Stirling Castle: Whisky Tasting and Highland Scenic Drive Small Group Tour from Edinburgh
4.8
369 Ratings
Edinburgh
Experience the best of Scotland on this small group tour from Edinburgh. Visit Stirling Castle, enjoy a whisky tasting at Glengoyne Distillery, and take a scenic drive through the Highlands to Loch Lomond.
Duration:
10 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Linlithgow Palace - Catch a glimpse as we pass by the ruins of the Royal Palace of Linlithgow.
- Stirling Castle - Visit the beautifully restored historic Stirling Castle.
- National Wallace Monument - From Stirling Castle, enjoy fantastic views over to the National Wallace Monument.
- Duke’s Pass - Our journey to Aberfoyle takes us along the banks of Lochs Venachar and Achray, through the beautiful Trossachs - the ‘Highlands in Miniature’ - and over the Duke’s Pass scenic drive, a stunning Highland landscape of lochs and mountains.
- Aberfoyle - This is Rob Roy country, popularised by Sir Walter Scott’s books and poems. Legends and superstition of faeries or ‘wee people’ abound in these hills…
-
Loch Lomond - Here, by the famous
bonnie banks
, your guide will accompany you on a short nature walk, culminating in a superb Highland viewpoint and photo opportunity over Scotland
s largest lake and the Arrochar Alps mountain range.
Scotland
s geological definition between Highlands and Lowlands can be seen in all its glory from here! Loch Lomond and the Trossachs were designated Scotland
s first National Park in 2002 and it remains an extremely popular area with locals and visitors alike.
-
Glengoyne Distillery - We finish the day at Glengoyne Distillery, situated in a wooded valley in the southern Highlands. The distillery, which takes its name from
Glen Guin
or Glen of the Wild Geese, has been producing a high quality single malt for nearly 200 years.
You will, of course, have the opportunity to tour this beautifully located distillery and sample the delicious 12 year old product for yourself!
- Doune Castle - Doune Castle is famous for its appearance in Monty Python’s Holy Grail, Game of Thrones and Outlander.
What's Included
- Local guide
- Driver/guide
- Transport by air-conditioned Mercedes mini-coach
- Very small group tour - average group size of around 12 passengers
- Live commentary on board
What's Not Included
- All entrance fees
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
Additional Information
Embark on a journey into the heart of Scotland with this intimate group tour (typical group size of approximately 12 travellers). Experience the rich history and breathtaking landscapes that were once roamed by iconic Scottish figures. Your unforgettable day will include at least 5 spectacular stops such as Stirling Castle (please arrange the 10.30 admissions independently via Stirling Castle’s website), a whisky tour and tasting session at the Glengoyne Distillery, and a picturesque drive through the Highlands, culminating at the famous Loch Lomond.
- Small group tour - average group size of 12 passengers
- Minimum age is 5 years old
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Operates in all weather conditions (unless it is unsafe to do so), please dress appropriately
- Please inform us 7 days in advance if you are bringing a service animal
Location
Waterloo Place
This tour departs from (and returns to) Bus Stand ZE, Waterloo Place, Edinburgh, EH1 3BQ (opposite Howie's Restaurant).
Please arrive no later than 08.30.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.8
(369 Ratings)
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Renee_m
May 5, 2024
Lovely day in the lowlands - Angela did an amazing job with making us feel comfortable in such a small van with offering an extender so we didn't break our nails. She was knowledgeable and very nice. I would take a tour with Heart of Scotland again.
Review provided by Viator
Emily_h
Mar 18, 2024
Lovely Day Trip with Lots to See - We had an excellent trip exploring a lot of sites in one day. It was nice to be on a smaller tour with a knowledgeable guide who loves the area. The weather was a little cold, but we still enjoyed seeing Stirling Castle, Aberfoyle, Loch Lomond and Glengoyne Distillery.
Review provided by Viator
Deakoripp
Mar 5, 2024
Fantastic day with Euan! - Loved this day trip from Edinburgh! Very well organized, without too much bus time in between stops. Euan was a wonderful tour guide - informative, and kept the tour interesting at all times. This was the perfect mix of history, scenery, and whisky tasting! Highly recommend this trip to all.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
T2405blcarolinek
Nov 13, 2023
Wonderful tour of Scotland !! - I had a wonderful time on this tour!! it was a great way to see the country and made me fall in love with Scotland. The guide was very knowledgeable about history and explained everything well. It was also very nice to be part of a small group and made seeing everything extraordinary! Would book with this company again!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jim_e
Oct 2, 2023
Fantastic day out - We booked the evening before but had no difficulties finding the tour. Angela, our local guide, is a wonderful driver and extremely informative (and wickedly funny!). We learned an incredible amount about Scotland and the stops on the tour. This was one of the best tours we have ever taken and, despite the 10 hour+ duration, the time flew by. Highly recommended!
Review provided by Viator
Paloverdemom
Sep 17, 2023
Scenic tour providing a variety of interesting sites - Andy drove us on our tour and was our tour guide as well. We visited Stirling castle, we saw Highland cattle, we stopped for a casual lunch, we went to Loch Lomond for a short walk and we visited a whiskey distillery.
Andy told us lots about the history of Scotland apart from being a great driver. We started out with lovely sun and mid day the rain came at the end of our Loch Lomond visit.
The scenery is gorgeous. We both enjoyed the tour a lot.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
399lindas57
Sep 4, 2023
Wee Red Bus from Edinburgh - I was skeptical about spending a full day on the "wee red bus," but it was a great experience! Howard was a knowledgeable and funny guide; I'm sure his patter is well rehearsed, but it always sounded fresh. The tour went to Stirling Castle, Doune Castle, and toward the highlands to Loch Lomond and the Glengoyne Distillery, with sufficient time at each. Lunch was on your own in Drymen. It didn't hurt that it was a lovely sunny day. Alas, the highland cows never made an appearance, but plenty of other fauna and flora did, and the views were lovely. This was definitely worth the time and was a good value!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Leung_t
Nov 19, 2023
Day tour to Stirling Castle and Glengoyne Distillery - I had a day tour from Edinburgh which was of a very small group of 6 persons. Our guide was Keith who drove us through the countryside on the outskirts of Edinburgh. We first had a visit to the Stirling Castle and then an early lunch at the town of Balmaha. After lunch, Keith led us for a quick walk along Loch Lomand. The highlight of the day was the tour at Glengoyne Distillery in the afternoon in which we got to know how the whisky was produced and tasted 2 glasses of Glengoyne whisky. Keith was professional, attentive and very knowledgeable about the history of Scotland. Enjoyed this day tour very much and would recommend it if you are staying in Edinburgh for a few days.
Review provided by Viator
Edward_w
Oct 5, 2023
A good day for whisky! - Stirling castle and Singleton Distillery were quite good. Loch Lomond was good but bad weather made it less than spectacular.. Guide was very good but too focused on Scottish nationalism.
Review provided by Viator
Stephen_w
Sep 18, 2023
Too long - Stirling castle and Loch Lomond quite worth it, but tour is at least 90 minutes too long with unnecessary stops. Distillery is quite average and not worth the two hours at the end of a long day. Andy was very pleasant but had a number of historical facts wrong (eg, university of Edinburgh is not older than Glasgow University)
Review provided by Viator
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