Edinburgh City Tour and Castles
Tour Highlights
This relaxed Edinburgh city tour and journey on the ‘back’ roads of East Lothian visits two castles, has a leisurely lunch in the seaside village of North Berwick and also includes a woodland walk with stunning views over the east coast of Scotland towards the Highlands.
Edinburgh city tour
Hailes Castle
Tantallon Castle
Seaside town of North Berwick
Itinerary
Our tour of Edinburgh includes some of the capital’s highlights including views of Edinburgh Castle, the Old Town, The Royal Mile, the Grassmarket and Holyrood Palace.
Holyrood Park and the Old Town
Leaving the town centre we drive through the volcanic heart of the city, Holyrood Park, and around Arthur’s Seat with amazing views over Edinburgh and towards our destination, historic East Lothian.
It’s not long before we arrive at Hailes Castle, overlooking the River Tyne and thought to contain some of the oldest stonework in Scotland (admission free). You will have time to explore this hidden gem before we continue for our walk.
Hailes Castle
Byre’s Hill sits just outside the town of Haddington. On top of the hill is the Hopetoun Monument which dominates the skyline for miles around.
A path winds through native woodland to reach a superb viewpoint: The Firth of Forth and Fife to the north; Edinburgh and the Pentland Hills to the west; The Lammermuir Hills to the south. On a clear day, it is even possible to glimpse the Cairngorms far away to the North in the Highlands.
North Berwick
Continuing down the coast, we have lunch in the pretty seaside town of North Berwick. You will have time to explore the harbour area and admire the spectacular views over the beach, Bass Rock and the Firth of Forth.
In the mid 14th century English invaders necessitated the construction of Tantallon Castle and we will visit this amazing clifftop fortress, one of the most dramatically located castles in Scotland.
Tantallon Castle
Tantallon Castle is a ‘must see’ historical attraction on the east coast of Scotland with spectacular views across the Firth of Forth to the ancient Kingdom of Fife.
Our journey back to Edinburgh takes us along the coast, following the Firth of Forth back to the city.
If you want to visit other famous castles, what about the Stirling Castle, Highland Lochs and Whisky tour?
