British Isle's Stirling castle?

[hunt182644]

Looking at a 2020 British Isle's cruise, Could someone tell me which port that tours to Stirling castle are done from. Thought I had found the info I was looking for now can't find what I need. This tour I believe goes to Stirling castle  and is connected to William Wallace. The Wallace line is possibly to connected to my wife's side of the family

[capriccio]

In 2013 our roll call organized a day of sightseeing from Glasgow that included Stirling Castle en route to our evening in Edinburgh for the Military Tattoo.  We returned to the ship after midnight.  If you are on the BI cruise in August, don't miss the Tattoo!

[adstz]

We are taking a tour from Glasgow to Edinburgh for the Military Tattoo.  We will hit Stirling Castle on our way to Edinburgh.

I would guess you could take a tour from Glasgow or from Edinburgh if you want to see the castle.

[DrivesLikeMario]

You can get there from either Glasgow (actually Greenock) or from Edinburgh (actually So. Queensferry or Rosyth depending on the ship) if you do a private tour or take the train, then a bus or taxi.  I highly recommend doing it privately as you have the time to really experience Stirling Castle and you get to see so much more in addition to it on your day tour.  Our private tour the day we were in Greenock was probably one of the best I've ever had.

[reedprincess]

3 hours ago, DrivesLikeMario said:

You can get there from either Glasgow (actually Greenock) or from Edinburgh (actually So. Queensferry or Rosyth depending on the ship) if you do a private tour or take the train, then a bus or taxi.  I highly recommend doing it privately as you have the time to really experience Stirling Castle and you get to see so much more in addition to it on your day tour.  Our private tour the day we were in Greenock was probably one of the best I've ever had.

Could you please let me know who you booked with? Thanks.  

[DrivesLikeMario]

Sorry, had to look it up.  They book up very far in advance for the best tour guides.  Here's the link:  Great Scot Tours

[reedprincess]

1 hour ago, DrivesLikeMario said:

Sorry, had to look it up.  They book up very far in advance for the best tour guides.  Here's the link:  Great Scot Tours

Thank you!!

[pizzalady1]

There is also excuisitescotland.com, www.tours-from-edinburgh.com, slaintesctland.com,  www.wowscotland.com, www.getyourguide.com,  www.goscotland.com, https://www.timberbush-tours.co.uk/private-tours/

 

OP when are you going?

[DrivesLikeMario]

Be careful who you go with.  One of our private tour guides was not the best.  He was reading signs as we toured a castle so he knew what to say.  Just not very knowledgeable or anxious to please as Great Scot Tours who were excellent.

[pizzalady1]

1 hour ago, DrivesLikeMario said:

Be careful who you go with.  One of our private tour guides was not the best.  He was reading signs as we toured a castle so he knew what to say.  Just not very knowledgeable or anxious to please as Great Scot Tours who were excellent.

Who was the company so no one here makes the same mistake?

Edited February 28, 2019 by pizzalady1

[Spideysmum]

On our British Isles cruise, someone on our roll call organized a tour that went to Stirling Castle, Doune Castle (where Monty Python’s Holy Grail was filmed) and a tour of Glengoyne Distillery.  The tour company was Stravagin Duntocher Road, 
Clydebank. Scotland, G813NQ.  We had a great time with Ian and were returned to the ship in time. 
 

[Wandering_star]

This may go without saying, but just in case... When looking at tours, look for one that includes a stop at the Wallace Monument - it is separate from Stirling Castle (about a 10 minute drive away from the castle).  

 

No tour company recommendations for you - when we went we took the train from Edinburgh, then caught a local bus - ended up missing the stop for the Wallace Monument and rode the bus for an hour before getting back on track (the country side is lovely).

 

Definitely use a tour so not to make a similar mistake!   

[LarryL]

If you have the time, a train would be a fun way to go. It may be easier to do this by train from Edinburgh. The ride is about an hour each way and if you like walking, Stirling is a beautiful place. From the station, the castle is uphill but a nice walk and in an interesting area. After your tour of the castle you may be hungry and I would recommend the Portcullis which is very near the castle. From there the walk to the William Wallace Monument is a little over two miles. The memorial sits on a hill, as well, so you will get your workout. Once inside, you will find a nice ascent to the top. It's worth the effort no matter how you get there.

Edited February 28, 2019 by LarryL

[DrivesLikeMario]

3 hours ago, pizzalady1 said:

Who was the company so no one here makes the same mistake?

I don't know since someone else started that private tour.  They were out of Inverness.  It was a father (who was supposedly excellent) who took one group and we ended up with his son (who wasn't very good).   

 

I've learned some important lessons with private tours over the years:  be very specific about what you want to see by spelling it out in an email, printing it out and bringing it with you, ask for the most experienced guide and book as early as possible (sometimes up to 12-15 months in advance) to get the best guides.  And if all else fails, go with a flexible attitude in case they screw up and don't stop at that one place you had your heart set on going to that they promised they would (Florence tour with RomeinLimo  😦 ).

[cboyle]

On 2/27/2019 at 8:44 PM, reedprincess said:

Could you please let me know who you booked with? Thanks.  

This is our review of the private tour we had from Greenock  in 2015:

 

When we docked at the Ocean Terminal in Greenock this morning, we were greeted by rain and live bagpipe music. On our previous visit, we had taken a tour offered by the Iverclyde Tourist Group (www.inverclydetouristgroup.co.uk/content/tours/) in the morning. They offer three different free tours (5 GBP pp donation suggested) in the Greenock area. In the afternoon, we took a ship's excursion to Edinburgh for the Military Tattoo (www.edinburgh-tattoo.co.uk).

 

On this visit, the four of us had a wonderful private tour of a lovely part of Scotland with Clyde Coast Tourism (clydecoasttourism.co.uk). John arranged the tour well in advance through their web site. Catriona Stevenson replied almost immediately and based on our port times suggested a personalized itinerary that fit our schedule. The price for four was 250 GBP or 62.50 GBP pp, not including admissions. Because of the sites we would visit over the next five days, we each purchased a Scotland Explorer Pass 3 Day Concession (www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/explorer) online for 24 GBP pp. The pass yields a significant savings over paying the entry fee at each included site and allows you to skip the line at Stirling and Edinburgh Castles. For example, the normal senior entry fee at Stirling Castle is 11.60 GBP, at Urquhart Castle is 6.80 GBP and at Edinburgh Castle is 13.20 GBP, for a total of 31.20 GBP.

 

Independent tour guides are no longer allowed to bring their vehicles into the parking lot at the Ocean Terminal gate, so we met Catriona outside the gate and walked a short distance to her car. She was dressed in the Ramsay Blue Hunting tartan, which is her grandfather's family tartan.

 

Then we were off to Stirling Castle (www.stirlingcastle.gov.uk), where Catriona gave us a detailed guided tour. Before we actually got to the castle, we stopped for some great photos of the castle and some shaggy “Heeland Coos” (Scottish Highland Cows). We had done some homework before this trip and so were constantly peppering Catriona with questions about the important battles (Stirling Bridge, Falkirk, Bannockburn) that had taken place in this vicinity. She was able to handle our inquisitiveness and expand on what we were asking. She obviously cares about Scotland and Scottish history!

 

The exhibits at Stirling Castle are very well done and give insight into how the Scottish nobility lived. In addition to the exhibits and furnishings, there are costumed reenactors who bring the history alive. From the ramparts, we could see the National Wallace Monument overlooking the scene of the Battle of Stirling Bridge and the flagpole marking the Bruce Monument on the Bannockburn Battlefield. Stirling Castle was so interesting that we spent more time here than originally planned.

 

Next Catriona gave us a lovely drive on the Scenic Route (A84, A85 and A82) through the spectacular scenery of the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park (www.lochlomond-trossachs.org). She said that the heather was blooming at least three weeks late but now it was blooming prolifically. Not far from Stirling we passed scenic Doune Castle, which is very popular with TV and movie production companies. It played many castles in “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” and the fictional Castle Leoch in the “Outlander” TV series; it was also used as a location in the pilot for “Game of Thrones”. Along the way, we saw many Rowan trees with their clusters of bright red berries.

 

Our next stop was at beautiful Loch Lubnaig; we didn't stop long because it was raining. We continued on to the Falls of Falloch (www.world-of-waterfalls.com/europe-falls-of-falloch.html), a lovely waterfall about 30 ft (9 m) high. This is Rob Roy MacGregor country and he is reputed to have frequented these falls.

 

Now it was time for lunch at the Drovers Inn (www.thedroversinn.co.uk) in Inverarnan near the upper end of Loch Lomond. This is an authentic pub that has been serving excellent food and ale since 1705. The Inn was frequented by the Highland drovers (like Rob Roy) who used to drive their cattle down the side of Loch Lomond to the markets. It is a quirky little place with lots of stuffed animals, including a grizzly bear. John & I ordered the beef and the pork Sunday Roast at 7.25 GBP for the light version. Just be aware that their “light” lunch is by no means small; in addition to two large slices of meat, it included a boiled potato, a roast potato, carrots, snow peas and Yorkshire pudding. To accompany the food, we had pints of Caledonia Best (a bitter) and Drovers Blonde (a lager). As a bonus, we had views of the Beinglas waterfall as it tumbles into the River Falloch behind the Inn.

 

After that very filling lunch, we were back on the road for more scenic driving. We stopped at Inveruglas for outstanding views of Loch Lomond. Unfortunately, we were running too far behind schedule to visit the new viewpoint that had opened there earlier in the summer. We were trying to reach the Auchentoshan Whisky Distillery (www.auchentoshan.com) near Glasgow before the 3:00 p. m. tour. We were a little late (probably because we kept asking so many questions!) but, since everyone there knew Catriona, we were able to join the scheduled tour. There was another Clyde Coast Tourism group there that was being lead by Catriona's grandfather. He was wearing the Ramsay (Red) plaid kilt and a sporran. It was interesting to compare the tour here with the one at Jameson. The best part, of course, was the opportunity to taste Auchentoshan's fine whisky! Robert bought a small bottle of whisky that had been bottled today; we all enjoyed that over the next few evenings.

 

Throughout the tour Catriona supplied light snacks and water for us. At the end of our long day, back at the port, she also provided us with a wee dram of fine Jura Whisky to toast our excellent adventure! She is a superb driver, guide and hostess. We highly recommend Clyde Coast Tourism!