Scottish Guided Tours

Stirling Castle Day Tour

Explore Stirling Castle & Loch Lomond National Park

Stirling Castle Tour from Edinburgh

Book a private Stirling Castle tour from Edinburgh and experience the most important Castle in Scotland – Visit Stirling Castle and walk in the footsteps of Kings & Queens with Scottish Guided Tours –  Private tours of Scotland allow more time to experience Scotland with a private guide and transport. The beautiful scenery of the Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park await – Explore the ‘Bonnie Banks’ of Loch Lomond on a private tour from Edinburgh for a truly authentic tour of Scotland – Enquire about Private Guided Tours of Scotland

Stirling Castle Day Tour

Book a private guided day tour to Stirling Castle & Loch Lomond.

‘Niall is an experienced Scottish tour guide. Raised in the mountains and glens of Scotland and inspired by his father, renowned Scottish author and historian Dr. Rennie McOwan,Niall feels passionately about his role as a bespoke private tour guide.

Directly descended from legendary Highland stalker Donald Ross, Chief Stalker to the Duke of Portland, Niall aims to give clients the best possible experience whether it be heritage related , historical, cultural  or perhaps a mixture of all three – the best that Scotland has to offer’  Read more….

Stirling Castle Day Tour

Your Journey

A visit to Stirling Castle is a truly memorable experience. Once the power base of the House of Stuart and as such, the most important castle in Scotland. Mary Queen of Scots was crowned Queen of Scotland at Stirling Castle. If you did not control Stirling, you did not control Scotland. 

Stirling Castle towers over the surrounding Royal Burgh of Stirling and  lies about 45 minutes from Edinburgh. Built on an imposing volcanic plug, Stirling Castle is a must-see on your Scotland travels. Stunning views to the Wallace Monument and the rugged Highlands beyond. 

In the afternoon, your private guided tour of Scotland continues to the beautiful mountains & scenery of the Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park. These wild mountains and glens have hidden outlaws and Queens alike through the centuries. The ‘Bonnie Banks’ of Loch Lomond and the surrounding National park provide the perfect backdrop for your private day tour of Scotland.

Booking our private Stirling Castle Day Tour from Edinburgh is a fantastic, fun and convenient way to explore Scotland.

Scottish Guided Tours plan and deliver bespoke private tours of Scotland and a complete door to door service. Our private tours from Edinburgh are designed around your interests and time frame.

Private Tours of Scotland

Why Scottish Guided Tours?

Door to Door Service

Your private tour guide shall greet you at your chosen location. Hotel, B&B or even Cruise Ship Terminal. The most convenient start possible to your private tour of Scotland. Complete Door to Door service from Scottish Guided Tours. 

Tour guide Edinburgh

Your Guides

Niall and his team of experienced Scottish Tour Guides aim to give the best possible experience, whether heritage related, historical, cultural or perhaps, a mixture of all three. Fun and authentic private guided tours of Scotland – The best Scotland has to offer.

Transport

Our brand new vehicles ensure great views, comfort and plenty of room for all travellers and luggage. Private Tours of Scotland exclusively for your group of travelling companions.

Scottish Guided Tours

Private Tours

Scottish Guided Tours deliver fantastic private tours of Scotland exclusively for your group of travellers. No travellers shall be mixed with any other private groups. Bespoke tours of Scotland designed around your time frame & interests.

Covid-19 Precautions

All vehicles are meticulously cleaned. Face masks and sanitiser are provided. Private guided tours are exclusively for family or fellow travelling companions. Private tours of Scotland are the safest way to travel.

More info & FAQ

Stirling Castle Tour from Edinburgh

The first stop on our private tour of Scotland is the magnificent Stirling Castle. 

The most important castle in Scotland and as a result, a must-see on your private tour from Edinburgh.

Stirling Castle Day Tour from Edinburgh
A visit to Stirling Castle is very popular for travellers to Scotland.

Stirling Castle Day Tour from Edinburgh

Nearly every Scottish King or Queen has either lived here, died here or been crowned at Stirling Castle.

As a result, tours of Stirling Castle are full of history and legend.

The fortress perched on the volcanic rock looks out towards the National Wallace Monument.

Travelling from Edinburgh to Stirling the Wallace Monument is a striking landmark. Built-in the 1800s to commemorate the 13th-century freedom fighter and ‘Braveheart’ William Wallace, the tower is visible from miles around.

Tours to Stirling Castle
The Wallace Monument reflected in the River Forth, on our Stirling Castle tour from Edinburgh

Private Guided Tours to Stirling

The Scottish Highlands and lowlands are clearly visible and act as a reminder of Stirling Castles importance through the centuries.

Fortified structures have existed here for thousands of years.

Stirling Castle Whisky Experience Day Tour from Edinburgh
Stirling Castle on our Tour from Edinburgh

Private Stirling Castle Tours

Walk the ramparts of the castle, past the canons and defences for outstanding views of the Highland line.

Edinburgh to Stirling Castle is about 35 miles and Glasgow to Stirling Castle, about 25 miles.

Stirling Castle was voted the Number One visitor attraction in the UK.

You will feel the history and marvel at the architecture.

 

Stirling Castle Tours

Walk in the footsteps of Mary Queen of Scots and the powerful Stuarts. Stirling Castle is an interactive experience.  

From the best examples of French renaissance architecture to the Great Hall and royal gardens. Stirling Castle is incredible to visit and experience.

 

‘Gateway to the Highlands’

We depart Stirling Castle for the Southern Highlands around noon.

Stirling has been called the “Gateway to the Highlands” for a long time because it straddles the boundary line between Highland & Lowland Scotland.

Scottish heroes such as William Wallace of Braveheart fame battled at Stirling Bridge and as a result, make this Stirling Castle Day Tour from Edinburgh one of our most popular private tours of Scotland.

Robert Bruce, King of Scots, saw victory here in 1314 at Bannockburn.

A victory over the English King, that would help shape Scotland for hundreds of years to come.

Rob Roy MacGregor, the famous “Highland rogue” evaded capture in this part of Scotlands highlands in the 18th century and is immortalised by Sir Walter Scott.

Stirling Castle Day Tour from Edinburgh
King Robert the Bruce Statue on our private tour from Edinburgh.
 

Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park

Our Stirling Castle day tour continues into a wonderful part, Scotland called the “Trossachs.”
‘Rugged or rough ground’ is the Gaelic meaning.

A part of Scotland often described as the Highlands in miniature.

Lochs, glens and glorious mountains await.

This part of Scotland has many secrets and has hidden Kings, Queens, rebels and rogues for hundreds of years. 

Private tours of Scotland
Loch Lomond shines through Autumn leaves.

Tours of Scotland

In the afternoon, we bob and weave across the land on our guided tour of Scotland.

Lovely lochside restaurants, traditional pubs or cafes are available for lunch.

Sampling fresh Scottish produce is all part of the journey.

 

Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond

Guided tours of Scotland often visit Loch Lomond, described as the jewel of the National Park because of the areas mountains and highland scenery.

The loch is over 23 miles long and a popular place for day-trippers and water-sports enthusiasts.

We travel to the quiet side of the loch for beautiful short walks and stunning views of the ‘Highland Line’

A walk by the “Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond’ is a wonderful way to see this part of Scotland.

Lochside pubs, coffee and Scottish ice cream are never that far away though!!

The Kelpies

Guided Tours of Scotland from Edinburgh
The Helix, Home of the Kelpies visited with Scottish Guided Tours.

Our Scottish Guided Tour of Stirling is not complete without a visit to The Kelpies.

The largest statues of horses in the world are truly awe-inspiring and a great landmark to Scotland industrial heritage.

A fantastic way to end the day Contact us

       

Private Stirling Castle Tour Timings

The first stop is Stirling Castle, in the beautiful town of Stirling around 10 am – Depart Stirling Castle at noon

We continue into the Southern Highlands, driving through some beautiful villages and historical sites.

A short photo stop at the 14th century Doune Castle (Outlander filming location, Monty Python & the Holy Grail and also Winterfell in Game of Thrones)

Lunch around 1 pm in the Trossachs, often described as the Highlands in miniature.

We follow in the footsteps of Mary Queen of Scots & Queen Victoria as we travel along beautiful loch sides, passed mountains, glens and we may even come face to face with our legendary Highland Cattle (Hairy Coos)

Our journey continues to the world-famous Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond for lunch, a short walk and spectacular scenery.

The day is not complete without a visit to the famous Kelpie sculptures near Falkirk.

The largest statues of horses in the world.

We return approx 18:30

 
Chesapeak Tourist
Chesapeak Tourist
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You Won't Regret a Tour with Niall! In the spring of 2018, our party of 3 adults visited Scotland for the first time. We arranged a day-long private tour outside of Edinburgh with Niall McOwen. Before arrival, we exchanged emails about our expectations. Some attractions the three of us asked to see were probably the usual tourist fair for first time visitors, but Niall also took us to places we didn't even know to ask about! Mr. McOwen was considerate, interesting, knowledgeable and truly concerned about the desires of our group. Around mid-day, the restaurant he chose provided us with good food, a bit of shopping and some time for us to get to know each other better. Getting to see this beautiful country through his eyes helped me to understand more of Scotland, its history and its citizens. If we are ever blessed to visit Scotland again, Niall will absolutely be included as part of our trip.
Lori Q
Lori Q
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An Epic Day to Remember! Scottish Guided Tours offers some preplanned itineraries, but their specialty is in working with you to customize a single or multi-day tour to fit your specific needs. We’d been to Scotland in the fall of 2017 and started planning our second trip as soon as we got back. We wanted to go to places a bit off the beaten track this time, so contacted Niall McOwan of Scottish Guided Tours. Niall built on our “must see” request, and suggested some other sites that worked well with our schedule. He picked us up from our hotel, and gave us an absolutely epic day to remember! One highlight was visiting an Old Kirk that is the final resting place of the famous Highlander Rob Roy MacGregor. Just behind the Kirk, we hiked up a trail that took us to a rallying point overlooking Loch Voil. A stone cairn at marked the place where Clan MacLaren would have lit a fiery cross to summon their men to battle. The view from this spot was just breathtaking! Throughout the day, Niall filled us in on the significance, history, and lore related to our stops. In addition to taking us to absolutely stunning viewpoints and ruins, he knew the best places to stop for lunch, coffee, and restrooms. 🙂 Our entire experience with Scottish Guided Tours from planning to the drop off back at our hotel was smooth, professional, friendly, knowledgeable and fun! I can without any hesitation recommend this service to anyone looking for a custom tour in and around Scotland.
Laura M
Laura M
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First guided tour, Don’t often write reviews but felt the need to for our trip. We live in Spain and decided on a little trip back to the motherland,we were not disappointed and our trip was made even better by Niall,his knowledge and passion for his country and what he does is evident,not your bog standard repitive tour guide,there was not one day of our trip that he didn’t have us laughing. Can highly recommend Scottish guided tours,we will return and when we do,we will definitely be booking with Niall.
Kirstie B
Kirstie BEdradour Distillery & Best of Scotland Day Tour
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Best of Scotland & Edradour Distillery Day Tour We spent a really entertaining and informative day with our guide, Niall ( Neal in Gaelic). He took us north to see the three bridges from different eras that span the Firth of Forth. It was fun to see a train go over the old one. Then we were off to Dunkeld, the river Tay, a wee hike in the woods to find a salmon ladder (alas,, no salmon running at that moment), coffee at a charming shop in Dunkeld, a tour at Edradour Distillery, the only remaining hand made single malt whiskey in Scotland, and the smallest to boot. We had a quick look at the village of Pitlocry, and ended the day at Loch Tummel to see The Queen's View. One more coffee stop, and it was back to Edinburg. But the best part of this fine day was the time we spent with Niall, who was a font of information, jovial and witty. As one does, we compared cultures, talked about everything under the sun, and laughed together much of the time. If you are looking for a tour guide with a warm demeanor and a kind and helpful personality, Niall is the best.
Ickles Family
Ickles FamilyPrivate Tour of Scotland
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Best Day Ever!!!! My family and I had the good fortune to have Niall as our personal tour guide for a day during our vacation to Scotland. We found that one day wasn't enough! Niall taught us more about his country in 10 hours than a professor in History could have done in 10 weeks. He was an absolute pleasure to be around. He made sure our day was spectacular from beginning to end. We can't wait to go back and let Niall show us more!
DMarieC
DMarieCExtraordinary & Outstanding
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Extraordinary and outstanding! With all the great tour guides I have hired, Niall stood out. He was with our family from Nov. 21-25. He picked us up at the Edinburgh airport and we started touring immediately. seeing the Kelpies, South Queensferry and the Forth Bridges all in the first afternoon. After that, we spent four more days together while he regaled us with history, legends and fairy stories. He listened and did not interrupt. Niall seemed to know how much to talk and how much to listen. He played the most beautiful Scottish music as we drove. We felt immersed in Scottish history and culture. He even wore his kilt for two of the five days. He went out of his way to accommodate our dietary needs. (It really helped that he is vegan himself.) We traveled through ancient woodlands, burial sites, battlefields, castles, fairy pools and fairy glens, mountain ranges, Outlander, Harry Potter and other film sites. We ended up enjoying him so much that we considered him part of the family and wanted him for the rest of our stay. Finally, we all noticed how kind Niall was with not only us, but with everyone including other drivers, restaurant staff and hotel staff. I only hope that he will be available when we return. We thought that Scotland was magical and that magic was mainly because of him. We would never tour with anyone else. Niall is the very best.
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  • Private Day Tour prices – 675 GBP per day (not per person)
  • Exclusively for your group of up to 8 passengers (for larger groups, please contact us)
  • Multi-day tours – Please add 79.00 GBP per day for your Guide’s overnight expenses.
  • Private guiding Services
  • Private Transportation
  • Scottish Spring Water is provided 

Transport is in a brand new air-conditioned vehicle with plenty of room for you and your group.

Credit & debit cards or contactless payment are accepted all over Scotland. Its always handy to have a little cash for very small shops 

Scottish Guided Tours offer private tours exclusively for your group. Tours can start and end in any location within Scotland. 

Accommodation is not included in your quote. Payment for accommodation is made directly to Hotel or B&B on arrival, unless by prior arrangement.

Contact us for great accommodation suggestions

We would be delighted to suggest Hotels or B&B’s for your trip. Some clients prefer to book their own but we are always glad to help. Please Contact us