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Innes Carma Tours

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Innes Carma Tours

Bespoke tours in NE Scotland and beyond, including trips to castles, whisky distilleries and beautiful scenery. Highly recommend!

Innes Carma Tours provide driver guided tours in beautiful Aberdeenshire and beyond. The tours are private, bespoke and suitable for couples, family groups, friends, or the solo traveller. Tours are provided in a high specification VW Tiguan Allspace R-Line vehicle, for groups of 6 or less. A luxury coach can be provided for larger groups. Tours include areas of natural beauty, castles, palaces, s

tately homes, Pictish stones, stone circles, charming traditional villages, coastal resorts, whisky and gin distilleries. Stories of Scottish history and culture will be told along the way. There will also be a chance to sample the local cuisine with a stop at a local restaurant, Bistro or café/restaurant. The following example tours are available but bespoke tours can be planned to suit your individual needs and expectations.

• The Stone Circle, Castle, Salmon Falls and Whisky Tour (Crathes Castle, the Falls of Feugh, Tomnaverie Stone Circle and the Royal Lochnagar Distillery)

• The Earl of Mar Castles and Countryside Tour (including Kildrummy Castle and Braemar Castle)

• The Castle, Gorge and Highland Scenery Tour (including Craigievar Castle, the Burn O’ Vat, Ballater and Loch Muick)

• Stonehaven Harbour and Dunnottar Castle Tour

• Royal Deeside Nature and History Tour (including the Linn O’ Dee and Linn of Quoich)

• UK Royal Family and Whisky Tour - Balmoral Castle, Braemar and the Royal Lochnagar Distillery

• Speyside Whisky and Moray Coastline (including a Whisky Distillery visit as well as taking in some fantastic Moray Coast views)

Pick-ups can be arranged at your accomodation within Aberdeenshire. Further afield trips e.g., to Speyside, the Moray Coast and Fife can also be planned on request. Please enquire by email, Facebook messenger or phone for prices and further information. The Innes Carma Tours Director and Tour Guide – Tom Innes

“I was born and raised in Fife, Scotland and have fond memories of visiting Dunfermline, Aberdour, Falkland, St Andrews and the East Neuk while growing up (amongst the many other attractions). I left Scotland at the age of 28 and returned after 16 years having spent time working in England, France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Norway and Ireland. I moved to Aberdeen in 2011 and 3 years later to Aboyne on Royal Deeside. I visited Aberdeenshire several times when growing up; climbing the well-known mountain Lochnagar, watching the Braemar Highland Games, admiring the Falls of Feugh and playing music at the Craigendarroch Hotel in Ballater. Somehow, I got lucky along the way and finally made Royal Deeside my home. I founded the Innes Carma Tours business in October 2018 with the aim of providing tourists with long lasting happy memories of the best sights in Aberdeenshire. I had enjoyed tours over the years in other countries and felt that Aberdeenshire with its’ diversity of mountain and coastal scenery had something special to offer. The rich history and culture in this part of Scotland is also an interesting aspect to share and Scottish history, has been a lifelong passion for me. My aim is to show you the best sights in the area but also to take you to places that are less well known. I will leave you more informed on the history and culture of the area however the most important aspect is that you have fun along the way. Testimonials

“Friendly, flexible and knowledgeable-Tom has all the qualities you would want in a superior tour guide. We booked two 1/2-day tours and enjoyed having a local guide who clearly loves Scottish history show us around Ballater and the surrounding areas. One of the highlights was exploring Kildrummy Castle. Tom also provided excellent recommendations for local restaurants and sites to visit on the remainder of our trip. Highly recommend him!” Bradleigh and Glen Leblanc, Dallas, Texas, USA, August 2022.

“Absolutely amazing tour with Tom over a 2-day period. We saw so many things that we would have never seen on our own. Tom is knowledgeable, kind, patient, and fun! 5 stars!!” The Bennett, Family, Florida, USA, July 2022

“Great tours and driving! Very friendly and knowledgeable man”. Jordan Alexander, The Alexander family, Israel, July 2022.

“Tom was great. We enjoyed the visits, the scenery, the castle and distillery. Tom's historical knowledge and the overall personalization of the day stood out to us. We will recommend Tom to all of our friends coming to Scotland.” Phil and Deb Wilson, Australia/USA, December 2019.

“Tom is excellent. Personalized everything, efficient and pleasant. A good friend and guide to have when touring Scotland with family. We would definitely use him again and recommend him to anyone visiting Scotland and looking for a tour company and guide”. Ishan Raina, The Raina family, India, October 2019.

“Thank you again for the wonderful day we had with you. The day of traveling with you to see the Aberdeenshire countryside, Balmoral, and the idyllic villages were the highlights of my trip! Karen Brown, North Carolina, USA, May 2019.

07/01/2025

A Happy New Year from Innes Carma Tours and best wishes for happiness and success in 2025!

2024 left behind some great memories and also saw the threshold of 200-day tours being passed since the company was established.

Saturday saw the first tour of the year for a lovely group of three from Houston, USA. We saw the exterior of one castle and the interior of two, both of which had great hosts! Sights never seen before were included with trap doors normally closed being opened, providing views of hidden staircases.

The snow provided a great backdrop for the castles and the surrounding Aberdeenshire scenery.

In the spirit of a truly bespoke tour, a stop at an antique shop was also made as per a special request. There is a possibility some Aberdeenshire antiques will be finding their way over the Atlantic Ocean to the USA soon! 😀

Looking forward to providing more tours and creating more great memories in 2025!

24/12/2024

A Merry Christmas to all from Innes Carma Tours!!!

04/12/2024

Saturday’s tour included some of the best sights on upper Deeside. The weather was unusually mild for St Andrew’s day and there was a stillness in the air which added to the pleasant temperature.

The views are always captivating at the Old Brig O’ Dee and it's hard to imagine that the bridge was built for military purposes in the mid 1700’s, when these days it is an ideal passageway over the River Dee for walkers and cyclists.

Roger and Gerly, who had travelled from London to stay at The Fife Arms in Braemar, had chosen a driver-guided tour to learn more about the area than they would have if they had ventured out on their own. Saturday’s tour was bespoke and the venues included in the tour were selected on the day based on their feedback. The choice was essentially to travel some distance to see a fully furnished castle or to see historical and scenic attractions in the upper Deeside area. The latter proved to be a winner with an abundance of history and beautiful scenery around the Braemar/Ballater area.

Many people visit Royal Deeside due to the connection with the the UK Royal family and the building of the current Balmoral Castle during the Victorian era. Before the Kingdom of Great Britain was formalised in the early 18th century however, Scottish Kings favoured upper Deeside as a hunting retreat with Malcolm III and Robert II known to have had castles and hunting lodges in the area during the 11th and 14th centuries respectively.

Great to meet, provide a tour for, and to share a laugh or two with Roger and Gerly.

Haste ye both back!

27/11/2024

A brisk but fine day on Royal Deeside, with a lovely couple from Australia on board, for a castle, history and scenery tour.

Haste ye back John and Carly!

13/11/2024

November has been incredibly mild and dry on Royal Deeside with bright sunny days and the autumnal colours still hanging on. It looks like that will change next week mind you, with daytime temperatures forecasted close to freezing on Tuesday (a drop of 13 degrees C from today!). The mild weather has been much enjoyed though, perfect for walking or cycling and great for watching the recent fireworks display in Aboyne (a fantastic event!).

The colours were amazing today around the Mar Lodge Estate National Nature Reserve NTS where Emily and Sergio from San Diego, enjoyed a tour of the former hunting Lodge built by the 6th Earl and 1st Duke of Fife, between 1895 and 1898. The Duke of Fife was the husband of Princess Louise, the daughter of King Edward VII and granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Both the Duke and the Princess Royal were finally laid to rest in Mar Lodge Chapel.

The royal theme was continued when we visited Balmoral Castle, an enchanting setting with Highland scenery on evidence in all directions. That followed a walk around Crathie Kirk, where the royal family attend church when in the area. The church was designed by the eminent Alexander Marshall Mackenzie, the same architect that was responsible for the design and construction of Mar Lodge.

It was great to provide the tour and to meet Emily and Sergio, who were enjoying their first visit to Scotland and were enjoying the hospitality of The Fife Arms.

Haste ye both back!

04/11/2024

Saturday's castle tour, for a lovely couple from Turkey, brought a nice start to November, with mild and sunny weather making the day even more enjoyable!

The autumn sun was surprisingly warm, as we walked over fallen leaves on our way to numerous castles, including Craigievar Castle NTS, Crathes Castle, Garden & Estate NTS and Drum Castle, Garden & Estate NTS. Each visit to these castles brings an even deeper insight into the history of the previous owners and the people who lived on the land nearby. We were especially lucky to learn a bit more about Drum Castle, thanks to one of the guides whose mother had met the 24th Laird, the last Irvine to own the castle before it was handed over to the National Trust for Scotland in 1976.

After visiting Crathes Castle, we had an excellent lunch at the Milton Brasserie which was much enjoyed by the guests!

Great to provide the tour for the guests who were staying at the The Fife Arms, Braemar. Haste ye both back!

29/10/2024

The end of October is fast approaching with fallen leaves carpeting paths and roads all around Aberdeenshire. The last week has brought some great tours with lovely folks from Mexico, Germany and the USA!

One of the tours included a couple celebrating their wedding anniversary whereas another couple were on their honeymoon. Both events deserved the serving of a quality dram to toast the occasion!

Tours included trips to Braemar Castle, Balmoral Castle, the Linn O’ Dee, the Linn of Quoich, Castle Fraser, Garden & Estate NTS and the Royal Lochnagar Distillery where an excellent whisky distillery tour was provided.

Food was enjoyed at the Tarmachan Cafe in Crathie and the guests were enjoying hospitality provided by The Fife Arms, Braemar.

Great to provide the tours and haste ye all back!

17/10/2024

This week's Stone Circle, Pictish Stones, History and Nature tour offered up an interesting insight into Neolithic, Bronze Age, Iron Age and early medieval life in Scotland. Once again the autumn colours were much enjoyed with golden, brown and red colours in abundance!

Time also allowed for a visit to the Burn O' Vat, a Jurassic Park like gorge carved out by a torrent of glacial water and rocks 10,000 years ago. No dinosaurs to be found (they were long gone before the gorge was formed) but there were plenty of comments on how nice the scenery was!

A real pleasure to meet and to provide a tour for Jeff and Suzanne, a very nice couple from New York, USA, who were staying at the The Fife Arms, Braemar.

Haste ye both back!

10/10/2024

A great tour today with a lovely couple from Nashville, Tennessee. The autumn colours were out in force on Royal Deeside, as we toured Braemar Castle, Balmoral Castle, the Linn O’ Dee and other sights.

History, local legends and a wee bit of country music were the themes of the day. 😀

Great to meet Terah and Madison who were staying at the The Fife Arms, Braemar. Haste ye both back!

04/10/2024

A week of pleasant tours with guests from Greece (a first for Innes Carma Tours), Miami, USA and North Carolina USA, all staying at the The Fife Arms, Braemar.

Included were castle tours, an ancestry tour and a Speyside whisky tour. Highlights were finding the graves of ancestors in Monymusk with the guests from Miami, finding the farm once lived in by a great grandparent, learning more about the incredible life of Charles Mackenzie Fraser at Castle Fraser, Garden & Estate NTS, and seeing guests have a great day out visiting The Glenlivet, Aberlour and Glenfiddich distilleries.

The autumn colours at Balmoral Castle added to an already beautiful setting and the Highland Coos brought great amusement as well as admiration!

Great service was provided at all three distilleries and a fantastic lunch was enjoyed at The Mash Tun Aberlour!

A real pleasure to provide the tours for some lovely guests. Haste ye all back! 🇬🇷🇺🇸🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

26/09/2024

September has brought some wonderful sights, with tours for groups staying at the The Fife Arms Hotel in Braemar and an ancestral/historical trip to the picturesque Isle of Lismore.

With one group, we went in search of the Black Colonel and toured Braemar Castle which offers a colourful mixture of stories from a leading Jacobite who voted for the 1707 union between Scotland and England, to a Russian Prince and his British wife, to Vogue magazine editor Frances Farquharson (to mention just a few!).

The trip to the Isle of Lismore was a real treat offering further historical insight into the life of St Moluag, an appreciation of the amazing construction skills of the iron age Broch builders and some useful ancestry information. The Lismore Gaelic Heritage Centre and café is well worth a visit with fine food and an interesting museum.

Still on the west coast of Scotland, we experienced some great views from the Holly Tree Hotel in Kentallen, a beautiful spot for a meal or a refreshment or two!

It was great to provide another minicoach tour with Allan & Black Coaches, with the highlights being the beautiful Linn O’ Dee and the drams provided by the Royal Lochnagar Distillery!

Fantastic to meet some lovely guests from Mexico, Boston, USA and Vermon USA. Haste ye all back! 😀

06/09/2024

Recent tours have included sights in Aberdeenshire as well as trips to Stirling, Edinburgh, Grantown-on-Spey, Inverness and Loch Ness. The tours were provided for some endearing guests from the USA and Saudi Arabia (a first for Innes Carma Tours!) who were staying at The Fife Arms, Braemar and also the Hilton Craigendarroch Country Club, Ballater. One group were booked by Away From The Ordinary who are always highly recommended by guests!

Trips were made to regular favourites such as Braemar Castle, Craigievar Castle NTS, Drum Castle, Garden & Estate NTS and Dunnottar Castle with further afield visits made to the birthplace of regal coronations in Scotland, Scone Palace and the fine example of renaissance splendour, Stirling Castle (Historic Scotland have done a great job in getting the castle back to its former glory!). A first time tour visit to the Grantown Museum was also made which proved to be very interesting for two of the guests whose great-grandfather was a Grant.

One tour included a welcome return to Glen Tanar where guests heard about the history of the estate and the involvement of the Marquess of Huntly, Sir William Cunliffe Brooks and the Coats family.

After visiting the 4000 year old Bronze Age burial cairns and standing stones at Clava Cairns, two of my guests went on a hunt for Nessie with a Boat Cruise with Jacobite Loch Ness Cruises. They saw the cuddly toy version but unfortunately missed the live beast once tamed by St Columba!😀

Food was much enjoyed at the The Marine Hotel in Stonehaven, An Talla at Dochgarroch Lock, the Rothesay Rooms, Ballater and the The Riverside, Dunblane. A fine whisky tour was also provided for 2 of the guests at the Royal Lochnagar Distillery!

Great to meet the guests and to provide some varied tours. Haste ye all back! 👍

VisitAberdeenshire VisitScotland

25/08/2024

Recent tours included guests from Belgium and the USA, who were staying at the The Fife Arms, Braemar and also Malmaison Aberdeen.

One of the guests had waited 42 years to see Castle Fraser, Garden & Estate NTS and so the tour for him and his wife took on even more meaning than usual. Entering the oldest part of the castle, dating possibly from the 1400’s, presents a medieval feeling to the surroundings before walking through the centuries as other parts of the castle are explored; a grand castle to see with some interesting and fascinating family stories!

Tours also included trips to Crathes Castle, Garden & Estate NTS, Balmoral Castle, the amazingly pink Craigievar Castle NTS and the Royal Lochnagar Distillery where Ronny provided a superb tour!

The gardens at Crathes Castle were resplendent and fortunately we had time to see more than usual. It is easy to think that the gardens stop at the lower level, but the upper gardens are well worth seeing!

It was great to provide tours for some lovely folks and haste ye all back!

VisitAberdeenshire VisitScotland

22/08/2024

Amongst other tours, last week saw a one day and then 2-day tour for the first guests from Kuwait, for Innes Carma Tours.

The father and daughter had also requested assistance with accomodation bookings as they had hoped to stay at the The Fife Arms hotel in Braemar, but this turned out to be fully booked (a popular hotel!). Thankfully, the hotel kindly recommended that the guests should contact Innes Carma Tours to assist with their tour bookings.

Tour 1 involved a trip to see the Bullers of Buchan due to a request to see coastal cliffs. After stopping at an idyllic spot by the River Don, the cliffs did not disappoint and the sunshine allowed the surrounding colours to radiate above the pale blue sea below.

After the Bullers of Buchan, we stopped at New Slains Castle (new but over 400 years old, the original castle having been destroyed by James VI of Scotland!). The Octagonal room in the castle offers some intrigue as it may have inspired Bram Stoker when he wrote his Dracula novel! Again, we were treated to delightful views onto the North Sea.

Next stop was the Newburgh Inn Hotel, which once more provided an excellent lunch!

After a further scenic spot, the guests were dropped off at the Balmoral Arms Hotel in Ballater which provided spacious quality accomodation and food which was much to the delight of the guests!

Tour 2 included 2 days of some of the best sights in Scotland, with a stop in Pitlochry followed by a pleasant drive along Loch Tay. We had lunch at the The Falls of Dochart Inn at Killin, after feeling invigorated by the sound of the rushing waters and the sun shining on the surrounding mountains.

After a very enjoyable lunch, we stopped in the magnificent Glencoe for a photo stop before having a welcome coffee stop at the Isles of Glencoe Hotel.

Our destination on day 1 was the The Airds Hotel and Restaurant at Port Appin, truly a home from home as advertised, where the guests enjoyed excellent dining. The fish dish at the The Pierhouse Hotel during our stay was also fantastic!

Port Appin is a lovely spot and poignant for myself, with an ancestor Mary McColl having been born on the Isle of Lismore just across the water in 1810.

On day 2, after passing by Castle Stalker, we drove to Oban where the guests very much enjoyed a coffee on the sea front (Oban was a definite winner!).

In the afternoon, we headed to Glenfinnan, where we saw the monument commemorating the raising of the standard that started the 1745 Jacobite Uprising, as well as a glimpse of the Glenfinnan Viaduct (Harry Potter didn’t make an appearance this time!).

After a stop at the Spean Bridge Commando memorial, we headed to the The Old Manse of Blair where the guests had a wonderful stay before departing for Edinburgh Airport the next day.

It was a pleasure to provide the tours for 2 lovely guests; haste ye back!

09/08/2024

Towards the end of July and beginning of August, it was a pleasure to provide tours for several coach parties.

First of all, in collaboration with two other guides, Elizabeth of Aberdeenshire Tours (thanks for reaching out!) and Desire (Desi_in_Scotland), a coach tour for cruise ship guests from the USA was laid on, with Balmoral Castle and Crathes Castle, Garden & Estate NTS being included. A superb lunch was laid on by Elaine and the team at the Milton Brasserie at Milton of Crathes while comfortable coaches and excellent drivers had been arranged with Rs Coaches. A fine team effort this one with the tour operator having amiable tour leaders.

Next up was a tour guide service provided for a wedding party (a first) organised by The Fife Arms, Braemar with Allan & Black Coaches providing a sterling service with lovely mini coaches and friendly, highly competent drivers. The drive to and from Fasque House was stunning and the bride and groom were blessed with glorious sunshine and a clear blue sky!

Finally, another first; two walking tours in French through Old Aberdeen for a Swiss French tour operator (thanks to Karine at Tours et Détours d' Edimbourg for reaching out on this one!). Great fun this albeit there was a rush to get the French language back up to scratch!😀

Thanks is due to St Machar's Cathedral and Kings College Chapel for their understanding and kindness in allowing us access into the churches.

Old Aberdeen really is a gem of a place with beauty and history on show all the way from the Brig O’ Balgownie to beyond King’s College!

Haste ye all back! 😀

VisitAberdeenshire

07/08/2024

July has gone by like a flash, with little time to post. The month started with a trip to Killin with hills to be climbed, cycle tracks to explore and a kayak trip to see the surrounding vistas from the wonderful Loch Tay. The Killin Outdoor Centre and Mountain Shop was a great place for cycle and Kayak hire and the Killin Hotel, The Courie Inn and The Falls of Dochart Inn all provided very enjoyable meals!

One of the best finds was the NCN 7 cycle route, which took us to the Glen Ogle Viaduct with some great views on to Loch Earn.

Finding Finlarig Castle, gave us a further insight into the history of the Campbells of Glenorchy, later Earls of Breadalbane who also built Kilchurn Castle and Taymouth Castle.

A drive to the west coast, took us through the fantastic Glencoe which gets better every time I see it, before finding the Holly Tree Hotel at Kentallen Pier where the fish dish was a delight, with views across to the Ardgour Peninsula and Ardnamurchan.

Throughout July, there were tours to Ballindalloch Castle, Castle Fraser, Garden & Estate NTS, Crathes Castle, Garden & Estate NTS, Drum Castle, Garden & Estate NTS, Dunnottar Castle, Braemar Castle, Balmoral Castle, Kildrummy Castle and Craigievar Castle NTS amongst others. Visits were also made to the Royal Lochnagar Distillery, the Glenfarclas Distillery, The Glenlivet Distillery and the Glenfiddich Distillery, where the hospitality was enjoyed in each one, including one tour for some special parents.

Throughout July we have seen some spectacular and very pleasant scenery with history connections being made all over Scotland. Lovely food was also enjoyed at the Grant Arms Hotel, Monymusk, the Spey Inn at The Craigellachie Hotel, Craigellachie, the Rothesay Rooms, Ballater, Ballater and the Tarmachan Cafe in Crathie.

It was a real pleasure to meet some lovely people from Canada, the USA and Germany, who were staying at The Fife Arms in Braemar, Maryculter House Hotel, Maryculter, the Residence Inn by Marriott Aberdeen and guests visiting on a cruise ship.

Haste ye all back! 😀👍

03/07/2024

Yesterday's driver-guided tour included a pick up and drop off at the Hilton Craigendarroch Country Club in Ballater. Great feedback was received from Debbie, Alex, Kris and Mark, a lovely group from Virginia/Texas, USA.

Amongst the sights seen were Dunnottar Castle, St Machar's Cathedral (unfortunately no pictures), Old Aberdeen, and Cullerlie Stone Circle.

Delicious food was served up at The Villa Coffee Shop in Stonehaven after a stroll from the delightful harbour area.

Dunnottar Castle was the same impressive site as always, whereas the pre-reformation heraldic ceiling at St Machar's Cathedral was incredible to see, considering its artistic beauty, history and irony.

As shown in the pictures we also met a new friend at Cullerlie Stone Circle! 😀

Great to meet everybody and haste ye all back!

Address

Carmaferg, Bridgeview Road
Aboyne
AB345HB

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 6pm
Tuesday	9am - 6pm
Wednesday	9am - 6pm
Thursday	9am - 6pm
Friday	9am - 6pm
Saturday	9am - 6pm
Sunday	9am - 6pm

Website

http://www.innescarmatours.com/

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