Edinburgh to Loch Ness: The Cheapest (and Best) Travel Options for Backpackers

Visiting Loch Ness is often high on a backpacker's to-do list in Scotland. Whether it's the draw of myths and legends or to experience the Scottish Highlands' dramatic landscapes and access to nature, our experienced team at Scotland's Top Hostels is often asked for the cheapest way to travel to go Nessie-hunting, as well as the most rewarding way to experience the Highlands.

This article aims to weigh up all of the options available to give you a balanced overview that helps you get the best out of your backpacking trip to Scotland, whatever the duration or budget. If you're still deciding whether or not it's worth visiting Loch Ness on your backpacking trip to Edinburgh, take a look at our article exploring what backpackers can experience on a budget.

What options are there to travel from Edinburgh to Loch Ness?

Most backpackers will start their journey to the Highlands from Scotland's compact, hilly and historic capital city Edinburgh. As a travel hub with multiple affordable and social hostels, the city is well connected with several routes and tours that can easily take you to the shores of Loch Ness.

Option 1: A one day group bus tour to Loch Ness and the Scottish Highlands

Multiple tour companies offer one-day group bus tours that will leave early in the morning and return early in the evening. While this option does allow you to fit plenty of sights into your itinerary, there are some downsides to travelling to the Highlands such a tight schedule.

The Scottish Highlands cover a large area and a fair distance even travelling from Edinburgh. This means you'll end up spending most of your one day trip on the bus rather than off it exploring and experiencing. You'll also be limited in flexibility as the schedule will be decided by the tour company in question.

Packaging together your transport and experiences through a tour can be helpful, however, with prices for one day tours to Loch Ness starting from around £53 in 2026.

Option 2: A multi-day group bus tour to Loch Ness and the Scottish Highlands

Taking into consideration some of the downsides of a one-day tour but the benefits of combining your transport and attractions, a multi-day tour helps break up the journey and will give you a better understanding and experience of this surprisingly vast corner of the world.

Backpackers can take advantage of affordable hostel accommodation if booking a tour with Macbackpackers, an Edinburgh-based tour company offering multi-day tours that include visits to Loch Ness, and other popular scenic, historic locations like the Isle of Skye, Glencoe, Oban and more. Macbackpackers tours are specifically for 18-39 year olds, and alongside being guided by a Scottish storyteller, you'll have a social experience in the evenings staying in shared accommodation.

Alternative tours are available with private accommodation, but you may find less of a social vibe and a different age demographic on tours not specifically designed for backpackers.

Their popular 3 Day Isle of Skye tour leaves every Friday and prices over the Winter period in 2026 start from just £189, with accommodation priced at £38 per night.

Find out more & book Macbackpackers tours

Option 3: Using public transport to visit Loch Ness

Transiting through Inverness or Fort William

Most backpackers will need to transit through either Inverness or Fort William to arrive at Loch Ness. Some will also travel towards Loch Ness from the Isle of Skye or the West Coast.

If you are heading to Loch Ness from the popular hubs of Edinburgh, Glasgow, or any other of the cities in the South of Scotland, you can take a train or bus to Inverness which is often the most affordable and convenient starting point to access Loch Ness.

There is also a picturesque journey from Glasgow to Fort William on the train, and bus options too that travel via popular destinations like Loch Lomond and Glencoe.

Transport to Inverness (the most convenient option for most backpackers)

The train is the most comfortable option to travel to Inverness and if booked a few weeks in advance can work out not much more expensive than the bus. In the high season there can be limited seating on the trains however. There are three companies that run a train service to Inverness - Scotrail and LNER during the day, and the Caledonian Sleeper runs a night train service originating from London.

Trains from Edinburgh to Inverness start from £16 when booked in advance in 2026. Booking direct with the rail provider tends to be the cheapest option, though you can use sites like Omio or Trainline to compare dates, times and prices before doing so.

Both trains and buses take the same route to Inverness, with the train tracks following along the A9 road that traces the edges of the Cairngorm Mountain Range and National Park. It's a striking and picturesque journey that makes a great introduction to the Highlands.

Many major European, UK and Scottish bus companies offer routes to Inverness from Edinburgh, Glasgow and other places in the Highlands. Megabus and Flixbus are among the most frequent, but newly launched routes by Dundee-based bus company Ember offer the most flexibility and affordability, as you can cancel tickets with no penalties right up until minutes before you travel. Bus tickets to Edinburgh from Inverness with Ember cost £18.10 in 2026, and the prices do not fluctuate often.

Transiting onwards to Loch Ness

The only regular and reliable service from Inverness or Fort William to major attractions on Loch Ness is provided by Citylink, whose 917 bus travels from Inverness to the Isle of Skye twice a day in each direction via Drumnadrochit, and Alltsigh, and the 919 bus travels regularly throughout the daytime from Inverness to Fort William via Drumnadrochit, Alltsigh and Fort Augustus.

All of the aforementioned locations have hostel accommodation available during the spring, summer and autumn months (March-October). Single tickets on Citylink buses 917 & 919 start from £3.90 to destinations like Abriachan at the top of the Loch, and from £7.20 to popular backpacker destinations like Drumnadrochit and Alltsigh.

Ensure you provide ample time for a transfer between a train or bus arriving in Inverness or Fort William, as the last Citylink buses leave in the early evening over the summer and late afternoon over the winter. You can tack on a stay in the walkable, safe, tourist-friendly city of Inverness for one night if your itinerary allows. Beds at Inverness Student Hotel in the city centre start from £16 in 2026.

Option 4: Renting a car to visit Loch Ness and the Scottish Highlands

If travelling with a group of backpackers, car rental is also a convenient option. A scenic drive from Edinburgh to Loch Ness via the Laggan Pass takes just over 3 and a half hours from central Edinburgh, or 4 hours via Inverness. Car hire with pick-up locations in Edinburgh starts from around £27 per day without extras included. Backpackers should be aware that most car hire companies in the UK will expect you to be over 25 before hiring, and that insurance and extras can add up on top of your budget.

How can I get between attractions and accommodation if I stay in Loch Ness?

The two main routes around Loch Ness are divided on the North and South shores of the Loch. On the Southern side, the A82 road connects Inverness to Drumnadrochit, Alltsigh, Invermoriston, and Fort Augustus. On the Northern side, a series of small B-roads connect Fort Augustus to Inverness via Foyers (for the Falls of Foyers).

If you are not renting your own car, then the aforementioned Citylink Buses are the most reliable method of public transport between the main destinations on Loch Ness. The 917 bus connects destinations on the Isle of Skye to Inverness via the A82 twice daily in each direction. The 919 bus connects Fort William to Inverness via the A82 regularly throughout the day in each direction.

Both the 917 and 919 buses can be used to visit destinations like Lochside Hostel, Urquhart Castle, Drumnadrochit, The Loch Ness Centre, and more. Book tickets on the Citylink website ahead of time to guarantee a seat - in the summer months the buses can be full with both tourists and locals alike.

The Highland Council run limited buses between some destinations on the A82 on school days, and note that you will be sharing these buses with a large group of schoolchildren, and that any return tickets will not be valid on Citylink buses.

Public transport on the Southern shore of the Loch (for access to Dores Beach and the Falls of Foyers) is limited to a few buses in each direction per day operated by the Highland Council. Check the most recent timetable for the 302 bus on the Highland Council website.

Transport between the North and South shore of the Loch is difficult to line up between the various timetables. Most backpackers without a car choose to stay on the North shore of the Loch to avoid limited public transport.

Some brave backpackers choose to hitchhike up and down the Loch, though this is done at their own risk. Read our post on hitchhiking in the Scottish Highlands for more information.

Where can I stay overnight in Loch Ness as a backpacker?

Lochside Hostel is located in Alltsigh, a small hamlet that gives you the best of both worlds in your stay on Loch Ness. With direct access to a beach, kayak hire, and daily events you'll get a social backpackers experience. Alongside this, a wealth of facilities including a large kitchen and lounge, shop with a small bar selection, and most importantly a Citylink bus stop right at the door to take you to all the major attractions on the North shore of the Loch.

Alltsigh is located around halfway up the Loch, and the seclusion gives it a truly remote 'Highlands' feel, even though quick and regular buses are there to take you to other spots on the Loch. If being in the midst of nature isn't for you, alternative accommodations within walking distance of Drumnadrochit and Fort Augusts village centres include Loch Ness Backpackers and Morag's Lodge.

You can get 15% off your stay at Lochside Hostel when you book 3+ nights through Scotland's Top Hostels. With direct beach access, daily social events, a large kitchen and lounge, shop, kayak rental and more, you're sure to find things to do throughout your stay. Prices start from just £23 per night in dormitory rooms in 2026.

Book a hostel stay in Loch Ness

So what is the cheapest (and best) way for backpackers to travel from Edinburgh to Loch Ness in 2026?

If booked in advance, a combination of buses and trains, including the Citylink services which are the only public transport option directly to Loch Ness' popular backpacking destinations, are the cheapest way to travel from Edinburgh to Loch Ness in 2026.

We recommend staying multiple nights in the Highlands rather than 1 day bus trips for the best experience however, so a multi-day backpacking bus tour or multi-night stay using public transport allows you the most flexibility and experience.

Happy Nessie-hunting!

Photo by Tallie Robinson on Unsplash