Glasgow to Inverness private day tour Happy group enjoying a private Scotland Highland Trip day tour from Glasgow

Loch Lomond

First stop, Britain's biggest loch by surface area, barely 40 minutes from the city.

Glencoe

The Highlands' most dramatic glen, and a Skyfall filming location you'll recognise.

Glen Etive

The single-track road where James Bond parks the Aston Martin. Prime photo stop.

Fort William

The west coast's main town, sitting right under Ben Nevis, Britain's highest mountain.

Nevis Range

Optional gondola up Aonach Mòr if you fancy the height.

Glenfinnan Viaduct

The "Harry Potter bridge." Time it right and you'll watch the Jacobite steam train sweep across (it runs daily through the 2026 season, roughly June to October).

Commando Memorial

A WWII memorial at Spean Bridge with the finest view down the Great Glen.

Fort Augustus

Watch boats climb the Caledonian Canal locks at the foot of Loch Ness.

Urquhart Castle

A ruined medieval fortress on the shore, and the loch's best Nessie-spotting spot.

Loch Ness Centre

The real, science-first story of the monster hunt, in Drumnadrochit.

Loch Ness Viewpoint

The best open-water photo stop on the loch.

Inverness

Journey's end in the Highland capital, on the banks of the River Ness.

Prefer pure sightseeing at Loch Ness without the west-coast detour? Take a look at our Nessie Trail Highland tour instead. Planning to drive it yourself? Our Glasgow to Inverness day-trip guide walks through the full route, driving times and every stop.

Your group. Your pace. Your schedule.

Why Go Private Instead of a Coach Tour?

Because a private car fits your group, your pace and your Games schedule. A coach fits 40 strangers and a fixed clock. During a packed fortnight, that control is worth a lot, and per-vehicle pricing gets sharper the more of you travel.

£300
each for a couple
Executive car (£600), door to door
£150
each for a family of four
Executive car (£600), the whole car to yourselves
~£117
each for six sharing
Eight-seater (£700)
£87.50
each for eight sharing
Eight-seater (£700), guide included

You also get hotel pickup instead of a city-centre meeting point, a driver who'll wait while you get the photo, and the freedom to trade Nevis Range for a longer lunch without asking permission. Coach tours can't do any of that.

Check Availability

Mercedes-Benz & Range Rover

Choose Your Vehicle

Every car is a late-model Mercedes-Benz or Range Rover, valeted and driven by a licensed local chauffeur. Groups of up to eight travel in the Vito Tourer; smaller groups can upgrade to something more executive.

Mercedes-Benz Vito Tourer eight-seater used for the private Glasgow to Inverness Highland day tour
VehiclePassengersLuggagePrice
Mercedes-Benz Vito TourerUp to 88 large cases, 3 small£700
Mercedes-Benz V-ClassUp to 78 large cases, 3 small£750
Range Rover SportUp to 43 large, 2 small£600
Mercedes-Benz E-ClassUp to 42 large, 2 small£600
Mercedes-Benz S-ClassUp to 42 large, 1 small£600

Travelling as nine or more? We'll arrange a second vehicle so your whole group still travels together. See the full line-up on our fleet page.

Rated by real guests

What Our Guests Say

★★★★★
5.0 rating from 25 Google reviews. Guests come back to the same things again and again: local knowledge, a flexible day, and how much more they saw with a private car than they could have managed alone.

★★★★★

"11/10, super knowledgeable and very friendly."

Beth Dennis
★★★★★

The one-day trip let her family see far more than they'd have managed on their own.

Laura Frechette
★★★★★

Praised an incredible Glencoe run, dramatic scenery and expert guidance.

Zohaib Khan
★★★★★

Found the private tour more relaxed and personal than any group tour could be.

Saswati Das
★★★★★

A safe, comfortable and flexible experience across several Highland days.

Tolga Tunçer

Read every review in full

Our Reviews Page
One message is all it takes

How to Book

Send your date, group size and Glasgow pickup point, and we'll do the rest. Games-fortnight dates fill fast, so the earlier you enquire, the better your pick of vehicle and time.

1

Enquire

Message us your date, number of guests and where you're staying. WhatsApp is quickest.

2

Confirm

We check availability, recommend the right vehicle and send a clear, all-in quote.

3

Secure Your Date

A £100 deposit holds the booking; the balance is due before travel.

4

Travel

Your chauffeur arrives at the agreed time, helps with the bags, and off you go north.

Flying in or out around the Games? We also run private airport transfers across Scotland.

No payment now

Check Availability & Get Your Quote

Tell us the basics and we'll reply with a written quote, usually within a few hours.


No payment now. A £100 deposit only once you're happy with the quote.

Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the price per person or per vehicle?
Per vehicle. It's £600 for an executive car up to four guests, or £700 for the eight-seater up to eight. You book the whole car and driver, so more passengers means less each.
How long is the day out?
A full day. Most groups leave Glasgow in the morning and reach Inverness in the evening, with the pickup time set around your Games schedule. Long summer daylight leaves plenty of room to stop without rushing.
Can you pick us up from our Glasgow hotel during the Games?
Yes. We collect from hotels, apartments or a nearby meeting point across Glasgow, and plan departure around the heavier city-centre traffic the Games will bring.
Do we return to Glasgow the same day?
The standard tour finishes in Inverness, but a private return to Glasgow the same evening can be arranged on request. Tell us when you enquire and we'll quote the round trip.
Are attraction tickets included?
No, and that's on purpose. Entries like Urquhart Castle, the Loch Ness Centre and any boat cruise are paid separately, so you only buy what your group wants. Urquhart Castle is best pre-booked.
Can you take a group larger than eight?
Yes. For nine or more we arrange a second vehicle so everyone still travels together privately. Just give us your final numbers when booking.
Do you provide child seats?
Yes, child and booster seats are free. Let us know each child's age and weight in advance so we fit the correct seat.
Glasgow 2026 · 23 July – 2 August

Turn One Rest Day Into the Best Day of Your Trip

Loch Lomond, Glencoe, the Harry Potter viaduct and the full length of Loch Ness. Your group, your car, your pace.

Start Your Highland Journey - Contact Now

Ready to explore the Scottish Highlands? Get in touch and let us create your perfect
Highland adventure.

Call Us - Primary

+44 7741 836244

Call Us - Secondary

+44 7849 742124

Email Us

info@scotlandhighlandtrip.com

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