Invergordon Cruise Port Shore Excursion One Day Small Group Private Tour North

Invergordon Cruise Port Shore Excursion One Day Small Group Private Tour North

On this private customisable tour you will see Viking graves, a castle resembling a French Chateau, a 750 year old Cathedral, a whisky distillery, and hopefully seals! Something for everyone!

From Invergordon we'll drive north to a high point on Struie Hill where you will have long reaching views deep into the heart of Sutherland. Then we’ll head to the Falls of Shin where you may see the salmon trying to leap up the falls to reach their spawning grounds.

Reaching Lairg we will look right up Loch Shin and then travel through a beautiful glen to Dunrobin Castle. This castle is open to the public so you'll be able to explore the inside and then watch a stunning falconry display in the grounds.

Next we’ll head to the cathedral town of Dornoch for lunch and to explore the pretty Highland town. Next we’ll visit the Edderton Old Church where you’ll see a 1,100 year old carved Celtic slab.

Finally we'll visit either Balblair or Glenmorangie Distillery for a whisky or two!

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Struie Hill Viewpoint, B9176, Alness IV17 0XR, UK

We will head out north from Invergordon to the viewpoint from Struie Hill, also called "Million Dollar View". Looking across Loch Migdale, we will be able to see two Sights of Special Scientific Interest on the other bank. Here we have the most northerly Oakwood forest at Ledmore, and one of the last surviving native Pinewoods.

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Falls of Shin, Achany Glen, Lairg IV27 4EE Scotland

Between May and September, the Falls of Shin visitor attraction offers one of the best places in Scotland to see salmon leaping upstream. Throughout the summer, salmon return from the ocean, up the Dornoch Firth and Kyle of Sutherland to attempt to reach their spawning ground. Before they reach this, they must get past the waterfall on the River Shin. From the viewing platform, you can watch as they try to get up the river as well as enjoying the views up and down the river.

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Dunrobin Castle and Gardens, Golspie KW10 6SF Scotland

Resembling a French Chateau, this castle can be best described as like something out of a fairy tale. It originally dates back to the 1300s and has gone through a number of changes and additions through the centuries. Ticket price includes entry to falconry display, museum and gardens.

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

Stop At: Loch Fleet National Nature Reserve, Golspie IV25 3JD Scotland

Depending on the state of the tide, you will see seals sunning themselves on sandbanks or even swimming in the water. During the pupping season, the sound carries across the water so that you hear the mother seals calling out to their pups.

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Jail Dornoch, Castle Street, Dornoch IV25 3SD Scotland

The old jail in Dornoch is now a shop selling a wide range of Scottish goods. This is an opportunity to buy that tartan scarf, or box of shortbread. Next door is a whisky shop as well as a bistro should you wish to take lunch.

Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Dornoch Cathedral, High Street, Dornoch IV25 3SH Scotland

Dornoch Cathedral was built between 1224 and 1239 when it was consecrated. This makes this beautiful old Cathedral more than 750 years old!

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Balblair Distillery, Edderton IV19 1LB Scotland

Optionally, we can stop at Balblair Distillery to have a tasting or just a look around. It is a smaller, less commercialised distillery than some of the others, but no less charming for that. Admission is free and you just pay for the whisky that you taste.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Edderton class one pictish carved standing symbol stone, 8 Station Rd, Edderton, Tain IV19 1LA, UK

From here we will head to the Old Church where we will see the Cross Slab. This is a Pictish stone standing in the old graveyard of Edderton, Easter Ross. The slab is made of red sandstone and originally was sunk a lot deeper into the earth. This was raised to it’s presumed height which is noticeable given the lack of lichen on the bottom part of the slab. The slab is decorated on one side with a celtic cross, and the other side, there is a horseman with two further riders below.

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Tain Through Time, Tower Street, IV19 1DY Scotland

At the Tain Museum, in the old churchyard, there are three Viking burials. We will stop here for you to see these at first hand and you can use your imagination to dream how the people in these graves came to be buried so far from home.

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Glenmorangie Distillery, on the A9 Ross-shire, IV19 1PZ Scotland

Optionally, we can stop at the world-famous Glenmorangie Whisky Distillery. Here we have the opportunity to stop in for a tasting or if you wish to forgo some of the other sights, we can stop here for longer and take in a distillery tour (pre-booking is essential). Admission is free but you pay for any whisky you drink.

Duration: 30 minutes