How a day tour works
You tell us where you're staying, what you'd like to see and how long a day you want. We send back a route with rough timings and a fixed quote. On the day, your driver meets you at the hotel door, waits with the car at every stop and watches the clock, so you aren't racing the light on the drive back.
Most of our day tours run between eight and ten hours. Much longer than that and you spend more of the day sitting in the car than standing somewhere worth seeing. For places like Skye or the far north we'll usually suggest an overnight stay instead of one very long return trip.
Nothing is fixed until you say so. If the morning's stop is better than expected, stay longer and drop something later in the day. Your driver will tell you honestly what that does to the timings.
Day tours from Edinburgh
St Andrews and the East Neuk of Fife
About an hour and a half north over the Queensferry Crossing. In St Andrews there's the cathedral ruins and St Rule's Tower, which you can climb for the view over the town, the West Sands beach and the Swilcan Bridge on the Old Course. The Old Course is closed to golf on Sundays and opens as a public park, so a Sunday visit means you can walk the fairways.
The way back runs down the coast through the fishing villages of the East Neuk: Crail, with its tiny harbour, then Anstruther, Pittenweem and Elie. Anstruther has the Scottish Fisheries Museum and the fish and chip shop most people stop at.
Glencoe, Loch Lomond and the Highlands
The long day. From Edinburgh it's roughly three hours to Glencoe, past Stirling, up through Callander and Crianlarich, then across Rannoch Moor on the A82. The road drops into the glen past Buachaille Etive Mòr, the mountain on postcards of Glencoe. The National Trust for Scotland visitor centre tells the story of the 1692 massacre.
The return can come down the west side of Loch Lomond, through Luss, which makes it a loop instead of the same road twice. On a clear day it's one of the best drives in Britain. On a wet one the tops disappear into cloud, so we'll check the forecast with you the evening before and swap days if it makes sense.
The Scottish Borders and Rosslyn Chapel
A good choice for anyone who has already done the Highlands, or wants less time in the car. Rosslyn Chapel is half an hour from the city centre. From there it's about an hour south to the Border abbeys at Melrose, Dryburgh and Jedburgh, and Abbotsford, the house Sir Walter Scott built on the Tweed.
Stirling and the Trossachs
Stirling Castle and the Wallace Monument are under an hour from Edinburgh. Carry on through Callander and over the Duke's Pass to Loch Katrine and Aberfoyle, and you're back in the city by late afternoon.
Day tours from Dublin
Glendalough and the Wicklow Mountains
About an hour south. We usually go out over the mountains by the Sally Gap, stopping above Lough Tay, the dark lake in the bowl of the hills, and come back by the faster road. Glendalough itself is a sixth-century monastic site with a round tower and two lakes. The walk from the visitor centre to the Upper Lake takes about half an hour. Powerscourt House and its waterfall, near Enniskerry, can be added on the way back.
Newgrange and the Boyne Valley
Under an hour north of Dublin. Newgrange is older than Stonehenge and the pyramids at Giza, and you can only get in on a guided tour from the Brú na Bóinne visitor centre, which runs a shuttle bus to the tomb. Tour places are limited and go early in summer, so we plan the day around your entry time. The Hill of Tara, Trim Castle and the high crosses at Monasterboice are all close enough to fill the rest of the day.
Day tours from Belfast
The Causeway Coast
The Giant's Causeway is a little over an hour from Belfast on the motorway, or around two and a half hours on the coast road through the Glens of Antrim, which is the better drive if you have the time. Most days take in Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, which needs a timed ticket, Dunluce Castle on its cliff edge and the Old Bushmills distillery.
The Dark Hedges, the beech avenue from Game of Thrones, has been closed to traffic since 2017. Your driver will drop you at one end and collect you at the other.
When to go
Daylight decides a lot. In June, Edinburgh gets about 17 hours of it. In December, you get barely seven, so winter tours start earlier and stay closer to the city. Late spring and early autumn are the sweet spot: long enough days, fewer coaches at the big sites. In the Highlands from June to September, bring insect repellent for the midges if you plan to walk near water.
The car
Day tours run in a Mercedes-Benz E-Class or S-Class for up to three passengers, or a V-Class for families and bigger groups. Tell us how many of you there are and how much you'll carry, and we'll match the car to the group. Bottled water and phone chargers are in the car.
What's included
Your quote covers the car, the driver, fuel and any parking for the route we agree. Entry tickets and meals are paid by you on the day. If you decide to stay out longer than planned, we'll confirm any difference before you carry on.
Going further
If one day isn't enough, you can cross between the two countries with a driver guide between Ireland and Scotland, or put it all together as a multi-day tour of Ireland, Scotland and England. Golfers should look at our golf tours page.
