Had a wonderful day. Our guide and driver Alex was amazing. He ha a lot of knowledge of local history and stories, but never too much. Also a very good driver. On narrow windy roads I often get sick, not with him, so another plus for that. During our trip he also played Scottish music, which I really enjoyed. Balmoral was as expected beautiful, and I highly enjoyed the surrounding gardens. Stops underway was also very nice. Can highly recommend this trip.

Overall we had a nice day. Balmoral was absolutely beautiful and even though you can only view the ballroom of the interior of the castle, the grounds are amazing and could take you far more than two hours if you wanted to see it all. Included in the ticket for balmoral is an extremely informative audio guide. Other than balmoral, the other stops on the tour were so so. You could take them or leave them and I don't feel the tour would be all that different. Our tour guide was not very talkative and did not provide a lot of information to us about the stops or the history of the local area. Additionally the layout of the van was more like a minivan than a coach bus so it could be an awkward seating arrangement depending on how many people are in your group or how many people are on the tour. It's a convenient way to get to balmoral from Aberdeen if that is what you're looking for. If you have another way to get to balmoral or if balmoral is not a must see for you, then this not a tour that I would recommend.

My wife and I did this tour with Jamie. He was so easy going and extremely knowledgeable of the area. Had a lot of stories to tell. He gave us ample time to visit Balmoral Castle and for lunch. Even took us to some hidden waterfalls, so cool!

My husband and I had a wonderful time. Alex our guide was fantastic. He has a textbook knowledge of local history. He took the time to point out things that we did not notice on our own. He went above and beyond in all aspects. Highly recomend the tour.

We had an incredible day with our knowledgeable and fun guide Jamie. We started off in the charming small village of Fittie and visited Glen Garlioch Distillery, an ancient stone circle and Castle Fraser. All along the way Jamie had Sottish treats and beverages for us to sample. There was plenty of time to enjoy each stop and not too much time driving. Overall, it was a wonderful way to spend a brilliant sunny day exploring the area near Aberdeen. Highly recommend.

We were a group of 4 friends touring Scotland for 16 days. We went on multiple tours. This one was by far my favorite. Our guide, Alex, was superb. He kept us entertained all day. Later in the afternoon he played several types of Scottish music, all of which was great and I’m going to download it. I am a huge British Royal Family fan, so actually seeing Balmoral was a thrill. It would have been nice had our trip been in July or August when the castle will have more open rooms, but we were committed to May. I don’t understand the reviews that complain about only seeing the ballroom as that is clearly explained in the tour listing and in the Balmoral website. Plus there were many other stops in the tour too. I got many wonderful photos. Alex gave us a great recommendation for lunch on our lunch stop and got us a 10 % discount too. I simply loved the entire day and if I’m ever back in the Royal Deeside area, would do this tour again. Thanks for a great time!

Our touring party is two American couples on a 10-day visit thru Scotland. We had 1 full day in Aberdeen and needed to find the best tour possible for our limited time. We hit the jackpot with Grampian Escapes and Tours! We were astounded by the depth of the tour (visited so many spots on the way to and from the castle) and by our tour guide’s knowledge. Jacqueline was thoroughly engaging, very knowledgeable, and so much fun with which to travel. Even after doing this for 7 years, she is still enthusiastic about sharing her love of all things Aberdeen. We learned about local history, plants, flowers, and the best places for shopping and dining. The self-guided tour of Balmoral Castle was very enjoyable and worth the tour as a single event. When you factor in everything Jacqueline brought to the tour, this trip was worth every penny. Highly recommend!!!

A truly wonderful tour. Scenery was breathtaking. Our guide Jacqueline was just brilliant. So knowledgeable and interesting. Made us feel so welcome. Very warm and lovely lady. She made the trip for us.

It was a wonderful tour, we saw a lot of beautiful sites! And our guide Alex Duncan was very very nice! A lot of interesting info!

Alex our guide was perfect His intimate knowledge of the area it’s history and topography was second to none He was most welcoming and amiable We would return when the opportunity arises Full marks to Alex !

Second tour 2 days in a row. Different guide and both were A+ and different experiences. I wish I could stay and do the remaining 4 tours. The authentic drinking place you go on this tour is a distillery, the rest of the food is local food packed in a picnic basket that is shared at the various stops like a castle and stone circle.

This tour was phenomenal! Jacqueline was my favorite tour host I've met on my travels in Scotland so far. She was friendly, well informed, and gave a relaxing and phenomenal tour experience. The foods we got to try were great and I would recommend this tour to anyone staying or living in the area. Thank you, Jacqueline!

A wonderful day out with Alex as our guide. We were blessed with dry weather so that all of the stops could be fully enjoyed. There was just the right amount of time in each spot and the little treats along the way were very welcome. Transport is in a 8-seater vehicle which can get about the countryside very effectively. Highlights were the Fettercairn distillery, Stonehaven and Dunnottar castle. A lovely day seeing the sights - highly recommended.

A perfect day out with our fab guide Jacqueline. We enjoyed the information provided and all the sites. We had just the right amount of time at each spot. Jacqueline provided some lovely snacks and was so kind to everyone. Would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Aberdeen.

Enjoyed the small group and saw all on itinerary but might have been better if she had pointed out certain noteworthy sites on the roadside before we got to them not after we had whizzed past them. Would definitely do it again. Balmoral is a treasure and not to be missed.