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4 Day trips from Edinburgh
4 Great day trips with fabulous food.
29th August 2020
If you are looking for a day tour from Edinburgh in the late summer here are four fantastic itineraries, which include wonderful local restaurants / bistros. We feature these places as part of a full day itinerary, on our private day tours in Scotland.
PERTHSHIRE.
- Dunkeld - Travelling north out of Edinburgh, crossing the Firth of Forth and on into Perthshire. In just over an hour you will arrive in the beautiful and historic village of Dunkeld which sits on the river Tay. Enjoy a walk by the river Tay and after this have a look inside the 13th Century Dunkeld Cathedral. They have an interesting museum in the chapter house telling the story of Dunkeld including the Pictish history of the area (they have two Pictish stones which date to over 1000 years old), as well as stories of St Columba and the Jacobite battle of nearby Killiekrankie and more. A walk down cathedral street is lovely and with shops like Going Pottie http://www.goingpottie.com/ and Spill the Beans Café, what’s not to like! Atholl Street and Brae Street has some top-quality shops and galleries to peruse. There are now a fair number of great cafes in Dunkeld and one of our favourites is Palmerston’s on main street. They make everything fresh on the premises and you won’t get a better scone anywhere else in Scotland! The newly opened Aran Bakery aran-bakery.com was opened by a recent finalist of the Great British Bake Off so you can always pick up some cakes for later! The award winning Dunkeld Smoked Salmon www.dunkeldsmokedsalmon.com is on Bridge Street and their vacuum-packed products stays fresh for days! It is difficult to leave Dunkeld but one other local gem which may entice you is a walk in The Hermitage. A few minutes’ drive from Dunkeld and you will be walking among towering Douglas Fir trees by the river Bran to the stunning Black Linn Falls, which are best viewed from the 18th century Ossian’s Hall a perfect end to a wonderful day.
- Aberfeldy – Travelling north out of Edinburgh, crossing the Firth of Forth and on into Perthshire. In 1 ½ hours you will be in Aberfeldy. This picturesque little town does not have as many day tripper tourists as Dunkeld, so does have a more local feel about it. At a first glance it may not be pretty as Dunkeld but after walking around for a few minutes you will love this place. The town centre is the starting point for a spectacular walk known locally as, The Birks of Aberfeldy. This fine walk up the gorge of the Moness Burn reveals several waterfalls and is an easy to moderate two-hour walk. After this walk a great place for lunch is the Aberfeldy Watermill aberfeldywatermill.com We have been taking guests here for many years and the food just gets better all the time. Upstairs you will find a wonderful book shop and up one more floor there is an art gallery. A short drive from Aberfeldy will bring you to Castle Menzies. This is a spectacular sixteenth century Scottish Castle and has been the seat of the Cheifs of Clan Menzies for over 500 years. During the Jacobite Rising of 1745, the castle first hosted Bonnie Prince Charlie on his way to Culloden and then, just four days later, the Duke of Cumberland, son of the British Monarch and commander of the Government forces! The castle is a fascinating visit, there is lots to see and there are many rooms to walk through. www.castlemenzies.org
FIFE.
- Travelling north out of Edinburgh, crossing the Firth of Forth into the Kingdom of Fife. In around 1 ½ hours you will arrive in the picturesque region of the East Neuk. Stop in the beautiful village of Lower Largo and walk the street where Alexander Selkirk was born in 1676 (there is a statue on the wall of his house.) Alexander Selkirk was a Royal Navy Officer who spent four years and four months as a castaway (1704 – 1709) on an uninhabited island in the South Pacific Ocean. After this, travel on to the fishing village of St Monans which, is the smallest of the East Neuk fishing ports. This is an extremely attractive village and it is lovely to wander amongst the charming 17th and 18th century pantile houses that crowd the harbourside. You can also find the Fife Coastal Path here and make the short walk to the Windmill and saltpans. The restored 18th Century windmill is the last remaining windmill in Fife and has great views across the Firth of Forth. You can then walk the 1.5 miles to Pittenweem (or drive), where you can enjoy a stroll around this lively fishing village. Lots of quality local arts and crafts are here in Pittenweem including a fabulous chocolatier pittenweemchocolate.co.uk The harbour is beautiful to walk around and you can get great fish and chips in The Dory Bistro and Gallery. www.thedory.co.uk
STIRLINGSHIRE.
- Travelling west out of Edinburgh on to the M9 and a stop at The Kelpies – the most beautiful horse sculptures you will find anywhere in the world. I kid you not! It is impossible to take a bad picture of these huge titanium sculptures such is their beauty. Walk around them, you will be in awe and will never forget them thehelix.co.uk/kelpies-tour/ Back in the car and continue to the beautiful village of Doune in Stirlingshire. This is another gem of a Scottish village and when you have enjoyed a coffee in the fantastic local bistro, Buttercup you can visit the 14th Century Doune Castle. Built for the uncrowned king, Robert Stewart, the 1st Duke of Albany and governor of Scotland, he ruled Scotland from 1386 until his death in 1420. When the future King James I was taken prisoner in England in 1406, Albany was left as both governor and guardian of Scotland. Doune Castle is a fascinating visit and we do recommend the informative and quite funny audio guide, which is included in the admission price www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/doune-castle/ After this castle visit we recommend the short drive to The Woodhouse at Kippen www.thewoodhousekippen.co.uk where you will have one of the best lunches in the Stirling area. Fresh local produce is used in all their dishes. Everything served here from starters, to main course and desserts as well as baking and cakes is an absolute treat and you will head home happy and extremely satisfied!
We offer private tours to all the above destinations. Each place features as part of a full day tour where we visit other places of historic or cultural interest.
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