Scottish Whisky & Ancient Urquhart Castle & Loch Ness Tour: Explore Highlands from the Port
4.5
23 Ratings
Highland Council
Embark on a Scottish Whisky & Ancient Urquhart Castle & Loch Ness Tour from the port. Explore the stunning Highlands, enjoy a distillery tour, visit historic sites, and experience the beauty of Loch Ness. Book now!
Duration:
8 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Dunrobin Castle and Gardens - Dunrobin Castle is the most northerly of Scotland’s large castles and has 189 rooms. Dunrobin Castle is also one of Britain’s oldest continuously inhabited houses dating back to the early 1300s, home to the Earls and later, the Dukes of Sutherland. The castle is in a magnificent setting with amazing gardens.
On your visit you will witness an amazing falconry display in the delightful castle gardens. These birds of prey will delight you. Then visit the castle museum before touring the furnished castle itself.
The Castle, which resembles a French chateâu with its towering conical spires, has seen the architectural influences of Sir Charles Barry, who designed London’s Houses of Parliament, and Scotland’s own Sir Robert Lorimer.
- Dornoch Cathedral - Dornoch cathedral made famous by the wedding blessing of Madonna to Guy Ritchie.
- Jail Dornoch - A beautiful shop, well worth seeing.
- The Dornoch Bookshop - Browse through hundreds of books.
- Black Rock Gorge - Visit the archaeological fault, see the waters gushing down the mountain toward the sea. Take photos on the wooden hand-made bridge overlooking the Black Rock Gorge and see where the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter scenes were filmed.
- Balblair Distillery - This lovely expansive single malt distillery is set in a lovely village near Edderton. Tour takes 1.5 hours followed by two whisky tastings - a 10 and 15 year old malt.
- Struie Hill - Stop at the popular photographic spot called Millionaire’s View in your journey.
- Glenmorangie Distillery - Drop into the car park and shop or stop to take photos or tour depending on distillery chosen.
So 15 or 90 minutes
- Dornoch - Browse at your leisure around all the activities in Dornoch village, some are listed above. There are shops, cafes, bars, history trails, museum, Cocoa Mountain cafe, Eagle tavern, Castle Inn, the Jail giftshop, bookshop, famous Cathedral where Madonna married Guy Ritchie, history information about the last witch to be hanged, charity shops, ice cream shops and amazing antique shop.
Depending when your ship leaves tugs could be 30-60 minutes
- Clynelish Distillery - If Clynelish distillery is chosen by us for the tour it will last 1.5 hours otherwise we won’t see it.
What's Included
- All fees and taxes included
What's Not Included
- Lunch
Additional Information
We’re dedicated to tailoring our tours based on YOUR feedback. After conducting surveys to understand what you want, we integrate those requests into our tour design. You can expect a top-notch experience, complete with complimentary water and rain coats, and knowledgeable guides in our minibuses who are eager to share insights about their local Highlands and answer any queries you have.
Tours typically commence between 30 minutes and 1.5 hours post ship’s arrival, and ensure you’re back at least 1 hour prior to ship’s departure. Remember to visit our website to confirm exact timings for departures and returns for each tour.
We offer a variety of themed tours, including Outlander and Fairytale Castle, along with historical landmarks, all packed into an affordable day tour providing excellent value. Admission to Dunrobin castle is covered as part of the tour.
Please be informed that distillery tours allow only those aged 18 and above. Underage attendees may wait in the shop area during the tour.
- Wheelchair travellers difficult
Location
Shore Road
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.5
(23 Ratings)
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Helga_m
May 22, 2024
A memorable experience - Our guide Mo was very attentive to our needs and went out of her way to show us and tell us as much as possible. There were only four of us on the tour so it felt much like a private tour!
…An extra bonus for us was that the other couple who attended the tour had an even more memorable experience—he proposed to her at Urquhart Castle, and hired a bagpiper to make the event even more special! Mo & Thistle staff coordinated this event very nicely, and we felt lucky to be a part of the special day!
Review provided by Viator
Wagg2018
May 15, 2024
Surprisingly good - We had a fun and educational day. The guide was very good. Recommended. Was our first Tripadvisor experience. Don't do anything else anymore
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Marye642
May 4, 2024
Great day in Scotland. - We had a wonderful day with Emma Macaulay and Thistle Excursions on our trip to Urquhart Castle, Loch Ness with stops for Scotch tasting and to visit the Highland cows and a local farm. I highly recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Marianne_b
May 2, 2024
We saw so much. A full day. - Our tour was amazing. We did so much in so little time and never felt rushed. I highly recommend. Tour guide was amazing
Review provided by Viator
Karen_f
Sep 14, 2023
Trip to singleton distillery and dunrobin castle - Our tour guide June from Thistle tours did an amazing job hosting our small group. Like other reviews, this is a “choose your own adventure” itinerary based on your groups needs and the time you have available. For example, we couldn’t fit in the black rock gorge trip because our cruise ran late to dock and our group prioritized whiskey tasting. Additionally, you don’t have time for all the whiskey distilleries on the list so don’t plan on hitting every single one. It’s just not possible to fit it all in one day.
Review provided by Viator
Tracey_c
Aug 11, 2023
Worth it! - June is an excellent tour guide. This was a fantastic tour. With the small group, we were able to have a more personalized experience.
Review provided by Viator
Journey50834704175
Aug 6, 2023
Wonderful Introduction to the Highlands - Took the tour in a 6-seater minibus which made the experiences much more personal for all of us. Rhona, our tour guide, was very knowledgeable about the area, its history and culture. She made frequent stops at photo opportunities and points of interested beyond just the highlights of the tour. One example was a lunch stop at a local village bakery where we purchased a very tasty lunch made to order on fresh baked rolls! The whisky tour was very impressive even though I myself am not a whiskey drinker. The castle and grounds are very impressive and the falconry display was well worth seeing. The weather made the trip to the gorge questionable, so the group decided to opt for a longer shopping period instead. All in all, an excellent experience. We would love to return to this area again for an extended visit someday.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
18kayc
Aug 4, 2023
Excellent - The tour was excellent and our guide was super informative and kind - and a good driver!!
Everything went smoothly - the only thing is be prepared for all kinds of weather
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Debra_w
Sep 5, 2023
Not Whiskey Galore - Whiskey Galore was not, only went to one distillery and the Whiskey lovers on the trip were disappointed, tour guide hijacked tour and we saw places not on our wish list or listed on itinerary.
Review provided by Viator
James_b
Aug 26, 2023
Thistle Excursion bait and switch - Where to start! I had booked this tour several months before arriving at Invergordon. It was supposed to be a semi private (i.e. maximum of 8 people) tour that went to different distilleries and include Harry Potter's Rock Gorge and Dunrobin Castle/Falcons. When I showed up for the tour we were to board on a bus with 32 persons and turned out to be a different tour with only 1 distillery visit at Ord plus Dunrobin Castle and Falcons. No Harry Potter Rock Gorge, no other distilleries. There had been no previous indication that the tour I had booked (and paid for) was not being provided. Maxine did give us a 15% refund but I have been left with a very sour taste and distrust of Thistle Excursions. Don't get me wrong, the distillery tour at Ord was excellent and Dunrobin Castle was worth the visit (although we could have used more time there). I had specifically booked a small tour to avoid an impersonal large group tour and the tedious time spent on a large bus.
Review provided by Viator
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