Stirling Castle and Whisky Very Small Group Tour from Edinburgh
Recommended by 97% of travelers
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Edinburgh, Scotland
- 10 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Exploring Scotland beyond Edinburgh can feel daunting—with so much to see, where do you start? This full-day tour takes away the guesswork with a comprehensive itinerary and multiple stops. Leave the logistics to someone else as you visit the historic Stirling Castle (own expense), taste Scottish whisky at the Glengoyne Distillery, and travel through the picturesque Highlands to explore Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park.
- Enjoy a day away from the hustle and bustle of the city—no need to hire a car
- Small-group tour ensures an intimate feel throughout
- Check off multiple sites in just one day—perfect for travelers short on time
- Gain insight you'd otherwise miss thanks to the insider knowledge of your guide
What's Included
- Live commentary on board
- Local guide
- Driver/guide
- Transport by air-conditioned Mercedes mini-coach
- Very small group tour - average group size of around 12 passengers
- All entrance fees
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Waterloo Pl, Edinburgh EH1 3BQ, UK
This tour departs from (and returns to) Bus Stand ZE, Waterloo Place, Edinburgh, EH1 3BQ (opposite Howie's Restaurant). Please arrive no later than 08.30.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Operating hours.8:45 am
Itinerary
Linlithgow Palace (Pass By)
1
Stirling Castle
1 hour 15 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
National Wallace Monument (Pass By)
Trossachs Road (Pass By)
2
Aberfoyle
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
3
Loch Lomond
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
Glengoyne Distillery
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
Doune Castle (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Small group tour - average group size of 12 passengers
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Minimum age is 5 years old
- Service animals allowed
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Near public transportation
- Operates in all weather conditions (unless it is unsafe to do so), please dress appropriately
- Most travelers can participate
- Please inform us 7 days in advance if you are bringing a service animal
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 16 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Tina_T
What an enjoyable day! Stirling Castle was so interesting, we could have spent longer there. But then we would have missed the Coos and the lovely walk by the Loch with an amazing view at the top. (Don't skip this walk, even of there's a light rain - it is definitely a highlight!) And of course, the whiskey tour and tasting at Glencoyne was a perfect capper at the end of the day. Angela was a wonderful host and guide. Highly recommended!
Reviews
4.8
based on 397 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Laura_F, Jul 2026
The bus was not comfortable, the seatbelt digs into your hip. The Hairy Coos were an unexpected highlight. The nature walk was NOT guided, and took us about an hour to get through-it is beautiful but we were a little anxious that we would not make it back to the bus in time. Guide was sweet and the distillery was nice.
Tina_T, Sep 2025
What an enjoyable day! Stirling Castle was so interesting, we could have spent longer there. But then we would have missed the Coos and the lovely walk by the Loch with an amazing view at the top. (Don't skip this walk, even of there's a light rain - it is definitely a highlight!) And of course, the whiskey tour and tasting at Glencoyne was a perfect capper at the end of the day. Angela was a wonderful host and guide. Highly recommended!
Nissreen_F, Oct 2024
This was the perfect day trip. Our hike around Loch Lomond was refreshing. Sterling castle was fascinating
Mary_P, Oct 2024
Our guide Callum was very knowledgeable about the area, the Castle and whiskey. He had a great storytelling ability.
Phyllis_M, Sep 2024
We loved our travels with David. We got to see so many things on our trip beyond the highlights, like the Kelpies & some Highland hairy coos! Our travel mates were spectacular! We learned so much Scottish history thanks to our guide. We are grateful.
Molly_S, Aug 2024
Wonderful small group tour with a very friendly witty knowledgeable guide Angela who kept us entertained engaged and informed
Karherine_E, May 2024
Andy was a great guide. Enjoyed the beautiful countryside, visited a castle and drank whisky. What more could you want!
Susan_S, May 2024
Loved the castle. Wish we could have had more time there. Thought all fees were included, as they have been with other cruises. The description was not thorough enough. Did not realize there was a hike by a loch. The tour bus was very dated.
Renee_M, May 2024
Angela did an amazing job with making us feel comfortable in such a small van with offering an extender so we didn't break our nails. She was knowledgeable and very nice. I would take a tour with Heart of Scotland again.
Emily_H, Mar 2024
We had an excellent trip exploring a lot of sites in one day. It was nice to be on a smaller tour with a knowledgeable guide who loves the area. The weather was a little cold, but we still enjoyed seeing Stirling Castle, Aberfoyle, Loch Lomond and Glengoyne Distillery.
Leung_T, Nov 2023
I had a day tour from Edinburgh which was of a very small group of 6 persons. Our guide was Keith who drove us through the countryside on the outskirts of Edinburgh. We first had a visit to the Stirling Castle and then an early lunch at the town of Balmaha. After lunch, Keith led us for a quick walk along Loch Lomand. The highlight of the day was the tour at Glengoyne Distillery in the afternoon in which we got to know how the whisky was produced and tasted 2 glasses of Glengoyne whisky. Keith was professional, attentive and very knowledgeable about the history of Scotland. Enjoyed this day tour very much and would recommend it if you are staying in Edinburgh for a few days.
Edward_W, Oct 2023
Stirling castle and Singleton Distillery were quite good. Loch Lomond was good but bad weather made it less than spectacular.. Guide was very good but too focused on Scottish nationalism.
Jim_E, Oct 2023
We booked the evening before but had no difficulties finding the tour. Angela, our local guide, is a wonderful driver and extremely informative (and wickedly funny!). We learned an incredible amount about Scotland and the stops on the tour. This was one of the best tours we have ever taken and, despite the 10 hour+ duration, the time flew by. Highly recommended!
Stephen_W, Sep 2023
Stirling castle and Loch Lomond quite worth it, but tour is at least 90 minutes too long with unnecessary stops. Distillery is quite average and not worth the two hours at the end of a long day. Andy was very pleasant but had a number of historical facts wrong (eg, university of Edinburgh is not older than Glasgow University)
Response from Host, Sep 2023
Hi Stephen, thanks for your review.
Your comments on the itinerary are a bit unexpected but perhaps the day dragged on a bit on this occasion....the traffic etc during the main tourist season can add significant time.
Apologies for any historical inaccuracies but it sounds like you had a good day all the same.
Nick_G, Aug 2023
You cannot miss this full day tour of Stirling Castle from Edinburgh. The tour guide is awesome, filled with history and a lot of fun while you are making your way to the castle. You cannot miss Stirling Castle when in Scotland, it is at the heart and soul of Scotland !!! A day you will never forget !!!
Konstantinos_T, Aug 2023
We enjoyed very much our tour! We saw the Stirling Castle as well as the Glengoyne distillery where we sampled two of their malts. My personal favourite was the short walk/hike at Loch Lomond. Our guide Angela was great and kept our interest with stories of Scotland's history as well as other interesting fun facts.
Leslie_E, Jun 2023
Another great tour and guide. He knew his Scottish history and his stories were very interesting. The tour guide at the Stirling Castle was awesome too. She was very energetic and you could tell she loved her job. She was a fabulous story teller. Countryside was amazing.
Joy_M, May 2023
Alan was very friendly and knowledgeable. Booked mainly because of the whisky tour but enjoyed all the stops.
Response from Host, Jun 2023
Hi Joy, thanks for your 5 star review which is much appreciated.
MargaretM_C, May 2023
An excellent experience. Saw a lot but didn’t wear us out! Surprisingly lovely weather. Explored the castle on our own. Enjoyed a short hike at Loch Lomond. Didn’t plan to enjoy the distillery tour but it was interesting and educational. Driver/guide Alan was knowledgeable and entertaining, knows history, geography, and miscellaneous Scottish lore. He even dropped us off closer to our hotel, when we were near rather than original pickup site. Thanks Alan!
Warren_S, Apr 2023
Enjoyed the drive through the beautiful countryside, the Sterling Castle your andvghecwhidkybtour and tasting. Made for a delightful day
casey_m, Nov 2022
Keith was absolutely wonderful and really added to the experience. Extremely knowledgeable and fun to talk to. Would recommend to anyone.
Maria_S, Oct 2022
Day trip was excellent even the rain could spoil our adventure. Our guide providers us with great information
Elly_P, Aug 2022
This was such a great day trip out of the city center that really allows you to experience beautiful picturesque Scotland. Keith was a great guide and story teller that had the right balance of sharing knowledge, humor and quiet time. I would definitely take another tour with this company with Keith as a guide!
Judith_S, Apr 2022
Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and flexible.
He didn't waste a minute and filled in extra time with interesting stops along the way. Very well organized!
Margaret_K, Sep 2021
Keith was a great trip guide. Funny informative and nothing was up much trouble. Enjoyed ye whole day !
Response from Host, Oct 2021
Thanks for this nice 5 star review of Keith and your day out to Stirling Castle and Glengoyne Distillery.
James_R, Aug 2021
Keith was a great tour guide, he adapted the itinerary to meet what we wanted to do during the day and was very knowledgable about numerous areas of Scotland and their history. Would highly recommend Heart of Sctoland Tours ltd.
Response from Host, Aug 2021
Hi James, thanks for your review which is much appreciated. Sounds like you had a great day out - Keith certainly did!
Perry_L, Mar 2020
Graham , our guide did a great job ! The Castle was beautiful and the history is remarkable! The Highland and Whiskey distillery are nice !
Laurence_T, Mar 2020
We were a group of 11 looking for a one day trip around Edinburgh. The balance between time in the bus and time outside is perfect. The guide was really nice and very interesting. I definitely recommand this tour.
silverglate, Feb 2020
Gregor was an amazing guide and the tour was an efficient way to see some of the areas most historical and beautiful sights. I would do this tour again. Great for kids
ssipos89, Feb 2020
Such a great tour. The meeting place was easy to find. The small group tours really are the way to go. They allow for more personalized and flexible tours. Our driver, Paul, was knowledge and friendly. He took us to a couple extra spots in addition to all the places in the description. It was a rainy but beautiful. The lunch spot was okay food but it was with good company. We had were given multiple photo stops. The distillery was interesting and the scotch was good. The castle was neat. We would definitely book with this company again and would definitely book with Paul again. Great guide.
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