The Balmoral sits at the east end of Princes Street, directly above Waverley station and a short walk from the Royal Mile. It is one of the best-positioned hotels in the city for a private driver. The Princes Street entrance opens onto a section of road the chauffeur can pull straight up to, and the front desk team is used to coordinating private cars throughout the day. We pick up guests from The Balmoral for Highland day tours, multi-day private touring, golf at Gleneagles, St Andrews and the Highlands, transfers to Highland hotels and estates, and airport runs.
Pickup from The Balmoral
- Pickup directly outside the main Princes Street entrance. Concierge signals the door as the car arrives
- Mercedes V-Class for groups of 3 to 7 with luggage, or an executive saloon for couples and business pickups
- On event days when Princes Street is restricted, the driver waits on Waverley Bridge or North Bridge and walks to meet you at the door
- For early starts (Skye, NC500, golf at Dornoch or Carnoustie) we coordinate with the night porter the evening before
- Loading bay access via the Princes Street entrance for larger party luggage on departure day
Private day tours from The Balmoral
Driver-guide-led private tours with door pickup at The Balmoral. Every tour is private for your group in a Mercedes vehicle, never shared with other guests.
Loch Ness & Highlands day tour
Full day from The Balmoral through the Cairngorms to Loch Ness, Urquhart Castle and back via the A9. A long day, but the classic first-time Highland route.
View tour details →Glencoe & the Highlands
Glencoe via Loch Lomond and Rannoch Moor. The most scenic single day from Edinburgh, especially in late spring and autumn.
View tour details →St Andrews & East Neuk of Fife
Forth Bridges, St Andrews town and university quarter, then the fishing villages of the East Neuk. Strong fit for golf-curious guests and culture trips.
View tour details →Loch Lomond & the Trossachs
Shorter day west of the city. Loch Lomond, Luss village and the Trossachs. Good half-day option for guests with an evening dinner reservation.
View tour details →Isle of Skye (long day or 2 day)
Skye in a single day from Edinburgh is possible but punishing. We almost always recommend an overnight on the island and a 2-day private tour.
View tour details →Outlander filming locations
Doune Castle, Midhope (Lallybroch), Linlithgow, Blackness and Culross. A full day of filming locations within easy reach of Edinburgh.
View tour details →Multi-day private tours from The Balmoral
7-day Highlands & Skye
Edinburgh, Glencoe, Skye, Loch Ness, Speyside, Cairngorms and back. The flagship multi-day route for Balmoral guests.
View itinerary →Multi-day private Highland tour
3 to 10 days of private touring built around your dates. Driver-guide and Mercedes throughout, with hotel handovers we manage end to end.
View itinerary →North Coast 500 (multi-day)
3 to 5 day NC500 from Edinburgh with overnights in Dornoch, Tongue, Ullapool and Loch Ness. Better as a separate leg than added on to a Skye trip.
View itinerary →Golf course transfers from The Balmoral
Private chauffeur direct to the clubhouse door at Scotland’s championship courses. Drive times are from Princes Street / Waverley in normal traffic.
| Course | Drive time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gleneagles (King's, Queen's, PGA Centenary) | about 1 hour 10 minutes | M9 north to the Auchterarder turn-off. Drop-off at the main resort entrance. We coordinate with the starter and bell stand when guests are tight on tee time. |
| St Andrews (Old Course, New, Jubilee, Castle) | about 1 hour 30 minutes | Across the Queensferry Crossing and through Fife to St Andrews. We park at the Old Pavilion or Links Clubhouse depending on which course you are playing. |
| Kingsbarns Golf Links | about 1 hour 35 minutes | Same Fife corridor as St Andrews, then on to Kingsbarns. Easy clubhouse drop-off. Popular pairing with Old Course or Castle Course in the same day. |
| Carnoustie (Championship, Burnside, Buddon) | about 1 hour 45 minutes | North on the M90 then east on the A92 / A930. We aim for the Carnoustie Golf Hotel turn or the starter's office depending on your tee. |
| Royal Dornoch | about 3 hours 30 minutes | Long single transfer or, more commonly, an overnight in Dornoch. We pair this with a Highland day on the route up, or include it in a 2 to 3 day Highland golf trip. |
| Castle Stuart Golf Links | about 3 hours 15 minutes | Edinburgh to Inverness via the A9. Often combined with Royal Dornoch and Nairn over a 2 to 3 day Highland golf swing. |
| Nairn Golf Club | about 3 hours 30 minutes | Just east of Inverness on the Moray coast. Best done with an overnight in Inverness or Nairn rather than as a same-day return from Edinburgh. |
| Trump International (Aberdeenshire) | about 2 hours 45 minutes | North-east via Perth and Dundee. We handle the clubhouse drop and onward overnight at Trump or in Aberdeen if you are staying on. |
| Royal Troon | about 1 hour 25 minutes | West to Glasgow, then south down the Ayrshire coast. Frequently combined with Prestwick or Western Gailes in the same day. |
| Turnberry (Ailsa, King Robert) | about 2 hours | South-west via the M77 and along the Ayrshire coast. Trump Turnberry handles a private car drop at the main door. |
Planning multiple courses? See our full Scotland golf transfer hub or read about the Highland golf trip from Edinburgh.
Highland hotel and estate transfers from The Balmoral
Direct private transfers from The Balmoral to Highland hotels, luxury sporting estates and private rental castles. Each destination has its own route page with timings, ferry and pass considerations.
| Destination | Drive time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Inverlochy Castle Hotel (Fort William) | about 3 hours | Edinburgh to Fort William via Stirling and Glencoe. One of the most-booked Edinburgh-to-Highland transfers. Glencoe stops add 30 to 45 minutes. |
| The Fife Arms (Braemar) | about 2 hours 15 minutes | M90 north then over the Cairnwell Pass into Royal Deeside. Stunning route in clear weather. We brief on the pass conditions in winter. |
| Skibo Castle (Dornoch) | about 3 hours 45 minutes | Edinburgh to the Dornoch Firth on the A9. Members and guests booked through The Carnegie Club use this transfer most weekends. |
| Boath House (Nairn) | about 3 hours 30 minutes | Edinburgh to the Moray Firth. Boath House sits just outside Nairn and is a fine pairing with Highland golf at Nairn or Castle Stuart. |
| Culloden House Hotel (Inverness) | about 3 hours 15 minutes | Straight A9 run to Inverness. Culloden House sits 5 minutes from the battlefield and 10 minutes from Inverness Airport. |
| Aldourie Castle (Loch Ness) | about 3 hours 30 minutes | Edinburgh to the south shore of Loch Ness. Aldourie is a fully private rental estate; we coordinate gate codes and arrival timing. |
| Glen Affric Estate | about 4 hours | Edinburgh to the remote Caledonian pine forest west of Loch Ness. Last 10 miles are single-track. We arrive in daylight when possible. |
| Great Glen Estate | about 3 hours 30 minutes | Edinburgh to the Great Glen between Fort Augustus and Invergarry. Estate guests typically combine this with a Highland day on the way up. |
| Cawdor Estate (near Nairn) | about 3 hours 30 minutes | Edinburgh to Cawdor via the A9 and Moray Firth coast. Cottage and castle guests transfer here directly or via Inverness Airport. |
| Achnagairn Estate (Beauly) | about 3 hours 30 minutes | Edinburgh to Achnagairn near Beauly. Popular for wedding parties using a fleet from Edinburgh up to the estate. |
Other destinations? See our Highland estate and hotel transfer index or the estates and castles touring page.
Airport transfers from The Balmoral
- The Balmoral to Edinburgh Airport – about 30 minutes
- The Balmoral to Glasgow Airport – about 1 hour 10 minutes
- The Balmoral to Inverness Airport – about 3 hours 15 minutes
Point-to-point transfers from The Balmoral
- Edinburgh to Inverness private transfer – about 3 hours 15 minutes
- Edinburgh to Isle of Skye private transfer – about 5 hours
- Edinburgh to Fort William private transfer – about 3 hours
- Edinburgh to Glencoe private transfer – about 2 hours 30 minutes
- Edinburgh to Aviemore private transfer – about 2 hours 45 minutes
- Edinburgh to Skibo Castle private transfer – about 3 hours 45 minutes
- Edinburgh to the Scottish Highlands
Who books a private driver from The Balmoral
- Couples on a 2 to 3 night Edinburgh stay with one Highland day planned
- Families with luggage and child seats needing space and a quiet vehicle
- Golf groups bound for Gleneagles, St Andrews, Carnoustie or the Highland courses
- Heritage and ancestry travellers using Edinburgh as a base before going north
- Corporate guests with same-day Highland meetings or estate visits
The Balmoral chauffeur and tour questions
- Can you pick up directly from The Balmoral?
- Yes. We pick up from the Princes Street entrance. Concierge will radio when the car is approaching, and on busy event days the driver waits on Waverley Bridge or North Bridge until you are ready. There is no need for guests to walk to a separate pickup point.
- What time can we start a Highland day tour from The Balmoral?
- Most guests prefer an 8:00 or 8:30am departure for a full Highland day. For Skye or NC500 we recommend a 7:00am start to give a useful amount of time on the island or coast. We coordinate the early start with the night porter the evening before.
- Can you transfer us from The Balmoral to a Highland hotel or estate?
- Yes. We run private transfers from The Balmoral to most Highland hotels and estates, including Inverlochy Castle, The Fife Arms, Skibo Castle, Boath House, Aldourie Castle, Culloden House and Glen Affric Estate. The journey can be a direct transfer or a touring day with stops, depending on the timing you want.
- What about golf transfers from The Balmoral?
- Standard. We chauffeur to Gleneagles, St Andrews, Kingsbarns, Carnoustie, Royal Troon, Turnberry, Royal Dornoch, Castle Stuart, Nairn and Trump International. For the Highland courses we usually plan an overnight on the Moray Firth or in Dornoch. For the central belt and Fife courses we run same-day return.
- Do you work with the concierge team for billing?
- Yes. We bill the hotel directly when the concierge or guest relations team is making the booking on behalf of a guest. For direct guest bookings, we invoice you and the invoice can be settled by bank transfer or by card via the payment link on the invoice.
- What vehicle will you send to The Balmoral?
- Default is the Mercedes V-Class for groups of 3 to 7 (more space for luggage, child seats and a relaxed touring day). For couples or single-guest business pickups we send an executive Mercedes saloon. Both are unmarked and driver only. Never shared.
Related services
Request a private driver from The Balmoral
Tell us your dates, group size and where you would like to go. We will propose the right vehicle and a driver-guide who knows the route, with a quote by return.