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Outlander five castle tour

The Outlander TV series continues to be a huge hit in the UK and America .  Five Scottish castles in particular feature heavily in the story lines – Midhope Castle ( Lallybroch ) , Doune Castle ( Castle Leoch ) , Linlithgow Palace  (Wentworth Prison ) , Culross Palace and Blackness Castle ( Fort William army headquarters ) . If you haven’t got a trip to Scotland booked or you want a unique preview of the Highlands of Scotland , why not take a virtual tour of Scotland ?

1  Midhope Castle – Lallybroch
Get a glimpse of the ancestral home of Jamie Fraser at Midhope Castle .
Scenes were shot at Midhope Castle on the fringes of the Hopetoun Estate near South Queensferry.
Midhope was built in the 15th Century and was built by John Martyne, laird of Medhope. It was rebuilt in the mid 1600s and remains much the same today.
Visitors are asked to admire Midhope from a distance as the interior remains largely derelict.

Midhope Castle is the external location for fictional Lallybroch, the family home of character Jamie Fraser , and it is located on the Hopetoun Estate .  Midhope Castle dates back to the 15th Century and although the exterior is relatively intact the castle is derelict inside. Midhope Castle tours can be booked on

Toll free number 1-866-233-2644  or online .

2
Doune Castle – Castle Leoch

Originally dating to the 13th Century, Doune Castle near Stirling plays Castle Leoch, home to Colum MacKenzie and his clan.


It also features in the 20th century episode when Claire and Frank Randall visit the castle on a day trip.
Once a Royal residence, Doune Castle was rebuilt by Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany in the late 14th Century.


Doune has appeared several times on screen and was widely used in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It also represented the castle Winterfell in Game of Thrones.

3  Linlithgow Palace – Wentworth Prison

This royal palace and birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots became the backdrop for some of the most harrowing scenes of the show.
Depicted as Wentworth Prison, the prison corridors and entrance were used in episode 15 of the first series when Jamie Fraser was brutally incarcerated by his adversary, Black Jack Randall.
Built in the 1400s and 1500s, the now-ruined palace is set among the spectacular surrounds of Linlithgow Loch and Peel.

Culross Palace

5
Blackness Castle – Fort William army headquarters

One of Scotland’s most impressive strongholds, Blackness Castle near Linlithgow was used as the Fort William headquarters of Black Jack Randall.
The 15th-century ex-artillery fortress overlooks the Firth of Forth and is known as “the ship that never sailed” due to its unusual shape.
It was built in the 15th century by one of Scotland’s most powerful families, the Crichtons.

Outlander tour of five Scottish castles

  • up to four  passengers £250
  • private castles tour
  • Outlander tours

Entrance tickets, food and refreshments are not included . Explorer passes are available from Historic Environment Scotland for Doune ,  Blackness Castle and Linlithgow Palace .

Outlander tours  – Outlander photo gifts

Private tours of Scotland 0131-549-9785 seven days a week

check availability now for our unique tours of Scotland +44131-549-9785 seven days a week

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Castle tours Scotland – special offers

Special offers for December

Visit Outlander’s Lallybroch Castle ( Midhope Castle ) for just £90 . Hourly service from Edinburgh between 10 am and 2 pm . Free pickup and dropoff from Edinburgh. Or add two more Outlander film locations – Fort William and Wentworth prison –  for a unique tour costing just £150 . Phone 07305-294773 for details and availability.

See Jamie Fraser’s ancestral home – Lallybroch .

Need a bit more Outlander ? Listen to Jamie as he guides you around Castle Leoch ( Doune Castle ) on our Jamie Fraser Outlander tour

Game of Thrones castle tour special offer – normal price £180 , now £160 until 31 December . Tours run daily six days a week from 10 am to 1 pm in winter .

Is Broch Tuarach a real place? Lallybroch ( Midhope Castle) Outlander tours
Is Broch Tuarach a real place? Lallybroch ( Midhope Castle) Outlander tours, Lallybroch , real life Midhope Castle , is the ancestral home of Jamie Fraser , visit the castle on our Outlander tours

Alongside our normal choice of tours , Private Tours Edinburgh also offers bespoke private tours and one day Outlander tours customised to the requirements of each customer .

Tours start at 10 am . Our private group tours take up to four people to three Outlander castle filming locations. We also offer bespoke private tours with the option of choosing your own itinerary . In just 5 hours you can have the perfect Outlander day trip .

Tours start from locations in Edinburgh and cost £150 .

  • Normal pickup point is Edinburgh city centre , your hotel or port . Shore excursions – pickup from Rosyth, South Queensferry and Newhaven port. Ideal Day trip from Edinburgh

For more details about availability phone 0131 549 9785 / 07305-294773 . Outlander tours from Edinburgh are available six days a week .

Edinburgh transfers

Your driver /guide gives you the history of each castle , details of the episodes filmed at each location and points of interest on the journey .

Other pickup points can be arranged .

  • Lallybroch – Midhope Castle, ancestral home of Jamie Fraser
  • Linlithgow Palace – Wentworth Prison
  • Blackness Castle – Fort William
  • half day Outlander tour
  • Take in unique views of three historic castles featured in Outlander
  • Small private group tour with up to of four people
  • Outlander tours from Edinburgh

Shore excursions Edinburgh – all of our tours are available as shore excursions from the Edinburgh ports South Queensferry, Newhaven and Rosyth . Daytime phone number 0131 549 9785.

Itinerary

On this tour we visit various locations used for filming the hit series Outlander. Based on the best selling novels by Diana Gabaldon, Outlander is filmed in a number of locations in castles and towns in central Scotland.

Lallybroch – Midhope Castle

The first location on this Outlander tour is Lallybroch – Midhope Castle, ancestral home of Jamie Fraser . Outlander scenes were shot at Midhope Castle on the fringes of the Hopetoun Estate near South Queensferry.

lallybroch midhope castle tours
Lallybroch Midhope castle tours

Midhope was built in the 15th Century and was built by John Martyne, laird of Medhope. It was rebuilt in the mid 1600s and remains much the same today.

Visitors are asked to admire Midhope from a distance as the interior is inaccessible .

Midhope Castle, a 16th-century tower house, is used as Lallybroch (also known as Broch Tuarach) in Outlander . Left to Jamie by his parents, Brian and Ellen, Lallybroch is also home to Jamie’s sister, Jenny, her husband Ian Murray and their children. With Lallybroch being an important part of the Outlander story, much use is made of Midhope Castle.

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Lallybroch Castle tours

Looking for day trips from Edinburgh ? How about taking an Outlander tour from Edinburgh of Outlander’s Lallybroch with Private tours Edinburgh – just one of Scotland’s amazing Outlander castles and film locations ?

Tours start at 10 am . Our private group tours take up to four people to three Outlander castle filming locations. We also offer bespoke private tours with the option of choosing your own itinerary . In just 5 hours you can have the perfect Outlander day trip .

Tours start from locations in Edinburgh and cost £150 .

  • Normal pickup point is Edinburgh city centre , your hotel or port . Shore excursions – pickup from Rosyth, South Queensferry and Newhaven port. Ideal Day trip from Edinburgh

For more details about availability phone 0131 549 9785 / 07305-294773 . Outlander tours from Edinburgh are available six days a week .

Edinburgh transfers

Your driver /guide gives you the history of each castle , details of the episodes filmed at each location and points of interest on the journey .

Other pickup points can be arranged .

  • Lallybroch – Midhope Castle, ancestral home of Jamie Fraser
  • Linlithgow Palace – Wentworth Prison
  • Blackness Castle – Fort William
  • half day Outlander tour
  • Take in unique views of three historic castles featured in Outlander
  • Small private group tour with up to of four people
  • Outlander tours from Edinburgh

Shore excursions Edinburgh – all of our tours are available as shore excursions from the Edinburgh ports South Queensferry, Newhaven and Rosyth . Daytime phone number 0131 549 9785.

Itinerary

On this tour we visit various locations used for filming the hit series Outlander. Based on the best selling novels by Diana Gabaldon, Outlander is filmed in a number of locations in castles and towns in central Scotland.

Lallybroch – Midhope Castle

The first location on this Outlander tour is Lallybroch – Midhope Castle, ancestral home of Jamie Fraser . Outlander scenes were shot at Midhope Castle on the fringes of the Hopetoun Estate near South Queensferry.

lallybroch midhope castle tours
Lallybroch Midhope castle tours

Midhope was built in the 15th Century and was built by John Martyne, laird of Medhope. It was rebuilt in the mid 1600s and remains much the same today.

Visitors are asked to admire Midhope from a distance as the interior is inaccessible .

Midhope Castle, a 16th-century tower house, is used as Lallybroch (also known as Broch Tuarach) in Outlander . Left to Jamie by his parents, Brian and Ellen, Lallybroch is also home to Jamie’s sister, Jenny, her husband Ian Murray and their children. With Lallybroch being an important part of the Outlander story, much use is made of Midhope Castle.

Lallybroch Castle tours can be booked on

Toll free number 1-866-233-2644 or online .

Linlithgow Palace

This royal palace is the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots and it became the backdrop for some of the most harrowing scenes of the TV show Outlander .

Depicted as Wentworth Prison, the prison corridors and entrance were used in episode fifteen of the first series when Jamie Fraser was brutally incarcerated by his adversary, Black Jack Randall.

Built in the 1400s and 1500s, the now-ruined palace is set among the spectacular surrounds of Linlithgow Loch and Peel.

Blackness Castle goes back to 1440 . The castle provides the setting for Fort William, as the original fort no longer exists.

The castle is long and narrow because of the shape of the rock on which it is situated and it is sometimes called ‘ the ship that never sailed ‘ . It guards the bay at Blackness and is only a few miles from Linlithgow Palace . The first castle was built in the middle of the 15th century by Sir George Crichton , Earl of Caithness , a member of one of the most powerful families in Scotland .

This tour from Private tours Edinburgh costs £150 . Souvenir photos, t-shirts , phone cases and gifts can be bought at www.privatetoursedinburgh.com

Our photo tours of Scotland set off from Edinburgh and feature visits to the top scenic locations in the Highlands of Scotland. Perfect for iPhone and DSLR users with a passion for landscape photography .

Shore excursions Edinburgh – all of our tours are available as shore excursions from the Edinburgh ports South Queensferry, Newhaven and Rosyth . Daytime phone number 0131 549 9785.

Find out more about our full range of Outlander tours

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Filming at Midhope Castle ( Lallybroch)

Outlander fans are desperate for news about  Outlander Season 5 filming . Filming has taken place in Scotland for the last 2 months. I can reveal that I have posted on Twitter that I can “unofficially confirm” that filming will take place at Midhope Castle in September .Midhope Castle had previously been slated to be closed for a while for filming. The question was whether it would be for our series or something else that’s Scotland based. After all, many TV shows and movies have used some of the Outlander locations, including most recently Mary Queen of Scots and the Outlaw King .

Castle pictures can “unofficially confirm” that it will definitely be Outlander heading to Midhope Castle, which fans know as Lallybroch.

Filming will take place for four weeks. What isn’t clear is who exactly will be there. I think it will be Jamie and Claire Fraser, but it’s difficult to be certain about it . The castle is closed from mid-August .

David Rankin@castlepictures

I can unofficially confirm #outlander filming at #lallybroch next month . I think #jamiefraser and Claire will be there for 4 weekshttp://www.privatetoursedinburgh.com 

View image on Twitter

This will mean a change to the book storyline. Claire and Jamie don’t go to Lallybroch in Book 5, titled “The Fiery Cross.” However, the former home of Jamie Fraser does come up later in the book series. It’s possible that instead of doing one book per season, the showrunners have decided to combine book storylines.

Lallybroch gifts

In a way, combining the storylines would make sense. It could be easier to focus on one overall storyline for a season, making the series more like a traditional TV series with a story arc. In another sense, it could be easier to manage plot points that fans are disappointed in not getting because of the need to condense for time.

Jamie Fraser Outlander tours

Of course, Midhope Castle may not actually make it to Outlander Season 5. It’s possible that the set is being used for the Outlander Untold storylines, which we know are going to happen for Season 5.

Book your private tour of Lallybroch now on 07305-294773 .

See Jamie Fraser’s ancestral home – Lallybroch .

Hear Jamie as he guides you around Castle Leoch ( Doune Castle ) on our private tours

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Doune Castle tours

Doune Castle, built in the 14th century, consists of two strong towers linked by a lower range. Doune Castle tours can be booked on 07305-294773 or contact us online .

Doune Castle is unique in that it actually has four claims to movie fame –

  • Monty Python and the Holy Grail
  • Game of Thrones
  • Outlander
  • the Outlaw King ( Netflix)

Doune Castle was widely used in Monty Python and the Holy Grail as the castle of Guy de Lombard .

Take the audio tour of the castle narrated by Monty Python’s Terry Jones.

The two towers form two sides of a courtyard, the other sides enclosed by a high curtain wall. Other ranges were planned to surround the whole courtyard, but were apparently never built. The curtain wall has open rounds at the corners, and corbelled-out semi-circular bartizans midway between the rounds. This was once a lordly residence and remains an impressive old stronghold, probably on the site of an older castle.

doune castle tours, outlander
doune castle tours

The lord’s tower in Doune Castle has vaulted cellars, in the basement, and a fine vaulted hall on the first floor, reached by an external stone stair from the courtyard. The hall has a magnificent double fireplace and a minstrels’ gallery as well as a carved oak screen. A stair, in the thickness of the walls, climbs to the storeys above, which contain many chambers, including the great chamber or upper hall on the second floor, which has been a magnificent room.

Doune Castle was kept as a royal hunting lodge, prison, and dower house for the widows of James III, James IV and James V. It was occasionally used by Mary, Queen of Scots, and was held by forces loyal to her until 1570. This is another castle where a ghostly apparition of Mary has been reported.
Originally dating to the 13th Century, Doune Castle near Stirling plays Castle Leoch, home to Colum MacKenzie and his clan in Outlander TV series .

It also features in the 20th century episode when Claire and Frank Randall visit the castle on a day trip.

Once a Royal residence, Doune Castle was rebuilt by Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany in the late 14th Century.

Doune has appeared several times on screen and was widely used in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It also represented the castle Winterfell in Game of Thrones.

Doune Castle tours cost £180 for up to 4 people .

Phone 07305-294773 for bookings or contact us online .

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Visit Scotland for an amazing experience – tours of the beautiful landscapes and castles

Looking for things to do in Edinburgh ? How about a tour of Scotland’s castles , landscapes or film locations from Edinburgh ?

private Outlander tour of six film locations

Private outlander tour

Our private group tours take up to four people to three Outlander filming locations. We also offer bespoke private tours. This tour visits Falkland ( Inverness ) , Doune Castle ( Castle Leoch ) and Blackness Castle ( Fort William )

Superb day trip to Falkirk to visit the world famous Kelpies and the Falkirk Wheel

The Kelpies sculptures are the largest works of art in Scotland, and the largest equine sculptures in the world.

kelpies tours Falkirk

Sculptor Andy Scott was on hand for the opening, along with Duke, a Clydesdale horse which was one of the models for the 30m (100ft) works.

More than 1m people have visited the Kelpies since they were completed in April 2014.

The Kelpies, the centrepiece of the 350-hectare, £43m Helix parkland project, have boosted the local economy by £1.5m per year.

They have won a number of design awards, and were named “Scotland’s national treasure” by the National Lottery.

A £1.8m visitor centre has opened at the attraction .

The pair of sculptures are made from 600 tonnes of steel and more than 10,000 special fixings, and tower over the nearby M9 motorway.

The Kelpies sculptures in Falkirk were open to the public in April last year. An exhibition of local schools kids artwork celebrating The Kelpies and The John Muir Way will also be unveiled by Kelpie artist Andy Scott. The artwork will be on display inside The Kelpies for three weeks afterwards for tour guests to admire.

The completion of the £5 million venture marked a significant stage in the £43 million Helix project, which has transformed 865 acres of land between Falkirk and Grangemouth.

Game of thrones castle tour

visit the Game of Thrones castle – Doune Castle – on our unique tour. Visit Doune Castle on a unique private tour of the Game of Thrones Castle in Scotland – Winterfell .

Doune Castle is Winterfell in Game of Thrones and Monty Python’s Holy Grail. Visit Doune Castle on a unique private tour of the Game of Thrones Castle in Scotland – Winterfell .  Check availability by phoning us now on 07305-294773 or contact us online . Toll free number 1-866-233-2644

Doune is one of the best preserved medieval castles in Scotland.

Five Scottish castles tour

Our private group visits five castles used as Outlander film locations. This tour visits Midhope Castle ( Lallybroch ) , Doune Castle ( Castle Leoch ) , Linlithgow Palace (Wentworth Prison ) , Aberdour Castle and Blackness Castle.

Blackness Castle, Outlander TV series
the Outlander TV series has filmed in Scotland . One of Outlander’s first scenes was filmed in the picturesque town of Falkland, which stands in for Inverness in the 1940s . The show is based on American author Diana Gabaldon’s series of historical novels, which sees nurse Claire Beauchamp Randell mysteriously swept back from 1945 to 1743 Highland Scotland
 .  Falkland features some familiar sights from the TV series , including  Mrs Baird’s Guesthouses (actually the Covenanter Hotel), the Bruce Fountain where Claire comes across the ghost of Jamie, and the building that doubles as Farrell’s Hardware and Furniture Store.
Most of the filming will take place in Scotland,  according to the show’s executive producer Ron Moore . 
Scotland’s stunning landscape, with its rolling hills, rugged mountains, picturesque towns and villages, castles and sprawling beaches has provided the perfect backdrop for the world of cinema.
The show is based on American author Diana Gabaldon’s series of historical novels, which sees nurse Claire Beauchamp Randell mysteriously swept back from 1945 to 1743 Highland Scotland where rebellion and romance are afoot.  Executive Producer Ron Moore has commented on Scotland : “The landscape itself is a character in the show. There’s a particular quality to the light in Scotland, even to the grass and the trees.” 
Outlander season 2 is expected to premiere sometime in the first half of 2016

The Outlander TV series continues to be a smash hit in the UK and America .  Five Scottish castles in particular feature heavily in the story lines – Midhope Castle ( Lallybroch ) , Doune Castle ( Castle Leoch ) , Linlithgow Palace (Wentworth Prison ) , Aberdour Castle ( Sainte Anne de Beaupré’s monastery ) and Blackness Castle ( Fort William army headquarters ) .

Midhope Castle – Lallybroch

Those seeking a glimpse of the ancestral home of Jamie Fraser won’t find the real Lallybroch deep in the Highlands.

Scenes were shot at Midhope Castle on the fringes of the Hopetoun Estate near South Queensferry.

Midhope was built in the 15th Century and was built by John Martyne, laird of Medhope. It was rebuilt in the mid 1600s and remains much the same today.

Visitors are asked to admire Midhope from a distance as the interior remains largely derelict.

Unique four Scottish castles tour

Our private group visits four unique Scottish castles. This tour visits Drummond Castle and Gardens , Stirling Castle , Doune Castle and Linlithgow Palace

Four ancient Scottish castles feature in this tour – Drummond Castle and Gardens , Stirling Castle , Doune Castle and Linlithgow Palace

1 Drummond Castle and Gardens

Drummond Castle Gardens, near Crieff, Perthshire, doubles as the French royal Palace of Versailles in TV drama Outlander.The grounds, which date back to 1630, are considered “the best example of formal terraced gardens in Scotland”.

Drummond Castle Gardens, which are protected as a category A listed building — in contrast to the B listed castle — already attract thousands of visitors per year, and are included on the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland.The gardens — complete with peacocks — feature ancient yew hedges and the remaining beech tree planted by Queen Victoria in 1842.

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Doune Castle

Originally dating to the 13th Century, Doune Castle near Stirling plays Castle Leoch, home to Colum MacKenzie and his clan in Outlander TV series .

It also features in the 20th century episode when Claire and Frank Randall visit the castle on a day trip.

Once a Royal residence, Doune Castle was rebuilt by Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany in the late 14th Century.

Doune has appeared several times on screen and was widely used in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It also represented the castle Winterfell in Game of Thrones.

photo tours of the Highlands of Scotland

Private tours of the Highlands including a visit to Glencoe, Black Mount and Buachaille Etive Mor . Your guide will take you to the best spots for taking pictures of the beautiful scenery of Glencoe and the Highlands .

This photo tour is ideal for beginners/ intermediate photographers . Your photo guide will offer assistance as required with taking pictures.

Our promise – your guide will always be friendly , helpful and informative .

Glencoe – see the stunning scenery of the paps of Glencoe , one of the most impressive peaks in Scotland. Glencoe is a beautiful rocky landscape featuring the Paps of Glencoe – giant mountains of solid rock. In the summer you might hear the piper in the car park playing a lament . When it goes quiet the silence is quite eery . Listen carefully and you might hear the wailing of ghosts from the Massacre of Glencoe. Your guide will take to the two best viewing points in Glencoe . One of the viewing points involves a short walk up the hillside facing the paps of Glencoe .

Day trips from Edinburgh can be booked on  +447305294773

Eilean Donan Castle , edc16136

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Whisky, lochs and castles tour

Our private group visits a malt whisky distillery and two unique Scottish castles. This tour visits Deanston Distillery, Stirling Castle and Doune Castle. Doune Castle featured in Monty Python and the Holy Grail , Game of Thrones and Outlander

Two ancient Scottish castles and a distillery feature in this tour –

  •  Stirling Castle
  • Doune Castle
  • Deanston Highland Malt Distillery
  • Loch Lubnaig and Loch Lubhair

Doune Castle featured in Monty Python and the Holy Grail , Game of Thrones and the Outlander TV series.

Stirling Castle is one of Scotland’s most impressive castles due to its imposing position and amazing architecture.

Deanston Distillery makes award-winning Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky. The Standard Tour finishes off with a tasting of Deanston 12 year old whisky .

Toll free number 1-866-233-2644

Freephone 0800-6190575

or online .

Our whisky tours from Edinburgh include a guided tour of the distillery and a tasting of Deanston 12 year old , £5 voucher towards the purchase of any bottle of Deanston 70cl single malt whisky in the distillery shop . Duration: 50 minutes

1

Doune Castle

Originally dating to the 13th Century, Doune Castle near Stirling plays Castle Leoch, home to Colum MacKenzie and his clan in Outlander TV series .

It also features in the 20th century episode when Claire and Frank Randall visit the castle on a day trip.

Once a Royal residence, Doune Castle was rebuilt by Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany in the late 14th Century.

Doune has appeared several times on screen and was widely used in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It also represented the castle Winterfell in Game of Thrones.

 

Deanston Distillery

In 1974 Deanston produced the very first bottle of Deanston Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky.

The standard tour at Deanston costs £9 per person ( not included on tour price )

Each tour warmly welcomes you into the heart of the distillery, where Deanston makes award-winning Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky. Here you will see a traditional open top mash tun, gleaming copper stills and a must-see vaulted maturation Warehouse 2B. Join the experienced tour guides on a journey through time, taking you back to the past as a cotton mill and through the evolution of Deanston Distillery . The Standard Tour finishes off with a tasting of Deanston 12 year old whisky .

Guided tour of the distillery Includes a tasting of Deanston 12 year old , £5 voucher towards the purchase of any bottle of Deanston 70cl single malt whisky in the distillery shop Duration: 50 minutes

Every drop of Highland Single Malt is a marriage of the finest local ingredients and the skill of the craft to create the wonderful, fresh, honeyed sweetness that Deanston is known for. The Distillery has a commitment to using a traditional, hand crafted approach to our whisky embodies the honesty of our community. Our adherence to traditional methods combined with the skills and experience of our distillery team makes Deanston the unique single malt it is today.

Stirling Castle

Stirling Castle is one of Scotland’s most impressive castles due to its imposing position and impressive architecture.

From Stirling Castle’s ramparts, visitors can take in views of the Forth Valley and Ben Lomond , as well as two of Scotland’s most important battle sites – Stirling Bridge (1297) and Bannockburn (1314). The castle is at the head of Stirling’s historic old town.Like Edinburgh Castle , Stirling sits on a volcanic rock dominating the city skyline .

Stirling Castle is not only one of Scotland’s grandest and most imposing castles, it was also a real favourite with Scotland’s kings and queens. And their investment in it demonstrated just how much they loved to use it, as well as their desire to ensure it both impressed all who visited it, and represented a statement of their power and wealth. James IV created the Great Hall, the largest medieval banqueting hall ever built in Scotland, and James V’s Royal Palace, with its lavishly decorated Renaissance façades, was a masterpiece of the period.

Major conservation work has been carried out at Stirling Castle over many years to preserve the attraction as a major national and international monument. The refurbishment of the Great Hall was completed a couple of years ago . A particular feature of the Great Hall is stained glass windows featuring clan crests . A number of banquets and concerts are held in the Hall throughout the year .

Phone 07305-294773 for bookings.

Exclusions

entrance tickets

distillery tour tickets

  • whisky tours
  • castle tours
  • tours of Scotland
  • single malt whisky  tasting
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Mary Queen of Scots tours

Mary Queen of Scots tours

Our tour features a visit to the key places in the life of Mary Queen of Scots tours. This private tour takes up to 4 people to Linlithgow Palace, Stirling Castle, Loch Leven and Falkland in Fife .

Linlithgow Palace

Linlithgow Palace is where Mary was born in 1542.

Linlithgow Palace tours

Next to the Palace is the medieval St Michael’s Parish Church where Mary was baptised . A new bronze statue of Mary has been erected next to the church .

Linlithgow Palace featured as Wentworth Prison in Outlander.
This royal pleasure palace and birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots

 

 

 

 

 

Stirling Castle is where Mary was brought to be crowned as an infant.

 

This was her home until she was 5 years old. The castle features the royal palace , rose gardens and Royal Apartments. In the castle Mary saw the baptism of her son, James VI . Sadly this is also the place where she sees him for the last time.

Loch Leven

Loch Leven recalls one of the more sombre periods in Mary’s life. Loch Leven Castle is where Mary was imprisoned for nearly a year, suffered a miscarriage and was forced to abdicate in favour of her son James. She eventually escaped with the help of George Douglas but went on to suffer defeat at The Battle of Langside, and on to imprisonment in England.

 

falkland palace

Falkland Palace, the favourite retreat of the Stewarts. Mary is thought to have enjoyed some of her happiest days here, enjoying hunting and hawking and playing tennis on the world’s oldest tennis court. On a more haunting note, it is here that her father James V was said to utter the prophecy of The Stewart Dynasty “It cam’ wi’ a lass and it’ll gang wi’ a lass” and you can also see a copy of her death mask.

Nine key dates in the life of Mary Queen of Scots

  1. Born 8 December 1542 in Linlithgow Palace.
  2. Crowned Queen of Scots in the Chapel Royal, Stirling Castle, aged just nine months.
  3. Smuggled to France aged five, where she lived until she was 18.
  4. Gave birth to her only child in Edinburgh Castle. He would rise to become James VI of Scotland and I of England.
  5. Some believe she arranged to have her second husband, Lord Darnley, assassinated.
  6. Married for a third time to Lord Bothwell – some believe he abducted her against her will.
  7. Imprisoned for almost a year in Lochleven Castle in Kinross before managing to escape.
  8. Last hours in Scotland were spent in Dundrennan Abbey in Dumfries & Galloway before journeying to England to seek protection from her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I.
  9. Confined in England for 18 years before Elizabeth sanctioned her death warrant and she was beheaded. She died 8 February 1587 in Fotheringhay Castle.

Glen Coe, the Highlands , Scotland
Glen Coe, the Highlands , Scotland

The new Mary Queen of Scots film features Oscar Nominee Saoirse Ronan performs the role of the ambitious Mary, whose attempts to reclaim the throne of Scotland incurs the wrath of the maniacal virgin queen, Elizabeth I, played by Margot Robbie. Former Dr Who David Tennant also features in the film . Much of the filming for the £180 million project has taken place in Edinburgh, 20 miles from the queen birthplace in Linlithgow, with scenes also shot in Glencoe, Blackness Castle , Oxford and Derbyshire. The film also features a digital recreation of Linlithgow Palace ,  birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots.

Mary Queen of Scots tours – tour price £300 – phone 07305-294773 or book online .

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Aberdour Castle tours

Aberdour Castle , in Fife, plays the part of the Benedictine monastery, Abbey Ste Anne de Beaupre in Outlander . It is here that Jamie recovers from his injuries at the hands of “Black Jack” Randall. In “Dragonfly in Amber” , the Abbey is located on the north coast of France. However, in the TV series, where this scene is moved to the first series, the Abbey is in Scotland, and Claire tends to Jamie prior to them leaving Scotland.

Aberdour Castle tours
Aberdour Castle tours

Aberdour Castle , in Fife, plays the part of the Benedictine monastery, Abbey Ste Anne de Beaupre in Outlander , castle tours
Aberdour Castle , in Fife, plays the part of the Benedictine monastery, Abbey Ste Anne de Beaupre in Outlander . It is here that Jamie recovers from his injuries at the hands of “Black Jack” Randall. In “Dragonfly in Amber” ,

Aberdour Castle is located in the village of Easter Aberdour in Fife, Scotland. With a hall house dating back to the 12th century, it is arguably the oldest castle in Scotland.

Different parts of the castle were used, including the stables, gallery and kitchen. Book your tour of Aberdour Castle on 07305-294773 .

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Callendar House , Falkirk tours

A commemorative exhibition dedicated to the Battle of Falkirk is going on public display to coincide with the 720th anniversary of the event. Callendar House in Falkirk will be filled with a collection of historical objects from this Saturday, including a sword reputedly used by Sir John de Graeme, in a nod to the 1298 battle. The sword, donated to Falkirk Community Trust by the Masonic Lodge in Auchterarder, was passed down through the de Graeme family until it was handed to the lodge for safekeeping in 1792 by William Graeme of Orchill, its Right Worshipful Master. Sir John de Graeme was born in the Carron Valley and fought alongside Sir William Wallace, becoming a good friend and trusted advisor of the Scottish leader. He was killed in battle after supposedly being struck from behind through a gap in his armour by an unseen assailant as he fought an English knight. According to a later account of the battle, in a 1470s poem written by Blind Harry, Sir Wallace searched for Sir de Graeme’s body and carried him to the churchyard at Falkirk for burial, where he remains to this day. Grangemouth councillor Robert Spears, who played an instrumental role in organising the loan, said: “I am delighted that the sword will be in Callendar House in time for the commemorations and am sure that it will prove a major attraction to the Battle of Falkirk display during its special loan period.” The Battle of Falkirk Commemoration Community will hold a wreath-laying service and ceremony at 1pm this Saturday at Sir John de Graeme’s tomb in the Trinity Church. Members will then head to Callander Park to the 1298 Memorial Cairn.

Tour Falkirk and Callander House on our unique local tours