Outlander set locations

We collect you from your hotel, then visit various locations used for filming the hit series Outlander. Based on the best selling novels by Diana Gabaldon, Outlander is filmed in real Castles and towns throughout Scotland.

Our first location on this Outlander tour is the historic town of Falkland. The town is the setting for episode one where Frank and Claire Randall come to Scotland on holiday. This is a real town, not a movie set and all the shops and recognisable features are there, including the town square fountain where Frank encounters Jamie’s ghost watching Claire through the window.

Our next location is Doune Castle. The Castle was completed in 1400 for the 1st Duke of Albany and provides the setting for Castle Leoch in Outlander. It was also the set for Winterfell in Game of Thrones and Monty Pythons Holy Grail. The Castle remains unchanged since first built and regarded as one of the best preserved medieval Castles in Scotland.

Blackness Castle, Outlander

Our final location on this Outlander tour is Blackness Castle. Dating from 1440, the Castle provides the setting for Fort William, as the original fort no longer exists.

Lunch and admission fees are NOT included

 

 

Stirling, Winter Special

We collect you from your hotel at a slightly later time of 10am. Our Stirling winter tour is designed to accommodate reduced daylight hours. On this tour we visit the mighty Stirling Castle which stands proud on a volcanic rock overlooking rich farmland and the distant mountains of the highlands. Stirling Castle has a very turbulent history as the most fought over property in Scotland. The nearby Church of the Holy Rude is the only remaining active church in the UK, other than Westminster Abbey that has witnessed the coronation of a King (James 6th and 1st)Church of the Holy Rude

After lunch we visit Deanston whisky distillery. Originally built as a cotton mill in 1785, the factory closed its doors in 1965 and the decision was taken to transform the site into a whisky distillery.

If you don’t wish to take a distillery tour then you also have the option to visit nearby Doune Castle. Built in 1400 as a Royal residence for the 1st Duke of Albany Stuarts, it’s also the film set of Monty Pythons Holy Grail, Winterfell in Game of Thrones and most recent is Castle Leoch in the Outlander series.

Lunch and admission fees NOT included

 

Edinburgh, Winter Special

Edinburgh is a fantastic city to visit in winter. Due to reduced daylight hours we can offer a 6 hour tour of the city and its surrounding areas.

You will be collected from your Edinburgh hotel by your personal guide at 10.00 am. We will take a leisurely drive around Edinburgh’s Old Town with your guide telling stories and describing city life over the last Millennia. We will point out historic buildings and explain important history associated with the city and its citizens over the years.

We take you south from the city to visit the remarkable Rosslyn Chapel. Built in 1446, This masterpiece of stone masonry is truly awe inspiring. Many theories exist as to why so much effort was put into the intricate stone carvings which cover the entire building. The chapel certainly has more unanswered questions than facts and you can draw your own conclusions after your visit.

Rosslyn chapel

After lunch we warm your soul with a visit Glenkinchie whisky distillery. This famous single malt is one of only six to be distilled in the lowlands of Scotland and used in the blended Johnnie Walker whisky.

Lunch and admission fees are NOT included.

Perthshire Forest and Castles

This tour is only available 1st April to 31st October

We collect you from your hotel at 8.30am. Our Perthshire forest and Castles tour takes us to the Highland boundary fault line. Our first stop is the historic Scone Palace  near the city of Perth, where all Scotland’s Kings were crowned from the 9th to 17th century. Sadly the Stone of Destiny, or coronation stone, was removed from Scone when Edward the 1st invaded Scotland in 1296. It remained in England for 700 years then returned to Scotland on loan by Her Majesty the Queen and is now displayed in Edinburgh Castle.

Scone Palace

Our next stop is the picturesque Victorian village of Pitlochry. Nestled in beautiful green woodland on the banks of the river Tummel, it’s a great place for lunch and a spot of shopping. We then head to one of Scotland’s great view points, The Queen’s View. Enjoy breathtaking views over Loch Tummel with a magnificent mountain backdrop.

Our final stop is Blair Castle. Ancestral home of Clan Murray and current seat to the Duke of Atholl. The earliest part of the castle dates from 1269 and had many additions until it’s final makeover in 1870.Matthew at Queens View

Lunch and admission fees are NOT included

Scottish Highlands, Glencoe

We collect you from your hotel in our luxury vehicle at 8am to start your Glencoe Tour. This Lochs and Glens (Lakes and Valleys) tour takes us through some of Scotland’s most picturesque landscape. As we head North West along the fabled A85 and A82, we visit no less than 10 Lochs.

As we climb into the mountains we turn off the main tourist route and visit Glen Etive, with a hope of catching sight of some Red Deer. This lesser travelled part of the country is where James Bond-Skyfall, Harry Potter, Outlaw King and Mary Queen of Scots were filmed. This magnificent landscape of extinct volcanoes, carved and reshaped by glaciers, is fantastic to explore. Etive Mor is an extinct super volcano standing at the gateway to

Glen Etive which came 2nd place in a poll by Tripadvisor of the “top 10 places to see before you die” . Unlike most tour companies who simply pass through Glencoe, we spend several hours exploring this beautiful part of the country, so you can fully immerse yourself in the surroundings. We stop regularly to make sure you take home fantastic photographs of this rugged and majestic landscape.

We then stop at the Three Sisters of Glencoe. Considered by most Scot’s to be the heart of the Highlands. This area has a turbulent history, notably the massacre of Glencoe in 1692 when 38 men of Clan Macdonald were slain by government troops.

Finally,, we make our way back South crossing  through Highland Perthshire and some picturesque villages, including St Fillans and Comrie.

We then return you to your hotel in Edinburgh.

Lunch is Not included

Perthshire Whisky distilleries

We collect you from your hotel at 8.30am. This Whisky tour gives you a choice of 4 distilleries in the Perthshire area. Glen Turret in Crieff offers the Famous Grouse experience. Dewar’s of Aberfeldy has been a working distillery for the last 160 years. Edradour near Pitlochry is Scotland’s smallest whisky distillery and Blair Athol in Pitlochry is one of Scotland’s oldest working distilleries.

Famous GrouseEach Whisky distillery tour takes between 1 hour 45 mins to 2 hours. If you wish to visit them all, we suggest only taking 1 tour and simply looking around the other locations. The drive between each distillery seems satisfying enough for the clients who have already enjoyed this tour.

Lunch and admission fees are NOT included

 

Stirling & The 3 Lochs

We collect you from your hotel in our luxury vehicle at 8.30am. Our Stirling and three lochs tour offers a great blend of historic sites and beautiful scenery. On this tour we visit Stirling and head to the most famous battle in Scottish history, Bannockburn. In 1314 Robert The Bruce defeated the might of the English army to regain Scotland’s independence. A monument stands where The Bruce had his command post and orchestrated what was to be, one of the greatest victories on Scottish soil.

The Wallace MonumentStirling Castle is our next stop. This landmark towering over the city is very similar to Edinburgh Castle in appearance. Most of what you will see and fully explore today was built by the Stewart monarchy in the late 14oo’s to mid 1500s.

Not too far away stands another dedication to a Scottish hero – The Wallace Monument commemorating William Wallace (Braveheart!). Overlooking Stirling bridge, this monument marks the site where William Wallace commanded a famous victory over the might of the English army in 1297. We usually make this a photo stop, however, if we are doing very well for time and you can handle the 246 steps on the narrow, spiral staircase, we can possibly include a visit.

Finally we head to the Highland boundary fault line in the beautiful Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. We take the scenic route around Loch Venachar, Loch Achray and Loch Drunkie on the spectacular Dukes Pass. This tour gives you a little taste of the Highlands without the lengthy drive involved in a typical highland tour from Edinburgh.

Lunch and admission fees are NOT included

The Scottish Borders

This tour is only available from 1st April to 31st October

We collect you from your hotel at 8.30am. The Scottish borders region has beautiful rolling green landscapes, majestic castles, ancient abbeys and many stately homes. Far too many to see in a 1 day, but we have selected the finest of them to visit.

Melrose AbbeyMelrose Abbey 1136ad is our first stop. This was the largest of the four great Abbeys in this area, however, it suffered badly during the reformation period and now stands as a ruin. Abbotsford House – home of Sir Walter Scott 1812ad, is our next site to visit. The house keeps a fine collection of historic weapons, artwork, books and furniture on display. After lunch we have a scenic stop at Scotts view then give you the choice of visiting Floors Castle, Scotland’s largest inhabited Castle and home to the Duke of Roxburgh or Traquair House 950ad – Scotland’s oldest inhabited house.

You also have the option to visit Glenkinchie Whisky Distillery on this tour if we drop the sites listed during the afternoon.

Lunch and admission fees are NOT included

St. Andrews & East Neuk of Fife

Falkland Palace is open 1st April to 31st October. We have a choice of different sites to replace this stop in winter

We collect you from your hotel at 8.30am. St. Andrews is famously known as the home of Golf, however 1000 years ago it was the religious capital of Scotland.

More recently the town can boast its part in the meeting of our future King and Queen, Prince William and Princess Katherine Middleton at St. Andrews university. Their romance blossomed in this ancient town amongst the student hangouts and restaurants.

Falkland PalaceWith 11 golf courses, an ancient Abbey and Castle and the old University buildings to explore, the town of St. Andrews has something for everyone.

Next we will take a trip along the coast to the East Neuk of Fife and visit the picturesque fishing villages of Anstruther and Pittenweem. Our final stop will be Falkland Palace. Once home of the Stewart Kings and Queens, this palace also has the worlds oldest Royal tennis court.

Lunch and admission fees are NOT included

Scotland’s Royal Castles

Balmoral Castle is open 1st April to 31st July. We replace this stop with Scone Palace from 1st August to 31st October when this tour closes for the season.

We collect you from your hotel in our luxury vehicle at 8.30am. This tour starts with a drive to the mountains and the majestic landscape of the eastern Cairngorms. Britain’s largest National Park and largest Mountain range. We continue to Royal Deeside and visit the magnificent Balmoral Castle. First purchased by Queen Victoria in 1852, it has remained a Royal residence ever since. The Royal family enjoy a 10 week break from public duties in this Royal retreat every year from the 1st August.

Next we take a drive through Glenisla, past Forter castle to the rich farm and agricultural land that surrounds Tayside. Here we visit the magnificent Glamis Castle. The dark red sandstone and Scots Baronial architecture make this Castle stand out among all other Scottish Castles. Ancestral home to the Earl and Countess of Strathmore for more than 600 years and childhood home of Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon Queen Elizabeth the Queen mother. The castle holds the most comprehensive history of  Her Majesty, The Queen Mother to be found anywhere.

Option 2, When The Royal family are in residence, we replace our first stop with a visit to Scone Palace. This is the Crowning site of Scottish Kings since the 9th Century and played a key role in Scottish history even further back, to ancient Pictish times. The cu

rrent house is home to the Earl of Mansfield and was remodelled in the early 1800’s. It houses a fine collection of art, furniture and ceramics, collected by the family over the centuries.

We then visit the Meigle Pictish Stone museum (1st April to 30th September). This rare collection of intricately carved stones date from the 700-900’s AD. The ancient Pictish people of Scotland are a mystery in written history, however, the beautiful carved stones they left behind offer great clues about their life. In the afternoon we take you to visit Glamis Castle.

We are happy to offer option 2 at any time during the season. Please let us know when you book your tour.
Balmoral Castle

Lunch and admission fees are NOT included