Dundee, Scotland

[WESTEAST]

We will be stopping at the Dundee port in August and are currently waitlisted on the ship's shore excursion to Balmoral Castle and have been researching independent tour operators out of Dundee who offer tours to Balmoral Castle and not having any luck.  Appreciate if anyone can recommend a tour operator that may offer such a shore excursion.  

[gumshoe958]

Dundee is not a particularly common cruise destination (I can only see 11 ships calling there for the rest of this year) and as such the availability of shore excursions is very limited - there’s just not a regular market for them.

 

What few excursions there are seem to be to more local attractions eg Glamis Castle (Balmoral is more or less a 4 hour round trip).

 

So if you’ve set your heart on Balmoral you may have to consider a private tour. There’ll be local taxi firms who’ll happily provide a car and driver for the day - but it won’t be cheap.

 

(I see this company does run a tour from Dundee, but it’s part of a much longer 12 hour tour that probably wouldn’t work on your schedule. They might be able to tailor something to your needs though: https://www.strachantours.co.uk/tours-local.htm )

 

Edited May 21, 2023 by gumshoe958

[Cotswold Eagle]

Just a word of caution that the only call to Dundee showing in August I could see is on the 26th. The Balmoral Estate is only open to visitors to the 16th. 

[WESTEAST]

8 hours ago, gumshoe958 said:

Dundee is not a particularly common cruise destination (I can only see 11 ships calling there for the rest of this year) and as such the availability of shore excursions is very limited - there’s just not a regular market for them.

 

What few excursions there are seem to be to more local attractions eg Glamis Castle (Balmoral is more or less a 4 hour round trip).

 

So if you’ve set your heart on Balmoral you may have to consider a private tour. There’ll be local taxi firms who’ll happily provide a car and driver for the day - but it won’t be cheap.

 

(I see this company does run a tour from Dundee, but it’s part of a much longer 12 hour tour that probably wouldn’t work on your schedule. They might be able to tailor something to your needs though: https://www.strachantours.co.uk/tours-local.htm )

 

Thank you for this information. Per post #3 Balmoral is closed as of August 17th and our cruise arrives in Dundee on the 26th so will now look at either Glamis or a return visit to St. Andrews. 

[WESTEAST]

2 hours ago, Cotswold Eagle said:

Just a word of caution that the only call to Dundee showing in August I could see is on the 26th. The Balmoral Estate is only open to visitors to the 16th. 

It is our ship, the Riviera that will be in port on the 26th and thank you for alerting us to the fact that Balmoral is open only to the 16th. We will now look at Glamis or a return visit to St. Andrews. 

 

[Aunt Tina]

We will also be on the Riviera that cruise.  I'd be interested in any private tours you find,

[bermudabay1]

On 5/21/2023 at 3:06 AM, gumshoe958 said:

Dundee is not a particularly common cruise destination (I can only see 11 ships calling there for the rest of this year) and as such the availability of shore excursions is very limited - there’s just not a regular market for them.

 

What few excursions there are seem to be to more local attractions eg Glamis Castle (Balmoral is more or less a 4 hour round trip).

 

So if you’ve set your heart on Balmoral you may have to consider a private tour. There’ll be local taxi firms who’ll happily provide a car and driver for the day - but it won’t be cheap.

 

(I see this company does run a tour from Dundee, but it’s part of a much longer 12 hour tour that probably wouldn’t work on your schedule. They might be able to tailor something to your needs though: https://www.strachantours.co.uk/tours-local.htm )

 

I contacted Strachan tours and they are completely booked the day we dock in Dundee.  As are all the other tour guides.

[gumshoe958]

13 hours ago, bermudabay1 said:

I contacted Strachan tours and they are completely booked the day we dock in Dundee.  As are all the other tour guides.

The problem is Dundee is visited so rarely by cruise ships it doesn’t have the variety of tour operators you’d find in most busy ports. There just isn’t enough business to make it viable.

 

Edinburgh is where most tourists visiting places like Glamis Castle, Balmoral and the whisky distilleries will be based, so that’s where the majority of the tours start. 

Your best hope might be to find a local taxi firm and hire a car and driver for the day, if they’re not already booked up as well.