Private Scotland Day Tours from Glasgow & Edinburgh
Scotland packs an extraordinary amount into a small country: ancient castles, dramatic glens, lochs that look almost too perfect to be real, and towns steeped in centuries of stories. A private day tour is one of the easiest ways to experience it all, without the stress of planning routes, watching the clock, or wondering whether that single-track road is actually a road, or just a dare.
Your own guide collects you from your hotel, Airbnb or any convenient address in or around Glasgow or Edinburgh, and the day is shaped entirely around you. Every private day tour is a fixed £695 for up to 8 guests, guided personally by Lesley or James Kennedy. Start by choosing your base below, or browse by what you’d most love to see.
Choose Your Starting Point
Every private day tour begins from either Glasgow or Edinburgh. Each city opens up a different side of Scotland, so choose the one closest to where you’re staying, or the one that leads to the places you most want to see.
Private Day Tours from Glasgow
Glencoe, Loch Lomond, Inveraray, the Ayrshire coast and whisky. Discover the west of Scotland from Glasgow.
Private Day Tours from Edinburgh
St Andrews, Fife, Scone Palace and Outlander country. Discover the east of Scotland from Edinburgh.
Find Your Perfect Day by Interest
Castles and Scottish History
From the royal palace at Stirling Castle to the battlefield of Bannockburn, where Robert the Bruce secured Scotland’s independence, our history tours bring the country’s past to life. Choose Stirling Castle and Bannockburn for the Wars of Independence, Culzean Castle and Burns Country for clifftop grandeur and poetry, Scone Palace for the crowning place of Scotland’s kings, or New Lanark and Bothwell Castle for a journey from medieval ruins to the industrial revolution.
Highlands, Lochs and Scenery
If you’ve come for the landscapes, our Glencoe and the Highlands tour takes you into one of Scotland’s most dramatic glens, while Inveraray Castle and Loch Lomond follows the shores of Scotland’s most famous loch to Loch Fyne. Stirling Castle and the Trossachs combines history with the lochs and glens of the national park.
Outlander Filming Locations
Our Outlander Day Tour visits four real filming locations close together: Hopetoun House; Midhope Castle, the real Lallybroch, where from the 2026 season you can step inside the ground floor; Blackness Castle, the series’ Fort William; and Linlithgow Palace, which served as Wentworth Prison.
Whisky
Our Glasgow Whisky Distillery Tour is led by James, a Scottish Whisky Ambassador, and every private day tour includes a dram or two along the way. For longer whisky journeys, see our private whisky tours.
Coast and Wildlife
St Andrews and the Fife Coast pairs the home of golf with the colourful fishing villages of the East Neuk. During puffin season in late spring and summer, our Isle of May Puffin Tour takes you to Anstruther to sail to one of Scotland’s best seabird colonies.
Modern Scotland
The Falkirk Wheel, the world’s only rotating boat lift, and the Kelpies, two 30-metre steel horse heads, make a striking day out and a favourite with families.
Why Choose a Private Day Tour?
Group coach tours run to a fixed timetable, with set stops and a guide holding a flag. A private day tour is the opposite. There’s no one else to wait for, no rigid itinerary and no “back on the bus in 20 minutes”. If a castle captures your imagination, you stay longer. If you spot a Highland cow from the window, we stop.
It’s also the most relaxed way to see Scotland. You don’t need to hire a car, navigate unfamiliar roads or drive on the left. Lesley brings 17 years of police service and a passion for Scottish history and wildlife, and James is a Scottish Whisky Ambassador with a background in hospitality. Between them, they know the stories, the shortcuts and the best photo stops. Our ethos is simple: come as a guest, leave as a friend.
What’s Included
Every private day tour includes:
- Your own private vehicle and driver-guide for the day
- Pick-up and drop-off from your hotel, Airbnb or chosen address
- All fuel
- Bottled water and light snacks
- A dram or two of whisky along the way (for guests aged 18 and over)
Attraction entry fees and lunch aren’t included, so you’re free to choose where to visit and where to eat. If it’s easier, we can arrange attraction tickets in advance and add them to your final price.
How Your Day Works
Once you’ve chosen a tour, or told us what you’d like to see, we’ll confirm your pick-up time and address. On the day, your guide collects you and the tour runs for approximately 7.5 to 8 hours, with stops for photos, coffee and lunch built in. You set the pace throughout, and we’ll drop you back wherever suits you.
Private Day Tour Price
Every private day tour is a fixed £695 for your group of up to 8 guests. There’s no per-person pricing, so a family or group of friends shares one simple price. See our price guide for full details.
What Our Guests Say
From Stirling Castle to Outlander’s Scotland, here’s what guests have said about their private day tours with Lesley and James.
“PERFECT day!”
“Lesley took us to the Kelpies, Falkirk Wheel, the Wallace Monument, and Stirling Castle. She planned the whole day, purchased our tickets in advance, picked us up and dropped us off at our hotel, walked us to the front of the line at every place we went, gave us helpful information, and let us explore on our own... PERFECT day!”
“Wonderful with my 3 children”
“James was an amazing guide, very knowledgeable and wonderful with my 3 children. He made our trip extremely memorable by offering local knowledge and ensuring our days were quite full but also flexible enough to pivot when needed, especially with the kids.”
“She was able to customize our tour”
“She was able to customize our tour, so we could see what we wanted to see. Her vehicle was comfortable and spacious. She was on time for our pickup and we never felt rushed during our tour... I would highly recommend them if you are looking for a private tour of Scotland.”
Private Day Tour FAQs
Should we start from Glasgow or Edinburgh?
It depends on what you’d like to see. Glasgow is best for Glencoe, Loch Lomond, Inveraray and the Ayrshire coast, while Edinburgh is best for St Andrews, Fife and Perthshire. Stirling, the Falkirk Wheel and Outlander locations work well from either city.
Where do you pick us up?
We collect you from your hotel, Airbnb or any convenient address in or around Glasgow or Edinburgh, and drop you back at the end of the day.
How long does a private day tour last?
Most private day tours run for approximately 7.5 to 8 hours.
What’s included in the price?
Your private vehicle and driver-guide, pick-up and drop-off, fuel, bottled water, light snacks and a dram or two of whisky for guests aged 18 and over.
Are entrance fees and lunch included?
No, attraction entry fees and lunch aren’t included. If you’d prefer, we can arrange attraction tickets in advance and add them to your final price.
How many guests can join?
Up to 8 guests. The price is a fixed £695 whether you’re a couple or a group of eight.
Can we create our own itinerary?
Yes. Every tour can be adapted, and we’re happy to design a completely bespoke day around the places you’d most like to see.
Do you offer Edinburgh city tours?
Our private day tours from Edinburgh head out of the city to explore the wider country, to places such as St Andrews, Stirling, Scone Palace and Outlander filming locations.
How do we book?
Get in touch with your preferred date, number of guests and where you’re staying, and we’ll help you plan your day. Our terms and conditions and cancellation policy explain the rest.
More Ways to Explore Scotland
Have more than a day? Our private multi-day tours take you to the Isle of Skye, Islay, Speyside, Orkney and beyond.
Arriving by cruise ship? Our private shore excursions are planned around your ship’s schedule, from Greenock and all four Edinburgh cruise ports.
Plan Your Private Day Tour of Scotland
Whether you’re drawn to castles and Scottish history, whisky, Outlander filming locations or the best of the Highlands, our private day tours from Glasgow and Edinburgh are built entirely around you. No fixed groups, no rigid timings, just a private guide, a well-paced day and Scotland shaped to suit your interests. Get in touch and we’ll plan your perfect day.
