Dunrobin Castle & Glenmorangie Distillery tour from Inverness

Scotland's Highlands tour with castle falconry and working distillery replaces usual stops

This eight-hour private tour from Inverness explores Easter Ross and Sutherland with a kilted guide, visiting Carn Liath Broch, Dunrobin Castle (with entry and a falconry display), Dornoch Cathedral, Loch Fleet Nature Reserve and Glenmorangie Distillery for a whisky tasting. Pickup and drop-off from your Inverness accommodation or en route are included; the tour does not run for cruise passengers at Invergordon because the meeting point is 25 miles away and return time cannot be guaranteed.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Easter Ross and Sutherland highlights

• Meet at Columba Hotel at 8:45am
• Visit Carn Liath Broch ruins
• See wildlife at Loch Fleet Nature Reserve
• Tour Dunrobin Castle and falconry display
• Lunch and visit Dornoch Cathedral
• Tour Glenmorangie Distillery and whisky tasting

The Experience

Eight hours means you leave Inverness at 9am from the Columba Hotel and spend the day in two regions most visitors skip. The route passes through Loch Fleet Nature Reserve, where seals, otters and ospreys live, then stops at Dunrobin Castle — one of Scotland's oldest inhabited houses. Entry to the castle and its gardens is included, and so is a falconry display the operator notes is worth watching. The guide is a local who speaks English and wears a kilt, and the vehicle is air-conditioned, either a Land Rover or a minibus depending on your group size.

Lunch happens in Dornoch, a small town where you can eat at one of several restaurants or walk through the shops. Dornoch Cathedral is there if you want to step inside — it has Hollywood connections the guide will explain. After lunch, the tour heads to Glenmorangie Distillery, which has been making single malt whisky since 1843. You'll learn how the whisky is produced and matured, see the distinctive tall stills (called "giraffe neck" stills), taste the award-winning single malt, and have the option to buy a bottle to take home. A full distillery tour is not included because of the time the day already holds, but the tasting and the production story are part of the stop.

The tour starts with Carn Liath Broch, an Iron Age stone tower in ruins that sits off the usual path. It's one of Scotland's most unique ancient monuments, and the guide will explain what you're standing in front of. The whole day moves at the pace of someone who knows the region and can stop where the light is good or where something unexpected appears — that's what a private guide with a small group (up to 3 or up to 8, depending on which option you book) makes possible.

What’s included

• Pickup and drop-off from your Inverness hotel or en route.
• a professional kilted guide speaking English.
• air-conditioned Land Rover or minibus.
• entry to Dunrobin Castle and its gardens.
• the falconry display at the castle.
• a whisky tasting at Glenmorangie Distillery.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearby

Operated by Happy Tours Scotland Ltd

Is this one for you?Choose the group of three if you want the quietest pace and the most room to ask questions; choose the group of eight if you're traveling with others and want to split the cost. Either way, the private guide and the fixed itinerary mean you're not following a coach of thirty people through the same stops — you move at the speed of someone who knows the region and can linger where it matters.

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Top questions

What's included in the Dunrobin Castle stop?

Entry to Dunrobin Castle, the castle gardens, and a falconry display are all included. Lunch is not included, but you eat in Dornoch afterward, so you can choose where and what you want.

Can I do a full tour of Glenmorangie Distillery?

A full distillery tour is not included because the day is already eight hours and time does not allow for it. You get the production explanation, the tasting of the award-winning single malt, and the chance to buy a bottle; the extended tour of the whole facility is optional and would need to be arranged separately.

What is Carn Liath Broch?

Carn Liath Broch is the ruins of an Iron Age round tower, one of Scotland's most unique and enigmatic ancient monuments. It's the first stop on the tour and sits away from the main tourist routes in the Highlands.

Does the tour work if I'm arriving on a cruise ship at Invergordon?

No, this tour is not available for cruise passengers at Invergordon. The meeting point is 25 miles from the port, and the operator cannot guarantee you'll be back in time for the ship to sail, so they do not run the tour for cruise arrivals.

What's the difference between the group sizes you can book?

You can book for a group of up to 3 people or up to 8 people. Both options include the same stops, guide, vehicle and inclusions; the smaller group gives you more space and a more intimate pace, while the larger group spreads the cost across more people.

How does pickup work from Inverness?

The tour meets at 8:45am in front of the Columba Hotel for a 9:00am departure. If you're staying elsewhere in Inverness or on the route toward Easter Ross, pickup from your accommodation is included instead of meeting at the hotel.