Things to do in

Queensferry

Your boat tour will depart from the South Queensferry, which is only a short distance from Scotland's bustling capital city of Edinburgh. Your tour will include magnificent views of the Three Bridges, including the world-famous UNESCO World Heritage Forth Bridge. In addition, you can take in the beautiful panoramas of the Edinburgh skyline, the Kingdom of Fife and the historic island of Inchcolm with its medieval abbey. As part of the tour you will stop at Inchcolm Island to drop off and pick up visitors. Explore the island when you purchase a landing pass from the on board bar. Cruise along and discover the magic of the Forth Bridge, the Forth Road suspension bridge, and the longest three-tower, cable-stayed bridge in the world, Queensferry Crossing. For your comfort, relax onboard in the heated observation lounge or on the outside decks, and listen to the guided commentary while you enjoy a drink from the bar. During your tour, you will find plenty of opportunities to both see and photograph a wide variety of marine wildlife including seabirds, porpoises and seals.

Departing central Edinburgh hop aboard an air-conditioned coach and Follow in the footsteps of Jamie and Claire, stop at the beautiful village of Falkland, nestled between the two Lomond Hills in the Howe of Fife. Fans of Outlander will recognize Falkland as the stand-in for Inverness, where Claire and Frank honeymoon. Our 2nd Location of the day will be the village of Culross. Several parts of Culross are used to depict the village of Cranesmuir, predominantly for season 1 of Outlander. During your time here, you'll notice many of the scenes come to life as you step into the actual shooting location of the show. Explore Blackness Castle*, the rich history within the castle walls and learn of its multi-functional history as a lordly residence, garrison fortress, and state prison. Fans of Outlander may also recognize that the exterior posed as Fort William, the foreboding headquarters of Black Jack Randall. The tour continues to the town of Linlithgow, famous for its palace, birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots. Here, outlander fans have the opportunity to see Linlithgow Palace, used as the set for the infamous Wentworth Prison in Outlander. Linlithgow Palace is where Outlander's Jamie was held prisoner and tortured by Black Jack Randall, one of the most intense scenes filmed during the TV series. Enjoy some time for refreshments and exploring before the next stop. Our last location of the day, Midhope Castle, a must for Outlander fans. The Midhope Castle is the external location of the Fraser family home known as Lallybroch. Spend time at the castle for photos and live out your Outlander fantasy On returning to Edinburgh, ask for directions to Bakehouse Close, a location featured in the third series of Outlander as Jamie's print house. *On occasions BLACKNESS CASTLE may be substituted for DOUNE CASTLE *Midhope Castle is only available March-December

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.

Upon arrival at Hawes Pier, you will collect your boarding passes and pay for your landing passes to enable you to land on Inchcolm Island from the Maid of the Forth ticket office. Making your way down the pier you will board the Maid and set sail for Inchcolm, cruising underneath the iconic Forth rail bridge, a world Unseco heritage site. You will enjoy views of both the Fife and Edinburgh coastline, sailing past the Haystack seal colony and arriving at Historic Inchcolm Island. Here you will enjoy 1.5 hours to explore all the island has to offer, the Abbey, world war fortifications, visitor centre, and gift shop. There is something for everyone to enjoy on Inchcolm.

Your tour will begin as you visit the booking office and gift shop to collect your boarding pass. From there, you will make your way onto Hawes Pier to board the boat and embark on your sightseeing cruise. Before we set off, we'll provide a brief safety message, then it's time to embark on an unforgettable journey. Glide beneath the iconic Red Forth Rail Bridge and sail towards the historic Inchgarvie Island, surrounded by breathtaking scenery of Edinburgh and Fife coastlines. Spot seals, puffins, and other wildlife as our skipper shares fascinating commentary. Circle Inchcolm Island and watch for sunbathing seals on the Haystack. Cruise back under the majestic Forth Rail Bridge, the Forth Road Bridge, and the stunning Queensferry Crossing, all while enjoying the spectacular views. The adventure concludes at Hawes Pier, where you can disembark with cherished memories of this scenic and wildlife-rich experience.

Travel through the historic country of Fife on this day trip from Edinburgh aboard an airconditioned bus. Dive into sights that you see along the way with live commentary. Stop in the charming towns of Anstruther, St. Andrews, and South Queensferry. Leave Edinburgh and admire views of the iconic Forth Rail Bridge as you cross the Firth of Forth, and enter into the ancient “Kingdom of Fife.” Pass through Aberdour before continuing into the East Neuk of Fife.  Take in the views as you pass thorugh the picturesque villages of St. Monans and Pittenween, which were once thriving fishing. Reach the town of Anstruther, the home of the Scottish Fisheries Museum, where the bus will make a stop.  Leaving Anstruther, journey through Crail and then arrive in the beautiful medieval town of St. Andrews in time for lunch. Have free time to walk around the town which is famous as the home of golf and has the best-known golf course in the world. Spend your three-hours of free time purchasing lunch, walking down cobbled streets, seeing the ruins of the cathedral and castle, or visiting Scotland’s oldest university, where Prince William met Kate Middleton. Heading homewards, travel across the Lomond hills, descending to Loch Leven (where Mary Queen of Scot was imprisoned). Make a brief stop to admire magnificent views of the Forth Bridges in South Queensferry before returning to Edinburgh.

You leave Edinburgh and travel north to South Queensferry. You travel over the Queensferry Crossing, and get a great view of one of Scotland's greatest man-made landmarks, the Forth Rail Bridge. You then enter the Kingdom of Fife and stop in the traditional fishing village of Anstruther (known as 'Ainster' locally), where you can check out the old cobbled streets and take a walk along the seafront to the harbour. From Anstruther, we continue north to the medieval town of St Andrews. St Andrew is the patron Saint of Scotland, and according to legend his remains were washed up on the Fife coast. St Andrews is also home to the third oldest university in Britain and a beautiful ruined castle perched on a cliff. You have around two and a half hours to explore this fascinating town. After St Andrews, we take a pleasant drive through the rolling countryside of central Fife to Falkland. Falkland Palace dominates this old village, and was one of the main residences of the old Royal family of Scotland, the Stewarts (Stuarts). Aside from the palace the village is simply one of the most beautiful in Scotland with an array of old cottages and narrow winding streets. Leaving Falkland we return to Edinburgh, passing Loch Leven, where Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned by her Protestant nobility. And then we once again cross the Firth of Forth and return to the city

Time for your own Outlander adventure. You leave Edinburgh and begin following the trail of film locations featured in the Outlander TV Series. First, we travel to the place that needs no introduction: Midhope Castle, known as Jamie’s lovely home Lallybroch. And you'll get a warmer welcome than he did. The cosy interior of the house has been re-created in the film studios. In reality, visitors can’t explore the ruins of the castle but you can sit on the iconic steps of Lallybroch and wait for Jamie or Claire to walk through the beautiful archway in the courtyard. We then journey through the charming countryside to Blackness Castle. It’s an impressive fortress that’s known as the ‘ship that never sailed’ because it resembles a giant stone boat. You have time to walk along the ramparts and explore the fictional headquarters of Jack Randall. Just pray you don't run into him... The next stop is Linlithgow Palace, otherwise known as Wentworth Prison. It’s also where you have lunch, so try local specialities or have a picnic by the loch and take a photo of the ruins of Mary Queen of Scots’ birthplace. Heading north, we journey past Stirling Castle and the Wallace Monument to Doune Castle, or as it’s called in Outlander, Castle Leoch. This formidable building represents home to Colum MacKenzie and his clan in the 18th-century episodes. When you visit, you can discover its real story and get an insight into the living conditions of a Scottish earl in the 14th century. There’s also an excellent audio guide describing how this castle was used as a filming location for Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Travel back in time once more as your driver-guide takes you to Culross. This virtually unchanged 16th-century village overlooks the sea and poses as the fictional town of Cranesmuir. You have time to visit Claire’s herb garden, explore the palace, or wander the ancient streets while you imagine what life must have been like 400 years ago. From there, we head back to Edinburgh, where we arrive in the late afternoon.

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)

Climb aboard a spacious vessel in Queensferry and navigate under the Forth Bridges to Inchcolm Island. Relax with friends and family and listen to the onboard commentary while you enjoy a drink or snack from the bar. Take in the spectacular views of Inchcolm Island, the Three Bridges, and the beautiful panoramas of the Edinburgh skyline, and look out for the marine wildlife including seals and puffins. Upon arrival, explore Inchcolm Island’s historic Abbey, one of the best-preserved groups of monastic buildings in Scotland. Gaze at the wartime coastal defenses and relax on the beaches with a picnic while enjoying the views of the Edinburgh skyline and marine wildlife.