Innes Carma Tours

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!

30/06/2024

Recent tours were provided for some delightful American guests staying at the The Fife Arms Hotel in Braemar; Betsy and Tim from Santa Barbara, Cal, Rebecca and family from San Francisco, and Emily from Dallas.

Eric as always provided great entertainment, smiles and insight at the Royal Lochnagar Distillery!

A couple of trips were also made to the welcoming Braemar Castle, with a Jacobite re-enactment taking place, which provided an additional historical backdrop to the castle built in 1628 by the 2nd Earl of Mar.

Corgarff Castle also looked great with the blue sky above and continued the Jacobite theme with the Hanoverian British army occupying the building following the Battle of Culloden, in much the same manner as they did at Braemar.

A visit to the Linn O' Dee and Balmoral Castle were also made and the pleasant weather we experienced made the journeys along Royal Deeside and Donside even more enjoyable!

Haste ye all back!

20/06/2024

Last week provided tours that were both fun and revitalising, with folks on board from the USA and Germany, all enjoying top class accomodation and service at The Fife Arms in Braemar.

Visits were made to Balmoral Castle, Braemar Castle, Crathes Castle, Garden & Estate NTS and the recently re-opened Craigievar Castle NTS.

The new garden arrangements are taking shape at Balmoral, whilst lessons in Butler skills, sword fencing and kilt wearing were provided by Colin at Braemar Castle (not forgetting some great background information on the castle)!

Crathes Castle was a pleasure to guide around and a very informative tour was provided at Craigievar Castle, back to its pink best after 2 years of renovation work. Elsa Schiaparelli, the Italian fashion designer, responsible for the expression ‘shocking pink’ and once visitor to Braemar Castle would surely have approved if she saw the castle walls!

A walking tour was provided around Braemar as well as a revitalising walk to the beautiful Linn of Quoich, famous for being one of the meeting points for the clans in advance of the 1715 Jacobite uprising. Very comfortable transport and great driving was laid on by Stuart at Edinburgh or Scotland Chauffeur Services on the latter tour in collaboration with Bethesda Travel.

On Saturday, the guests were very complimentary on the wonderful ambience and food that we found at The Boat Inn, Aboyne.

It was great to meet each group and to provide some very memorable tours. Haste ye all back!!! 😀👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

13/06/2024

Fantastic scenery, a welcome return to a re-opened Braemar Castle, the famous Braemar Gathering and Highland Games Centre, a regal Balmoral Castle with remodelled gardens, ruined castles where walls speak of a world long gone, a gorge scarred by melting glacial waters 10,000 years ago, a neolithic/bronze age stone circle built 4500 years ago, an earth house from 2000 years ago, an inspirational The Glenlivet Whisky Distillery tour, a Speyside Cooperage visit, great food served at The Boat Inn, Aboyne and The Mash Tun Aberlour, that just about sums up tours over the past week. Not to mention of course that there were some lovely folk on the tours, all from the USA and staying at the The Fife Arms, Braemar and the Hilton Craigendarroch Country Club, Ballater!

Haste ye all back! 😀

05/06/2024

The pictures shown depict the memories from last week’s 3-day Genealogy, History and Scenic Tour for Diana and Jim from Washington State, USA.

The couple were staying at The Boat Inn, Aboyne, perfectly placed for tracing the footsteps of their ancestors in the area. After a search for local farms where Diana’s grandmother and great grandmother lived, and a few conversations with some very helpful locals, we managed to meet a living relative of Diana’s; a special moment for all involved and thanks to everyone that gave up their time to help!

A grave of one of Diana’s relatives was also found while touring local kirkyards which were all in beautiful locations.

A guided walk was provided on day 2, with fantastic views onto Braemar and one of the area’s best-known mountains, Lochnagar. This was followed by some delicious food at the Tarmachan Cafe!

On day 2 and 3, there was time for a couple of castle visits, the second of which included a great story surrounding the abduction of James VI, King of Scots.

Great to meet Diana and Jim and to provide a tour which brought endearment, affinity and laughter!

Haste ye both back!😀

30/05/2024

The end of May has brought a sudden rush of tours of different varieties. A two-day Burnett Clan tour was arranged last week for a family originally from Cleveland Ohio but now spread out over different parts of the USA. We visited sites related to the Burnett family from their arrival on Deeside around 1323 to their gifting of Crathes Castle, Garden & Estate NTS to the National Trust for Scotland in 1952. Other well known Aberdeenshire sites were also seen including 13th Century Drum Castle, Garden & Estate NTS, the dramatic Dunnottar Castle, the charming Stonehaven Harbour and also beautiful Ballater on Royal Deeside. Excellent food was served up at the Marine Hotel, Stonehaven and also Rothesay Rooms, Ballater. A special thanks also goes out to Rs Coaches and their driver Ross who stepped in to provide a lovely bus with great driving on some very narrow roads! The guests were staying at the Banchory Lodge Hotel and Tor Na Coille Hotel in Banchory.

Saturday’s tour for two guests from San Franscisco, USA, staying at The Fife Arms Hotel in Braemar included a visit to the splendid 14th Century Cawdor Castle and also the very moving Culloden Battlefield NTS. Both sites are well worth a visit and the drive from Braemar is truly wonderful with the surviving patches of snow glittering in the sunshine, on the distant Cairngorm Mountains!

Sunday’s tour was for two newly weds from Connecticut, USA, also staying at the Fife Arms Hotel and we stopped at the pink harled Craigievar Castle NTS before seeing the equally fairytale like Castle Fraser, Garden & Estate NTS.

Monday’s tour included a pick-up for another American couple from a Cruise Ship at the new Aberdeen South Harbour. The interest was Stone Circles, Pictish Symbol Stones and other historic sites and therefore East Auquhorthies Stone Circle, probably North East Scotland’s best example of a recumbent Stone Circle, was a must see!

It was a privilege being able to meet some really nice people and to provide some memorable tours. Haste ye all back!

22/05/2024

Pictures from two different tours both with some great weather and fantastic scenery! Balmoral Castle, a 4500 year old Stone Circle and then Pictish Symbol Stones were up first, for Faryl and Olivia from New York, who were staying at the The Fife Arms hotel, in Braemar. This tour brought up some really interesting discussions, from Johann Von Lamont's discovery of earth electric currents in the 19th Century, to Dan Bown's novel 'The Da Vinci Code'. Johann (John) was born in 1805 at Corriemulzie to the west of Braemar, before moving to Germany when he was 12 years old.

A Speyside castle and whisky driver guided tour was then provided for Kelly and Justin from Pheonix, Arizona, who were staying at the Craigendarroch Country Club, in Ballater. This included a visit to Ballindalloch Castle, whose gardens are now in full bloom and a whisky distillery tour at the family owned Glenfarclas distillery. After tasting some fine sherry cask finished whiskies at Glenfarclas, a delightful selection of experimental series single malts were tasted at the Glenfiddich distillery.

One of the many highlights during the Speyside tour was lunch on the terrace at The Spey Inn (The Craigellachie Hotel) in Craigellachie. The guests were very complimentary regarding the food and service as they relaxed in the sunshine with the River Spey gently flowing nearby!😎

Great to meet some really nice folks and to provide a couple of memorable tours. Haste ye all back! 😀

15/05/2024

“Summertime is coming and the trees are sweetly blooming” as the song goes. Great to get temperatures over 20 deg C over the past few days and to see a myriad of colours with the Rhododendrons, apple trees, pear trees and cherry blossom in full bloom!

Castles from the 13th Century up to the 19th Century were the theme over the past week as well as coastal sights and fantastic highland scenery. The tour groups were blessed with good weather while driving past the pine clad mountains of Ballochbuie forest and also when driving through the Mearns, an area characterised by Lewis Grassic Gibbon in his book Sunset Song.

The Boat Inn, Aboyne delighted guests from Canada, staying at The Fife Arms Hotel Braemar, with delicious sandwiches and soups. This built up afternoon energy for making the most of a visit to Crathes Castle, Garden & Estate NTS, where the painted ceilings are a must see!

A visit to Stonehaven also provided some great sandwiches and pastries, at The Old Pier Coffee House, for guests from Nebraska, USA who were staying at The Marcliffe Hotel.

As usual Dunnottar Castle, Castle Fraser, Garden & Estate NTS and Drum Castle, Garden & Estate NTS didn’t disappoint and the food was superb again at the Kildrummy Inn and very much enjoyed by guest from New York staying at the Fife Arms.

Great to provide tours for some lovely people. Haste ye all back! 😀

02/05/2024

This week’s tours included a trip to Balmoral Castle where each visit uncovers new secrets. The Scottish Royal standard was flying indicating the King was no longer on the estate. His planned changes in the gardens, are now however becoming more evident, as we move from spring to summer.

Next stop was Ballindalloch Castle on Speyside. The castle is the family home of the Macpherson-Grant’s and our Royal theme continued, with pictures on show and stories of past visits made by the UK Royal Family. The array of red colours radiating from the gardens which were in bloom, caught our attention as we approached the door of the castle, known as the ‘Pearl of the North’!

The Glenlivet distillery, celebrating its 200th anniversary, was next on the agenda with the guests providing a glowing report after tasting a selection of single malt whiskies. I was very fortunate to meet the master blender who told me about exciting plans The Glenlivet have for a new distillery in China (the Chinese whisky market is booming)!

Another tour took us to Crathes Castle, Garden & Estate NTS as well as few surprise castles in each direction from Braemar. Clan Burnett of Leys had interests in other castles and lands in Aberdeenshire in addition to Crathes Castle and recent discoveries will be of great benefit, for an up-and-coming tour for a large Burnett family group!

Great to meet Andrew and Lisa from London and Matt and Lauren from Philadelphia, USA, both of whom were staying at The Fife Arms Hotel in Braemar!

Haste ye all back!

23/04/2024

Last week's tour with Laina and Michael, provided the opportunity for some dramatic as well as pleasant photos. Dramatic could only mean one thing; Dunnottar Castle, as imposing as ever rising above the North Sea. Balmoral Castle seemed rather gentle in comparison with the sun shining and little wind in evidence.

The Royal Lochnagar Distillery also provided a change in moods, with the ever consistent 12 year old and the new Muscat cask finished dram on offer (highly recommended!), after Kyle had provided a top class distillery tour.

Great to provide a tour for the couple from Virginia, USA!

12/04/2024

A lovely day in Spring for a half-day driver guided tour for Rudy and Rocio, originally from Peru and now living in Texas USA! Royal Deeside provided a beautiful setting with the sun shining and the temperature exceeding 16 degrees C.

Good to meet the first guests from Peru!

27/03/2024

A beautiful end to the afternoon on Royal Deeside today….

19/03/2024

Aberdeenshire offers an abundance of sights which provide the basis for fantastic tours. It is also bordered by other regions which have great scenery and visitor attractions.

A weekend visit to Pitlochry in 'Perth and Kinross', included great food and a pleasant walk on both sides of Loch Faskally. This provided a dramatic misty view across the water to the mountains beyond.

On the journey home, a picture opportunity arose during a stop at a bridge built in 1749 by Major William Caulfeild. Caulfeild, born in Ireland, actually built more bridges and roads in the Highlands than his better known predecessor General Wade!

Today's photo opportunity was much closer to home with a rainbow appearing over Craigendinnie House near Aboyne, built in 1884.

Bookings have come in recently from 4 different hotels, and the diary is starting to fill up. There are still available dates though for those who would be interested in seeing some great scenery and learning about our dear wee country😀!

10/03/2024

First pick up from Norwood Hall Hotel, Aberdeen today thanks to Aberdeenshire Tours!

First request also to see the fantastic statue of Scotland and Man Utd legend Denis Law outside Aberdeen's oldest surviving townhouse, Provost Skene's House (built in 1545!).

First guests from Derbyshire (a lot of firsts today!), and we also saw Marischal College, the second largest granite building in the world before visiting Old Aberdeen and then Crathes Castle amongst other sights on Royal Deeside.

A last minute request this one and not easy to find somewhere for lunch on Mother's day but the soup and sandwiches at Shorty’s Coffee Shop & Gelateria in Aboyne were very tasty and just what was needed to keep the energy levels up for the 2nd half of the tour!

Great to meet Nick and Julie and haste ye back!

17/02/2024

A welcome return to providing a driver guided tour today for two newly weds, originally from New York and on honeymoon at The Fife Arms Hotel, Braemar. We had the splendour of the Balmoral Castle estate almost to ourselves, followed by a very informative whisky experience provided by Hazel at the Royal Lochnagar Distillery. The latest Distillery Exclusive bottling was very popular and the Muscat cask finish works very well!

Great to meet the guests and haste ye back!😀

13/02/2024

A beautiful view from the slopes of Culblean Hill overlooking Loch Davan and Loch Kinord yesterday, two bodies of water left over from the last ice age.

Morven (from the gaelic A' Mhòr Bheinn or big mountain), is also shown still covered with snow.

The area is home to the remains of Iron Age dwellings, a 14th century battle site, a vat shaped gorge, several legends and some fantastic scenery!

The tour season will be starting soon, so don't hesitate to get in touch if you are interested in a driver-guided tour in NE Scotland and beyond! Tìoraidh an-dràsta!😀

27/01/2024

19/01/2024

A change of weather this week on Royal Deeside and the north wind leaves behind a winter wonderland!

01/01/2024

A Happy New Year and best wishes for 2024 from Innes Carma Tours! 🍾🍾🍾

Bliadhna mhath ùr and lang may yer lum reek!

24/12/2023

A Merry Christmas and very best wishes over the festive season from Innes Carma Tours! 🎅

18/12/2023

On a research trip today, looking for new tour sights, this fantastic rainbow appeared above upper Deeside! A very pleasant temperature of 8 Degrees Celsius provided ideal conditions for enjoying the tranquility and beautiful scenery of the Cairngorms National Park……

01/12/2023

A beautiful winter’s day, a castle tour request from The Fife Arms and a trip to the Angus Glens, turned out to be just what was required yesterday, to provide a memorable November tour.

Passing by Forter Castle, an old stronghold of Clan Ogilvie, we headed to Glamis Castle where we were lucky to join a small group tour and learn about the history of the Bowes-Lyon family home, which has royal connections dating back to the 14th Century. The castle is more known for being a family home of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and birthplace of Princess Margaret. Their ancestor Sir John Lyon however, was granted the Thanage of Glamis in 1372, by Robert II, King of Scots and married the King’s daughter Johanna in 1376.

The drive back offered beautiful views of the Loch of Lintrathen, Glen Isla, Glenshee, Glen Clunie and Braemar Castle before concluding the tour at Fish Shop in Ballater.

Great to host Innes Carma Tours first guests from Sri Lanka!

Haste ye back! 😀

22/11/2023

This is a heart warming article in Paste Magazine by Keri Lumm and great to get a mention! A nice memory of a bespoke tour, provided for Keri and her husband, just over a year ago. St Rufus Church, Keith (Kirk of Keith: St Rufus, Botriphnie and Grange), were really helpful and kind enough to open the doors of the church that day, to meet Keri's special request.

Paste Magazine is your source for the best music, movies, TV, comedy, videogames, books, comics, craft beer, politics and more. Discover your favorite albums and films.

14/11/2023

Mid November and the autumn colours are still resplendent. Saturday was an ideal night for attending a superb firework show at the annual Aboyne bonfire night whereas Sunday was perfect for a walk by the river Dee near Ballater!😊

Aboyne, as always, has provided some great relaxing views in the autumnal sun.

The winter tyres have now been fitted and enquiries are welcome for Autumn/Winter tours! 👍

Here are a few words that came to mind on Sunday while walking by the river Dee with Helane Scott😀:

As I gaze upon the Dee I think,
where else could I feel so free.
The water clear, the air so pure,
where else would I rather be.

The pine, the birch, the larch, the oak,
hold fast to the mountain side.
The river sparkles, while the sun it shines,
in deep pools the salmon hide.

The path opens up to wondrous sights,
the pace of life is slow.
The rhythm follows nature's wish,
there's no rush to up and go.

(c) Tom Innes Nov, 2023

07/11/2023

A pleasant start to November with two tours for guests from The Fife Arms, Braemar. The Autumn colours were radiating while we stood by the river Dee and the mist rising off the mountains only added to the spectacle.

It was good to still be able to gain access to the Balmoral Castle & Estate grounds and Eric provided two very entertaining tours at the Royal Lochnagar distillery!

Great to meet folks from Paris, France and New Zealand!
Haste ye all back!😀

31/10/2023

The close to October and the summer tourist season, brought the busiest week so far this year with 6 tours in 7 days. Variety was in abundance, with some crisp sunny weather as well as rain and misty days, providing a dramatic highland setting much like an Edwin Landseer painting.

Two luxury coach tours were provided as well as the normal comfortable seating in the VW and guests staying at The Fife Arms, Braemar came from France, the USA and Germany.

We saw 16th century castles, Pictish symbols and art, medieval kirks, Balmoral Castle & Estate, fantastic highland scenery, and some fine whisky distilleries.

Excellent food was served at The Boat Inn, Aboyne and The Mash Tun, Aberlour.

Alison once again provided a brilliant tour at the Cragganmore Distillery and The Glenfiddich Distillery didn’t disappoint with some great service.

It was a pleasure to work with Allan & Black Coaches again and John’s careful driving made sure the guests were comfortable as well as adding some humour along the way! 😀

Great to meet some lovely folks and haste ye all back!😊

13/10/2023

If I can speak honestly, looking back through photos from recent tours is a warming experience, especially in a world that is moving ever faster. Through photography a moment in time is frozen and the memory of the day is kept alive.

During the first half of October, I have met some lovely people and providing tours for guests staying at The Fife Arms Hotel, Braemar and the Hilton, Craigendarroch was an absolute pleasure.

We saw sights that have featured in tours before and visited some new attractions for the first time.

A warm welcome was provided at the Glen Grant distillery with a top-class tour provided by Kirstie. Guests enjoyed some fine whisky at the The Glenlivet and Aberlour distilleries and I must thank the staff at the Glenfiddich distillery again for their patience and generosity in service!

Fine food was served up in the Mash Tun, Aberlour and The Boat Inn, Aboyne where the service was excellent as always!

We were treated to a dedicated tour at Drum Castle, Garden & Estate NTS and one thing a lot of people don’t realise is that the castle staff are continually finding new information which throws a different light on the building’s history.

The weather was kind for the most part and provided some fantastic vistas over the Aberdeenshire and Moray countryside.

It was great to meet guests from the USA (Nevada, California and Florida), England (Surrey), Cyprus and Nicaragua. Haste ye all back! 😀