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Inverness is a great base for exploring the greater Scottish Highlands area.
I did just that, spending almost a week in Inverness and taking day trips out to various castles, distilleries, and hikes.
Consider doing the same, and returning to Inverness each night, ready for dinner and a night on the town.
There are so many places near Inverness that you can travel to in a day.
Since you may have only one extra day to spend, you need to know which ones are worth it.
Have an Extra Day in Inverness? Here’s What to Do
If you are planning to spend a few days in Inverness (2 is the minimum I’d recommend), and you want a chance to get out of the city and see more of the Scottish Highlands, I’ve got some great ideas for a day trip.
Want to see a castle? Head to Dunrobin Castle, Cawdor Castle, or Eilean Donan Castle.
Want to see ruins? Check out Urquhart Castle.
Want to see Scotland’s natural beauty? Head to the Glen Affric, Loch Ness, or the Isle of Skye.
In the list below, I’ve ranked and detailed these day trips to help you decide which one to visit!
Map of Day Trips from Inverness
Rating the Day Trips from Inverness: Which Are Worth Doing?
I rated the first few day trips, the ones I’ve personally visited, and then I’ve added some suggestions for others I haven’t gotten to yet.
Once I do, I will update these rankings accordingly!
1. Dunrobin Castle
Rating: 10/10
Worth a day trip? Yes!
Biggest draws: Historic castle, elaborate garden
Distance from Inverness: 52 miles
Get there on own or with group tour? You can either go on your own via public transport or rental car or join a group tour that visits Dunrobin Castle.
Recommended tour: Rabbie’s Dunrobin Castle and Easter Ross Day Trip (the tour I did)
Dunrobin Castle is a gorgeous chateau in the Scottish Highlands, about an hour’s drive from Inverness. I’ve seen it in tons of pictures and knew I had to visit.
It’s even more beautiful in person.
I joined a day tour with Rabbie’s to visit Dunrobin Castle, which included several other stops, such as Dornoch, that were simply a bonus.
Read my full detailed guide on taking a day trip from Inverness to Dunrobin Castle (and Dornoch).
Bonus: Dornoch
Rating: 10/10
Worth a day trip? Yes, as part of your trip to Dunrobin Castle
Biggest draws: Last witch in Scotland executed here, old jail converted into shops
Distance from Inverness: 43 miles
Get there on own or with group tour? You can either go on your own via public transport or rental car or join a group tour that visits Dornoch.
Recommended tour: Rabbie’s Dunrobin Castle and Easter Ross Day Trip (the tour I did)
I had never heard of this village before, but it really impressed me.
Here’s why it’s worth a stop for lunch:
- Best hot chocolate. Dornoch is small, but there are a lot of cute shops and cafes, including Cocoa Mountain, home of the BEST chocolate we have ever had. You must try the rocky road chocolate bar at Cocoa Mountain.
- Jail converted into shops. Dornoch’s historic jail has interestingly been converted into a shopping plaza with old cells converted into shops.
- Last witch in Scotland. In the center of town, you’ll see a graveyard, and this is known to be the place where the last witch in Scotland was executed. Sad, yet fascinating.
If you’re visiting Dunrobin Castle, you simply MUST visit Dornoch, as well.
2. Isle of Skye (as a 2-day trip!)
Rating: 10/10
Worth a day trip? Yes!
Biggest draws: Famous isle, amazing nature
Distance from Inverness: 110 miles
Get there on own or with group tour? You can either go on your own via rental car or join a group tour that visits Isle of Skye.
Recommended tour: Timberbush Tours’ 2-day Isle of Skye, Fairy Pools & Castles Tour (the tour I did)
Okay, okay, I know these are supposed to be day trips, but Isle of Skye deserves two days from Inverness.
Most tourists visit for just one day — but I’d argue that’s not enough time.
Inverness is a great starting point for an overnight trip to the Isle of Skye.
There are several tour companies that arrange group tours to the Isle of Skye, as Inverness is only 110 miles from Portree (the main city in the Isle of Skye).
I went with Timberbush Tour’s 2-day group trip to the Isle of Skye and loved it.
See my posts about Isle of Skye for more info on planning your trip:
- My Experience on the 2-Day Isle of Skye Tour from Inverness (Honest Review)
- Is a Day Trip from Inverness to Isle of Skye Worth It?
- Best Isle of Skye Attractions: What’s Worth Seeing?
3. Eilean Donan Castle
Rating: 10/10
Worth a day trip? Yes!
Biggest draws: Beautiful castle on a loch
Distance from Inverness: 70 miles
Get there on own or with group tour? You can either go on your own via rental car or join a group tour that visits Eilean Donan Castle.
Recommended tour: Timberbush Tours’ Isle of Skye and Eilean Donan Castle Day Trip
Eilean Donan is one of the most photographed castles in the world. It’s beautiful.
This was something we really wanted to visit, and not just view from the street, so I’m very glad our tour allowed us the time to properly explore the castle.
The castle has been featured in films such as James Bond and Made of Honor.
Read more about visiting Eilean Donan Castle in my post, “Is It Worth Going Inside Eilean Donan Castle in Scotland?“
4. Whisky Distillery
Rating: 9/10
Worth a day trip? Yes
Biggest draws: Learn how whisky is made
Distance from Inverness: 50+ miles
Get there on own or with group tour? You can either go on your own via rental car or join a group tour that visits a whisky distillery or two.
Recommended tour: Rabbie’s Spirit of Speyside Whisky Tour with Entry
Whisky is a billion-pound industry in Scotland, and several distilleries are located in the Scottish Highlands.
We visited Glen Ord (or The Singleton Distillery), as part of a group tour, and though neither my mom nor I are drinkers, we found it fascinating.
You can schedule a tour at a whisky distillery on your own, or go with a tour group like we did.
There are several whisky distilleries near Inverness to check out, such as:
- Glen Ord Distillery (aka The Singleton Distillery, the one we visited)
- Cardhu Distillery
- The Cairn Distillery
- The Whisky Castle, Tomintoul
- Benromach Distillery
- Tomatin Distillery
5. Glen Affric (Ancient Caledonian Pine Forest!)
Rating: 8/10
Worth a day trip? Yes
Biggest draws:
Distance from Inverness: 32 miles
Get there on own or with group tour? You can either go on your own via rental car or join a group tour that visits Glen Affric.
Recommended tour: Rabbie’s Glen Affric, Culloden, and Clava Cairns 1-Day Tour (the tour I did)
Glen Affric is a nature reserve about an hour’s drive from Inverness.
It’s home to Caledonian pinewoods, lochs, and mountains, and is absolutely beautiful.
We were so excited about visiting Glen Affric because we had heard about Scotland’s native Caledonian pine trees from a previous tour guide as we drove past them.
To walk among them? How special.
What’s so great about Caledonian pine trees? They are a protected, ancient species of tree only found in Scotland; they almost went extinct, but are slowly coming back. (Caledonia is a Latin name that once referred to the Scotland area, way back during Roman times.)
On our group tour, we stopped at the River Affric car park and had more than an hour to walk the two trails.
- The Am Meallan Viewpoint Trail is only 1/4 mile long (out and back) but a little steep.
- The River Trail is a 1/2 mile loop that goes down to the banks of River Affric.
Both trails are beautiful and worth doing, especially since they’re so short.
Here’s the tour I did with Rabbie’s that included a visit to Glen Affric: Glen Affric, Culloden, and Clava Cairns 1-Day Tour
6. Loch Ness
Rating: 8/10
Worth a day trip? Yes, though there are prettier lochs in Scotland
Biggest draws: Loch Ness Monster
Distance from Inverness: 8 miles
Get there on own or with group tour? You can either go on your own via rental car or join a group tour that visits Loch Ness.
Recommended tour: Rabbie’s Loch Ness Small-Group Day Tour with Cruise
What visit to Inverness is complete without a stop at Loch Ness?
There are lots of places to stop around Loch Ness to take in views (that’s what we did), but there are also more legitimate viewing areas.
Village of Dores: One of the closest to Inverness is the village of Dores. There’s a lovely, small pebble beach to enjoy and watch for Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster.
Fort Augustus: Farther out, on the other side of the loch, is Fort Augustus, the main tourist section of Loch Ness, where you can find lots of shops, cafes, and a boat touring company to take a scenic cruise on Loch Ness. We did that cruise on a prior trip to Loch Ness.
7. Glenfinnan Viaduct
Rating: Unrated (haven’t been yet!)
Biggest draws: Famous bridge from Harry Potter films
Distance from Inverness: 78 miles
Get there on own or with group tour? You can either go on your own via public transport or rental car or join a group tour that visits the Glenfinnan Viaduct.
Recommended tour: Timberbush Tours’ Glenfinnan Viaduct, Mallaig, & Loch Ness Day Tour
I am itching to visit the Glenfinnan Viaduct and hope to get out there soon.
Visiting from Inverness is a much smarter idea as it’s half the distance to Glenfinnan than from Edinburgh (meaning it’s 78 miles from Inverness vs 160 miles from Edinburgh).
There’s lots to see on the way, so it will be a very full, rewarding day trip.
8. Urquhart Castle
Rating: Unrated (haven’t been yet!)
Biggest draws: Historic castle ruins
Distance from Inverness: 16 miles
Get there on own or with group tour? You can either go on your own via rental car or join a group tour that visits Urquhart Castle.
Recommended tour: Timberbush Tours’ Loch Ness and the Highlands Day Tour
Urquhart Castle is a ruined castle near Loch Ness, popular with tourists and tour companies.
The castle is over 1,000 years old, filled with history.
We didn’t make it out to these beautiful ruins but hope to one day.
You can visit Urquhart Castle and take a cruise on Loch Ness in one day trip via Timberbush Tours’ Loch Ness and the Highlands Day Tour from Inverness.
9. Cawdor Castle and Gardens
Rating: Unrated (haven’t been yet!)
Biggest draws: Historic castle
Distance from Inverness: 15 miles
Get there on own or with group tour? You can either go on your own via rental car or join a group tour that visits Cawdor Castle.
Recommended tour: Cawdor Castle and Cairngorms National Park
Cawdor Castle and Gardens is near Clava Cairns and is open to visitors late April to early October.
It’s a privately owned, 600-year-old Scottish castle that has survived through feuds and wars and a tumultuous Scottish history.
It’s about 15 miles from Inverness city centre, an easy distance, if you’d like to check it out.
I wish we could have visited, but our trip to Scotland was in early April, so Cawdor Castle wasn’t open yet.
10. Orkney (a 3-day trip!)
Rating: Unrated (haven’t been yet!)
Biggest draws: Beautiful island, stone circles, puffins
Distance from Inverness: 150 miles
Get there on own or with group tour? You can either go on your own via rental car or join a group tour that visits Orkney.
Recommended tour: Rabbie’s 3-Day Orkney Islands & Skara Brae Tour
During our stay in Inverness, we had several recommendations from locals to visit Orkney.
Orkney is a series of islands off the northern coast of Scotland, by the town of John O’ Groats. It has stone circles, Neolithic sites, beautiful coastal vistas, and even puffins.
Rabbie’s offers a three-day tour to Orkney from Inverness, which looks very promising.
It is definitely on my ever-growing Scotland bucket list!
Where to Stay in Inverness
I’d highly recommend staying somewhere on the edge of the River Ness.
It’s SO nice to be able to head out in the morning and walk along the river to wherever you’re planning to go that day.
Plus, the views at breakfast or in your room will be incredible.
Where I stayed: I stayed in two hotels while visiting Inverness. Both were along the River Ness but on opposite sides.
- AC Hotel Inverness Marriott — very new and modern, near River Ness and Leakey’s Bookshop
- Inverness Palace Hotel — more historic with a view of Inverness Castle and great breakfast
I’d recommend either!
Getting Around the Highlands
Plan to do a lot of day trips and would rather drive yourself?
Pick up a rental car in Inverness and see where the roads take you.
What to Pack to Visit Inverness
Warm, waterproof wear
If you’re visiting Inverness during its cold and rainy season (almost every month of the year besides a few weeks in summer), you should definitely bring a warm waterproof jacket and waterproof walking boots.
- This warm waterproof jacket and these waterproof boots I took with me to Scotland helped me explore no matter the weather. I even hiked to the Fairy Pools in near-hurricane-level winds in this jacket! Be prepared for rainy weather, and dress for it, so you don’t miss out.
- Also consider bringing fleece-lined leggings — I loved this pair I packed!
Favorite travel essentials
- I really recommend these compression packing cubes. They’re very thick and durable and allow you to pack more than you expect.
- I also love this travel backpack that opens like a suitcase, fits almost as much as a carry-on, and has tons of pockets as well as a strap to attach to your luggage handle. It makes traveling so much easier and more organized. It also fits nicely under the airplane seats.
- I bring this AirFly receiver for AirPods with me on long-haul flights, so I can connect to the plane’s video screen with my own AirPods.
- I no longer hop on a flight without wearing my Sockwell compression socks because they really do help relieve/prevent leg cramps from sitting so long in one place. I have the lotus pattern, but there are other patterns to choose from, such as this cat pattern or this flower pattern. See all sock patterns in the Sockwell storefront.
Other Posts to Help You Plan Your Trip to Scotland
Inverness
- 2 Day Itinerary in Inverness Scotland + Map!
- Day Trip from Inverness to Dunrobin Castle (and Dornoch)
- 20 Best Things to Do in Inverness, Scotland
Scotland Overall
- Best Outlander Tour in Scotland: Which Sites Are Worth Seeing?
- 15 Best Castles in Scotland + Map (I’ve Been to 20+)
Isle of Skye
- Best Isle of Skye Attractions: What’s Worth Seeing?
- My Experience on the 2-Day Isle of Skye Tour from Inverness (Honest Review)
- Is a Day Trip from Inverness to Isle of Skye Worth It?
- Guide to Visiting Dunvegan Castle on Isle of Skye
- Is It Worth Going Inside Eilean Donan Castle in Scotland?
Edinburgh