2 Day Tour - Royal Deeside, Balmoral Castle and the Cairngorms National Park.  

A wonderful tour at your own relaxed pace travelling through the heart of beautiful Perthshire visiting the historic Dunkeld Cathedral and witness spectacular landscapes and wild tundra in the Cairngorm National Park and explore Royal Deeside and Balmoral Castle home of the Royal Family.  

Leaving your accommodation we begin our tour with a brief visit to Stirling Castle a must see while on holiday in Scotland. During the wars of independence in the 13^th and 14^th centuries Sir William Wallace (Braveheart) defeated English forces in 1297 at the battle of Stirling Bridge. A 220ft high monument was erected in 1869 to commemorate the famous victory by Wallace and his Scottish army.

From Stirling we head north through the heart of Perthshire to Scone Palace once the crowning place of the Scottish Kings, Macbeth and Robert the Bruce! The palace once housed the Stone of Scone or “Stone of Destiny” on which Kings where crowned until the Stone was moved to Westminster Abbey in 1296 by King Edward 1. A replica of the great stone stands at Moot Hill beside the medieval Chapel. The palace is surrounded by beautiful gardens and a Maze to wander through.

From Scone our journey takes us through the Perthshire countryside to the picturesque town of Dunkeld once the centre of Christianity in Scotland. The impressive semi-ruined Cathedral located on the north bank of the river Tay is a real highlight of the tour. As you walk through the ornate gates you get the feeling of ancient history as you walk around the holy grounds. The Cathedral you see today dates back to the 12^th and 15^th centuries although there has been a monastery here since about 730AD. After your tour of the Cathedral why not relax on the banks of the Tay (Scotland’s longest river) and watch wild salmon travel up river as you enjoy some lunch.

Leaving Dunkeld sit back and take in the stunning scenery as we head north through the beauty of Glenshee to the pretty village of Braemar on Royal Deeside. We make a short detour through the village to Linn o Dee, a series of falls and rock pools; this was also a favourite picnic area with Queen Victoria.

From here we make our way to Braemar Castle.  Built in 1628 by the Earl of Mar the Castle is now the Seat of the Clan Farquharson. 12 rooms are now on show after restoration programmes. Leaving Braemar behind we follow the river Dee (Scotland’s famous Salmon River) to Balmoral Castle, favourite residence of the Royal family in the summer months. The Castle is open to visitors between April and July with regular tours of the Castle, fine gardens and woodland. A short distance from Balmoral is Royal Lochnagar Distillery, producing one of Scotland’s most exclusive whiskies. You can a tour around the distillery and learn how the Single Malt is made and there’s also a complimentary Dram at the end of your tour. From Balmoral we drive to the lovely village of Ballater and your accommodation for the night refreshed after a long day we take an evening drive to Loch Muick on the Balmoral Estate with majestic views of Lochnagar itself and get up close to wild Deer & Stags and maybe even a Golden Eagles.

From Loch Muick we head back to Ballater for some traditional Scottish food and a dram or two.  

Day 2  

After your traditional Scottish breakfast we journey along one of the highest roads in Scotland to the village of Tomintoul. Situated in the heart of the Cairngorm National Park the village lies at a height of 1170ft and in winter is regularly shut off from the outside world due to severe weather. We pay a visit to the Tomintoul Distillery part of the Glenlivet Estate at the heart of the World renowned Whisky trail where some of Scotland’s famous Malts are made. From Tomintoul we drive through the Speyside valley to the Highland resort of Aviemore we stop for lunch here and chance to browse around the abundance of shops and restaurants Aviemore has to offer.

From here we travel south to Ruthven Barracks. Built by the Hanoverian troops in 1719 to protect the area after the Jacobite rising in 1715 Ruthven now lies in ruin but as you walk through the ruins you get a real sense of the history that took place here over the centuries.

Leaving Ruthven we drive south over the Drumochter Mountain pass to Blair Atholl Castle set in the heart of Highland Perthshire. The Castle is the ancient seat of the Duke of Atholl and its history dates back over 700yrs. You can take a tour of the Castle or if you wish just stroll around the beautiful grounds and gardens.

From Atholl we drive along the Perthshire countryside to Queens’s view, one of the finest viewpoints in all of Perthshire. The stunning views across Loch Tummel are spectacular and definitely one for your photo album.

From here we continue along Tummel valley to the pretty village of Kenmore and a visit to the Scottish Crannog Centre. Crannogs are a type of ancient Loch-Dwelling found throughout Scotland around 5,000yrs ago. This unique reconstruction site dates to early Iron Age around 2,600 yrs ago and is the only one of its kind in Scotland.

Leaving Kenmore we journey along the north side of Loch Tay to the spectacular Falls of Dochart situated in the attractive village of Killin. There are fabulous views of the falls from the ancient bridge as they cascade underneath and around Inchbuie, island burial place of the clan MacNab. The village also has an excellent Folklore centre located in the Old St Fillans Water Mill, housing the 1300yr old St Fillan healing stones. After Killin we make our journey home travelling through Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park and the end of your tour of Royal Deeside and the Highlands with us at About Scotland.  

Optional! 

Why not add an extra day to your tour and experience our Taste a Dram Tour. We follow the world famous Whisky Trail where we visit some of Scotland’s famous distilleries like Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, Macallan, Cardhu, Balvenie and Tomintoul plus many more! You can also experience the ancient art of coopering using traditional methods of cask making. This is a wonderful tour for lovers of fine malt whisky or for those with an interest in how Visge Beatha (The Water of Life) is made.