What to do and see in Aberdeenshire, Scotland: The Best Tours

Feel like a lord or lady as you wander through castles and manor houses. Stride ancient battlefields like a sword-wielding Highlander. And relive Scotland’s history defining moments of conceit and treachery as you listen to your driver-guide’s epic tales. On this tour, you’ll join the ranks of esteemed history lovers while you travel over sea, loch, and glen. You visit Scotland’s most impressive castles, tower forts, and palaces. And you even get a chance to take a boat trip and visit Scotland’s highest whisky distillery. This tour is your ticket into Scotland’s medieval past and royal history.

Inclusions: 3 nights en-suite accommodation in a B&B or 3-star Hotel (breakfast included), Professional driver guide, Transportation by top of the range 16-seat Mercedes mini-coach (small groups max 16 passengers)

Exclusions: Gratuities, Hotel pickup and drop off, Meals and refreshments, Admission fees

This is a private tour for your group only. Aberdeenshire has many treasures to offer and we will take you on a private tour to areas that are as stunning as they are interesting, chosen from the tour details section below. A suggested itinerary could be: • Old Aberdeen - See fascinating medieval history • Dunnottar Castle - one of the worlds most iconic castles, • Crathes Castle - a 16th century castle on Deeside with amazing gardens • Royal Lochnagar Distillery - the famous malt from the grounds of Balmoral Castle You can choose your own itinerary. Time Exposure Travel are members of ABTOT (No.5419) which provides protection for customers’ prepayments. Pick up and drop off is from your Hotel, Airport, Train Station or Cruise Ship

Inclusions: All tours tailored to suit your exact requirements or locations chosen from Tour Details, Lunch is optional and location will depend on tour., Route and timings will depend on starting point and your choice of attractions.., Pick up from with Aberdeenshire

Exclusions: No drinks are included in the cost., Lunch not included in cost, Gratuities, Castle interior / guided tours not included, Distillery Tour costs not included

From bodysnatching and beheadings to witchcraft and whippings, we share real life stories of crime and punishment from the last 500 years on this self-guided GPS audio tour. Along the way you’ll see major Aberdeen landmarks, from Marischal College to the Mercat Cross, and learn how they were witness to darkest chapters in the city’s history. Scot Free Tours sheds a light on the baffling and often unjust laws of the last five centuries – and reveals that past is not as far away as we think. Thousands of people have loved our 5-star rated live tours and now you can experience them with freedom of an audio guide! The tour plays audio automatically at exactly the right time and place using your smartphone's GPS and the VoiceMap mobile app, which also works offline. Start the tour in the app, put your phone in your pocket, and let us guide you around Aberdeen. The total walking distance is 3km and takes about 45 minutes without stopping, but you can pause anytime!

Inclusions: Lifetime access to this tour in English, VoiceMap app for Android and iOS, Offline access to audio, maps, and geodata

Exclusions: Smartphone and headphones, Transportation, Food and drink, Tickets or entrance fees to any museums or other attractions en route

A beautiful tour of the Highlands, explore the city of Inverness and enjoy Scottish hospitality on the banks of Loch Ness. With visits to Cawdor Castle and a stop at Culloden Moor Battlefield you will experience a bit of Scottish Heritage along the way.

Inclusions: WiFi on board, Air-conditioned vehicle

Exclusions: Lunch, Entry to attractions.

The tour describes the regime in Scotland's only "Convict" prison. The tour describes how it housed Britain's first "state owned" railway and you will see former carriages and fittings, that were used in the railway. The tour describes and shows visitors how the famous SAS were used to end a dramatic 4 day siege in 1987. The tour will walk you through 125 years of turbulent history of Scotland's only high security prison. The tour will tease all your senses, from the visual, to the audio and olfactory leaving you thinking an inmate might just walk round the next corner. The tour is now a multi award winning visitor attraction and graded as a 5* attraction by Visit Scotland.

Inclusions: Audio set

Exclusions:

The Gordon Highlanders Museum is a 5-star Visit Scotland attraction and tells the compelling and dramatic 200 year story of the Gordon Highlanders from the Napoleonic Wars to the modern day, using spectacular displays, film and the passion and knowledge of our guides. Following in the footsteps of serving soldiers, the museum takes you on an eye-opening journey through the history of “the Finest Regiment in the World“ (Sir Winston Churchill, 1900), with a story spanning 200 years of world history which includes 19 Victoria Crosses with 11 on display! With a fabulous Tea Room serving cakes, sandwiches, panini's, hot and cold drinks as well as a fully stocked Gift shop and FREE parking on site, a day out at the award-winning Gordon Highlanders Museum is a must when in the North East of Scotland.

Inclusions: Free parking on site, Ticket Gordon Highlanders Museum

Exclusions: Food and drinks

Whether you're a whisky lover or a whisky learner, you're bound to get a taste for it in the beautiful region of Speyside. Home to around 50% of all Scottish whisky distilleries, there's almost too much to see and drink. So on this tour, we help you get the most out of the region by taking you to two distinct distilleries. It’s a chance to learn about the incredible history, process, and flavours of Scotland’s national drink.

Inclusions: Professional driver/guide, Modern, air-conditioned Mercedes mini-coach, Small Group Tour (16 people max)

Exclusions: Gratuities, Hotel pickup and drop off, Food and drinks, unless specified, Admission fees

Soak up the spirit of Speyside on a 3-Day small-group whisky tour! Explore Scotland’s principle malt whisky producing region, which is noted for its elegant and subtle-tasting whiskies. Your small-group 3-day whisky tour will depart from Edinburgh with a maximum of 16 people and head to the north-east area of Scotland! The region of Speyside follows the path of the River Spey, stretching from the west of the Cairngorm National Park to the east coast. Boasting an impressive scene of winding lochs, green glens and dramatic peaks, the region has something for everyone. Enjoy visits to four of the region’s famous whisky distilleries, Dalwhinnie, Benromach, Glenfiddich and Glenlivet and enjoy tastings and samples galore. Speyside is home to another 42 operating distilleries, so there’s certainly plenty more to see if time permits! You will also visit Gordon and MacPhail’s legendary whisky shop in the Royal Burgh (town) of Elgin where you can shop for some of Speyside’s finest malts.

Inclusions: Driver guide, Small Group Tour (16 people max), 2 nights overnight accommodation including breakfast, with private facilities in either a B&B or 3-star hotel, Transport by air-conditioned mini-coach

Exclusions: Gratuities, Food and drinks, unless specified, Hotel pickup and drop off, Entrance fees for the distilleries

For those who only have one day to visit Aberdeen, this tour gives you an insight into what the region has to offer in a 7 hour tour. With both a visit to Castles and Distillery Tour, this excursion will give you a taste of the Grampian and our local food giving you every excuse to come back again! On Thursday's we will substitute Pitmedden Gardens for Tolquhon, as the castle it no longer open on this day. As both are close together we can view the castle from the outside.

Inclusions: Driver/guide, Food tasting, WiFi on board

Exclusions: Lunch, Gratuities, Entrance & Tour fees

The battles, beauty, and whisky: This is your perfect introduction to Scotland. You shed a tear as you hear the tales and tragedies of Scotland’s Jacobite Rising at the Culloden Battlefield. You try to take your best photo as you pass by Scotland’s famous mountains and castles. And you lick your lips as you drink in the spirit of Scottish whisky in Dufftown, ‘the Whisky Capital of the World’. What’s more, you get as close as possible to the legendary Loch Ness Monster on an optional boat trip. So, take this trip and enjoy the best of Scotland in a day.

Inclusions: Driver/guide, Transport by air-conditioned mini-coach, Small Group Tour (16 people max)

Exclusions: Gratuities, Food and drinks, Admission fees