Alnwick Castle, Northumberland Coast and the Borders (1 day tour)

General information

Destination	Category
Edinburgh, United Kingdom	Sightseeing Tours

Program details

A day spent in the Borderlands of Scotland and England. Our tour follows the ancient Roman Dere Street that connected Scottish Caledonia with Roman Britannia through the Scottish Borders. Stopping in the Borders town of Kelso, you can explore this beautiful town with what is thought to be Scotland's largest market square. You will also see the ruins of Kelso Abbey, one of the reminders of the many ancient conflicts between Scotland and England. Continuing south you will cross the border and travel to imposing Alnwick Castle, one of the great castles of Northumberland that has stood for nearly a millennium. Originally the castle was built to protect the north of England from reivers and invaders coming through the Scottish border. More recently Alnwick Castle and its perfectly manicured gardens have found fame as one of the settings for the fictional Hogwarts School in the Harry Potter movie series.

Your day includes time in Melrose to visit the historic Cistercian Abbey, burial place of Robert the Bruce's heart brought back from the crusades in Moorish Spain and the best of the Scottish Borders and Northumberland. Cross the border at Coldstream and enjoy lunch and the afternoon at Alnwick Castle and Gardens, before returning to Edinburgh along the dramatic east coast of Berwickshire and East Lothian, stopping at the ancient walled town of Berwick upon Tweed.



Meeting/ pick-up point: Rabbie´s Trail Burners centre at 207 High St, Royal Mile in the heart of Edinburgh´s Old Town.
Start/opening time: 9:30am.
Others: please note Alnwick Castle is closed to the public in October. The gardens are still open and it is possible to take photos of the outside of the castle. In October we will also visit the seaside village of Bamburgh.