The 3 day Ayrshire and Arran Experience

Duration: Multi-Day | Tour type: Historical Tour | Pickup locations: Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling | Language: English

3-Day Tour Experience Through Ayrshire and the Isle of Arran

Often described as “Scotland in miniature,” the Isle of Arran brings together everything people love about Scotland on one remarkable island. From dramatic mountains and golden beaches to ancient history and rich culture, Arran truly has it all.

On this journey, we’ll walk in the footsteps of Scotland’s legendary king, Robert the Bruce, and explore the life and legacy of our national bard, Robert Burns. Along the way, you’ll encounter prehistoric standing stones, ancient castles, wild mountain scenery, traditional whisky distilleries, and breathtaking coastal views at every turn.

Join us on this immersive three-day tour and discover the timeless beauty, stories, and spirit of Ayrshire and the Isle of Arran.

Tour Highlights:

The Burns Cottage – A guided tour of the cosy 3-bedroom cottage where Burns was born and lived until he was 7 years old.
The Robert Burns Birthplace Museum – Listen to his words, handle objects connected to the man, play games that unravel his mysteries and enjoy visual artworks.
Culzean castle and gardens – Experience the beauty of the castle and its pleasure grounds.
Brodick Castle – Full of history and surrounded by the Arran mountains, Brodick was once a fortress to be reckoned with.
Machrie Moor Standing Stones – Once a Neolithic centre of ritual dating back to between 3500 and 1500 BC.
Lagg Distillery – Enjoy a tour and of Arrans newest whisky distillery which lies on the southern tip of Arran.

Tour details:

Departs from your accommodation in Glasgow, Stirling or Edinburgh at 8.30am.
Return at 6pm approximately.
Important information – Bring waterproof clothing and walking shoes.
Transportation & air conditioning as standard
The stories and services of an English-speaking driver-guide.
Estimated cash needed for lunch and visitor attractions would be £100 pp.

Tour exclusions

Entry fees to visitor attractions and accommodation.
Lunch stops.

Accommodation

Day 1 & 2 in Brodick , Arran
Day 3 back to Glasgow or Edinburgh.
How does the accommodation work?– Once you have booked your tour we will advise you on places to stay. Please let us know your accommodation details so that we can arrange to pick you up and drop you off. Please only reserve your accommodation in the towns that your tour stops in.

Please be aware that if you cancel you may be liable to hotel cancelation costs so please ask the hotel staff about their cancelation process before booking your accommodation.

Itinerary:

Your driver guide will pick you up from your accommodation and travel towards the Ayrshire coast where we will visit Culzean Castle. Take a walk through the beautiful walled gardens and enjoy the breath taking views over the Firth of Clyde towards the Isle of Arran. A guided tour of the castle is also a must, so you can really appreciate the beauty of the décor and architecture of this unique Ayrshire Castle. We will then continue the road to Alloway where Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns was born. Here we will visit many places mentioned in his poems like the Brig o’ Doon and the Alloway Old Kirk. The Burns museum and cottage will tell you everything you need to know about this great man, with many of the poet’s manuscripts on display. We will then take a walk through the famous Burns gardens where you will find a 70-foot high Grecian-style temple, designed by Sir Thomas Hamilton, complete with nine pillars representing muses from Greek mythology built in memory of Burns less than 20 years after his death. After we have lunch at the Brid “o” Doon restaurant we will journey towards the Ardrossan harbour where we will board the ferry and set sail towards Arran. Your driver will then drop you off at your accommodation in Brodick.

We start our day in Brodick by visiting the famous Brodick Castle. The castle was once home to the Dukes of Hamilton and contains a fabulous collection of valuable artefacts. We then explore the mountainous north of the island where we visit the ruins of Lochranza Castle as well as visiting the famous Machrie Moor Standing Stones. We then travel south towards the fishing village called Blackwaterfoot for refreshments before returning to Brodick, the perfect way to end your day.

Today we will travel towards the south of the island and enjoy a whisky tour at Arrans brand new whisky distillery. For hundreds of years, small island communities made their own whisky in their own homemade stills. The spirit which became known as ‘Arran Waters’ was smuggled over to mainland Scotland from Lagg. The new distillery are thrilled to be reviving Lagg’s whisky heritage, although they are doing it legally of course. Next up is a walk towards the stunning Glenashdale falls. This is a beautiful waterfall at the Glenashdale Burn and is also known by its Gaelic name, Eas a’ Chrannaig. If you feel if you have enough energy we can walk further towards the Giants’ graves that are a series of Neolithic Tombs that are 5000 years old. Once we have finished our walk we will head back to Brodick to wait for our ferry to take us back to the mainland. Your driver will then drive you back to your accommodation of choice.