Royal Deeside Explorer

DAY 1

Journey from your home station to Aberdeen and, on arrival, we will make our way to the Station Hotel, our base for the next four nights. We enjoy free time to explore our new surroundings before meeting for our first evening meal together.

DAY 2

This morning, we travel by private coach to Balmoral, the Scottish home of the Royal Family, and we discover the castle's fascinating history, famous residents and visitors, exploring the largest room in the castle, the Ballroom, plus the exhibitions, grounds, and gardens. Following our visit, we transfer to the Glen Garioch Distillery, one of the oldest operating distilleries in Scotland, for a tour and a wee dram of one of Scotland's most exclusive whiskies.

DAY 3

After breakfast today, we enjoy a guided tour of the 'Granite City' of Aberdeen where we will visit the highlights of the city including the historic Old Town, the castellated Citadel at The Castlegate, and the striking gothic Marischal College. Following our tour, we enjoy free time to explore the city's many attractions including Provost Skene's House, the Aberdeen Maritime Museum, and the famous shopping 'Granite Mile'. This afternoon we enjoy a 1-hour harbour and dolphin cruise with a fascinating talk on the history of the port before sailing into Aberdeen Bay to spot dolphins and wildlife.

DAY 4

This morning, we travel by private coach to the Lochton of Leys Farmhouse, the home of Aberdeenshire Highland Beef, where we meet the herd of pedigree Highland cattle up close and learn about the history of this native breed on an exclusive 1-hour guided tour followed by tea/coffee served with shortbread. We then continue to nearby Crathes Castle where turrets, gargoyles, and the ancient Horn of Leys are just a few of the fascinating features we discover at this classic Scottish tower house. Following our visit, we make our way to the Royal Deeside Railway, which is unique in having served all British Monarchs, from Queen Victoria to Queen Elizabeth II. We board our train for a two-mile journey before returning to our hotel in time for our evening meal.

DAY 5

After breakfast, we enjoy magnificent views as we travel to Montrose to visit the Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre, the first operational military airfield in Great Britain, and dedicated to aviation history dating back over 100 years. Following our visit, we continue to the Caledonian Railway for a return journey along the four-mile branch line between the town of Brechin to the countryside stop of Bridge of Dun. After our fascinating day of heritage, we continue our journey to Dundee and arrive at our base for the next three nights, the Malmaison Hotel.

DAY 6

Today we enjoy a day at leisure in our new base of Dundee and we can visit the impressive V&A museum, discover maritime history at Discovery Point, explore the McManus Art Gallery & Museum, make use of the Dundee hop-on, hop-off bus, or stroll the waterfront before reconvening for our evening meal together.

DAY 7

After breakfast this morning, we journey by private coach to Glamis Castle and enjoy a guided tour to learn the rich history of the castle, the legendary setting of Shakespeare's Macbeth, the childhood home of HM Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, and the birthplace of Princess Margaret. Following our tour, we spend some time in the quaint village of Glamis and visit the characterful Gin Bothy where we enjoy a talk and gin tasting in one of their cosy and rustic tasting rooms before returning to our hotel in the afternoon for our final evening meal together.

DAY 8

After breakfast, we bid farewell to Dundee and make our way to the station for our homeward journeys.

B=Breakfast, LR=Light Refreshments, D=Dinner