A Day Exploring the Mystery and Malt of the Lothians Tour

Tour ID: 1084 Tour Theme: Historic and Cultural Tours This tour starts from: Edinburgh Duration: 1 Day
	Operated by: Go Scotland Tours

Tour Description:

The great bastion of Edinburgh Castle, atop its volcanic rock dominates the rolling arable lands stretching south to the Lammermuir and Pentland hills and north to the Firth of Forth; this is the land of the Lothians. Where the name comes from is a bit of a mystery: some claim it comes from an early king called Loth, others that it derives from a word meaning boggy and marshy. Lothian has long been a land of contest between the Celtic Britons and the Anglo Saxons of England to the South, and a number of kings have come and gone; but also, until recently the area was very marshy, with a number of once substantial lakes now drained and gone, so either could work. Edinburgh became part of the Kingdom of Scotland in 1018AD and slowly exerted its dominance until becoming capital of the country. The area around it is very fertile and heavily populated, making for many power struggles, struggles not helped by its position between the Celtic north and English south.

The tour begins with an introduction to the City of Edinburgh and a one hour walking tour down the historic Royal Mile, linking Edinburgh Castle with the Palace of Holyroodhouse, before heading southeast out of the city to Glenkinchie distillery. Glenkinchie is the finest example of the lowland malt distillery and the tour is fantastic. As a lowland distillery it produces a light, slightly malty whisky that is easy to drink. After a tour round the distillery we head down to Crichton Castle. This dramatic ruin, commanding stunning views over the Tyne valley, was built by the Crichton family, very powerful during the reigns of the early Stewart kings, before being forfeited and falling into the hands of the rising star family, the Hepburns, Earls of Bothwell. James Hepburn, Lord Bothwell was the third disasterous husband of Mary Queen of Scots, and it was here that she fled after the Rizzio murder coup affair. From Crichton castle the tour heads down to Rosslyn Chapel, famed as a possible resting place of the Holy Grail (made more famous recently by Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code). The Chapel, with its unbelievable carvings was built by the Sinclair family, a family with strong links to the Knights Templar. The Sinclairs were Earls of Orkney and Caithness and may have been the first Europeans to set foot on what is now the United States. From ancient power, to modern times, the tour continues west to West Lothian and Hopetoun house, seat of the Marquess of Linlithgow, and the largest mansion house in Scotland. The Hope family, first granted lands in Leith in the 16th century, have a long distinction of serving both the Scottish and British crowns, with a Governor-General of Australia and Viceroy of India amongst their ranks. From Hopetoun house it is a short hop to South Queensferry and the Hawes Inn for a drink before returning to Edinburgh. The Hawes Inn was made famous by Robert Louis Stevenson in his book ‘Kidnapped’.


For more details go to the "Prices, Dates, and What's Included" section...

Mystery and Malt of the Lothians Tour!!