£630
Tour Details
What’s included
Not included
Our service
Hop across the English border and discover Northumberland’s varied history on this full-day private tour from Edinburgh. Follow the causeway to Holy Island to learn about ancient Christian crusaders and notorious Viking invasions.
Head back to the mainland and continue to Alnwick Castle, a medieval stronghold and stately home in-one, with a claim to fame as a filming location for Harry Potter and Downton Abbey.
This bespoke luxury private tour of Scotland is hosted by your knowledgable, friendly local tour guide. We'll tell you the history, folklore and stories, really bringing the places and landscapes to life! We offer flexibility and your time inside and outside the vehicle is up to you.
All our tours are conducted in luxury Mercedes-Benz V Class minivans, with great personal space, sumptuous leather seats, A/C and panoramic windows.
RECOMMENDED SIGHTS ON THIS TOUR …
Alnwick Castle
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.
Cove Harbour
Cove Harbour is a delightfully remote location that can only be reached on foot through a tunnel dug in 1752, and is far from the tourist circuit. A fishing harbour has existed at Cove for as long as records can remember. There has been a memorial erected in Cove in memory of the tragic deaths caused by the East Coast Fishing Disaster in 1881 that occurred off the coast.
To ensure safe passage across the causeway at Lindisfarne, we may reverse the tour itinerary.
Suggested tour route
- Distance Instructions
Tour Gallery
Alnwick Castle Saloon
Entering Alnwick Castle
Lindisfarne Castle on Holy Island
A Puffin on Lindisfarne
Lindisfarne Castle on Holy Island
The Library at Alnwick Castle
Alnwick Castle
Treehouse cafe at Alwnick
Tour van at Gleneagles hotel
Alnwick Castle Dining Room
Lindisfarne Priory
Alnwick Castle Saloon
Places this tour visits
No two tours are the same, but these are popular places to see on the Alnwick Castle, Lindisfarne & The Viking Coast Private Tour
Frequently Asked Questions
These are some of the frequently asked questions about our Alnwick Castle, Lindisfarne & The Viking Coast Private Tour, however if you have a specific question please contact us
Absolutely! Almost all of the places we visit have toilets / restrooms. Because this is a private tour, we can stop when you need us to.
For day tours the final balance (plus any extras like admission tickets) is due 24 hours before the tour.
For multi-day tours the final balance is due 30 days before the tour.
Our climate is famous for being unpredictable. We provide umbrellas in our vans but if the weather isn’t working in our favour, just wait 5 minutes and it will change! Please don’t rely on the forecast either, it is invariably wrong!
We recommend that you bring a waterproof jacket and shoes suitable for walking over rough ground / cobbles, especially if visiting rural locations! Other than that, just bring yourself!
Absolutely! Please contact us if you’d like to make an amendment to one of our suggested itineraries or would like a customised tour.
Yes, we can end the tour in a different location from the start point. Please let us know if this is what you need. For locations further than 100 miles from the start point there maybe a charge.
We use Mercedes-Benz V Class minivans. They are modern, luxurious and safe vehicles with a Euro N-Cap rating of 5 stars. They come with privacy glass, a panoramic sunroof, reclining leather seats, dual-zone air conditioning and unlimited high-speed WiFi. Learn more about our vehicles.
Our Mercedes V Class minivans come in two configurations, a 6 passenger version and a 7 passenger version.
Yes, we can meet you at the airport and have plenty of space for baggage.
Yes, most of our tours are suitable for cruise ship shore excursions and we’ll meet you at the quayside.
Yes, our vehicle can accommodate most mobility scoters and wheelchairs. They normally require two people to lift in and out of the vehicle so one of your party will be needed to help. Note that if there is a scooter then the baggage space is limited.
Support animals are welcome onboard however we typically ask for them to stay on the floor of the vehicle.
The total price of your tour includes your tour guide, use of our luxury minivans, the fuel, tolls and parking charges and insurances. Entrance to attractions etc is on top but we can manage that for you and add it to the invoice.
Yes, there are a range of different options on each trip, from a historic tavern to a quaint cafe or bakery. We’ll make reservations to ensure that our lunch stop is quick and tasty!
A few days before the trip we’ll provide the guides contact details encase you need to contact them on the day of your tour
No, all of our tours are private so your party will be the only people on the tour.
Yes, we will guide you through attractions and monuments as part of our service. This is not possible at The Royal Yacht Britannia or Palace of Holyroodhouse.
Recent Customer Testimonials
Rolando C
Truly enjoyable and informative day trip with an outstanding guide / driver Calais. The Lindores Abbey distillery tour and tasting was excellent. [...] All in all an outstanding trip to the Scottish Low/Highlands.
Feedback from December 2025
Traveler from PA
My husband and I went on a custom experience through the Highlands, Isle of Skye, Lewis and Harris. We went to some Outlander filming sites and a Highland Games over a few days on our way back to Edinburgh. the cost was reasonable for a private tour and Sandy was [...]
Feedback from November 2025
Voyager
Our group of six friends did the Highlands, Whisky, and Castles private tour from Edinburgh. Sandy was quick to respond to all my questions when planning the day trip and helping to tailor the itinerary to our interests and customize a couple of the stops. Communication and follow-up during the [...]
Feedback from November 2025
Robert B
He told some stories of the history and pointed out things that we would have missed thereby enriching our experiences. Calais also scheduled the day so we went to Stirling Castle first avoiding most of the crowd and making it a more personal experience. Also, we are from the U.S. [...]
Feedback from October 2025
Our service
We’re a luxury private tour company, with passionate local guides, Mercedes minivans and customised itineraries
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