Private Day Tours from Edinburgh
Your own guide, your own pace, and the best of eastern Scotland beyond the city.
Edinburgh is a wonderful city to stay in, and an even better base for exploring the rest of Scotland. Within an hour or so, you can be walking the streets of St Andrews, standing where Scotland’s kings were crowned at Scone, exploring the castles of Outlander or watching puffins on the Isle of May. With a private day tour from Edinburgh, you see it all with your own guide and vehicle, with a maximum of 8 guests and no strangers sharing your day.
We collect you from your hotel, Airbnb, Edinburgh Airport, the train station or any convenient address, and every private day tour from Edinburgh is a fixed £695 for your whole group. Tours are guided personally by Lesley or James Kennedy, the husband-and-wife team behind Tour Guide Scotland.
Why Choose a Private Day Tour from Edinburgh?
Dozens of coach tours leave Edinburgh every morning, most heading for the same few places on the same tight schedule. A private day tour from Edinburgh is built around you instead: the places you want to see, the pace that suits you, and the freedom to stop whenever something catches your eye.
Our tours head out of the city, to the castles, palaces, coastline and wildlife of eastern and central Scotland, so you can spend your Edinburgh evenings in the Old Town and your days discovering the country beyond it.
Lesley brings 17 years of police service and a passion for Scottish history and wildlife, and James is a Scottish Whisky Ambassador with a background in hospitality. Our ethos is simple: come as a guest, leave as a friend.
Day Tours from Edinburgh by Interest
Every tour below can be adapted to suit you. Drive times from Edinburgh city centre are approximate.
Outlander Filming Locations
Outlander Day Tour: Edinburgh is the perfect base for Outlander fans, with four filming locations around 30 minutes west of the city. Our Outlander Day Tour visits Hopetoun House, the Duke of Sandringham’s residence on screen; Midhope Castle, the real Lallybroch, where from the 2026 season you can step inside the ground floor; Blackness Castle, the series’ Fort William; and Linlithgow Palace, birthplace of Mary, Queen of Scots, which served as Wentworth Prison.
Coast and Wildlife
St Andrews and the Fife Coast: around an hour and 20 minutes across the Queensferry Crossing, St Andrews pairs its ruined cathedral and castle with the Old Course, the home of golf. Continue along the coast to the colourful East Neuk fishing villages of Anstruther and Crail.
Isle of May Puffin Tour: during puffin season, we drive you to Anstruther in the East Neuk for a boat trip to the Isle of May, home to one of Scotland’s best seabird colonies. Your transfers and guide are private, while the boat crossing and the island, a national nature reserve, are shared with other visitors. Boat tickets aren’t included in the tour price, but we’ll help you secure them, and availability is limited, so early booking is advised.
Castles and Scottish History
Scone Palace and the Stone of Destiny: around an hour north, Scone Palace was where Scotland’s kings were crowned on the Stone of Destiny. The Stone itself is now displayed at Perth Museum, just a few minutes away.
Stirling Castle, the Wallace Monument and Bannockburn: around an hour west, follow Scotland’s fight for independence from Stirling Castle to the National Wallace Monument and the battlefield where Robert the Bruce triumphed in 1314.
The Falkirk Wheel and the Kelpies: around 40 minutes away, The Falkirk Wheel, the world’s only rotating boat lift, sits close to The Kelpies, two 30-metre steel horse heads.
Highland Scenery
Stirling Castle and the Trossachs: combine Stirling Castle with the lochs and glens of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park, the closest taste of Highland scenery from Edinburgh, with a good chance of meeting Highland cows along the way.
Tracing Your Scottish Roots
Genealogy tours: if your family came from Scotland, we can build a private day around their story, visiting the towns, villages, churches and landscapes connected to your ancestors. Share what you know and we’ll plan a day that brings it to life.
Scone Palace & The Stone of Destiny
St Andrews & The Fife Coast
Stirling Castle & Bannockburn
The Falkirk Wheel & Kelpies
Outlander Day Tour
Stirling Castle & The Trossachs
Isle of May Puffin Day
Not sure which tour to choose? Tell us what you’d love to see and we’ll suggest the best route, or design a completely bespoke day. Get in touch to start planning.
Private Day Tour Price
Every private day tour from Edinburgh is a fixed £695 for your group of up to 8 guests. There’s no per-person pricing, so a family or group of friends shares one simple price. See our price guide for full details.
What's Included
Every private day tour from Edinburgh includes:
- Your own private vehicle and driver-guide for the day
- Pick-up and drop-off from your hotel, Airbnb, Edinburgh Airport, train station or chosen address
- All fuel
- Bottled water and light snacks
- A dram or two of whisky along the way (for guests aged 18 and over)
Attraction entry fees and lunch aren’t included. If it’s easier, we can arrange attraction tickets in advance and add them to your final price.
How Your Day Works
Once you’ve chosen your tour, we’ll confirm your pick-up time and address. On the day, your guide collects you and the tour runs for approximately 7.5 to 8 hours, with stops for photos, coffee and lunch built in. You set the pace throughout, and we’ll drop you back wherever suits you.
More Than a Day?
Our private multi-day tours take you further, to the Isle of Skye, Speyside, Orkney and beyond, with the same private guide throughout. And if you’re arriving or leaving by cruise ship, our private shore excursions cover all four Edinburgh cruise ports.
What Our Guests Say
From the Kelpies to Outlander’s castles, here’s what guests have said about their private day tours from Edinburgh with Lesley and James.
“She made the trip easy, beautiful, and fun!”
“Lesley was our tour guide from Edinburgh to Balmaha, visiting Stirling Castle, The Kelpies, and some Highland Cows along the way. And she was fantastic!! I can’t praise her enough. She was deeply knowledgeable, friendly, and accommodating. My family (with two teens) just loved spending the day with her.”
“A mix of the old castles filmed in Outlander”
“Just finished a day with James touring the outskirts of Edinburgh. We couldn’t have asked for a better day with a mix of the old castles filmed in Outlander along with stopping at charming villages... He was a true Scotsman with lots of stories and made the tour fun and interesting.”
“She was able to customize our tour”
“She had great reviews, so we booked her during our trip to Edinburgh. She was able to customize our tour, so we could see what we wanted to see. Her vehicle was comfortable and spacious. She was on time for our pickup and we never felt rushed during our tour... I would highly recommend them if you are looking for a private tour of Scotland.”
James, Google review
Day Tours from Edinburgh FAQs
Where do you pick us up in Edinburgh?
We collect you from your hotel, Airbnb, Edinburgh Airport, the train station or any convenient address in or around Edinburgh, and drop you back at the end of the day.
How long is a day tour from Edinburgh?
Most private day tours from Edinburgh run for approximately 7.5 to 8 hours.
Do you offer Edinburgh city tours?
Our private day tours head out of Edinburgh to explore the wider country, to places such as St Andrews, Stirling, Scone Palace and Outlander filming locations.
How far is St Andrews from Edinburgh?
St Andrews is around an hour and 20 minutes from Edinburgh by road, via the Queensferry Crossing.
Are Outlander locations close to Edinburgh?
Yes. Hopetoun House, Midhope Castle, Blackness Castle and Linlithgow Palace are all around 30 minutes west of Edinburgh.
Are boat tickets included on the Isle of May tour?
No. Your private transfers and guide are included, but boat tickets are separate. We’ll help you secure them, and as availability is limited, we recommend booking early.
What’s included in the price?
Your private vehicle and driver-guide, pick-up and drop-off, fuel, bottled water, light snacks and a dram or two of whisky for guests aged 18 and over. Entry fees, boat tickets and lunch aren’t included, but we can arrange attraction tickets and add them to your final price.
How many guests can join?
Up to 8 guests. The price is a fixed £695 whether you’re a couple or a group of eight.
How do we book?
Get in touch with your preferred date, number of guests and where you’re staying, and we’ll help you plan your day. Our terms and conditions and cancellation policy explain the rest.
Book Your Private Day Tour from Edinburgh
From Lallybroch to the cliffs of the Isle of May, a private day tour from Edinburgh shows you the Scotland beyond the city, at your pace and on your terms. Get in touch and we’ll plan your perfect day.
Staying in Glasgow instead? See our private day tours from Glasgow, or browse all our private day tours.
