Local Dark Deeds Tour
The Private Group Dark Deeds Day Tour 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.
Stunning visits at; Pluscarden Abbey, Spynie Palace or Johnstons shop, Elgin Cathedral and Cawdor Castle. Brodie Castle and Culloden photostops.
Departure
Collection from within 16 miles of Inverness included in the price.
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£590.00 9 hours
Local Dark Deeds Tour – Itinerary
The Dark Deeds Tour sees you travelling east to visit the exterior of Brodie Castle, before continuing on to the historic city of Elgin and it’s ruined cathedral. The rest of the morning will be either a visit to the luxury shop, Johnstons of Elgin or the ruined bishop’s residence of Spynie Palace. If timings have gone well then there is an outside chance of being able to see them both. After lunch you will travel on, to Pluscarden Abbey, followed by Cawdor Castle. On your return to Inverness there will be time for a photostop at the darkest deed of them all; Culloden.
Brodie Castle
This castle was, for centuries, the home of the Brodies of Brodie. This family held the ancient Celtic title of Mormaer (Earl), and their castle grounds are a particular glory around April. This is because of the hundreds of varieties of daffodils among the trees.
Elgin Cathedral
Next you visit the historic city of Elgin. Hear how it used to be a fine, walled medieval city containing twenty two colleges and a Norman Cathedral, which was then sacked and burned by the Wolf of Badenoch in 1390. During your visit to the cathedral we will show you an ancient Pictish carved stone, and you can visit the many exhibition rooms where there are displays of riotous medieval stone carving.
Spynie Palace
Spynie Palace stands a little way to the north of Elgin and was the palace for the bishop of the cathedral. It is described as being the largest tower house in Scotland, and yes, you can get right to the very top!
Johnstons of Elgin
Johnstons of Elgin are a woollen mill working in luxury textiles like Cashmere and Vicuna. They also developed the whole concept of estate tweeds for camouflage on the hill. Elgin is where it all began, in 1797, and that is still where we can visit their elegant mill shop and cafe. They are the UK’S last remaining vertical woollen mill, by which they mean that the actual loom stands up vertically.
Pluscarden Abbey
Pluscarden Abbey nestles in a sylvan setting by the Black Burn. Here there is an opportunity to see the beautiful interiors and windows, and listen to the white-robed Benedictine order as they perform the Gregorian Chant – a sound little changed since the time of the Wolf of Badenoch. Pluscarden was also attacked in the Wolf’s raids of 1390.
Cawdor Castle
Cawdor Castle has been (and still is) the home of the Cawdor family since its construction, around 1380. A visit takes you through more than a dozen of its finest rooms, especially enjoyable because it is a living family home and not a museum. There are also three fine shops and a restaurant within the castle.
Cawdor Castle Gardens
Cawdor Castle Gardens are extensive. The Walled Garden (dating back to Renaissance times) contains the Paradise Garden, the Knot Garden, the Orchard and the Minotaur’s Maze). The Flower Garden, laid out in 1710, contains many sculptures, and the Wild Garden lies near the Cawdor Burn (the local river).
Culloden Battlefield
Culloden Battlefield, site of the last battle on British soil, stands atop a ridge, four miles from Inverness. Here, Bonnie Prince Charlie’s Jacobite army met a final and chilling end. We only have time for a photo on this tour. As a result, we will ensure that we take you to the best place on site to do that.
Local Dark Deeds Tour – Price
£590 for the tour.
Local Dark Deeds Tour – Departure
The tour departs from your Inverness accommodation, or any transport hub, such as 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 included?
We don’t include entry to the attractions – and that way we leave the day as flexible as possible for you.
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