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Holy Island and Alnwick Castle: Small Group Tour
4.6
156 Ratings
Edinburgh
Embark on a very small group tour from Edinburgh to explore the Viking Coast and Alnwick Castle. Discover the historic Holy Island and visit the famous filming location for Harry Potter and Downton Abbey. Enjoy stunning views along the Northumberland coastline and immerse yourself in the beauty of the Borders. Book now for a discount!
Duration:
9 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Lindisfarne National Nature Reserve - Lindisfarne National Nature Reserve protects a stretch of coastline, including the dunes of Lindisfarne (Holy Island).
- Lindisfarne Priory - During your time on Holy Island (approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes) you will have time to visit Lindisfarne Priory (entrance at own expense).
- Lindisfarne Castle - During your time on Holy Island (approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes) you will enjoy wonderful views to Lindisfarne Castle. If you choose to make a short visit, entrance will be at your own expense.
- Bamburgh Castle - Enjoy views over to Bamburgh Castle from Holy Island.
- Farne Islands - Enjoy views to the Farne Islands from Holy Island.
- Alnwick Castle - Arriving at Alnwick Castle around lunchtime you’ll stop here for a minimum of two-and-a-half hours. This amazing castle, one of Europe’s finest, has been the centre of many historical events – from bloodthirsty battles between the Scots and English to the intrigue of the Guy Fawkes plot. Its sumptuous setting and exquisite architecture has famously been used as a filming location, including the Harry Potter movies (Hogwarts) and Downton Abbey. Visit the new Downton Abbey exhibition featuring costumes, photography and props from the series and enjoy ‘Harry Spotter Tours’, revisiting some of your favourite scenes. Next door to the castle is the world-renowned Alnwick Garden, several acres of beautiful parks, woodland walks and the Poison Garden.
- The Alnwick Garden - During our stop at Alnwick Castle (minimum 2.5 hours) you will also have time to visit the world-renowned Alnwick Garden; several acres of beautiful parks, woodland walks and the Poison Garden.
- Northumberland National Park - The return home takes you through beautiful Border country and Northumberland National Park. We will stop for refreshments and to stretch legs along the way.
- Coldstream - We stop for refreshments and an opportunity to admire the beautiful rolling landscape which nestles between two historic and proud nations.
What's Included
- Local guide
- Driver/guide
- Transport by air-conditioned Mercedes mini-coach
- Live commentary on board
- Very small group tour - average group size of around 12 passengers
What's Not Included
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
- Attraction Entrance Fees
Additional Information
This popular very small group tour of around 12 passengers explores Holy Island - scene of the first Viking invasion of Britain - and Alnwick Castle (filming location for Harry Potter and Downton Abbey) before returning north to Edinburgh via the beautiful Borders. You will enjoy stunning views along the Northumberland coastline before arriving at Alnwick Castle for a minimum of two-and-a-half hours (33% ‘on the day’ discount for Heart of Scotland Tours customers/no prebooking required). On Holy Island you may want to include the beautiful short walk to Lindisfarne Castle and a visit to the picturesque Abbey.
- Very small group tour - average group size of around 12 passengers
- Minimum age is 5 years old
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Operates in all weather conditions (unless it is unsafe to do so), please dress appropriately
- Please inform us 7 days in advance if you are bringing a service animal
Location
Waterloo Place
This tour departs from (and returns to) Bus Stand ZE, Waterloo Place, Edinburgh, EH1 3BQ (opposite Howie's Restaurant).
Please arrive no later than 08.45.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.6
(156 Ratings)
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405karynp
Aug 28, 2024
Informative Driver. - Our main goal for the day was Lindisfarne Island. This tour from our research had the most time on the island. Be warned the que for the ladies loo takes time!! You don't have time to visit both the "castle" and the priory or the town. I was walking a bit slow as wanted to soak in the vibes. (Possibly for my purposes I should have hired a car so I could spend all day) The driver once understanding my purpose and link to the island was amazing and tired to point out specific information for me ( I was sitting at the front) both at the island and in the surrounding area - including pointing out road signs with our family name on, which was appreciated. Alnwick castle was good - but again time is limited here and you could easily spend a whole day.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Iris_c
Aug 10, 2024
A Wonderful Day Trip! - This tour was a wonderful day trip out of Edinburgh! Howard was a knowledgeable and accommodating guide. There was just the right amount of time at each stop. We enjoyed walking across the border into Northumberland, and Alnwick castle in particular was spectacular. Keeping on schedule was important because crossing to Holy Island is dependent on the tide, but Howard did a good job or organizing the schedule. The day sped by because there never seemed to be overly long stretches on the bus. The small group configuration worked well for us, and we would highly recommend this tour.
Review provided by Viator
Lwandkw
Jun 11, 2024
Fantastic tour from beginning to end! - A group of eleven people ranging in ages from 17 to 49 had an amazing day on the Viking Coast tour! Our guide, Allen, shared the perfect level of humour, facts and history. We visited Holy Island and Alnwick castle which were highlights of our stay in Scotland. Our only regret is that we didn’t book two excursions from Edinburgh with Allen and the wee red bus.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Stephanie_s
May 18, 2024
Best tour ever! - Wonderful tour! The right amount of time in the different spots, great insights and history. It was refreshing that Keith shared the right amount of facts, music, making the tour a great and relaxing time. Highly recommend! From all 4 tours (from 3 different companies) most definitely my favorite.
Review provided by Viator
Paul_r
May 13, 2024
Great tour with a great company - Great tour. They tour guide was amazing and very knowledgeable. The views from holy island and Alnwick castle are stunning.
Review provided by Viator
Maryann_h
Apr 12, 2024
Very wonderful experience - My friend and I have a great time. It was a last minute booking and thank God we found you guys. The driver is very accomodating and very smooth driving. I will definitely will go on to this tour again when we get back to Scotland.
Review provided by Viator
Lisae59912042
Oct 24, 2023
Great varied day tour! - Better late to review than never. I chose the tour because of Alnwick Castle and was not disappointed. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough time for the long line to the Poison Garden. A really beautiful destination with the castle and the magnificent garden. The weather was also good that day. Angela drove us safely along the Viking Coast and gave us plenty of time for photos of and on Holy Island, especially Lindisfarn Castle.
In addition, the drive through Dunbar was very inspiring for further activities.
Thank you for a fantastic day in a small group!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
J_v
Oct 16, 2023
Wonderful Time in Northumberland - We had so much fun getting acquainted with Northumberland through this tour. Our tour guide was Keith who is very knowledgeable of the history of the region and he made the drive very fun and interesting! Tips: With Lindesfarne be sure to see the the Church and grounds. The outside of the priory can be seen and explored without admission. Be sure to also take a few minutes and capture some good views of Lindesfarne castle while on the island. With Alnwick choose either the castle or Alnwick Gardens. IMO, While each is equally fantastic there isn’t enough time to do both.
Review provided by Viator
Harriettlynn_h
Sep 20, 2023
All around lovely tour but Angela made it extra special. - First off, Angela was a dream. She was friendly, funny and made the tour extra special. We had plenty of time at the sites. Clean and comfortable coach. No complaints at all!
Review provided by Viator
433yvonnea
Apr 23, 2024
A different side of Scotland and England full of history and scenic views - My mother and I did this as a second tour during our stay in Edinburgh. Holy Island and Lindisfarne castle are gorgeous locations with significant and tragic history. Alnwick castle is beautiful and the State Rooms in particular have lots of exhibits about the Percy family with informative guides. But I thought the time spent there was a little too long (almost 3 hours). On the drive back we stopped at Bambrugh castle with breathtaking views of the North Sea. Our guide Keith drove very smoothly and interspersed the drive with interesting facts and lovely local music. Overall I would recommend this tour for history-buffs and Harry Potter fans.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
