When we started planning our trip to Scotland, my husband and I debated about what would be the best way to see these more remote areas- rent a car, ride trains, or book a tour. We're so glad we did it this way! Our bus was a brand new looking blue Mercedes and our driver/guide was Lee. We were very comfortable on the bus and enjoyed being able to relax and just enjoy the scenery. Lee took us to places we never would have found on our own and his enthusiasm and Scottish pride was contagious. This was by far our best tour experience in all our travels. We had a great group (all adults) from the US, UK, Australia and India. We stayed in the Rosebank Cottages (B and B) in Portree, which was simple but comfortable and included a full Scottish breakfast. Our highlights were Dunvegan Castle and the Jacobite Express train ride. An all-around great experience!
Review by: Sue S, July 2018
We loved our 3-day tour from Edinburgh to Skye and back! Our guide was very authentic, Scottish brogue and all! Loved the stories and the well-organized stops. This travel experience was worth every penny!
Review by: SW, July 2018
Our tour guide Joe - was quite a character. Fancied himself as a Sean Connery look alike. He seemed quite knowledgeable though it was difficult to separate fact from myth. I haven't taken a lot of
Review by: Tracy M, July 2018
This was a wonderful tour of the highlands and the isle of Skye. One thing that made it so great was our guide Sergio. He was full of great stories, and knowledgeable about history. His positive and friendly spirit was such a plus. He was constantly paying attention to the needs of the group and making any requests come true. The tour was at a good pace and we saw so much. It definitely gave a good taste of the areas.
Review by: Yvonne S, January 2018
Cramped Bus.
Review by: mandm, October 2017
This tour was amazing!
Review by: marsha b, September 2017
isle of skye is as idyllic as it's name suggests. our tour guide, sergio, was absolutely delightful with his wonderful stories of scotland_br/_ including stories of mystical fairies which we literally bought...that is how good of a storyteller sergio is. lol we totally enjoyed_br/_ every minute despite rain every day.
Review by: Natalia K, September 2017
Nice place to visit, but it was raining all the time :- the guide Kenny was crazy and after three days I was tired of his stupid jokes :-_br/_ the departure was chaotic and we were waited on Royal Mile about 1.5h for our bus :- the agency promised us the excursion in French, but Kenny spoke only 'local English'. He said us that we might ask for audioguide in the agency before the depature... But who knew that?! Moreover added him, these guides don't work in practice... Thus DON'T TAKE THIS TRIP IF YOU ARE NOT ENGLISH NATIVE SPEAKER !!!
Review by: Nicole V, September 2017
My partner, my 14 year old son and I had a wonderful time on this tour. The highlight was the train ride from Malliag to Fort William. Se stayed 2 nights at Portree and the Guest house accommodation was comfortable and close to everything. Caitlin, our tour guide, made the trip fun for all ages and she was very informative, a real pleasure to have as a guide, such a breath of fresh air!
Review by: dpoole1000, September 2017
Trip was everything it was advertised. Our tour driver Sergio! was entertaining, extremely informative, and drove safely as well. We saw Loch Ness, and later Eilean Donan castle but we didn't get to go inside, however we did have lots of time to see the Dunvegan Castle and gardens the next day which were amazing. The ferry trip was great and then we rode on the train reminiscent of the 50's. It was awesome - Try not to sit in the first car like we did - smoke from the engine and noisy when going up the hill - but that was part of the charming experience too. We selected the bed and breakfast and it was quaint. The innkeepers were very friendly, welcoming and accommodating. Each room was very plain but we found that typical of all Scotland but each had its own tiny bathroom thank goodness. The only thing I would change is how much was packed into the last day - we didn't get back to Edinburgh until 9pm and then trying to find in the dark the house we rented for the next few days was challenging. But overall it was nice to have someone else do the driving as well as explain what we were seeing and the historical significance. Absolutely awesome. I'm very glad we selected this tour.
Review by: David J, September 2017
In summary, this trip was the highlight of our Scotland tour. Highland Explorer Tours put together an engaging, professional tour, and our guide, Rich Lawrence, was unbelievably knowledgeable. He told the history of various parts of Scotland as well as the myths and legends with a comedic flair that made the bus trip go very quickly. Speaking of the bus, it was very comfortable and you could clearly hear the driver as well as the Scottish music he was playing during the intermissions. Just keep in mind that you have one carry-on size piece of luggage and a small bag or two for the trip. Large roller bags will need to be stored at your hotel, or you can put them in a locker in the nearby train station. Our hotel gladly stored our big bags at no extra charge :-
Review by: Nancy P, August 2017
I enjoyed the tour and thought the tour guide was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic but I was not happy that I was put at a B and B by myself that was 10 minutes outside of the town. I also missed a bag pipe parade that apparently happens every Tuesday night in the town we stayed in because nobody told me about it and I felt that should have been something highlighted for our tour.
Review by: Elizabeth B, August 2017
Fantastic trip wonderful guide/driver Katie, who had us all laughing all the time, had great knowledge and could not do enough for us all. Accommodation at Rosebank Cottage Portree was wonderful, very comfortable, great breakfast, close to town centre We were lucky enough to see a Pipe Band doing a rehearsal in town square fantastic. .Isle of Skye is beautiful and trip seems to cover all aspects of this lovely place. Would definitely recommend this tour to all.
Review by: christina a, August 2017
Skye is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to. The days on this tour are long but well worth it. The B and B is simple but very pleasant. The breakfasts are excellent. Our guide Graeme was informative and fun. I didn't think the train ride was either very scenic or interesting.
Review by: Debbie Jane T, August 2017
This is the tour to take! I was traveling with my family of 10, - two young children, young adults, and two older people one with limited mobility. Our guide, Katie, was very knowledgable about Scottish history and the places we visited. She also introduced us to the music of Runrig a Scottish band. We had amazing weather and saw so much in only three days. I would absolutely do this tour again and it was worth every penny.
Review by: Tullo, August 2017
Wild and Sexy that was us! The original bus we were supposed to take on the trip was having some problems. We were all very impressed at the organization of this company. They decided to replace the bus immediately. But how long would this take.....???? To our amazement in 1 minute a new bus was pulling around the corner. There we were..... 30 perfect strangers, ranging in age from 20 80 piling in to our new yellow bus with the logo Wild and Sexy on the side. But who cared what was on the side of the bus......because for the next 3 days we would all be Wild and Sexy with our fearless leader Rich!_br/_ What a tripone not to miss! The scenery, the people, the history and of course the stories. We learned that the Scots love to tell stories and our driver/guide.was the best. _br/_ The Isle of Skye, the wonderful accommodations, boat rides, train rides, cute quaint towns, with their castles, whisky, food and people were all great, but what really made the trip was our guide._br/_ Rich, knew how to included everyone, gather everyone together, yet at the same time, give you space to enjoy things on your own. He always kept us interested by telling us he had a surprise for us at different parts in the trip. He was so prompted and organized, this made the trip run so smoothly. Even when we passed another a female driver in a tour bus stuck on the side of the road, in the rain with her passengers. He quickly, calming and caringly explained to us that he could not just leave her stranded on the side of the road in the rain and went to help her. Quickly he arranged for help to come for her and we were on our way. We did not miss anything._br/_ Throughout the trip you could tell his heart was really in what is was doing..I would do this trip over if I knew we would get Rich!!!
Review by: Dan L, August 2017
We were on the tour 14-16 Aug 2017, with tour guide Rich. We had a great time, regardless of the weather. Saw many many wonderful sights, and got to spend two nights in charming Portree. Rich is a great tour guide, with lots of stories and information. I particularly appreciated that he was able to make adjustments to our tour, on the fly, when we were held up by traffic, or when the weather made the ferry ride impossible. Thanks Rich.
Review by: Linda T, August 2017
As far as the places we visited--absolutely gorgeous and also moving when you learn the histories. Nothing was rushed, we had plenty of time to do what we wanted. Riding on The Hogwarts train was an added fun thing to do.. Overall, just a beautiful and rewarding use of our time. Well-worth the time. Gillian Super Gill! was our driver and tour guide for our 3-day trip from Edinburgh to and around the Isle of Skye and she added so much to our enjoyment of our time in Scotland. Being a true Scottish lass, she was full of stories of the history of places we visited plus she also added her love of her homeland and her personal stories were also woven in to really add dimension and context. It was one of our favorite times during our 3 week visit to England and Scotland. Thanks Super Gill!_br/_ Linda and Steve T.
Review by: William D, August 2017
Great tour! Driver Steve did a great job!
Review by: Charlotte K, August 2017
Rich, our guide, was fun, knowledgeable and an excellent driver as well. Felt like the bus was a bit crowded but that was because the seating is smaller than in the US. Our B and B was fine. Breakfasts were made to order based on your request and time you select. The town of Portree is charming. Shopping was fun and prices very favorable. Reservations for the restaurant REALLY are needed. listen to your guide. Learning about the Lockes we did not see Nessie was very interesting.
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