Classic Cruise – Scotland

A seven-day journey through the Caledonian Canal, Loch Ness and the Scottish Highlands

Length

7 Days

Ship category

Premium

Ship type

Small Ships

Capacity

8 Passengers

Classic Cruise – Scotland

Your ship: Scottish Highlander

+9

What we particularly appreciate about Scottish Highlander is the balance it strikes between intimacy and space. At 36 m( 117 feet long), she offers a genuinely comfortable setting for just eight guests, with three twin/double staterooms and one larger junior suite, all centrally heated and en suite. The atmosphere feels more like a well-run country house than a cruise ship, with tartan accents, wood panelling and a relaxed, sociable saloon.

This is a journey best suited to travellers who want Scotland at a gentler pace: dramatic scenery, lochs, canal locks, castle visits and time to simply wa … Read more about Scottish Highlander

Cabins

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Macpherson Stateroom

Type:

Double/Matrimionial (convertible)

Max. occupancy:

2

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Cameron Suite

Type:

Double/Matrimionial (convertible)

Max. occupancy:

2

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Fraser Stateroom

Type:

Double/Matrimionial (convertible)

Max. occupancy:

2

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Mackintosh Stateroom

Type:

Double/Matrimionial (convertible)

Max. occupancy:

2

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Amenities

transfer

Transfers to and from ship

bar

Bar

bathroom (private)

Private Bathroom

binoculars

Observation Deck

heating

Heater

Visiting

meal

All meals

dinner with wine

Beer+wine with dinner

drinks

Water, Coffee, Tea & fresh juices

library

Library

EN guide

English guides

wifi

Internet/Wifi

Food & Drinks

Dining is one of the pleasures of the voyage. Meals are freshly prepared by the chef, with traditional Scottish and international cuisine featured on the menu. Breakfast may be a full Scottish cooked breakfast or a continental buffet, while lunch is typically a relaxed bistro-style meal with salads or soups, local specialities and wine. Dietary needs can usually be accommodated if advised in advance.

Map

Itinerary

Info

Single Cabin Supplement

When booking online, you can choose the option to "Upgrade to single occupancy". This will guarantee you the whole cabin to yourself, for an additional fee. If you don't select this option, then another traveler of the same sex might be placed into the same cabin with you. Exceptions may apply.

What's included

Comfortable accommodation in air-conditioned, ensuite staterooms or suites

Gourmet meals prepared by the on-board chef, complemented with fine wines

An open bar consisting of premium spirits, fine wines, and non-alcoholic beverages

Private and often exclusive daily excursions to handpicked hidden gems

Comfortable private air-conditioned transfers throughout your cruise

Complimentary bicycle use, and on most barges a spa pool on the sun deck

Personalised, but unobtrusive, service from an experienced crew – Captain, Chef, Tour Guide, and Hosts

What's not included

Service charge is not included in the cruise fare. Tipping is entirely discretionary but is greatly appreciated by the crew if you would like to acknowledge recognition for the standard of service provided. As a guideline, the recommended industry standard is between 5 and 10% of the cruise fare if you are fully satisfied with the service you have received. If you have any questions on the above, please speak to the Captain.

Worth Knowing

You are welcome to walk or cycle using the on board bicycles as often as you wish.

Tap water in Scotland and on-board Scottish Highlander is potable, but we advise guests to use the bottled water provided in each suite.

Strict non-smoking policy for safety reasons and for the comfort of your fellow passengers.

We recommend you bring sufficient clean clothing for your cruise as there are no laundry facilities on board.

There is an outside deck area at the Bow of the barge with a large table and seating for 8 guests.

The approximate transfer duration is 15 minutes or 2 hours depending on the cruise route.

FAQs

What is the carbon footprint of this trip and how does Rivertours address it?

Long-haul flights and the on-the-ground program generate 0.1 t CO₂e on this trip. Rivertours regularly measures and monitors the carbon footprint of its journeys and actively reduces emissions through sustainable travel design: no unnecessary flights, fewer feeder flights, integration of rail and public transport, and promoting longer stays for a more balanced relationship between travel distance and impact.

From 2018 to 2024, we supported carbon reduction projects equivalent to the emissions generated. Recognizing the limits of traditional offsetting, we now focus on active environmental protection through our own rainforest project, Forest Guardians.

More information on our climate and environmental responsibility: https://www.venturatravel.org/impact

Classic Cruise – Scotland
Premium
New

Price

Upon Request

Ireland
Trip highlights

Dalwhinnie Distillery

Cawdor Castle and gardens

Loch Ness

Culloden Moor

The Rivertours experience

Best Price Guarantee: Find a better price elsewhere, and we’ll match it.

River Cruise Specialists: We focus exclusively on river expeditions, with recommendations grounded in first-hand expertise.

Travel that gives back: Every booking directly supports rainforest conservation project.

This seven-day voyage is a classic mix of culture, scenery and gentle adventure. It is ideal for travellers who want to experience the Scottish Highlands without rushing, with most days combining relaxed cruising, guided visits and time on board to enjoy the landscape. Expect castle visits, distillery tastings, ancient sites and long stretches of lochs and canal cruising.

Physically, the itinerary is approachable for most guests, though some excursions include walking on uneven ground and boarding steps. A few moments are weather-dependent, and one day’s cruise can also be walked in part. Non-active travellers will still find the journey rewarding thanks to the scenery, history, and the comfort of life on board. Active guests, meanwhile, will appreciate the walking opportunities and outdoor nature of the route.

What makes this itinerary stand out is the way it captures the essence of the Highlands: dramatic waterway scenery, famous landmarks, whisky culture and a strong sense of place. It is not a strenuous expedition, but rather a refined and deeply atmospheric way to explore one of Europe’s most distinctive regions.

The cruise operates in the warmer months, which is the best season for Highland travel. Late spring through early autumn typically offers the most comfortable conditions, with longer daylight hours and generally better cruising weather. Even then, the Scottish climate can be changeable, so layering is important.

Keep in mind this is an expedition cruise, so your itinerary will depend greatly on the weather, amount of ice and wildlife breeding behavior.

Day 1 - Muirtown
Muirtown

Guests are met at Kingsmills Hotel in Inverness and transferred by private chauffeured minibus to Scottish Highlander.

Champagne Welcome and if you wish, an early evening stroll to the sea lock with wonderful views over the Moray and Beauly Firths.

Then perhaps savour one of the hotel barge’s many single malts before your first dinner on board.

Day 2 - Cawdor Castle
Cawdor Castle

Our first cruise will take us up the Muirtown lock flight and through the Tomnahurich swing bridge, with an option to walk alongside River Ness to the hamlet of Dochgarroch.

After lunch on board, we enjoy a visit to Cawdor Castle, forever immortalised in Shakespeare’s “Scottish Play”, Macbeth. The picturesque gardens have been listed amongst the top 100 in the UK. The castle contains a superb collection of tapestries, pictures and furnishings and the Dowager Countess of Cawdor still lives there for part of the year.

Dinner on board.

Day 3 - Culloden Moor
Culloden Moor

This morning we enjoy a visit to Culloden Moor, scene of the last major battle on British soil in 1746 where English Government troops faced the Highlanders of “Bonnie Prince Charlie”.

If time allows, then we take a tour of Clava Cairns, a pre-historic clan chieftain burial site dating back to 2,000 B.C and setting for the Outlander TV series.

After lunch onboard, we cruise through Loch Dochfour and across Loch Ness, where en-route we pass Urquhart Castle, navigating closely beneath its spectacular 13th century ruins, before continuing our cruise to Fort Augustus.

This evening we dine ashore at a local restaurant.

Day 4 - Loch Ness
Loch Ness

After breakfast, we visit the private Highland Club, a spectacular exclusive set of residences and a former 19th century Benedictine Monastery. Here we are treated to a falconry and birds of prey demonstration on the banks of Loch Ness, and the majesty of the swooping birds against the backdrop of the sweeping Scottish Highlands is not easily forgotten.

There is time to explore the pretty village of Fort Augustus before lunch on board, after which our cruise takes us up the “flight”, as the locals call it, at Fort Augustus and then on to our pretty mooring at Cullochy.

Dinner on board.

Day 5 - Eilean Donan
Eilean Donan

This morning’s cruise can be partially walked as we cross the very scenic Loch Oich, perhaps stopping en route for a spot of fishing, and onto the pretty Laggan Avenue. As we approach Laggan, our Highland Piper may greet us with a stirring rendition of traditional Scottish music.

After lunch on board we take in some of the finest scenery Scotland has to offer as we drive to one of its best known and most photographed castles, Eilean Donan, which has featured in movies such as “Highlander” and James Bond’s “The World Is Not Enough” and overlooks three sea lochs.

Dinner on board.

Day 6 - Loch Eil
Loch Eil

Today, our final cruise will see us pass through Moy Bridge, the last fully hand-operated bridge on the canal, before mooring at Banavie beneath Ben Nevis and a stroll from Neptune’s Staircase leading down to Loch Eil.

After lunch on board, our tour today takes us to the Dalwhinnie Distillery for a tour and private tasting of several single malts.

Captain’s Farewell Dinner and of course, the opportunity to enjoy another wee dram or two.

Day 7 - Banavie
Banavie

After breakfast, guests are transferred by private chauffeured minibus to their choice of location in Inverness.