Invergordon Cruise Excursion - Castle ,Whisky and History Tour

The highlight of the tour is the visit to Dunrobin Castle and Gardens, featuring a falconry display held twice daily in the gardens. The tour also takes you through classic Highland scenery, includes a one-hour stop in the historic town of Dornoch, offers great food and drink, and concludes with a visit to a whisky distillery.

Duration: 7 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Struie - Locally referred to as Millionaires Viewpoint, this spot offers two of the most breathtaking views in the Scottish Highlands. The name comes from the entrepreneur Andrew Carnegie, whose residence was once Skibo Castle. It’s said he would bring his guests here to admire the scenery.
  • Dunrobin Castle and Gardens - Situated in Sutherland in the Highland region of Scotland, Dunrobin Castle is the ancestral home of the Earl of Sutherland and Clan Sutherland. Located 1 mile north of Golspie and about 5 miles south of Brora, it overlooks the Dornoch Firth. Note: Dunrobin Castle is closed from November to April, and only the exterior can be viewed during these months.
  • Loch Fleet National Nature Reserve - The most commonly seen mammals at Loch Fleet are seals: common seals are visible from the public road at Skelbo year-round, while grey seals visit in the winter. The reserve is also home to otters, pipistrelle bats, and other typical Scottish wildlife such as roe deer, foxes, pine martens, and weasels. Red squirrels and Scottish wildcats have also been spotted in the area.
  • Dornoch - The name ‘Dornoch’ comes from the Gaelic word for ‘pebbly place,’ indicating that the area had fist-sized pebbles (dorn) that could be used as weapons. Dornoch features the 13th-century Dornoch Cathedral, the Old Town Jail, and the former Bishop’s Palace, now the renowned Dornoch Castle Hotel. It also boasts the Royal Dornoch Golf Club, ranked the 5th best golf course outside the United States. Notably, Dornoch was the site of the last witch burning in Scotland; Janet Horne was tried and executed in 1727. A stone, known as the Witch’s Stone, commemorates her death, although it is inscribed with the year 1722.
  • Balblair Distillery - Discover the history of the oldest working distillery in the Northern Highlands and learn about their exceptionally slow and meticulous methods, as well as the dedication of their proud distillers.
What's Included
  • WiFi on board
  • Bottled water
  • Kilted Highlander guide
What's Not Included
  • Entry to Dunrobin Castle (approx. £12.50 to £14.50)
Location
Struie
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.8
(26 Ratings)
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Laura_s
Jul 30, 2024
5/5 Fantastic small group tour! - Wonderful shore excursion with Alastair! Beautiful scenery and great introduction to the highlands. I’m amazed at how much we were able to see in just 8 hours. Falconry show was a definite highlight. Enjoyed every minute and can’t wait to visit again to explore more of this beautiful country. Thank you Alastair for an unforgettable day!
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Pat_d
Jul 6, 2024
Beautiful scenery - Marvelous trip! Enjoyed every minute! Loved the Donrobin castle, the falcontry and each and every stop
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Chrissy_b
Jul 1, 2024
Scotland Tour - We were able to see a lot of Scotland thanks to our wonderful tour guide Alastair. We all had a great time!
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Ramsey_k
Jun 16, 2024
Absolutely amazing tour - We were not sure what to expect, especially because there was a new tour business that was taking over for the previous owner but BOY did we have an amazing time. Alistair was very communicative (could use a little more help on knowing times and location for meeting up, but it is a small enough port that we saw where the other groups were and just waiting there) and Geen was an absolute gem of a tour guide. He made sure to show us just about everything we asked to see (even a highland cow!) and was informative and engaging. His vehicle was nice and clean (no wifi, but that was fine) and extremely safe driving. Each stop was fun and informative and he kept us entertained with stories while driving through the small towns to our next stop. In Dornoch, he brought us to the best fish and chips restaurant. Cannot say enough good things about this tour and Go Highlands!
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Hitesry_p
May 27, 2024
Must see Scottish Highland Tour - The tour guide/driver was amazing. He was well versed in the history of the region and was open to all questions we had. The places he took us to see were breathtaking. Would recommend this tour and guide to all visiting the area.
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Mona_l
May 3, 2024
Amazing Highland castle tour - We had Sara as our tour person and she was amazing. She gave us a lot of local info on all the places we visit. She also took us to some of the most scenic place. She was friendly and very knowledgeable of everything. She suggested Balblair distillery tour instead of other, which we ended up liking it so much more. The castle was nice, we didn’t have that much time for the castle, but the falcon show was amazing. Love it! Overall, I would recommended this tour company highly and Sara. We had a lovely time.
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Anahlin
Aug 5, 2023
Outstanding - George was our driver/guide on this tour, and he did a fantastic job. His knowledge of the area is extensive, and he is a great storyteller. What a personality...a tall, kilted Scotsman that seems to fit in perfectly with the country and its history. The sights are absolutely amazing. The day is packed with things to see and nice hikes. Dunrobin Castle and garden are breathtaking. We were also there at a time that allowed us to see a falconry demonstration that was so informative. Scenery throughout the day is unforgettable. We recommend George and this tour without equivocation. It is a day well spent!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ronald_c
May 10, 2023
Great Northern experience - We had an amazing tour with Tom who was very flexible with our schedule. Loved Dunrobin Castle and the Balblair Distillery. Also a quick stop to see some highland cows. Thanks Tom
Review provided by Viator
Darcy_s
Jun 19, 2024
"I thought this was a Private Tour" - I'm not sure where the disconnect was - whether I saw different wording on the mobile vs. desktop description or just looked at so many tour options, but I truly thought I booked a private tour. So, understandably we were a little upset to find we were on a minibus with a small group. Luckily, the people on our group were nice. We like our kilted guide, however I got the hint that he might not be a morning person. By the afternoon, he was much more friendly and smiley. Admittedly, he said he also needed a day off. Ha! I know that feeling. He definitely does not like "English" people (but I suspect people in general - which is perfectly fine). His setup with the microphone was helpful, but I wouldn’t say he was full of facts and history as one might hope from the guide they are with all day, but his tips and tricks at the castle stop were important. We drove through many quaint towns, but with no windows open and going at higher speeds, pictures just weren’t possible. I tried to take in as much as I could. We stopped at Millionaire’s View lookout point to get out for photos and an area of a stream where the salmon run. There was a stop at Dunrobin Castle, a town that I’m not sure what the name of it was and a local distillery for a quick tasting. In the town, we had a nice lunch at a place called Greens in the old courthouse. Good food, clean place…and we still had time to shop and walk around a bit. We went to a local tartan store run by one James Fraser (no relation) and his family. Overall, it was a nice day and the kind of service one would expect from a small group tour - only I started the day thinking I had booked a private tour, so I was disappointed (I suppose in myself).
Review provided by Viator
Janet_l
May 17, 2023
Substitute guide -- dissapointing :-( - We scheduled the tour based on the reviews of the tour and ratings of the guide. Instead, we end up with a substitute guide, who was really nice, but didn't really explain much. I was in the back seat and couldn't hear the conversations. If we asked a question and he didn't know, he would try to look it up on Google. There was not the information as was described in the listing. Basically, it was a transportation tour.
Review provided by Viator
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