Balloch

Castle & palace tours

Depart from Balloch village and set sail beyond the stately homes of historic Scottish industrialists within view of Ben Lomond, Scotland's most southerly Munro. Continue towards Inchmurrin Island, the largest inland island in Great Britain and home to the ruins of the 12th century Lennox Castle. Learn the history and legend of Loch Lomond and the surrounding areas while enjoying some of Scotland's most spectacular scenery. Enjoy a cruise commentary by famed historian and archaeologist Neil Oliver, best known from BBC's "Coast" and "A History of Scotland." 

Discover the legends and secrets of the islands of Loch Lomond on this cruise from Alexandria. Learn the history and the legends of Loch Lomond and the surrounding areas, while enjoying some of Scotland's most spectacular scenery. Hop aboard the spacious and comfortable boat that Balloch Village Ferry Landing. Have plenty of space for indoor and outdoor viewing with opened and closed deck space, and full bar facilities where you can purchase a drink. Begin you circular cruise which passes the world-famous Loch Lomond Golf Club. Explore the middle island of Loch Lomond, sail through an area known to locals as "The Narrows", and continue onwards to the village of Luss. Listen to cruise commentary by famed historian and archaeologist Neil Oliver, best known from BBC's "Coast" and "A History of Scotland." Return to your starting point at the end of your journey.

On this incredible tour, we explore the beautiful Scottish Highlands seeing castles, lochs, sculptures and perhaps some ‘Hairy Coos’ along the way. Departing the historic Royal Mile on an air-conditioned bus (16-34 seats) we head towards the iconic Kelpies, where you can take a close up look at these magnificent sculptures. We make our way towards Balloch, situated to the south of Loch Lomond’s Bonnie Banks. Here you can explore and take an optional hour-long boat cruise on the loch. Departing Loch Lomond we head towards the quaint village of Aberfoyle before exploring the picturesque Duke's Pass. Passing through Callander we make our way to Stirling where you can either take a stroll around the city centre or visit the historic Stirling Castle. Heading back we stop to catch a glimpse of the famous 3 bridges that span the River Forth before returning to Edinburgh *Boat cruise and entry to Stirling Castle are paid for on the day and are not included in the price of the tour.

Embark on a guided bus tour of Loch Lomond, the Trossachs, and Stirling Castle from Glasgow. Take in the views of the lush Scottish countryside and learn about William Wallace and Rob Roy from your driver. After leaving Glasgow, stop at the ‘bonnie banks’ of Loch Lomond, one of the prettiest and largest lochs in the whole of Scotland. Take a cruise, enjoying spectacular views of the loch’s many islands and the surrounding mountains. Alternatively, take a stroll through the picturesque loch-side conservation village of Luss, with its quaint houses, cafes, and stunning views across the loch’s western shoreline. Eat lunch in the village of Aberfoyle, nestled in the heart of Trossachs National Park. Continue through the Trossachs, Scotland’s first national park, known as ‘the Highlands in miniature’ for its abundance of lochs, mountains, and forests, and homeland of the legendary outlaw, Rob Roy MacGregor. Your final stop is Stirling Castle (entrance ticket optional extra), which sits high on volcanic rock and offers wonderful views of the surrounding landscape. Have time to visit the castle and learn of the exploits of key historic figures including William Wallace, Robert the Bruce, and Mary Queen of Scots. After your visit to Stirling Castle, make your way back to Glasgow.

Spend a day experiencing the natural beauty of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park from Edinburgh. Enjoy a memorable visit to Stirling Castle, explore the pretty villages of Aberfoyle and Loch Lomond Shores, and set off on a spectacular cruise across Loch Lomond. Departing Edinburgh, head to the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond, one of the prettiest and largest lochs in the whole of Scotland. Here you can enjoy an hour-long cruise taking in spectacular views of the loch’s many islands and the surrounding mountains. Alternatively, take a stroll through the picturesque loch-side conservation village of Loch Lomond Shores, with its quaint houses, cafes, and stunning views across the loch’s western shoreline.  Enter The Trossachs National Park and experience its abundance of lochs, mountains, and forests. Continue on, past medieval Doune Castle, to the pretty town of Aberfoyle, situated on the banks of the River Teith in Stirlingshire, where you stop to enjoy some lunch.  Travel north-west for your last stop of the day at magnificent Stirling Castle, one of Scotland’s most historically significant castles, sitting high on volcanic rock and offering wonderful views of the surrounding landscape. Visit the castle and learn of the exploits of key historical figures including William Wallace, Robert the Bruce, and Mary Queen of Scots. Travel back to Edinburgh at the end of your tour.

We begin our day in Edinburgh, departing from the Royal Mile and taking in some of the sights of Scotland’s capital as we head to our first stop of the day; Midhope Castle*. This 16th century Tower House was the backdrop to Lallybroch; Jamie Fraser’s family home. Spend time here for photos and soak up the atmosphere and keep an eye out for Jamie, just in case. From there, we continue onwards to Blackness, home to Blackness Castle. In Outlander, Blackness Castle is used as the set for Fort William, the headquarters of Black Jack Randall. It has also appeared in Hamlet and is known as “the ship that never sailed” due to its distinctive boat-like shape that protrudes into the Forth. Look down the Forth towards Edinburgh and see all 3 Forth Bridges, representing three centuries of Scottish engineering and connecting the Lothians with the Kingdom of Fife. Our Outlander tour travels west, to the Royal Burgh of Linlithgow, where you will the opportunity to visit Linlithgow Palace, Outlander’s Wentworth Prison. The palace was originally used as a relaxing retreat for the Royal Family on journeys between Edinburgh and Stirling Castle. Its impressive towers overlook stunning scenery. We will also spend enough time here in Linlithgow for you to get some lunch and explore the town. After a short journey further westward, we will arrive at Callendar House near Falkirk, it was used as the kitchen in the Duke of Sandringham’s home in season 2 of the show. This beautiful mansion has traditional Scottish architecture with elements resembling a French Renaissance chateau. We then travel north across to the other side of the Forth and visit the Royal Burgh of Culross. The small village is arguably the best example of a 17th Century village in Scotland. The gardens here feature as Claire’s herb garden, and the Mercat Cross in Outlanders’ Cranesmuir Village. We then return to the other side of the Forth and visit Hopetoun House, which features in Outlander as the Duke of Sandringham’s home. This stunning stately home is situated on over 100 acres of designed landscape and reflects some of the brilliant work of Scottish architects Sir William Bruce and William Adam. On our return journey to Edinburgh in the evening, we will pass by the Forth Bridges. These three bridges are used to connect the Lothians to the Kingdom of Fife and represent three centuries of Scottish engineering, with the newest bridge, the Queensferry Crossing having only been completed in 2017. After this, we return to Edinburgh where our Outlander tour comes to an end. Please note from October 2024 this tour will have a new itinerary, which will visit the following places: Tuilyies Standing Stones Culross Doune Castle Linlithgow Blackness Castle Midhope Castle (in Summer) Forth Bridges (in Winter and when Midhope Castle is not accessible)

Get up close to over 1,500 creatures and find out what it feels like to touch a starfish and other creatures living in the interactive rock pool. Visit the playful family of otters Lily, Pickle and Cub, then journey through the tropical ocean tunnel and come face-to-face with blacktip sharks and other critters of the sea. Explore the Lochs of Scotland and see some of the amazing creatures that can be found in the native waters. Look out for the rare albino dogfish. Experience the deep loch tank which opened in March 2016 and is home to native species of shark and rays that can be found in UK waters. The big-bellied sea horses’ long tail contributes to their claim as one of the world’s largest seahorse species. Reaching up to lengths of 30 centimeters, the amazing big-bellied seahorse has a long, curly, grasping tail. Visit the bay of rays and meet the only cow nose rays in Scotland! Then, visit the blacktip reef sharks in the big ocean tank. Blacktips are among the most popular sharks inhabiting the tropical coral reefs of the Indian and Pacific Oceans due to their preference of shallow, inshore waters.

Paddle across the calm waters of Loch Lomond to discover the beautiful scenery of mountains and islands. Enjoy an activity perfect for beginners through to experts. Meet your instructor in Luss and start with an on-land lesson to ensure you get most from your experience. Kayak on to the loch and head towards the nearby islands. Explore the Narrows, and stop for a walk on the island of Inchconnachan as you keep a look out for local wildlife. Choose from a 2 or 4-hour hire period to suit your schedule and enjoy a fun outdoor adventure.

Discover Scottish nature and the islands around Loch Lomond by stand up paddleboard. Enjoy an outdoor adventure, with the option to choose from a 2 or 4-hour paddleboarding experience. Look out for the plentiful local wildlife as you glide across the water.  Meet in Luss, where an experienced instructor will give you a brief introduction to stand up paddleboarding on land. Paddle out onto the loch and be immersed in the beautiful landscape. Stop at nearby islands such as Inchconnachan and explore the Narrows, considered the jewel of Loch Lomond.

Meet your Italian-speaking guide in Edinburgh’s old town and travel west to Falkirk to admire the impressive Kelpies. Hop back on the bus for the drive to Loch Katrine, said to be the most beautiful lake in Scotland, enjoy a walk around its picturesque banks and will continue on our way to the town of Balloch to meet the largest lake in the United Kingdom, Loch Lomond and this is out stop for lunch (not included in the tour price). Last part of our tour is dedicated to visit Glasgow, our panoramic tour will show you the Tolbooth Tower, river Clyde, we will pass through the University area with its surrounding park and the Kelvingrove Museum. After a day of emotions and anecdotes, we will head back to the capital of Scotland and finish our tour on the Royal Mile.