Balmoral & Royal Deeside Tour
Description
Starting from Aberdeen we trace the river Dee to Balmoral where you can walk in the footsteps of generations of Royals who have called this estate home. *Balmoral Estate is closed from 9th of August 26 until early October 2026. We visit the village of Braemar and optional Braemar Castle. Take a stroll in the charming Victorian village of Ballater, explore the local heritage, the Victorian train station and the views of the area. Next, we visit the iconic Cambus O'May suspension bridge, before we continue our journey to the Tomnavarie Stone Circle. Finally, on our way back to Aberdeen, we stop at Queen Victoria's favourite views of Aberdeenshire.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Balmoral is a treasured family home for the Royal family since 1850, when Queen Victoria and Prince Albert chose this beautiful region to create their great escape. A landscape with stunning views of the hills and mountains, fields of heather and the majestic river Dee that flows through it. We highly recommend listening to the audio tour. The audio will share stories and guides you around the estate. The Ballroom is only room open to visitors within the Castle. The objects in the Ballroom are from within the Castle, and are all objects that belong to the Royal Family. *Balmoral Castle & Estate is closed from mid August until the early October 26. This tour stop will be changed to the National Trust for Scotland's- Crathes Castle thereafter.
The Victorian village of Ballater sits in the heart of Royal Deeside, at the eastern gateway to the Cairngorms National Park, making it one of Scotland’s most scenic visitor spots. A stroll around the village reveals an interesting range of specialty shops and good selection of restaurants and cafes to enjoy some of the local food & drink. Notice the shops which display Royal Warrants on their store fronts, a sure sign of quality and support from the Royal family. Sitting alongside the river Dee and surrounded by hills and mountains, Ballater is an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise. Be sure to visit the beautiful Victorian Railway Station and the tourist information centre which has more information about the village. Walk past the Victorian Barracks, still in use, when the Royal family are staying in Balmoral.
The Cambus O' May suspension bridge spans the river Dee and is a legacy from the estate of Alexander Gordon. Built in 1905, the footbridge is 50 m long and carries visitors to the other side. The Deeside Way, a trail following the former Deeside Railway, passes the north-eastern end of the bridge. Footpaths from the bridge lead to Torphantrick wood and the Muir of Dinnet nature reserve, popular spots for visitors who enjoy woodland walks and wild swimming in the river.
Tomnaverie is a recumbent stone circle, a kind of monument found only in north-eastern Scotland. Their characteristic feature is a large stone on its side, flanked by two upright stones, usually on the south or south-west arc of the circle. The stone circle surrounds a burial cairn dating to about 4,500 years ago. Relatively little is known about why we have these structures, there are several theories which you’ll discover on your visit.
Just outside Tarland is the Queen's View, reportedly one of Queen Victoria's favourite views over the Howe of Cromar towards Lochnagar. We will stop to admire the view and on a good day, where you can see 12 different hills and Munros!
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Reviews(92)
Great day of touring thanks to Alex. What we saw was great, but the tour was all driven by a great guide. Lots of valuable info, funny, engaging and flexible.
Beautiful day out at Balmoral castle with an excellent Scottish tour guide
Thank you for booking a tour with us and giving us a great review.
Balmoral is not an extravagant castle or setting. One could imagine it as a place for quiet contemplation. The gardens reflect the climate of Balmoral and are not filled with fancy rose bushes. It represents a creative and useful garden for the household.
We are sorry to see you didn't enjoy your tour with us. We will liaise with the guide who took the tour to determine if anything could be done differently.
Guide excellent. Balmoral experience is not good value when compared with other Castles, eg Stirling. No Guided information, restricted access only to 1 room with photos forbidden. Would not recommend Balmoral. Deeside leg was interesting and informative.
We are sorry to hear you found your visit to Balmoral Castle disappointing, we do mention in the tour description that only the ballroom is open visitors. We can appreciate you would have liked to see more of the building, there are special interior tour tickets, however the interior tour times don't generally work with our schedule. We are glad to see the guide on the day was excellent and that the rest of the day's tour was good.
Our tour was truly one of the highlights of our visit to Scotland. The breathtaking scenery, rich history, and beauty of the estate made for an unforgettable day. A very special thank you to Jacqueline, who made the experience exceptional. Her warmth, professionalism, and extensive knowledge brought the history of Balmoral to life. She was attentive, engaging, and went above and beyond to ensure everyone felt welcome and enjoyed the tour. Jacqueline’s passion for Scottish heritage was evident throughout, and her storytelling added a personal touch that made the visit even more meaningful. Her music playlist is memorable. She answered questions patiently and made every guest feel valued. We left with a deeper appreciation of Balmoral, Scottish history, and the legacy of the Royal Family. Thank you, Jacqueline, for making our visit so memorable. We highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Scotland. Dr. Cecilia Evangelista Philippines
Thank you very much for your amazing review of your trip with Jacqueline. We are thrilled you had a great experience and that Balmoral and the Royal Deeside tour was everything you wanted.
An amazing day visiting so many scenic places! Jacqueline was an excellent and knowledgeable guide! Loved Balmoral Castle and surrounding estate! Such a serene place--no wonder the royal family loves vacationing here! Thoroughly enjoyed our stop in the quaint town of Balleter for lunch. The Cambus O'May suspension bridge was in beautiful wooded area overlooking the river Dee. The Tomnaverie Stone Circle was on the top of a hill overlooking a beautiful valley--a very spiritual place. Our final stop was the Queen's View, which offered wonderful view of the area we had just visited. Highly recommend this tour!
Thank you so much for joining us on tour and for sharing your thoughts of the trip. We are happy to hear Jacqueline helped make your day special.
What a wonderful tour! Our guide was absolutely perfect. She was so knowledgeable, not only about Aberdeenshire and Scotland, but also when to give us breaks. It was a wonderful tour and I highly recommend it. Had no idea that Aberdeenshire held so much interest and beauty.
Thank you very much for booking a tour with us and for your kind review. We appreciate the wonderful comments and your recommendation.
Unfortunately we missed the pickup, our fault… but we caught up with the group at the first stop and it was smooth sailing after that. Our guide was knowledgeable and pleasant. Gave real insight into the history and area. The group was small , about seven total which was perfect. Balmoral is pretty, more for the outdoor experience and a real feel of the royal Deeside area. We made several interesting stops including an ancient stone circle and a cool bridge over the river Dee. Lunch in Ballater was delicious at a local pub. Well worth it!
Thank you for your kind review. We were happy you could catch up with the group and enjoy a great day out. Thank you for joining us.
Jamie is an excellent tour guide…This was one of the best experiences ever! He didn’t rush us through & was very accommodating.
Thank you for your great review. Glad that you could enjoy your time with Jamie.
We had a wonderful time on this tour. Jaime, our tour guide, was fabulous. He was knowledgeable, fun and outgoing and even took us on a few extra hidden gems because he had extra time.
Thank you for your review and for joining us on tour. We are glad Jamie was able to make you day fun and memorable.
