Category Cruises & Boat Tours

Scotland · CRUISES & BOAT TOURS

13 Cruises & Boat Tours in Scotland to Book First

13 reviewed

Loch Ness & Highlands Small-Group Tour from Edinburgh with Cruise

Loch Ness & Highlands Small-Group Tour from Edinburgh with Cruise - Glencoe: Why This Famous Valley Hits Even If You Don’t Know the Story

1.Loch Ness & Highlands Small-Group Tour from Edinburgh with Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 6,022 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $84Our pick

Small-group Loch Ness and Highlands day trip from Edinburgh, with Glencoe stops and a Loch Ness cruise, capped at 16.

“Hope you get Jim Divine! He’s so friendly and knowledgeable. Encouraged everyone to ask questions and had a great sense of humor. The 12 hour excursion was broken up appropriately with plenty of bathroom and food breaks along the way. Would absolutely recommend to anyone”

Check availability →Read our full review

Loch Ness Cruise, Outlander & Urquhart Castle Tour from Inverness

Loch Ness Cruise, Outlander & Urquhart Castle Tour from Inverness - Beauly Priory, Outlander Filming, and Lunch Time That Lets You Breathe

Loch Ness & the Highlands Day Tour from Glasgow Including Cruise

Loch Ness & the Highlands Day Tour from Glasgow Including Cruise - Timing and pacing, the real make-or-break factor

3.Loch Ness & the Highlands Day Tour from Glasgow Including Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,211 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $83

Small-group Glasgow day trip with Glencoe and Loch Ness cruise, plus Cairngorms scenery, Fort William history, and plenty of photo stops.

“Our tour to Loch Ness was thoroughly enjoyable, with a journey that offered breathtaking scenery throughout. Our guide was attentive and ensured we paused at all the picturesque spots for photo opportunities and convenient pit stops, which were much appreciated. The only drawback was the length of the journey, which limited the time available at each stop. As multiple tour buses tended to arrive simultaneously at popular locations, this occasionally led to congestion. As a result, purchasing food became challenging, and at times, we had to forgo it altogether.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Loch Ness and Caledonian Canal 2-Hour Cruise from Dochgarroch

Loch Ness and Caledonian Canal 2-Hour Cruise from Dochgarroch - Where the cruise starts at Dochgarroch Lock

Loch Ness 1-Hour Cruise with Urquhart Castle Views

Loch Ness 1-Hour Cruise with Urquhart Castle Views - The sonar Nessie hunt: myth with a buttoned-up approach

Loch Ness Cruise and Urquhart Castle visit from Inverness

Loch Ness Cruise and Urquhart Castle visit from Inverness - Getting there from Inverness Bus Station without the hassle

6.Loch Ness Cruise and Urquhart Castle visit from Inverness

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 572 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $78

Inverness day trip: cruise Loch Ness from Dochgarroch Lock, explore Urquhart Castle ruins, and visit Loch Ness Centre with guide.

“We arrived 2 mins late due to parking and the bus left without us. Beware you must be early to this event. We ended up driving our rental car to the boat and was able to join part of the tour which was great, but in general stressful.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Stirling Castle, Loch Lomond and Cruise Day Tour from Glasgow

Stirling Castle, Loch Lomond and Cruise Day Tour from Glasgow - The drive through the Trossachs, stories you can hear

7.Stirling Castle, Loch Lomond and Cruise Day Tour from Glasgow

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 566 reviews · 9 hours (approx.) · from $98

Small-group day trip from Glasgow to Stirling Castle and Loch Lomond, with a 1-hour cruise, expert stories, and efficient stops.

“Honest Nick was a great guide for our day trip to Stirling Castle and Loch Lomond cruise. A guided castle tour is not to be missed— Steven was a thoroughly entertaining and informative guide. Could easily spend 3-4 hours on site. Lunch stop in Callander was especially enjoyable. Short drive to a relaxing cruise with sensational scenery. Fabulous day all around!”

Check availability →Read our full review

Edinburgh Three Bridges Cruise

Edinburgh Three Bridges Cruise - The 90-Minute Cruise Route: Panoramas and Close-Up Bridge Watching

8.Edinburgh Three Bridges Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 442 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $27

Edinburgh Three Bridges Cruise: 90 min to see UNESCO Forth Bridge up close, wildlife like seals and puffins, plus optional Inchcolm Abbey.

“Once off the train from Edinburgh, we had difficulty finding Hawes Pier. Got lost and turned around a few times. The locals were very helpful but it is difficult to give directions to total strangers.We walked down some very treacherous, rotting, slippery wooden steps.Better signage would help. The staff on board the vessel were very informative. Loved seeing Incholm Island- wish we had gotten off to explore but it was a little rainy. A tour well worth doing if visiting Edinburgh.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Fort William Seal Island Cruise

Fort William Seal Island Cruise - The big sights, in order: Ben Nevis, the Caledonian Canal, Fort William from the water

9.Fort William Seal Island Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 422 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $52

2-hour Fort William Seal Island cruise on Loch Linnhe with Ben Nevis views, Caledonian Canal history, and close seal spotting in English.

“Great trip! The skipper was very informative and stopped the boat to explain what we were looking at several times. The last stop was seal island and she explained it was not the best time to see the seals as they were trying to find food after the winter. We did managed to see one though which finished off a lovely trip.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Stunning 90-Minute Firth of Forth Sightseeing Cruise Adventure

Stunning 90-Minute Firth of Forth Sightseeing Cruise Adventure - What a 90-Minute Sail Feels Like on the Maid of the Forth

10.Stunning 90-Minute Firth of Forth Sightseeing Cruise Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 237 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $24Best value

Enjoy a 90-minute Firth of Forth cruise from Queensferry, with close Forth Bridge views, Inchcolm Abbey, and wildlife spotting.

“It was amazing to get such great and close views of the three bridges over the Forth, and to hear how each one was a record-breaker on completion. Pleasant cruise along the river and over to Inch Colm Island (I chose not to get off, but the Abbey there looks awesome!), and we saw some SEALS on the way.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Boat Seafari Adventure

Boat Seafari Adventure - Meeting at Lifeboat Sculpture 95A in Broughty Ferry

11.Boat Seafari Adventure

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 192 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $52

Speedboat from Broughty Ferry in Dundee's Tay estuary with live commentary, dolphin and seal spotting, small groups, mobile tickets.

“Once we established the correct place to be the boat arrived on time, lifejacket supplied and safety brief then off we went. So many dolphins swimming with us. Sensational. Would do it all again.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Loch Ness Cruise, Scenic Walk, Whisky & Glencoe Tour – Edinburgh

Loch Ness Cruise, Scenic Walk, Whisky & Glencoe Tour - Edinburgh - Why this Highlands day trip is worth your one free morning

12.Loch Ness Cruise, Scenic Walk, Whisky & Glencoe Tour – Edinburgh

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 161 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $90

12-hour small-group Highlands day from Edinburgh with Loch Ness, Glencoe, waterfalls, whisky stop, and optional Loch Ness cruise.

“Richie as our Scotland's Wild tour guide was the most fantastic experience ever. My husband and I did the 1-day Loch Ness/Hermitage/Glen Coe tour. What a kind man and amazing human. Please promote him, pay him more, give him whatever whiskys he wants, as he deserves the world. Also, the small van is a more more enjoyable experience than the large 40+ buses from another tour company we did, so that is a major sustain. Please book Scotland's Wild - this was everything we could ask for in a tour.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Glenaladale Cruise – Great for wizard spotting!

Glenaladale Cruise - Great for wizard spotting! - Stop 2: Glenfinnan Monument, Commemorated From the Water

13.Glenaladale Cruise – Great for wizard spotting!

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 70 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $41

Cruise Loch Shiel for big Highlands views, Glenfinnan sights, and Hogwarts Express wizard spotting, plus wildlife tips from a friendly crew.

“Best tour ever! We were so sad we couldn’t get tickets to the Jacobite train and did this tour just to see the train pass by! We saw it pass by and it was amazing. It was at a distance but still close enough to enjoy the view. As we passed by we saw huge crowds by the viaduct standing there trying to take pictures, at that moment I was thankful only 8 of us were on board enjoying a much better view. I guess to each its own. What really blew me away is that we cruised for about an hour into the water and we saw Harry Potter…”

Check availability →Read our full review