East Tour: Private Day Trip to Brodie Castle, Fort George & More
Our East Tour shows both the area of Inverness-shire and Moray-Shire. Visit the traditional family Castle of Brodie. The med-evil abbey of Pluscarden, the 250+ years of Fort George and More with your private vehicle and local tour guide. Full of fun and history of Scotland with some sites of the Famous Outlander series. Travelling time between stops has been fixed into total tour length as well as a Lunch break should guests want to stop for a bite to eat. Local Guide Private Tour Comfortable Air Conditioned Vehicle Customisable to your Taste (within reasonable distance)
Options
Private Group Vehicle Tour 1-4
Car/Minibus
Pickup included
What's included in East Tour: Private Day Trip to Brodie Castle, Fort George & More
(Subject to Option Inclusions)Itinerary
Fort George
In 1726, the first fortification known as Fort George was completed in Inverness. During the 1745 rising the fort was besieged by three thousand Jacobite’s. Cutoff and unable to be relieved by Crown forces, Fort George was surrendered in February 1746 after mines had reached the outer walls. The victorious Jacobite’s blew up Old Fort George to prevent it being reused as a military base by the British Army. In 1747, following the Crown victory at the battle of Culloden, Colonel William Skinner, the King’s Military Engineer for north Britain, was given a contract to rebuild Fort George. The decision was taken to build the new Fort George at a location 10 mi (16 km) away from Inverness at the mouth of the Moray Firth. The site of Old Fort George lay abandoned for almost 70 years, until in the mid-19th century a red sandstone castellated building called Inverness Castle was built on the fort’s former site. Fort George is still operated to this day by the British Army.
Brodie Castle & Estate
The original Z-plan castle was built in 1567 by Clan Brodie but was destroyed by fire in 1645 by Lewis Gordon of Clan Gordon, the 3rd Marquis of Huntly. In 1824, architect William Burn was commissioned to convert it into a mansion house in the Scots Baronial style, but these additions were never completed and were later re-modelled by James Wylson. The Brodie family called the castle home until the early 21st century. It is widely accepted that the family has been associated with the land on which the castle stands since around 1160, when it is believed that King Malcolm IV gave the land to the family. Architecturally, the castle has a well-preserved 16th-century central keep with two 5-storey towers on opposing corners. The interior of the castle is also well preserved, containing fine antique furniture, oriental artefacts and painted ceilings, largely dating from the 17th–19th centuries.
Pluscarden Abbey
The phrase written around the site “From Priory to Abbey” talks about the history of changing hands. The Valliscaulian priory of Pluscarden was founded by King Alexander ll. The now-defunct Valliscaulian Order was small compared to the great medieval religious houses and emerged at a time when austere Monasticism had spread across Europe c.1075–1200 The state of the Priory, both physically and politically, had by the 15th century, become serious with regular arguments breaking out over who should be Prior. Falling income and disjointed contact with France due to the Hundred Year War (1337–1453) exacerbated the situation. During the 17th century, the priory became ruinous and was used as a quarry for the rebuilding of St Giles Kirk, in Elgin. The payments made to haulers imply that the pulling down of the building must have been on a large scale.
Inclusions
- Umbrella's
- Private Comfortable Vehicle
- Child Seats
- Snacks & Water
- Local Guide
- Castle Admissions £12-£15
- Whisky Tours & Tasting’s
- Lunch
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Time for any Lunch period guests may want has been time managed into the tour.
- Total travelling time has been included in total time.
- No health Restrictions
Meet
Pickup and Dropoff
You can choose to be picked up from a list of locations, or alternatively, have the choice to make your own way to the meeting points
Additional Information
We will be standing with a board with your name on it.
Meeting / End Points
- Meeting Point outside Inverness Town Hall, Located in City Centre.
