You don’t need a car to explore the northern shores of Loch Ness! Read our guide to plan a long weekend trip exploring Loch Ness by public transport.
Drumnadrochit | Scotland
It is no secret that we don’t drive but that doesn’t hold us back from exploring. Barring a few areas, most of Scotland has decent to excellent public transport options. Yes, it does need a fair amount of prior planning especially if there are Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) options involved but hey! public transport is good for the environment and also for local communities.
After our squelchy wet rain-drenched camping experience at Luss on the shores of Loch Lomond, we headed north to the shores of Loch Ness for a chance to say hello to Nessie (who, according to a 2019 report by the BBC, might be a “giant eel”). Two trains (our rail itinerary to Inverness had a change at Perth) and a bus ride later, we arrived at our sun-soaked campsite and set about erecting the tent under blue skies! The train ride is scenic! Near Dalwhinnie, it started drizzling and a spectacular rainbow lit up the rolling green hills.
Drumnadrochit is a pretty little village located right above a small inset, the Urquhart Bay, of Loch Ness. It is located on the northern shore of Loch Ness, roughly halfway between Lochend and Fort Augustus, the two ends of Loch Ness. The name Drumnadrochit derives from the Scottish Gaelic Druim na Drochaid, meaning the ‘Ridge of the Bridge’.
We started early from Edinburgh on a Saturday morning and reached Drumnadrochit around 1 pm. We spent Sunday and Monday exploring the area, going on leisurely walks and soaking in the sun, and marvelling at the beauty of Loch Ness. We also squeezed in a wee trip to Fort Augustus before heading back to Edinburgh via Inverness.
DID YOU KNOW that there is more water in Loch Ness than in all the lakes in England and Wales put together? Though Loch Ness is neither the deepest (Loch Morar) nor the largest lake by surface area (Loch Lomond), it contains an astonishing 263 billion cubic feet of water!
How to Reach Loch Ness from Edinburgh or Glasgow
Here’s how you can reach the gorgeous shores of Loch Ness by public transport:
BY BUS // CityLink services M8, M10, M90, M91, and M92 connect Edinburgh and Glasgow to Inverness. CityLink (915, 916, 917, 919, 920) and Stagecoach (17, 119) buses serve the northern shore of Loch Ness.
SOUTHERN SHORE OF LOCH NESS: If you are planning to visit the southern shore of Loch Ness, Stagecoach bus 16 connects Inverness and Foyers via Dores. There is no public transport between Foyers and Fort Augustus.
BY TRAIN // Regular ScotRail services connect Inverness to all major Scottish cities. If you are travelling from London, you can opt for the Caledonian Express. From Inverness, you have to take a bus to Drumnadrochit.
Alternatively, you could also take travel to Fort William and ride the bus to Drumnadrochit.
LONG DISTANCE WAYS // There are three long-distance trails near Drumnadrochit: The Great Glen Way, Loch Ness 360, and Affric Kintail Way. All three can be walked, cycled (Great Glen Way) or mountain biked.
Loch Ness 3 Days Itinerary
DID YOU KNOW that you can see the Great Glen Fault from space? Loch Ness is one of four lochs on the Great Glen, an epic valley carved by glaciers during the last Ice Age. Underneath this valley is the Great Glen Fault, which was formed sometime 430-390 million years ago!
Loch Ness Itinerary Day 1
Travel to Drumnadrochit via Inverness | Visit Urquhart Castle
Start early and reach Inverness before noon. From Inverness, you can either take the CityLink 919 or Stagecoach 17 to Drumnadrochit. Set up your tent or check in at your accommodation, then head out for lunch! Cafe 82 (highly recommend their Goddess Bowl), Ness Deli, and Courtyard Cafe are your best options.
Post lunch, head to Urquhart Castle. According to Historic Scotland, “In the 1300s, Urquhart featured prominently in the Scots’ struggle for independence. The castle came under the control of Robert the Bruce after he became King of Scots in 1306. In 1332, in the dark days following Robert I’s death, Urquhart was the only Highland castle to hold out against the English.” Only the ruins of the castle remain today. Tickets are £13.00 for adults (August, 2022) and free for Historic Scotland members.
We spent the rest of the day strolling around Drumnadrochit and drifting in and out of the cute gift shops. We picked up some maps to plan our walks for the next day, saw the distillation process at Great Glen Distillery, the small distillery in the country, and roamed aimlessly through the village. The Loch Ness Centre and Exhibition had closed but consider visiting to quell (or, inflame) any curiosity that you might have about the Loch Ness Monster, or Nessie, as they are affectionately called. The earliest records of spotting Nessie date back to 564 CE; today, this famous cryptid is responsible for generating more than £35 million annually.
We picked up dinner from Shack’s Fish & Chips and some beer and ate at a picnic table at the campsite (we stayed at the Loch Ness Bay Campsite) while watching the sky turn shades of pink.
Loch Ness Itinerary Day 2
Walk to Divach Falls & Craig Monie | Cruise Loch Ness
Start bright and early today to go on the Divach Falls and Craig Monie Walk. Grab some sandwiches from Scotmid, then head up the road towards the wee hamlet of Divach. The scenery is bucolic! We were lucky to have sunny blue skies. The hills, with their geometric tapestry of fields and farms in various shades of yellow and green, rose beyond the shimmering blue waters of Loch Ness. On the farms along the way, herds of blackfaced sheep graze nonchalantly on the slopes. We spotted a few horses too! The path to Divach Falls is along a tarred road with a few steep sections that offer lovely views of the surroundings. Once you reach the car park, enter the gate and walk down the narrow woodland path towards the viewing platform that offers a lovely view of the falls.
TIP: If you don’t fancy walking, hire an e-bike from Loch Ness Hub and ride away!
Retrace your steps back to Drumnadrochit. At Rillan Cottage, take a left and continue towards the Balmacaan Woodland. Follow the red waymarkers through the forest to reach Craig Monie, an iron-age fort that offers breathtaking views of Loch Ness. We got a wee bit lost on the way and a kind man who was out to walk his dog showed us the way to the hilltop.
The views from Craig Monie are lovely. You can see the village of Drumnadrochit and the blue waters of Loch Ness and the yachts and boats sailing on the loch. Geometric pastures and farming lands in various shades of yellow and tan are a contrast to the deep green of the wooded areas of the hills. We spent some time sitting in the shade of ancient trees watching the waters of Loch Ness sparkle in the sun before heading downhill in search of lunch.
Also read: In Edinburgh this week? Check out The Best Walks in Edinburgh!
Return to flat grounds for lunch, then head out for a cruise on Loch Ness. You can buy cruise tickets from the Great Glen Distillery or at the Loch Ness Centre and Exhibition.
We decided to give the cruise a skip and instead walked down to the tiny pier from where the Loch Ness Bay Cruises start and sat there in the shade of trees watching the immense expanse of the loch and the surrounding hillside.
Alternatively, you could also explore the Urquhart Bay Woods, an ancient woodland situated between the rivers Enrick and Coiltie where both rivers flow out into Loch Ness. This woodland is one of the finest remaining examples of ‘wet woodland’, where alder trees and others that thrive from floods grow well. We could not reach the Coiltie’s outflow on Loch Ness as the path was too muddy and retraced our steps back.
Also read: Wondering where to go next weekend? How about a day trip to the conservation village of Culross or to the charming seaside town of North Berwick?
Loch Ness Itinerary Day 3
Visit Fort Augustus | Return via Inverness or Fort William
Next morning on your car-free, Loch Ness by public transport trip, hop onto CityLink 919 or Stagecoach 119 from Drumnadrochit to Fort Augustus, a charming city bustling with tourists at the western end of Loch Ness. The road is built on the slopes above the loch and promises great views throughout. The bus stopped at Altsigh for some hikers and I quickly noted that there is a hostel with great views of the loch here! Maybe next time here’s where we will stay!
TIP: If walking is your jam, we hear the high route between Drumnadrochit and Fort Augustus is one of the most scenic in the area!
At Fort Augustus, the Caledonian canal falls through seven consecutive locks. If you are in time to see a boat pass, you will see “walkers” walking the boats down each lock. We were there on a Sunday and there were lots of people cheering the walkers and the crew. We joined them as the boats slowly made their way up the locks! We had lunch at Cobb’s Cafe and enjoyed an ice cream sitting on the sunny banks of the canal and partaking of the cacophony. Before taking the bus out, we walked to the Loch Ness Viewpoint and were mesmerised by the loch and its surrounding hillside in its sunlit, technicolour glamour. The view is magnificent from here, so don’t miss it!
From Fort Augustus, return to Inverness for the train back to Edinburgh or continue onwards to Fort William.
TIP: Glasgow and Fort William are connected by the West Highland Line, one of the most scenic railway routes in the world. This was our original plan but we had to give it a miss and take the train to Edinburgh from Inverness because ticket prices were through the roof!
Do you prefer travelling car-free like us? Have you visited Loch Ness by public transport?
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