Balmoral Castle and Royal Deeside Tour
Enjoy the Private Group Balmoral Castle and Royal Deeside Day Tour which leaves from Inverness. The Inverness Tour Guides entertain and share local knowledge while you travel in style and comfort in our air conditioned vehicles. Tours priced for up to 7 passengers.
Visit amazing locations; Balmoral Castle or Corgarff Castle, Braemar, Crathie Kirk, your choice of Royal Lochnagar Distillery or Tomintoul Gift Shop.
Departure
Collection from within 16 miles of Inverness included in the price.
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£590.00 9 hours
Balmoral Castle and Royal Deeside Tour – North East 250 – Itinerary
The Balmoral Castle and Royal Deeside Tour from Inverness only visits Balmoral during its opening period; April to July. From August to October we swap in the amazing Corgarff Castle instead. This tour opens with a drive south through Ferness and Grantown. Balmoral Castle (or Corgarff Castle) is our first stop and then along Royal Deeside to the attractive town of Braemar. We can enjoy free time here, for a wander and for lunch. A visit to Crathie Kirk is next, and your last visit of the day is your choice; Royal Lochnagar Distillery or the Whisky Castle in Tomintoul. We can stop to take photos at Carrbridge during our return.
Corgarff Castle
Built in the 1500’s, Corgarff served first as a laird’s tower house, and then in the 1700’s it became a British army (or redcoat) barracks. The castle is particularly impressive as a result of its commanding position high on a hill in the Cairngorm National Park. It is particularly scenic in August because all of the heather on the surrounding hills turns purple. The open sweeping vistas here are a perfect counter to the well wooded lands of Royal Deeside ahead.
Balmoral Castle
The Royal Family use Balmoral Castle as their Scottish summer residence. The old castle proved too small so Queen Victoria and Prince Albert built the current castle in 1856. We can visit Balmoral between April and July, after which it closes, as a result of the King’s arrival, in August. A visit to Balmoral gives access to the gift shop and cafe; the beautiful and extensive grounds and the ballroom.
Braemar
Braemar is an attractive and thriving community in upper Deeside. Our guests enjoy free time for a wander; a lunch and time for photos of the Clunie Water, cascading through the heart of the village.. There are lots of independent and boutique shops, and a good range of eating places. As a result of the King’s regular attendance, the Braemar Gathering (on the first Saturday in September) has become one of the most famous highland games in the world.
Crathie Kirk
Crathie has been a place of worship since the 9th century. Once Victoria and Albert bought Balmoral they worshiped here whenever in residence. So it was Victoria who laid the foundation stone of this new, larger and more beautiful church in 1893. Completed in 1895, Crathie is a triumph of Gothic revival style and is built of local granite with a Scots Pine roof.
Royal Lochnagar Distillery
Lochnagar is the name of a nearby mountain. Indeed, in a poem by Lord Byron, he calls it dark Lochnagar. the mountain gives the distillery its name. Queen Victoria visited Lochnagar distillery in 1848, and is so impressed that she gives it the Royal Warrant. As a result it is one of only two distilleries allowed to use the word “Royal” in its name. The current distillery buildings date from 1906, and offer regular tours for visitors.
Whisky Castle, Tomintoul
The Whisky Castle is a great stop on the homeward journey to Inverness. Quite apart from being a well located comfort stop it also has a well-stocked gift shop and a coffee shop. The other end of the operation is one of the best stocked whisky shops we have seen. If you are interested in discussing whisky then this is a great place because they will give you a tasting, while you do so.
Carrbridge
Carrbridge is a lovely old village on the River Dulnain, a name which means “Storm Stream”. We can still see that this river is prone to autumn and winter floods. This used to result in frequent delays to burials at the Church of Duthil. So the locals built a bridge in 1717 to solve that problem, and the spectacular remains of that bridge still stand today. That means it is the oldest stone bridge still standing in the Highlands at this time.
Balmoral Castle and Royal Deeside Tour – Price
£590 for up to seven passengers.
Balmoral Castle and Royal Deeside Tour – Departure
The tour departs from your Inverness accommodation, or any transport hub you prefer, like bus station, train station or airport. You tell us, and we’ll be there.
FAQ
Can each person in the party pay separately?
Driver/Guide licencing in Scotland will only allow us to take one payment per tour, so if people in a party wish to split the cost then they arrange that amongst themselves and make one tour payment to us.
Are entries to the various visitor attractions and distillery included?
We don’t include entry to the attractions or distillery – and that way we leave the day as flexible as possible for you.
Do I need to book any items in advance?
If you wish to visit Royal Lochnagar Distillery then you will need to book it in advance, but we are happy to advise and assist you with this.
Will I need cash with me?
Most places will accept Visa or MasterCard and some will accept American Express. It is always prudent, though, to bring a little cash with you for unexpected eventualities. You will need GBP, not Euros or Dollars.
What will we be doing for lunch?
You are responsible for paying for your own food & drink during your tour. Lunch could be in a café, pub, restaurant or even a picnic at a beauty spot. Your guide can discuss and advise on options when you meet them.
Find all of our other FAQ’s here
Why Choose Us
Why Choose Inverness Tour Guides?
Our Inverness Tour Guides are a hand-picked team. As well as being accredited members of the Highlands of Scotland Tour Guide Association, they are all well-recognised as being at the top of their fields. They were chosen because they are great storytellers, are fun to be with, and are uniquely qualified to do what they do well. We are convinced that there is no better team of guides to be found. See their individual profiles here
Performance
Here at Inverness Tours we continually monitor performance. As a result we are confident that we offer long experience and expertise in providing quality, value and enjoyment.
Our Vehicles
Our vehicles are spacious and air conditioned, easily accommodating up to seven passengers. The reclining seats and tinted windows ensure touring in comfort and style.
Our Track Record
Inverness Tours has been taking visitors on world-class tours for more than fifteen years and has been striving to make its exclusive tour business the finest of its kind available in Scotland.
Our Customer Care
The Inverness Tours admin team are frequently complimented on responsiveness, flexibility and care.
Our Environment
Inverness Tours have offset the impact of visitor footfall in the Highlands by contributing financially to environmental and community projects.
Our Precautions
Our COVID19 precautions – Inverness Tours has always carried bacteriological and virucidal disinfectant sprays, disposable gloves and the necessary wipes etc. The vehicles are cleaned on a daily basis. We are investigating and instituting further measures to keep you safe at this current time and into the future.
Our Reviews
All the above contribute to our fabulous back-catalogue of reviews. Check out the TripAdvisor reviews here. You will find that over 98% of our reviews are five-star and as a result we have achieved TripAdvisor’s annual Certificate of Excellence and placement in their Hall of Fame!
What’s included?
The 7-passenger vehicle together with qualified driver/guide is included.
Summary terms and conditions:-
- All tours are exclusive and the same price for between one and seven people. Your booking is considered confirmed once we send out your confirmation.
- While Inverness Tours shall do everything reasonably possible to provide your tour itinerary and/or services as planned, we reserve the right to alter itineraries, guide, transport or accommodation if circumstances require us to do so. If we have to cancel a tour you receive a full refund of the amount paid and that is the extent of our obligation.
- Our normal Cancellation Terms as outlined in the point below have been temporarily relaxed. The relaxation is in relation to any booking which requires to cancel due to COVID-19. Our COVID-19 cancellation terms are outlined here.
- If you wish to change any part of your confirmed booking you should inform us in writing as soon as possible. We will do our best to assist you, but cannot guarantee that we will be able to meet your request. If you cancel a booking up to 30 days in advance you receive a 75% refund of the total paid. Cancellations between 30 and 10 days before the tour receive a 50% refund. There is no refund if you cancel within 10 days of the tour or are not at the organised departure or pick-up point.
- We are happy for you to enjoy bottled water and hard candies while we travel. Other types of food and drink have proved previously to be quite hazardous (on Highland roads) both to yourselves and seat upholstery.
See our full terms and conditions here