Aberdeenshire, Balmoral Castle & the Northeast Coast

Our newest 2-day tour from Edinburgh - Aberdeenshire, Balmoral Castle and the Northeast Coast - visits some of the most spectacular locations in the northeast of Scotland from the V&A in Dundee, to the rugged Dunnottar Castle with an overnight stay in the Granite City, Aberdeen.

Our brand-new 2-day Aberdeenshire, Balmoral Castle and the Northeast Coast tour departs at 09:00 from Edinburgh city centre. Enjoy views of Scotland’s capital as we head out of the city towards our first stop. Travelling 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. 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. It also makes for a spectacular photo, sitting on the banks of the River Tay. You might even notice a piece of history just next door, in the form of the steamship RRS Discovery. From Dundee, we continue north to the picturesque town of Montrose where we will stop for a lunch break. The northeast coast is famous for its delicious seafood, so be sure to try and taste some if you can.

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. Tracing back to the Early Middle Ages, the castle has had a fascinating history and even played a key role during the 18th century Jacobite risings. Spend time here exploring the rugged coastline, taking in the spectacular views (don’t forget your camera) and learning all about the castle's rich history.

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, or even sample some local food from award-winning places like The Bay fish and chip shop, or Aunt Betty’s ice cream. Both sit on the seafront promenade and are well-known across the northeast.

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

After a hearty breakfast where you will hopefully be able to sample some local delicacies like butteries (to learn more about them click here), 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. Whilst here, keep an eye out for some of the local wildlife that are known to visit the area like roe deer, red squirrels and herons.

We continue westwards, through scenic towns like Banchory and the beautiful Aberdeenshire countryside, towards Ballater, where we will stop for a lunch break. Sample local food as you take in the scenery of the Victorian village, nestled in the heart of Royal Deeside and also within the Cairngorms National Park. 

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. You will be able to learn all about the history of the castle, who has lived there, and what important events have been associated with it. 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. The famous viewpoint was carved out by ice during the last ice age, much like a lot of the Highlands, which gives them the dramatic views that we all know and love.

As we continue further south, our final stop before we reach Edinburgh will be the city of Perth. The area here is known to have been occupied since the Stone Age, and there is still evidence of this nearby. 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, the capital city, where our 2-day tour of northeast Scotland will end.