The 2025 Leslie Heritage Tour

Tuesday Evening

The tour began on Tuesday evening with a “meet and greet” and dinner with anyone who wished to go to the pub near the host hotel.

Wednesday

At 9 am, the 12 members of the tour group departed Edinburgh on the bus with Amy Tomlins, the tour consultant, and traveled north to Dunkeld. The Dunkeld Cathedral ruins are not accessible but the chapel which is still in use can be visited. Inside, there is a small room with the shields of the families the Murrays of Atholl were associated with in some way. The shield of the Earls of Rothes was among those displayed. This is the burial place of the Earl of Buchan, an important person in Leslie history. While in Dunkeld, the interpretive guide began telling the history of religion in Scotland.

The tour continued north into Pitlochry, which is now a busy tourist town, and continued on to Blair Castle. After pictures of the grounds and a group photo against the castle as a backdrop, the group toured the castle. The tour stopped here for two reasons. First, it is a very well-presented castle with interesting rooms, history, and a nice café for lunch. Secondly, Alexander Leslie, future field-marshal, was the son of Captain George Leslie, the bailie of Blair Castle. The guide mentioned Alexander Leslie many times during the tour. 

The tour progressed north into the Cairngorms National Park and everyone was able to get a sense of what the treeless highland looked like. The group stopped at the Braemer Highland Games Centre for a brief visit to the famous field where the Royal Family attends the games.

Arriving at Leslie Castle at 5:30, the group assembled at the gate and were led up the drive by two pipers who were part of the tour group. It was a fine beginning to their stay at Leslie Castle. After the grand entrance, there was time to rest and unwind from the trip and prepare for a wonderful dinner prepared by Nicola and John of Leslie Castle. The evening concluded with a tour of the castle.

Thursday

After breakfast, the tour met in front of the castle to get a preview of the sites to be visited today. The first stop was a tour of Fraser Castle. Several members of the tour group have Fraser ancestors, and this was a special request made by the group.

Aberdeenshire was once inhabited by the Picts, and they left their mark on the landscape. No trip to Aberdeenshire would be complete without visiting one of the 70 stone circles or the most famous standing stone the Maiden Stone. Members of the tour group stood on the very spot where countless Leslies throughout history once stood and marveled at the same sight they would have seen.

The tour then took the short ride to Fetternear, the Bishop’s Palace. There the history of religion in Scotland was once again put into historical context by our guide. The history of the Leslies who resided there and its connection to St. Ninian’s Church was explained. A special mention was made of the archeology excavations which were conducted here led by Dr. Penelope Dransart, who is the Foundation’s historical consultant.

The group then visited the Chapel of Garioch and heard the story of Sir Alexander Leslie and the making of the Leslie Cross by Leslie Leslie, then the group proceeded inside to see the baptismal font and to hear about the history of the church.

The tour then proceeded to Inverurie, where three generations of Leslies served as constables. The Garioch Heritage Centre welcomed us for a tour to learn about this town which was the center of influence in the 1100-1300s. Lunch in the café at the centre was leisurely and there was ample time afterwards to see the displays.

The tour ended with a visit to Wardhill Estate and castle. We were met by Sebastian and Candy Leslie and given a tour of the castle. The 1000 acre estate, which has been occupied by Leslies & their direct ancestors since it was given to Sir John Cruickshankin 1170.

Sebastian Leslie is a Chieftain of the Leslies of Balquhain whose Head of the Leslie Family resides in New Zealand. The Leslies of Balquhain make up  over 80% of all the Leslie families worldwide.

At Warthill a talk on the Leslie GDF along with the history of the Balquhain Leslie family made quite an impression on the group. On display was the handcrafted Leslie targe, given by the Foundation to the estate last year as a symbol of appreciation for the Leslies of Wardhill in keeping Leslie heritage alive for so many centuries.

Back at Leslie Castle Dinner was served at 7 pm, with Leslie Leslie being the special guest. She talked about the work David and she undertook in rebuilding Leslie Castle. She was proud to have completed the book David started and signed several copies for members of the group.

Dinner was served at 7 pm, with Leslie Leslie being the special guest. She talked about the work David and she undertook in rebuilding Leslie Castle. She was proud to have completed the book David started and signed several copies for members of the group. 

Friday

The day started with a visit to the ruins of Balquhain Castle. Paths had been created in the grass to permit an up-close view of the ruins. The guide told the history of Balquhain, with a visit by Mary Queen of Scots. Then the guide used the ruins as a backdrop to tell about the evolution of castles from rectangular keeps such as Balquhain, to turreted castles, then to grand manor houses such as Fetternear and Wardhill. The guide also explained the baronships in Scotland with reference to the Baron of Balquhain and the Baron and Baroness of Leslie.

The group then traveled to the Harlaw Monument and the guide explained the situation of the Leslies of Ross and the struggle for guardianship of the Countess of Ross which provided the basis for Donald to lay claim to this region. The guide told the story and laid out the movements of Donald’s army and the men who assembled from the Aberdeenshire and Moray to stand against his army to protect Aberdeen.

The Kirk of Rayne, a Catholic church, was on the schedule and Sebastian Leslie joined the group to tell this history of the Kirk. This visit provided another opportunity to round out Scotland’s religious history, which is essential to understanding Leslie history and heritage.

After a visit to the Daviot Stone Circle, the group proceeded to The Bank café in Huntly for lunch. The food and conversations about the places visited today lasted through dessert. As a special feature of the visit to The Bank, members were provided a whisky tasting opportunity compliments of the Foundation led by Amy, our tour consultant.

It was a very short ride to Huntly Castle for  self-guided tour of the ruins. Huntly Castle was the seat of the Gordons of Huntly, a very powerful and influential family in Aberdeenshire and a family closely aligned in politics and religion to the Leslies. In more than one occasion, the Gordon’s of Huntly intervened in issues arising involving the Leslies.

No trip to Scotland is complete without an opportunity to visit a large supermarket. So, off the group went to the TESCO in Huntly for a little shopping.

The evening meal at Leslie Castle exceeded our expectations and the group was joined by Amy and a special guest, Dr. Marjory Harper.  Dr. Harper is professor of history at the University of Aberdeenshire and an expert in the Scottish Diaspora. After dinner, she took the group on a two-hundred-year journey through history to explain the emigration of Scots to the far reaches of the commonwealth and to the American colonies. Dr. Harper is a valued member of the history consultants associated with the Leslie Global Diaspora Foundation and her presentation  was greatly appreciated.

Saturday

A significant feature of the tour was attendance at a highland games in Scotland. The Aboyne Highland Games did not disappoint the group with beautiful sunny sky, cool breeze, and lots of pipes and drums. Sebastian, as Chieftain, welcomed us all to his family tent at the games, with refreshments and lots of local visitors wanting to meet the Leslies from the States. The Chieftain, Nicola from Leslie Castle and Leslie Leslie made a great Team as all three care deeply about the history & legacy of the Leslie family.

After dinner at Leslie Castle, the group toasted Leslie Leslie for David’s and her magnificent gift of Leslie Castle to all Leslies worldwide. Also, a toast was raised to Baroness Nicola and Baron John for their welcoming generosity to all Leslies who have and will visit this Leslie treasure. The guide for the tour, then recapped parts of the tour visits to tie the places, people, and history together and brought the evening to a close with a recounting of several branches of the family of Leslie.

Sunday

At 9 am, the bus was loaded with suitcases and farewell hugs abounded, as the group headed south to Aberdeen and then on to the coast to Stonehaven to visit Dunnottar Castle. Despite a brief shower, several of the group walked down and then up into the castle ruins. It is a grand sight from the hill overlooking the castle and the guide reminded those who did not take the walk that there is an online tour available. Dunnottar has a Leslie connection. In the late 1600s, 160 Covenanters were imprisoned there, including Margaret Leslie.

After lunch in Montrose, the group visited Arbroath Abbey to walk the grounds, view some Leslie grave markers, and learn about the Declaration of Arbroath. This declaration was signed in 1320 by the nobles of Scotland, including Sir Andrew de Leslie.

Concluding Comments

Throughout the tour while the group was on the bus, Amy shared information about the history and places of Scotland. Through her information, the group was able to put the specific Leslie history into the broader context of Scotland’s history. Her knowledge of Scotland and her ability to communicate historical events and Scottish heritage with popular shows, like Outlander, and movies like Braveheart, helped make her frequent talks on the bus more informative and enjoyable. She has outstanding local knowledge and is available for hire for small group tours.

The interpretive guide who provided Leslie-specific information was presented by Dr. Lewis Johnson, Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. He has spent years studying and writing about the Family of Leslie in both Scotland and Ireland.

The Leslie Heritage Tour is a custom tour, designed around the group’s interests. It was scheduled to provide opportunity to attend an outstanding highland games and for an option to attend the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.