3-Day Cairngorms National Park Tour from Edinburgh: Royal Deeside, Speyside Whisky and St Andrews

Explore the Cairngorms National Park on a 3-day tour from Edinburgh, and discover Speyside whisky, bottlenose dolphins and historical towns aplenty. With a guide, travel through the Park’s mountainous countryside, enjoying stops to explore towns such as Dunkeld and Aviemore. Look out for dolphins on a trip to the Scottish Dolphin Centre, tour a whisky distillery in Speyside (own expense), and get to know Royal Deeside and St Andrews – places known for their links to the British monarchy. Two nights of 3-star hotel or guesthouse accommodation in the Cairngorms National Park is included.

Day 1: Edinburgh – Dunkeld – Aviemore – Grantown-on-Spey
Meet your guide at the Royal Mile in central Edinburgh, and then hop aboard your luxury coach to journey north out of the city. Soon, the grey-stone buildings of the Scottish capital give way to the rolling green hills of Perthshire and your first stop of the day: Dunkeld. Enjoy a stroll around the pretty Scottish town and stop for photos by the thousand-year-old Dunkeld Cathedral before taking to the road once again.

Travel through the Cairngorms National Park, enjoying glimpses of its forested glens, and then stop in Aviemore, a small town and winter ski resort in the heart of the Park. Enjoy some free time to stretch your legs, browse the shops and perhaps have lunch (own expense), and then continue to the town of Grantown-on-Spey where your overnight accommodation awaits. Check in and spend the evening as you please.

Overnight: 3-star hotel or guesthouse in Grantown-on-Spey

Day 2: Grantown-on-Spey – Scottish Dolphin Centre – Speyside – Grantown-on-Spey (B)
Start your day with breakfast at your accommodation, and then travel with your guide to Spey Bay on the Moray Firth. The waters are home to large pods of bottlenose dolphins and Spey Bay is widely considered as the best land-based vantage point in the UK to see them. Enjoy free time at the bay’s Scottish Dolphin Centre and look out for the graceful creatures gliding around the mouth of the River Spey.

After a break for lunch, spend your afternoon exploring the county of Speyside, the area famous for its production of single malt whisky. Home to more than half of Scotland’s whisky distilleries, Speyside produces malts that are found in some of the best-selling brands worldwide, such as Chivas Regal and Johnnie Walker. Learn all about the Scotch ‘water of life’ on a tour of one of the distilleries (own expense) and sample a dram of whisky. Return to your accommodation by coach and then enjoy an evening at leisure.

Overnight: 3-star hotel or guesthouse in Grantown-on-Spey

Day 3: Grantown-on-Spey – Royal Deeside – St Andrews – Edinburgh (B)
Enjoy breakfast, check out of your accommodation, and then travel to Royal Deeside, an area where the Queen traditionally spends her vacations. Stop for a stroll around the village of Crathie Kirk, where the Royal Family attend Church when staying at Balmoral Castle, and then travel east for a photo stop by the ruins of Dunnottar Castle.

Continue south to St Andrews, a city steeped in royal history, to enjoy some free time for lunch (own expense) and independent sightseeing. Pose for photos in front of the University of St Andrews, where Prince William first met Kate Middleton, and perhaps pay a visit to the city’s imposing Greek Orthodox cathedral.

Meet your guide and travel south past Forth Bridge before arriving in Edinburgh in the late afternoon. Your 3-day tour then finishes at the Royal Mile.

• Transport by air-conditioned coach
• Local guide
• 2 nights of accommodation
  
• Entrance fees to Dunkeld Cathedral and the Scottish Dolphin Centre
  
• Meals as per itinerary (B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner)

• Hotel pickup and drop-off
• Whisky distillery tour
• Food and drinks, unless specified
• Gratuities (optional)