Edinburgh: Aberdeenshire, Balmoral Castle & Northeast Coast

Departing from Edinburgh, our small group tour will travel across the iconic Forth Bridges, spanning 3 centuries of development, we continue through the Kingdom of Fife towards Dundee.

Famous for its publishing industry, Dundee is home to the V&A Museum (optional extra). First opened in 2018, the V&A is Scotland’s first design museum and is also the first Victoria and Albert museum outside of London. With ever-changing exhibitions celebrating design from Scotland and around the world, it makes for a fascinating visit.

After a short stop at the seaside village of St Cyrus we continue to the spectacular Dunnottar Castle, one of the most famous sights of the northeast. Sitting on a rocky headland and surrounded by water, not far from the village of Stonehaven, stands the castle.

Following our stop at Dunnottar Castle, we will head towards the picturesque town that sits below it - Stonehaven. Here, there will be time to explore the seaside towns’ streets and shops.

Our final stop of Day 1 is Aberdeen, also known as the "Granite City" for the abundance of granite buildings, which you may notice will appear to sparkle in the sun. Here, you will check in to your overnight accommodation and have plenty of free time in the evening to explore the city.

Day 2 We will begin our second day by checking out of our accommodation and heading westwards out of Aberdeen towards Crathes Castle. Enjoy views of the Granite City and its surrounding areas as you leave.

With magnificent turrets, gargoyles and a beautiful walled garden, Crathes Castle is a fantastic place to visit. Spend time here taking in the history of the 16th century castle and explore its spectacular grounds which go back to the 18th century.

We continue westwards, through scenic towns like Banchory and the beautiful Aberdeenshire countryside, towards Ballater, where we will stop for a lunch break.

Our next stop is the world-famous Balmoral Castle, the much-loved Highland home of the British Monarchy. Here, we will spend time and you will be able to see the exhibitions. As well as this, you will be able to enjoy the spectacular grounds on which the castle lies.

After our tour of Balmoral Castle, we head south towards Edinburgh. On the way, we will stop at the Devil’s Elbow viewpoint. It offers spectacular Highland views and is still part of the massive Cairngorms National Park. Keep an eye out here for much of the wildlife that is known to inhabit the area.

As we continue further south, our final stop before we reach Edinburgh will be the city of Perth. After a comfort break here where you will have a short time to explore the historic city, we begin our journey back to Edinburgh. There will be another chance to get a look at the magnificent Forth Bridges as we cross the Forth for a 2nd time before arriving back in Edinburgh.

Not suitable for

• Children under 4 years

What to bring

• Comfortable shoes
• Weather-appropriate clothing

Not allowed

• Pets (assistance dogs allowed)

Know before you go

• Collapsible, lightweight wheelchairs with removable wheels may be accommodated, subject to availability. Passengers must be accompanied by someone who can assist with boarding and disembarking.
• Please note that Dunnottar Castle and parts of Crathes Castle may not be suitable for guests with limited mobility due to uneven terrain and steps. Please contact the activity provider for further accessibility information.
• Unfortunately, children under 4 years old are not permitted on this tour
• You are allowed to bring one medium-sized suitcase (63–67 cm/ 25–26 in). Slightly larger luggage may be accepted, subject to available space.