FAQ

We have designed our tours to ensure that there is a tour for everyone, no matter what it is that you’re interested in! If you are in any doubt, please contact us and we will be happy to recommend the tour that best suits you.

We also organise custom tours, so if you can’t find your niche with any of our scheduled tours, we can definitely help!

We run tours all year-round, as we wouldn’t want you to miss out on the spectacular snow-capped Scottish mountains!

During the winter season, we run one to three day tours, so please check out the website and take note of the availability per tour.

We are happy to welcome anyone from the age of 3 years old and above on all of our scheduled tours, providing valid proof of age, such as a passport or birth certificate.

We can accept children under the age of 3 on our private, custom-designed tours. If you are interested please contact us at [email protected]

Yes, the relaxed nature of our tours makes them uniquely appropriate for children 3 and above. Children, aged 3 to 15 inclusively, will travel at the appropriate child rate on both our one-day tours and our extended tours. Unfortunately, children under the age of 3 years old are unable to travel on our tours.

Our tours are led in English by experienced driver-guides.

Due to the size of our vehicles, on our multi-day tours, we guarantee to carry one piece of luggage per passenger of 55cm x 40cm x 20cm, with a maximum of 15 kg. This is equivalent to hand luggage allowed in an aircraft cabin.

Should you have larger suitcases or luggage, there are left luggage offices at the train and bus stations in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness.

If you are wishing to bring your luggage with you on a one-day tour, please contact us for further arrangements.

You can find our Terms and Conditions here.

You can make a reservation on this website, or by contacting us:

Edinburgh Tours Office

Highland Experience Tours
Caffe Nero
1 Parliament Square
High Street
Edinburgh
EH1 1RE

Tel: +44(0)131 226 1414

Email: [email protected]

We do take bookings up to the day of departure. However, we recommend booking in advance so as to avoid disappointment as our tours do get very busy.

Both our online booking system and our sales team will provide you with a travel voucher at the time of booking. Please bring this with you when you join your tour.

This document will give you helpful instructions for joining the tour on the day — departure point, check-in time and departure time.

This is your booking confirmation.

Yes, we are happy to accept groups on our scheduled tours. We can also arrange a custom tour for your party. Please call or email us for more information.

No. There is no guarantee that you will be allocated to the same bus on the day of travel if you book separately from your friends or family. When booking separately, we recommend that you get in touch with us as soon as the bookings have been made either via phone on 0131 226 1414 or email [email protected], to make us aware you wish to travel on the same bus together. Please note, this does not guarantee you will be on the same bus together.

We are happy to accept Visa, Mastercard, Maestro and American Express credit cards. Debit cards linked to a UK bank account are also accepted.

If you wish to pay in cash, please contact us directly by telephone or in person.

If you are having any problems, please contact us by telephone or e-mail.

Yes, you do not need to add tax on.

The concessionary rate is for children up to 15 years of age, students and over-60s. If you or any of your group are in these categories, then they can travel at the concessionary rate.

Please note that we will require proof of age or proof of study upon departure.

Scotland is routinely unpredictable, but we do have a very temperate climate. The geography of Scotland means that it does rain more frequently in the west of the country and there are stronger winds in the east.

Whilst there are no strenuous physical activities on our tours, we would recommend you wear comfortable clothing and shoes, and a jacket is always advisable.

As above, it is always advisable to be prepared for any weather in Scotland, so a jacket is always a good idea! A bottle of water for hydration and a camera to capture the spectacular views, and you are set to go!

It is not necessary for you to bring your own meals, as we will stop throughout the day in small towns or villages where you can purchase food; however you are more than welcome to bring along snacks or a packed lunch.

We highly recommend you take out travel insurance.

Our departure cities are Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness, and our departure points are as follows:

Edinburgh

Highland Experience Tours
Caffe Nero
1 Parliament Square
High Street
Edinburgh
EH1 1RE

Tel: +44(0)131 226 1414

Glasgow

Highland Experience Tours
266 George Street
Glasgow

Tel: +44(0)141 221 3737

Inverness

Highland Experience Tours
Stance 7, Inverness Bus Station
Margaret Street
IV1 1LT

Tel: +44(0)1463 719 222

Check-in closes 15 minutes before your tour is due to depart.

If you think you will be late for check-in, please contact us as soon as possible to let us know. In fairness to all passengers, our tours will depart promptly at their scheduled time.

We know that you will want to start your tour straight away rather than spending valuable time travelling through the city – and our historic cities were not designed for speedy road journeys!

By offering a single, centrally-located departure point, we can get you to Scotland’s best scenery as quickly as possible!

Please get in contact with us via telephone +44(0)131 226 1414 or email [email protected]

The tour, the transportation and, of course, the knowledge and entertainment of one of our passionate driver-guides!

Our one-day tours do not include any meals, but our tours include stops where all budgets are catered for in terms of snacks and meals.

On our multi-day tours, our B&B, Superior Guest House and Hotel accommodation packages include breakfast. As above, we try to make stops in places of interest where there is a wide variety of food available, suitable for all budgets.

Edinburgh:

One-Day Tours

Loch Ness, Glen Coe and the Highlands

Loch Ness Discovery

Stirling Castle, Loch Lomond and Glengoyne Distillery

Rosslyn Chapel, Dunfermline Abbey and Stirling Castle

St Andrews, Falkland Palace and Fishing Villages

Oban, Lochs and Inveraray

Alnwick Castle and The Borders

Two-Day Tours

Loch Ness Shore Experience

Jacobite Steam Train and The Great Glen

Outlander Experience

Three-Day Tours

Ultimate Skye Experience

 Ultimate Skye Discovery

The Isles of Mull and Iona

Four-Day Tour

Mull, Iona & Loch Ness

Hebridean Escape

Highland Experience Scottish Choice

 Mull, Iona and Skye

Seven-Day Tours

Skye and The Northern Isles

Skye and The Outer Hebrides

Eight-Day Tours

Orkney, Skye and the Far North

Hebrides, Skye and the Far West

Glasgow

One-Day Tours

Oban, Lochs and Inveraray

Two-Day Tours

Loch Ness Shore Experience

Three-Day Tours

Ultimate Skye Experience

The Isles of Mull and Iona

Four-Day Tours

Five-Day Tours

Highland Experience Scottish Choice

Inverness

One-Day Tours

Eilean Donan Castle and the Isle of Skye

Skye Discovery

John O’Groats and the Far North

Highland Castles and The Malt Whisky Trail

Loch Ness & Whisky

Three-Day Tours

Orkney and the Far North

Hebridean Escape

You may want to consider an Historic Scotland Explorer pass, which gains you access to any Historic Scotland site. You can find more information on the Historic Scotland site.

A gratuity for good service is always appreciated.

When we plan our tours, we aim to get as much of a balance as possible between free time and travelling time. We want you to experience the best of Scotland, so you will not be travelling for much more than two hours without a break on any of our tours.

There are certainly some tours that you are able to do this on. Please email or call us for further details.

Our return times are approximate, as they are dependent upon the traffic on the day.

Our tours are run on modern, luxury Mercedes vehicles with a wide range of seating capacities, which will transport you in comfort and safety. They feature air conditioning, panoramic windows and reclining seats. They’re the best way to experience Scotland!

Our vehicles range from 7 to 51 seats. Please note that the number of passengers and vehicle size on your tour is dependent upon demand and availability. On exceptionally busy days, our Loch Ness tour may operate on a coach.

Unfortunately, we do not organise pre- or post-tour accommodation. We would recommend visiting https://www.visitscotland.com/destinations-maps/edinburgh/accommodation/.

We work closely with our accommodation providers to maintain the best standards of accommodation throughout Scotland for all of our tours.

On our multi-day tours, we offer a choice of accommodation in order to ensure there is something suitable for all budgets and requirements. This includes Hostel, B&B, Superior Guest House and Hotel accommodation.

Hostel

• Usually 8-bed dorms –  mixed gender
• 3* and above rating
• Budget accommodation in a central location
• Shared bathroom
• No meals provided

B&B

• Private rooms – single, twin, double, family rooms available
• 3* and above rating
• Small, locally run and independently owned accommodation
• Low-cost, quality private accommodation
• Ensuite not guaranteed
• Breakfast provided

Superior Guest House

• Private rooms – single, twin, double, family rooms available
• 3* and above rating
• Small, locally run and independently owned accommodation
• Breakfast provided
• Private facilities guaranteed

Hotel

• Private rooms – single, twin, double, family rooms available
• 3* and above rating
• On-site amenities
• Breakfast provided
• Ensuite guaranteed

A twin room is a room with two single beds, whilst a double room has one large bed suited for two people. Both rooms are designed for double occupancy.

A single room is a single bed, designed for single occupancy.

We always try to accommodate your needs. For any special requests, please contact us at [email protected] or call us on +44 (0) 131 226 1414

It is the responsibility of the Passenger to ensure that they are at the departure point in good time and that they adhere to the departure times given in the Company’s publicity and by its representatives. Coaches will not be held for Passengers who are late. In such cases, full cancellation charges will apply and the Company shall have no further liability to that Passenger.

Please contact us by calling +44 (0) 131 226 1414 or emailing [email protected]

When a passenger wishes to make a cancellation of a one-day scheduled tour the following charges apply:

Within 48 hours of the tour departure, no refund will be given.

Within 48 to 72 hours before the tour date, 50% of the tour price will be payable unless the seat can be re-sold in which case the passenger will receive a full refund.

72 hours or more before the tour departures, a full refund of the tour price will be given.

Please contact us by calling +44 (0) 131 226 1414 or emailing [email protected]

When a passenger wishes to make a cancellation of a multi-day scheduled tour the following charges apply:

Within 7 days of the tour departure, no refund will be given.

Within 7 to 14 days of the tour date, 50% of the tour price will be payable unless the seat can be re-sold in which case the passenger will receive a full refund of the tour only cost.

14 days or more before the tour departures, a 90% refund of the tour price will be given.

We reserve the right to cancel trips under exceptional circumstances such as those out of our control. In such cases, clients will be promptly informed and offered:

Transfer to a substitute trip or tour, or an alternative trip, or if the tour is a lower cash value, clients will receive a cash adjustment refund; or a total refund of all prepaid monies.

Please contact us by calling +44 (0) 131 226 1414 or emailing [email protected]

Definitely! We always love seeing your photos and may even feature them on our social media!

You can email us your photos to [email protected] or send them via our Twitter or Facebook!

You absolutely can! You can do so via Google reviews, TripAdvisor, Facebook or send them via our Twitter.