1 Day Castles & Broomsticks

ITINERARY

Brace yourselves, we’re heading south into enemy territory! We leave Edinburgh at 08.15am, travel past gentle rolling hills and dramatic coastline to cross the border with England. We explore Bamburgh - the laid-back seaside village in the heart of Northumberland. Don’t get deceived by its sleepy looks – the village and the mighty Bamburgh Castle was the seat of the early Kings of Northumbria in the 5th century. Run down to the beautiful beach to get some fresh air and try to imagine Viking longboats approaching the coast for a raid and try to keep up with the area’s turbulent history recounted by our Guide.

In the afternoon, have your broomsticks at the ready as we’re off to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry! Alnwick Castle is the second largest inhabited castle in England, home to the Duke of Northumberland’s family for over 700 years. Along with a rich history and magnificent medieval architecture – it’s a film lovers’ dream.

After a magical afternoon in Alnwick, we’ll make our way back over the border and in to Scotland for our final stop at Coldstream. This charming border town, which is situated on the north side of the River Tweed, will surprise you with a couple of turbulent stories before our journey ends in Edinburgh, early evening.

Alnwick Castle

The triumphant Alnwick castle was built 920 years ago. Its purpose was to control the perilous borders between Scotland and England. But now it’s renowned for more than bloody history. The expansive gardens are world famous, the art collection is unrivalled and the rooms are some of the finest examples of 19th-century Italianate design.

*Our tours are conducted in English, by our Guides, however foreign language translations are available in German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, French and Mandarin, with more languages to follow.