Tour tips for Cruise Ships docking at Invergordon

This blog give you tips about the tours offered from cruise ships at Invergordon, independent shore excursions and ways to ‘do it yourself’.

If you are lucky enough to be arriving at Invergordon this year from one of the many cruise ships that are docking here, you’ll probably be looking for ideas of what to do. Hopefully this blog will help you make an informed decision about how best to use your time!

Many passengers arriving at Invergordon decide to take one of the organised shore excursions. These have the benefit of showing all the top sights and they usually have knowledgeable guides on board to describe what you are seeing. The disadvantage of these tours is that you could be sharing with another 50 people so you don’t get a personalised service.

There are also a number of independent tour companies offering tours from Invergordon, such as WOW Scotland.  The benefit of using an independent company is that you will get a much higher level of personalisation and you will  have a lot more interaction with the guide. Here at WOW Scotland no two tours are the same, as we always make sure we tailor the tour to suit the exact needs of our clients, and even have the flexibility to change the itinerary mid-tour. We offer a variety of tours although most people opt for our Classic tour – this gives you a great mix of sights and scenery including Urquhart Castle and Loch Ness.

Depending on what cruise ship you are on, you may pay a small premium to go with an independent tour company, although you may well find it works out cheaper compared to some of the cruise ships own shore excursions. If you are looking for ways to cut down on costs, you could always look for other people to share you tour using sites like Cruise Critic. WOW Scotland also has its own tour share page where you can find fellow passengers.

Some of the cruise ships warn passengers to stay away from independent operators – citing the fact that if you don’t get back in time they won’t let you on the ship. This has never been a problem. Our tours never go further than an hour away from the port (it’s why we don’t offer trips to Skye and the NW Highlands from cruise ships)and as we always get back in plenty of time there is always a back-up in case a problem arises. In rare cases an accident may block the road, although this affects all tours, not just ours, and the boat won’t go if most of its passengers aren’t back!

Of course, for those that are looking to do it themselves, there is always the possibility of getting into Inverness by train or bus, which is a cheaper alternative. Some people choose to stay in Invergordon, and although it has a pretty centre, this won’t occupy more than 20 minutes of your time!

Inverness is a beautiful city although it is very small so you perhaps wouldn’t want to spend more than half a day there. From Inverness it is possible to use public transport to visit Culloden Battlefield although it is a little bit more difficult to get out to Loch Ness (you may consider using a taxi for this part of the trip).

If you are looking for something a bit more adventurous, you may consider renting a bike from Inverness and cycling out to Loch Ness (our tip – head to Dores). This is about a 18 mile return journey although requires good fitness as the road has many hills. However, the view at Dores is really worth the effort!

If you are interested in a DIY day out why not contact us for a self-guided tour itinerary? You let us know what you want to do and we work it out for you!

However, to get the ultimate Highland experience I really recommend booking a WOW Scotland tour – don’t just take our word for it – check out our TripAdvisor reviews as well!

Whatever way you decide to explore the Highlands – I’m sure you’ll have a great time as the Highlands are a fantastic place – enjoy!