Join a tour from Aberdeen and experience the beauty of the Royal Deeside, with its connections to the monarchy and stunning scenery. Discover Balmoral and walk in the footsteps of generations of royals who have called this castle home. Visit picturesque villages in the area. Balmoral castle* was the late Queen Elizabeth's private country retreat and a beloved home. King Charles, who has his own private home on the estate, has a great affection for the castle and grounds. When visiting we highly recommend the audio tour where you will hear stories from people who lived and worked at Balmoral as they guide you around the estate. ***Balmoral Castle closes on the 16th of August. We will substitute the National Trust for Scotland's Crathes Castle on this tour. Crathes Castle was home to the Burnett family, who lived in the castle for over 350 years, and had roots in the area dating back to 1323. Alexander Burnett built the castle in the 16th century, an intricate maze of turrets, towers, oak panels and painted ceilings, many of which survive beautifully to this day. Inside you’ll find cultural history, family portraits and antique furniture. The walled garden is wonderful, split into eight sections that encompass every green delight imaginable a sculpted topiary, soft herbaceous colours and modern exotic blooms. The massive yew hedges are thought to have been planted as early as 1702. Scotland is iconic for its beautiful rugged mountains, hills of heather and cool clear rivers running through the countryside. On this short scenic drive we detour through the fringes of the highland moors and heath lands of the east Cairngorm national park. Ballater will be next on your tour and is is a picturesque Victorian village. This planned agricultural town dates back over two hundred years and is set around a central village green and the impressive Glenmuick Kirk which held its first service in 1800. A stroll around the town reveals an interesting range of many specialty shops and good selection of restaurants and cafes to enjoy some of the local food & drink. As we start to make our way back to Aberdeen we will visit the iconic Cambus O'May suspension bridge, a very popular outdoor destination for visitors walking in the area. A walk up to the Tomnaverie recumbent stone circle, is a breathtaking experience. A characteristic feature of this type of circle is a large stone on its side, flanked by two upright stones, usually on the south or south-west arc of the circle. The stone circle surrounds a burial cairn dating to about 4,500 years ago. Finally a visit the Queen's view just outside Tarland. The view gained its name from Queen Victoria who quickly fell in love with the view of the lower valley of the Dee which includes a view of the peak of Lochnagar. The view is particularly loved for its unspoiled beauty which has not changed greatly for hundreds of years making it even more remarkable, and a view which is iconic of Aberdeenshire.

Day 1 You head north through the Kingdom of Fife to Lindores Abbey Distillery. This modern Scottish distillery is built on the site of the first ever recorded distiller in the country. After lunch in Braemar, you can sample the delights of the Royal Lochnagar distillery. The outstanding flavour of its whisky was appreciated by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert on one of many visits to their summer residence, Balmoral Castle. Once you’ve warmed with this dram of “the gentle spirit”, you continue through the Cairngorms National Park before reaching Grantown-on-Spey, your base for two nights. Day 2 Time for some fun. Today you spend the whole day exploring Scotland’s most famous whisky region. After a scenic drive towards the coast, your first stop of the day is at Glen Moray, where you can try whisky matured in a wide selection of casks. You travel back up the Spey River to Craigellachie for a visit to the Speyside Cooperage**, where you see another aspect of the whisky making process. After lunch in nearby Aberlour, you visit Cardhu Distillery, which is the first distillery pioneered by a woman, Helen Cumming. Today, Cardhu is the most important whisky in Johnnie Walker Black Label. From here you travel back to Grantown-on-Spey. **Speyside Cooperage will remain closed till 22nd May 2023. If your tour departs on 15th May, you will visit Strathisla distillery instead. And if your tour departs on the 17th May, you will visit Glen Grant Distillery instead. After 22nd May 2023 the Cooperage is visited on Monday and Wednesday departures. Day 3 In the morning you visit Scotland's highest distillery at Dalwhinnie, set in splendid mountain scenery at the heart of the Cairngorm National Park. You then leave the Highlands and journey south to Perthshire. Pitlochry is your lunch stop and later you drive to the Hermitage to get close to nature. Here you can take a fantastic woodland walk amongst the tallest trees in Britain and admire the Black Linn Falls. From here the route south takes you to Dunkeld, where you've got some time to explore, and then over the Firth of Forth and back to Edinburgh. **Itinerary and distillery visits are subject to change.

Balmoral Castle and Gardens - 10% Off Belwade – Free Equestrian Experience and Farm Tour (normally worth £6) Blair Castle & Gardens - 15% Off Bothies Food & Drink Tours - 10% Off Cullen Sea School - 10% Off Cairngorms Activities - 10% Off Dewars Aberfeldy Distillery - 10% Off Discovery Point & RSS Discovery – 10% Off Gordon Walled Castle - Free Walled Garden Entrance (normally worth £8) Grampian Transport Museum - 50% Off Macduff Marine Aquarium - 20% Off Maryculter House Hotel - 30% Off More in Moray - 10% Off Ogilvy Spirits Farm and Distillery - 10% Off Peterculter Golf - 25% Off Peterhead Prison Museum - 10% Off Ride in Peace - 20% Off Strathisla Distillery- 10% Off The City of Aberdeen Distillery & Gin School - 10% Off The Gordon Highlanders Museum - 10% Off Timberbush Tours - 15% Off Toll House Spirits - 20% Off Verdant Works – 20% Off This product website is updated on a regular basis, and all reasonable steps are undertaken to ensure that the information and data shown on it is as accurate as possible. The aim is to correct any errors or omissions as soon as practicable after being notified of them. However, it cannot be guaranteed that the Website will be fault free and the company do not accept liability for any errors or omissions. Business listing information such as opening times, prices, availability, and other information may change from time to time. To the extent permitted by applicable law, we therefore disclaim all warranties and representations (whether express or implied) as to the accuracy of any information contained on the Website.

On Day 1 of the journey, we will be departing from Scotland's vibrant capital, Edinburgh, taking a moment to capture a few snapshots of its iconic Forth road and rail bridges, before venturing into the captivating Kingdom of Fife. This marks the beginning of our whisky pilgrimage that will start at Lindores Abbey Distillery, renowned for its historic whisky past. Here, we will embark on a distillery tour, learning about their whisky-making process, followed by a tasting of two different varieties. Lindores also produce their award-winning Aqua Vitae, a handcrafted botanical spirit, ideal on its own or with a splash of ginger ale and orange. Next up is the historical market town of Blairgowrie, where you can explore the town and grab some lunch (own expense) before heading to Royal Lochnagar Distillery, situated at the foot of the Cairngorm mountains and a mile away from Balmoral Castle. Here, we will get the chance to experience a tutored Warehouse Tasting of four different kinds of whisky, which cannot be sampled anywhere else! Finally, we will settle for two nights in Grantown-on-Spey, founded by Sir James Grant in 1766. Day 2 will begin with a scenic drive along the banks of the River Spey, and then we will pay a visit to the iconic Glenlivet Distillery for a Single Cask Tasting. It boasts an intriguing history of illicit distilling. Their whisky has gained worldwide recognition, so the tasting will certainly be a good one! After that, you can gain an understanding of the work of the cooper, who are in charge of the whisky casks, when visiting the Speyside Cooperage (subject to availability). Later on, we will make a stop at Strathisla Distillery, offering you the chance to master the art of blending and create your very own whisky! The final day will involve a tour and tasting at a distillery, followed by a farewell to Speyside and a return south.