Day trip from Edinburgh to Loch Ness, Inverness and Glencoe

Hi, Bill,

I haven't done that particular trip, but I've been in Inverness in January. January 1st. and 2nd., 2000, to be exact. Yes, I was in Inverness for the Millennium! Both days, it was cold but sunny.

The best I can say is to dress in layers. It could rain; it could snow; or it could be clear and cold. As it's a day trip, you're not going to have a lot of daylight, since it'll only be about a month after the solstice.. You'll most likely leave Edinburgh in darkness, and return in darkness. Will your route be Inverness, Loch Ness, Glencoe, or Glencoe, Loch Ness, Inverness? Either way, you'll see a lot of magnificent scenery, which should be enhanced by snow on the tops.

A lot will depend on the weather, but you should have a wonderful time!

Best wishes,

Mike (Auchterless)

not the best time of year for doing that journey, going to be dark for a good part of the journey.
weather can vary drastically from freezing frost and sunshine to snow or pouring rain and possibly all of them

It seems like a lot of driving for one day. I would expect you'll be inside the tour vehicle most of the time -- which may not be a bad thing, considering the likelihood of cold and inclement weather.

Is the tour itinerary in the order you listed (Edinburgh to Loch Ness, Inverness and Glencoe)? If so, it looks like you'll be backtracking a bit because Inverness is northeast of Loch Ness while Glencoe is quite some distance to the southwest of it. I'm guessing the route includes the high mountain passes on the A82 after leaving Glencoe, headed via Tyndrum and through the Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park. Wondering if it will still be daylight when you go through that section.

If this trip returns to Edinburgh the same day, it’s about 10 hours driving, so you won’t have much time to get off the coach.

Hi again, Bill,

Depending on when in January you travel, you'll have about 7 1/2 hours of useful daylight. Does the tour company offer an alternate day if the weather is not conducive to sightseeing, or do they offer a money back guarantee if you cannot travel at all due to weather related conditions?

Also (This is something that would be of great importance to me. :)), as you'll be spending most of your day in the vehicle, does it have an on-board toilet?

Best wishes,

Mike (Auchterless)