Private Tour
Aberdeenshire Private Half Day Castle & Historic Building Tour
Overview
Available languages
4 hours 30 minutes
Mobile ticket
This is a private tour for your group only. Scotland has many treasures to offer and a lot of them are in Aberdeenshire. We will take you on a tour to areas that are as stunning as they are interesting and you will learn about the attractions and their history and have a great day out. You can also choose your own itinerary.
Our example itinerary includes
- Old Aberdeen - A step back in time to see amazing ancient buildings including St Machars Cathedral and Kings College.
- Dunnottar Castle- One of the worlds most iconic castles impregnably built on a sheer headland.
- Drum Castle - A stunning 13th Century Castle dating back to Robert The Bruce.
- Crathes Castle - A 16th Century masterpiece on Royal Deeside.
Most castle grounds are free to visit, but charge for interior tours.
Attractions are subject to seasonal opening times and please contact us for details.
Time Exposure Travel are members of ABTOT (No.5419) which provides protection for customers’ prepayments.
Additional Info
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Service animals allowed
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Cancellation Policy
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
What‘s Included
Castles free to see from outside and may charge for internal tours
Private Transport and driver/guide
Route and timings will depend on your accommodation starting point and your choice of attractions.
Pick up from within Aberdeen area
All tours tailored to suit your exact requirements or locations chosen from Tour Details
Meals / Snacks not included in cost
Pick up surcharges. Hotels more than 20mls from city £20, more than 40mls £40. Payable on the day.
Dunnottar Castle - Free to see from outside. Pay at door if you wish to go inside. No pre booking.
Crathes Castle - Free to see from outside. Pay at door if you wish to go inside. No pre booking.
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
What To Expect
Dunnottar Castle
One of Scotland's and the worlds most spectacular castles, Dunnottar is a ruined medieval fortress located upon an impregnable rocky headland near Stonehaven. The surviving buildings date back to between the 13th and 16th centuries, but was originally fortified in the Early Middle Ages. The castle is free to see but to go inside costs £9.50 pp.
Crathes Castle, Garden & Estate
Fascinating 16th Century Castle with turrets, gargoyles, 16th-century painted ceilings and ancient, great yew hedges and walled gardens set in the magnificent surroundings of Royal Deeside.
Options
Aberdeenshire Private Half Day
8 seat mini van
Pickup included
Reviews
17 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Aberdeenshire tour
Tom M,
Jul 19, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00it was a great tour with an excellent tour guide…i would recommend to others …Dunnottar castle is a must see!!!
Best tour guide ever!
ecksphile,
Sep 24, 2024
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Malcolm was amazing! His knowledge of Scottish history made a huge difference to the tour of castles. He is highly recommended for both the local color he brought and for the way he tailored the tour for us (my husband has difficulty getting around and Malcolm made things so much easier for him which was so appreciated.). Would love to book a multi-day larger tour with him if we return. He is the best - totally dedicated to his guests' experiences.
5 Stars for Malcom
Shannon G,
Sep 28, 2023
- Review from Viator
5.00Truly amazing trip to Scotland and I would definitely recommend using a local guide to show you the sights around Aberdeen. Malcolm was great and had so many interesting facts and stories to share everywhere we went. My only issue was I wish I could’ve spent more time exploring the countryside and visited more castles. I guess I will just need to visit again.
Family & Friends Visit to Aberdeen
Ellen M,
Aug 12, 2023
- Review from Viator
5.00Malcolm was an amazing tour guide! He had so much knowledge of the castles and history! I would highly recommend him!
Malcolm for the Scotland win!
Dina L,
Jun 26, 2023
- Review from Viator
5.00Malcolm was just wonderful from the history he taught us to the recommendations he gave us to tour the backroads afterwards. I would definitely tour with him again!
Perfekt Tour
Gerhard B,
May 27, 2023
- Review from Viator
5.00Friendly informative perfect tour. Malcom was a sensational guide Great knowledge of Scotland and its history thank you
The best way to see castles in the Aberdeen area
Emily F,
Apr 29, 2023
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our experience with Malcom was incredible. He picked us up from our hotel and took us to 3 castles that we got to choose in advance. He even showed us around Old Aberdeen and dropped us off in the city center an hour after our tour was supposed to have ended! He knows a lot about Scotland and Aberdeen’s history so it was really interesting hearing some of that. Doing a private guided tour I think is the easiest and most enjoyable way to see the castles in the Aberdeen area and I am going to recommend Malcom to anyone who is planning a visit! Thank you so much Malcom for such a memorable experience!!
Amazing Castle Tour
Scott C,
Apr 25, 2023
- Review from Viator
5.00Wonderful time - the guidance, information, and the coverage. We really loved the castles and the tour in general.
Wonderful Tour!
roadtrip99,
Sep 3, 2022
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Malcom was a fantastic tour guide. He was very knowledgeable and professional. Through genealogy research, our son found a connection to Drum Castle. We were able to tour it and go into the family room to sign the book. It was amazing! Malcom recommended a great local Inn for lunch and we throughly enjoyed everything about our tour. We highly recommend Malcom and will definitely book with him again to do a distillery tour on our next visit.
Worth every penny!!
BBbank,
May 31, 2022
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Malcolm did an excellent job in coming up with a fantastic experience in and around Aberdeen. In addition to many other historic attractions we visited Dunnottar Castle, Drum Castle as well as Crathes Castle. His van is new and an excellent way to get around. He even took us for coffee (our treat) before we started on our adventure. We never once felt rushed, which we have experienced with other tours. Oddly enough the very next day my wife and I wandered down a dead end street on the backroads of Balmoral the day after and ran in to Malcolm, who had another couple with him. We talked a while and he explained what a Scotish "dead end" looks like and directed us to a secret Castle not far from where we were. We could not recommend him more. Thank you Malcolm for a great time!
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Operated by Time Exposure Travel