Day trip

Edinburgh: Rosslyn Chapel, Borders & Glenkinchie Distillery

Activity provider:Timberbush Tours
Day trip

Edinburgh: Rosslyn Chapel, Borders & Glenkinchie Distillery

Activity provider:Timberbush Tours
Likely to sell out

From US$ 44.79 per person

Likely to sell out
Eco-certified

Visit the intriguing Rosslyn Chapel, famous from the Da Vinci Code. See the pretty town of Melrose and explore its Abbey. Then discover how whisky is made at the Glenkinchie Distillery.

About this activity

Free cancellation
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Duration 8 hours
Check availability to see starting times.
Live tour guide
English

Experience

Highlights
  • Explore the famous Rosslyn Chapel and seek out the secrets of the Da Vinci Code
  • Visit Melrose Abbey, said to be the burial place of Robert the Bruce's heart
  • Enjoy a dram of whisky at Glenkinchie Distillery
  • Have some lunch in Melrose and explore the town and its Abbey
Full description

Travel through the Scottish Lowlands and Borders on an enjoyable day-tour. See the varied natural wonders that make this section of Scotland famous. See historic sites and sample real Scottish whisky as you travel with a friendly and knowledgeable guide! Your tour will head out from Edinburgh Castle to the lovely village of Roslin. There, you will have the opportunity to visit Rosslyn Chapel. Dating back to 1445, the chapel gained worldwide fame thanks to the increasing interest in Freemasonry and the Knights Templar. See the intricate “musical” boxes and green men carved throughout the chapel. Leave Roslin and continue your journey into the heart of the Scottish Borders in the eastern part of the Scottish Uplands. This area is rich in hills, valleys, rivers, and moorland, and is also the traditional home of Scottish rugby. Travel to the historic town of Melrose, the birthplace of the game of Rugby Sevens and home to of Melrose Abbey. The Abbey, founded in 1136, is one of the most beautiful religious ruins in the United Kingdom, containing many intricate carved sculptures. It is also said to be the burial place of the embalmed heart of Robert the Bruce. Enjoy a tasty lunch in Melrose and have plenty of free time to explore the town and the abbey. Before heading back to Edinburgh you will have to option to explore the lowland distillery of Glenkinchie, now owned by Johnnie Walker. Join a tour to learn how whisky is made and taste some of their most popular single malt.

Includes
  • Transportation on a modern bus
  • Live commentary
  • Driver guide
  • Meals and drinks
  • Entry to attractions
  • Whisky tasting
Not suitable for
  • Children under 4 years

Select participants and date

Participants

Date

Meeting point

You can find the Edinburgh departure and return point outside the green Ensign Ewart pub, at 521-523 Lawnmarket, Edinburgh, EH1 2PE. There is currently a shortage of taxis and private hire cabs in Edinburgh, which may make it harder to get to the departure point if you're thinking of using a taxi. It is strongly recommended that you allow for more time to reach the departure point in the morning and look into public transport options as a backup.

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Important information

What to bring

  • Comfortable shoes

Not allowed

  • Pets (assistance dogs allowed)

Know before you go

  • Whisky at Glenkinchie Distillery can only be sold to passengers over 18 years old. You might need to show valid ID as proof of age
  • Children under the age of 8 are not permitted to join the distillery tour
Customer reviews

Overall rating

4.7 /5

based on 133 reviews

Review summary

  • Guide
    4.7/5
  • Transportation
    4.7/5
  • Service
    4.7/5
  • Organization
    4.7/5

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Star rating:

Wonderful thanks to timberbush tours ; I am so sorry that I forgot the name of our tour guide , but he was wonderful ; knew his stuff and had great taste in music ; We started the tour on Time, had sufficient time to go to places and got great information from The tour guide . My favourite part was the distillery ( full disclosure- I work for that parent org that owns the distillery ) and chapel 💒 . I also found Indian food along the way and nice cafés . All in all a great tour.

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April 6, 2023

Had a great time. Nice to see Rosslin Chapel that is not large but gives you the possibility to look into the details of the history of the Chapel. Lunch at Melrose was good, but it would be nice to spend a little bit more time at the ruins of the church in Melrose. Closing the day at the Glenkinchie was top off the bill. Great whiskeys. Be aware that entrance fares are not included.

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March 25, 2023

The tour was really amazing- it's realy worth of the money. Our guide Andrew was very nice, provided us a lot of interesting facts about the Scotland. I really recomment thos great tour to everyone who loves art and history. Melrose abbey was like from Game of Thrones we would just appreciate more time spend there. Thank you once again for this experience

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March 7, 2020

Product ID: 12654