6 Tours in Alloway That You Shouldn't Miss

October 16, 2021 Nicolette Lion

Alloway (Gaelic Allmhaigh, pronounced [aɫ̪avaj]) is a conservation village that is now a suburb of Ayr. It is best known as the birthplace of Robert Burns and the setting for his poem "Tam o' Shanter". Tobias Bachope, the mason responsible for the construction of Hopetoun House, Craigiehall, and Kinross House, also hailed from Alloway.
Restaurants in Alloway

1. 3-Day Isle of Arran Adventure Small-Group Tour from Edinburgh

Edinburgh Bus Station, Edinburgh EH1 3DQ, UK Rabbie's
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4.9 based on 9 reviews

Discover the diverse landscapes of the Isle of Arran on a 3-day tour from Edinburgh, and see some of mainland Scotland’s highlights, too! On route to the wild and windswept island, visit impressive Culzean Castle and spend time in ‘Burns Country,’ where Robert Burns (Scotland’s national poet) was born. After two nights in a 3-star guesthouse or hotel as well as a full-day tour of the Isle of Arran, return to Edinburgh via the Kintyre Peninsula and enjoy a final stop in the village of Inveraray.

Inclusions: Driver/guide, Ferry transfers to and from the Isle of Arran, 2 nights en-suite accommodation in a B&B or 3-star Hotel (breakfast included), Transportation by top of the range 16-seat Mercedes mini-coach (small groups max 16 passengers)

Exclusions: Food and drinks, unless specified, Gratuities, Admission fees

Reviewed By 464kathyi

Just returned from a lovely trip to the beautiful city of Edinburgh, can't wait to go back ???? During my stay I booked two 1 day tours with Rabbis. Firstly a huge thank you for running the tours with just the 2 of us, our stay had been planned around these days out so very grateful they went ahead. The Outlander tour with Lizzie was amazing as was Lizzie, she went out of her way to ensure we had a great day even though the weather was a bit liquidy! She was extremely knowledgeable about the Outlander series/locations and Scottish history in general, many thanks Lizzie. Our second tour was to St Andrews and the fishing villages of Fife with David who was fab, he was extremely helpful, flexible, knowledgeable and had a great sense of humour. The villages were beautiful and St Andrews was stunning, we were also fortunate enough to have lovely sunny weather. I would highly recommend both tours and guides! Kathy ☀️☔????

2. 3-Day Isle of Arran Adventure Small-Group Tour from Glasgow

Buchanan Bus Station, Killermont St, Glasgow G2 3NW, UK Rabbie's
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4.6 based on 5 reviews

Get to know the Isle of Arran’s rugged island landscapes as well as some of the highlights of mainland Scotland on a comprehensive 3-day tour from Glasgow! With a friendly guide at your side, visit ‘Burns Country,’ birthplace of the Scottish national poet Robert Burns, and sites such as Culzean Castle, and then spend two nights in a 3 star guesthouse or hotel in Brodick on the Isle of Arran. Explore the island on a full-day tour, and then return to Glasgow via the picturesque Kintyre Peninsula and Inveraray village.

Inclusions: Driver/guide, Transport by air-conditioned mini-coach, Ferry transfers to and from the Isle of Arran, 2 nights en-suite accommodation with breakfast

Exclusions: Meals and refreshments, Gratuities, Admission fees

Reviewed By maholi_leask

What an incredible experience. I’d definitely recommend this tour for anyone who wants to know and see more of this beautiful country ????????????????????????????. George was very friendly, kind and knowledgable. Each stop was absolutely breathtaking! My main reason for booking the tour was visiting Oban and I’m so pleased I had plenty of time to wonder around, eat and visit the tower. Technical details you might want to know: We came back to the bus station at 6:40 pm ( I got in on time to get my bus back to Aberdeen yeii) butwe had perfect weather and minimal traffic Plenty of stops. Public toilets in Oban charge 50p so make sure you have coins. Thank you for helping me with that George . You are a star (in Netflix and real life) PS: I absolutely LOVE the Scottish playlist ???????????????????? Thank you for showing us around ????????????????????????????

3. Writers and Poets virtual tour of Scotland

Castle Street, Castle St, Edinburgh, UK See Your City - English & German & French
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4.5 based on 14 reviews

From poems of the ‘bonnie’ landscapes and character of the past to stories of some of the most well-known wizards and detectives of our time, all can in some way thank their beginnings to the streets of the beautiful city of Edinburgh. From the comfort of your own home you can join us as we virtually walk the streets of Edinburgh discovering were some of our favourite authors created their best selling stories and the inspiration behind some of the most well-known characters in literature. This is a tour perfect for all book lover no matter what genre, with a special mention of the Scottish dialect that some of the best Scottish writers and poets favoured over the past 300 years! To start, you will get instructions to log on and join your guide and fellow ‘virtual tourists’ on this fun filled interactive literature themed tour. After virtually meeting your guide at the birthplace of ‘The National Bard of Scotland’ on the west coast of Scotland.

Inclusions: Professional Tour Guide, Comprehensive Tour of Edinburgh, Games and Quizzes

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Reviewed By Dolly154

Jenny was fantastic! This was my first official date in lockdown and was wonderful (I didn't even have to wear uncomfortable heels!). Really informative, lovely hosting and spoke at a really good pace. Would definitely do these tours again

4. Robert Burns Tour

Tartan Tours Scotland

Private Robert Burns Tour from Tartan Tours Scotland for parties of 1- 4 people. Tours leave from the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area and Ocean Terminal Greenock. You will collected at your hotel or agreed meeting place. A fanatic opportunity to explore the life and times of Robert Burns Robert Burns Cottage - his place of Birth. Alloway Auld Kirk - resting place of his parents and part of Tam O Shanter Brig O Doon- made famous by Tam O Shanter Burns Monument and Gardens- stunning monument to Burns Burns Museum- rich in Burns history Private tour of 1- 4 people. Travelling in luxury we provide soft drink and snacks to keep you going between locations.   Being a private tour you will also have your own tour guide for the day.

Inclusions: Bottled water, Snacks, Soda/Pop

Exclusions: Entrance Fees to Burns Cottage and Museum- note one ticket gets admission to both attractions

Reviewed By 4Travellers1

We actually did our tour in 2019 but had to post. We look back on this tour as one of our best, anywhere in the world. Don’t go to Scotland without talking to Stewart.

5. The Robert Burns Shore Experience - Private day tour (1 to 8 People)

Cruise Terminal, 2 Campbell St, Greenock PA16 8BW, UK Alba Experiences

Come with us and enjoy this unique encounter with Scotland’s favourite son, Robert Burns. Experience the famous sites in Alloway where Burns lived and was inspired to write his most famous work.

Inclusions: Snacks, Bottled water, A dram of whisky, Air-conditioned vehicle, Private transportation

Exclusions: Lunch, entrance fee to attractions.

Reviewed By terryw717

We had a holiday booked with another tour company that was to take us to the Isle of Skye from Glasgow. Through research we wanted to to see a bit more of Scotland whist we were there after that tour finished (we are from down south) and more than just Skye. We found Alba Experiences through Trip Adviser and were impressed with the previous reviews and also the tour and it’s description. This was “The Braveheart Experience - Private 1 day tour (1 to 8 People) Sunday 13th September 2020” Then with just two weeks to our original tour, the other company cancelled the holiday leaving us with just that one day tour with Alba Experiences. We had already our own flights booked plus the hotels for before and after it. As we were so impressed with Alba Experiences and how they communicated with us, we asked about them combining two tours that would have been for the same dates as the original and giving us one day for free time before the Braveheart Tour. This was the “Discover Inveraray And The Scottish Countryside” a tour from Glasgow to Oban and then the “Experience the Isle of Skye” a four day tour of Skye. Very bespoke for our needs. Luck was on our side and a bespoke tour was booked. Alba Experiences also recommended Hotels that we should book and additionally that if we wanted to eat out at night that we should also book them in advance as they were known to be booking fast. This proved invaluable. Day one (7th Sept) of the tour we met James McInlay, our tour guide and driver, and were so impressed with the cleanliness of his tour bus and the fact that he was ready well before our set meeting time, in fact every day James would be waiting for us with the tour bus clean again for the next days adventures. The following might sound like a list, but we packed so much in and I’m not sure if I am limited with this review. It was not a list, but a perfect guided tour of the areas we went to with history lessons and areas pointed out that we would surely missed if trying to do this ourselves. James delivered through professionalism and passion for his country and its history and beauty something more than we could have ever imagined. Our disappointment with the original tour by the other company being cancelled soon faded away and proved to be our win. Back to day one, we traveled from Bishopton towards Oban, taking in the beautiful town of Luss and it’s Parish Church where the only outdoor Viking Hogback stone is, Inveraray Castle and Jail, an area of ancient (4500 years old) rock art, the Nether Largie Standing Stones from 3200 years ago and the Kilmartin Grave Slabs. All this in one day. Day two (8th Sept) started with a visit to McCraigs Tower, then on to Castle Stalker, Glenfinan Monument and Viaduct (Harry Potter recent fame), Eilean Castle and Carbost Bridge. Day three (9th Sep) we went to the Kilted Rock, the area known as the Quiraing (possibly my favourite), Flora MacDonalds grave, Fairy Pools at Glen Brittle and back to our Hotel in Portree. Day four (10th Sept), Neist Point, Dunvegan Castle (you simply must go there), Fairy Pools (take hiking boots as it can sometimes get a bit wet but worth it). Day five (11th Sept), Carbost Bridge again with even better views, Urquart Castle on the banks of Loch Ness, Invermoriston Bridge, Fort Augustus, Three Sisters Mountain range and back to Bishopton for the end of our bespoke tour. We were to have a Seaplane adventure the next day with another company, alas the weather had other ideas and it got understandably cancelled. Then on the 13th Sept we started the original tour we booked with Alba Experineces, to visit the National Wallace Monument and Stirling Castle, ending with a stop at the Bannockburn Visitor Centre on the site of the decisive Bannockburn Battle. Alas, the visitor centre was closed and James had already made alternative arrangements and we visited Doune Castle (Monty Python fame), Rob Roy’s grave and the Falls of Falloch. These were so impressive from the rains over the previous days. James quickly got to know our likes and made slight adaptations to the tour, we were able to linger longer where we wanted, he found our passion for local food and took us to wonderful eateries. With out any doubt, we will return to see more, for there is more, and there is only one company that we would choose, Alba Experiences. I can not rate them high enough. I am limited to just 10 pictures, through James’s guidance with his professional photography skills I took many.

6. The Ayrshire Coast,Culzean Castle and Robert Burns (1 to 8 people available)

Alba Experiences

Come with us and enjoy this unique encounter with Scotland’s favourite son, Robert Burns. Experience the famous sites in Alloway where Burns lived and was inspired to write his most famous work. We will also discover the beauty of the Ayrshire coast and the stunning Culzean castle and its pleasure gardens.

Inclusions: Snacks, Bottled water, Alcoholic Beverages, Guided tour of the Burns Cottage by an 18th century themed guide., Air-conditioned vehicle, Private transportation

Exclusions: Entrance fees to visitor attractions., Lunch

Reviewed By terryw717

We had a holiday booked with another tour company that was to take us to the Isle of Skye from Glasgow. Through research we wanted to to see a bit more of Scotland whist we were there after that tour finished (we are from down south) and more than just Skye. We found Alba Experiences through Trip Adviser and were impressed with the previous reviews and also the tour and it’s description. This was “The Braveheart Experience - Private 1 day tour (1 to 8 People) Sunday 13th September 2020” Then with just two weeks to our original tour, the other company cancelled the holiday leaving us with just that one day tour with Alba Experiences. We had already our own flights booked plus the hotels for before and after it. As we were so impressed with Alba Experiences and how they communicated with us, we asked about them combining two tours that would have been for the same dates as the original and giving us one day for free time before the Braveheart Tour. This was the “Discover Inveraray And The Scottish Countryside” a tour from Glasgow to Oban and then the “Experience the Isle of Skye” a four day tour of Skye. Very bespoke for our needs. Luck was on our side and a bespoke tour was booked. Alba Experiences also recommended Hotels that we should book and additionally that if we wanted to eat out at night that we should also book them in advance as they were known to be booking fast. This proved invaluable. Day one (7th Sept) of the tour we met James McInlay, our tour guide and driver, and were so impressed with the cleanliness of his tour bus and the fact that he was ready well before our set meeting time, in fact every day James would be waiting for us with the tour bus clean again for the next days adventures. The following might sound like a list, but we packed so much in and I’m not sure if I am limited with this review. It was not a list, but a perfect guided tour of the areas we went to with history lessons and areas pointed out that we would surely missed if trying to do this ourselves. James delivered through professionalism and passion for his country and its history and beauty something more than we could have ever imagined. Our disappointment with the original tour by the other company being cancelled soon faded away and proved to be our win. Back to day one, we traveled from Bishopton towards Oban, taking in the beautiful town of Luss and it’s Parish Church where the only outdoor Viking Hogback stone is, Inveraray Castle and Jail, an area of ancient (4500 years old) rock art, the Nether Largie Standing Stones from 3200 years ago and the Kilmartin Grave Slabs. All this in one day. Day two (8th Sept) started with a visit to McCraigs Tower, then on to Castle Stalker, Glenfinan Monument and Viaduct (Harry Potter recent fame), Eilean Castle and Carbost Bridge. Day three (9th Sep) we went to the Kilted Rock, the area known as the Quiraing (possibly my favourite), Flora MacDonalds grave, Fairy Pools at Glen Brittle and back to our Hotel in Portree. Day four (10th Sept), Neist Point, Dunvegan Castle (you simply must go there), Fairy Pools (take hiking boots as it can sometimes get a bit wet but worth it). Day five (11th Sept), Carbost Bridge again with even better views, Urquart Castle on the banks of Loch Ness, Invermoriston Bridge, Fort Augustus, Three Sisters Mountain range and back to Bishopton for the end of our bespoke tour. We were to have a Seaplane adventure the next day with another company, alas the weather had other ideas and it got understandably cancelled. Then on the 13th Sept we started the original tour we booked with Alba Experineces, to visit the National Wallace Monument and Stirling Castle, ending with a stop at the Bannockburn Visitor Centre on the site of the decisive Bannockburn Battle. Alas, the visitor centre was closed and James had already made alternative arrangements and we visited Doune Castle (Monty Python fame), Rob Roy’s grave and the Falls of Falloch. These were so impressive from the rains over the previous days. James quickly got to know our likes and made slight adaptations to the tour, we were able to linger longer where we wanted, he found our passion for local food and took us to wonderful eateries. With out any doubt, we will return to see more, for there is more, and there is only one company that we would choose, Alba Experiences. I can not rate them high enough. I am limited to just 10 pictures, through James’s guidance with his professional photography skills I took many.

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