HeritageXplore Luxe Unveils Castle Stays in England & Scotland
by Sarah Milner
Belvoir Castle. Photo: HeritageXplore Luxe / Tom Kitto
HeritageXplore Luxe has announced three new small group tours through England and Scotland that invite guests to experience some of the U.K.’s most storied private estates and castles.
Hosted by the families that have owned the properties for generations, the three tours include meals with Lords and Ladies as well as overnight stays in the castles and estates.
The three programs have been arranged exclusively for HeritageXplore Luxe and will launch next year, with single departure dates.
England’s Abbeys, Halls & Castles, from April 27 to May 1, 2026, is a five-day tour of the castles, halls, and ducal seats across the Midlands and North West England. The program visits five of Britain’s grandest estates and is led by Viscountess Violet Garnock (née Lady Violet Manners), the eldest daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Rutland. Highlights include Hatfield House & Park in Hertfordshire (built 1607), Belvoir Castle, 13th-century Grimsthorpe Castle, the medieval Haddon Hall, and Combermere Abbey.
Moving over to the East Coast, the four-day itinerary The Great Estates of Norfolk, from May 26 to 29, 2026, explores six private estates in Norfolk and Suffolk, and is timed to coincide with the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in London (which can be added for a fee). Highlights include two dinners and two nights of accommodations hosted by the Duke and Duchess of Grafton, a tour of Euston Hall, an exclusive tour of Elveden Hall, a cocktail party at Houghton Hall, evening accommodations at Sennowe Park, and a private lunch at Holkham Hall.
Castles of Scotland, from July 31 to August 4, 2026, visits six castles in central Scotland and the eastern Highlands over four days. The program is led by Viscountess Violet Garnock, and includes multiple opportunities to mingle with Lords and Ladies, including the Earl and Countess of Mansfield and the Earl and Countess of Rosebery. Highlights include visits to Scone Palace, Barnbougle Castle, and Glamis Castle, lunch at House of Bruar, and an after-hours tour of Blair Castle.
The luxury heritage experiences are available to book now through HeritageXplore Luxe, which does offer a commission to travel advisors. All programs include private chauffeured transportation.
