£2 Bus Adventures from Lochside Hostel - Feeding Hairy Coos in Drumnadrochit and Urquhart Castle

There are a few things that immediately come to mind when you hear 'Scotland' - Loch Ness, big fluffy cows, castles, and bagpipes. Well, I can't promise the latter, but if you book a stay at Lochside Hostel in Loch Ness, I can guarantee you a big Loch, a hairy coo, and (what's left) of a big castle. The best part? The trip to and from the hostel will cost you just £2 each way. Find my trip report from my journey with my friends Alice and Anne below.

Haven't heard about Lochside Hostel? Where have you been? It's a welcoming, social, cosy hostel directly on the shores of Loch Ness, with a private beach, daily events, and dorm beds starting from just £21 this summer. Book your stay through Scotland's Top Hostels for the best price and flexibility:

Trip Report - Hairy Coos & Castles in Drumnadrochit

Travelling to Drumnadrochit for Just £2 (and then trying to pronounce it...)

Getting going was easy enough in the morning - you can get continental breakfast at Lochside Hostel for just £4, including enough filter coffee to trick me into believing I was actually a 'morning person'. Once we'd stocked up, we headed right outside the hostel door, crossed the street, and found ourselves at the bus stop.

You can take either Citylink or Ember buses directly from the hostel to a bunch of different destinations, including the Isle of Skye, Fort William (for Ben Nevis, Glencoe, and more), Inverness and more. Our destination today was the sleepy village of Drumnadrochit - but don't worry about trying to pronounce that to the bus driver, the locals all just call it 'Drum'!

Ember buses have to be booked in advance, so we paid our £2 online on the website, and the bus pulled up expecting us. It only takes around 15-20 minutes to get along the road to the bus stop at Drum, just outside the Post Office in the middle of the village.

Pro Tip - sit on the right hand side of the bus when travelling to Drum for the best views over Loch Ness!

Meeting Hairy Coos at Drumbuie Farm - just £5!

We decided to start our afternoon with a short wander out of town for a Hairy Coo Meet and Greet at Drumbuie Farm. The farm is a popular tourist attraction with its own parking, but if you're on the bus, you just wander about 10 minutes along the marked Great Glen Way path to get there.

There's a cafe on site, but we weren't here to feed ourselves today, we were here to feed Coos! You just pay £5 with cash or card at the door, and then you're given a small bucket of carrots and bread to feed the coos. We headed through the cafe, and were met with stunning views right over Loch Ness.

Just behind the house and the other side of the fence, we met our new furry friends, where we were able to give them a good pat on the head while feeding them. It was a wonderful, easy experience, and the coos could wander away into the field at any point, which made it clear that they are well-looked after and free to do their own thing if the tourists get too bothersome!

A Quick Pit Stop at Loch Ness Craft

After our coo meet and greet, we headed back into town (downhill this time!) and made a quick pit stop at Loch Ness Craft, which is a craft beer spot with a lovely garden attached to the Fiddlers Highland Restaurant. There's fish and chips on offer if you're after a big feed, but we were after some fresh local beer!

I had a craft lager from the local Hanging Tree Brewery, located just around the corner, which was super refreshing and light. Anne opted for a Dark Ness Stout, brewed by the Loch Ness Brewery (which, cheekily, is brewed around 50 miles away, but just about counts!), which was smooth with notes of coffee.

We were lucky to have a sunny afternoon to enjoy our beers. As we were backpacking on a budget, we opted to have a meal deal lunch at the nearby Co-Op, on our way up to Urquhart Castle!

Urquhart Castle - right on Loch Ness!

For our final stop on this short day trip, we wandered out of town for around 45 minutes (though you can hop on another bus for just £2!). Just up the hill and peeking out into Loch Ness on a small peninsula, we found Urquhart Castle.

For centuries, this place was basically a real-life Game of Thrones set, constantly being trashed and rebuilt as the Scots and English fought over it during the Wars of Independence.

It eventually met its end in 1692 when the government forces literally blew up their own gates to stop the Jacobites from moving in. Walking around the ruins now, you can climb the sketchy stone stairs of Grant Tower, poke your head into the old prison cells, and marvel at a massive, full-scale medieval catapult sitting out on the grass.

While it's a little bit of a costly experience, with tickets costing around £14, you can also wander up the hill and admire the view before popping back on the £2 bus back along the Loch to Lochside Hostel, again only taking around 15 minutes or so. The bus stop is located in the car park for the castle!

Frequently Asked Questions About this £2 Bus Adventure!