Alnwick Castle, Lindisfarne & The Viking Coast Private Tour

Alnwick Castle is famous for being the home of the Dukes of Northumberland. Located on the outskirts of the old town of Alnwick it has been a feature of the landscape here since the 14th century. On the outside, Alnwick looks like a fortress, but on the inside, it’s a grand stately home with Italianate staterooms, a library and chapel.

Alwnick has been used as the setting for film and TV productions including Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. It was more recently used in Downton Abbey when the Crawley family are invited to a shooting party at Brancaster Castle.

Ramparts and towers stand to defend the castle from invading forces. A museum about the castle’s defense is also located within the walls.

For younger visitors, make sure you check out the Knight’s Quest arena and Dragon Quest. For Harry Potter fans there are regular broomstick lessons hosted by resident wizarding professors on the Nether Bailey.

A world-famous garden is next door to the castle, with its 120-jet fountain, the largest treehouse in the world, woodland walks, and poison garden.

On our tour at Alnwick Castle, we get to learn about the Scottish and English history of Alnwick.

Lindisfarne Castle

In order to reach Lindisfarne, we first have to cross a dramatic tidal causeway which is submerged during high tide.

The construction of Lindisfarne Castle can be traced back to around 1550, when it was built to house a garrison of soldiers, providing protection for the English coast from an attack from the ocean.

As part of Edward Hudson’s renovations to the castle in 1903, he and architect Lutyens made extensive changes to the building, turning it into an Edwardian family house. Between 2015 and 2019, Lindisfarne Castle underwent a significant restoration, and many of its original features have been lovingly restored by The National trust.

Lindisfarne Priory

Historically, Lindisfarne has been an important religious site ever since Christian missionaries arrived in the area around 520AD and it is commonly referred to as the ‘Holy Island’. The Priory was built nearly 1,400 years ago in 635 and is situated on the wild coastal beauty of the island.

There are strong historic connections between Lindisfarne and Scotland. These include the advent of Roman Catholic Christianity that swept the northern British Isles in the 6th century all the way through to the Protestant reformation a millennium later in 1650.

It is possible to spend time visiting Lindisfarne Priory’s Museum if you are interested in its history, Viking raids, the cult of St Cuthbert, or the medieval Lindisfarne Gospels.

To ensure safe passage across the causeway at Lindisfarne, we may reverse the tour itinerary.