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.

View Our Terms and Conditions.

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!

If you are prone to motion sickness we suggest you bring your own medications as the Scottish roads can be quite windy in some parts.

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
204 George Street
Glasgow
G1 1WX

Tel: +44(0)141 221 3737

Inverness

Highland Experience Tours
25 Union Street
IV1 1LT

Tel: +44(0)1463 719 222

To view our departure points on a map, click here.

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 do not offer hotel or airport pick-up services. We like to be efficient as possible on tour, which is why we ask passengers to meet at one centrally located departure point.

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!

Optional Extras detailed on tour pages are not included in the price.

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, if you book B&B through Highland Experience Tours, these accommodation packages include either cooked on continental 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

Stirling Castle, Loch Lomond and Auchentoshan Distillery

Please do not book these tickets until contacted by us with correct timings

Rosslyn Chapel, Dunfermline Abbey and Stirling Castle

Please do not book until we have contacted you with correct timings

St Andrews, Falkland Palace and Fishing Villages

Oban, Lochs and Inveraray

Two-Day Tours

Outlander Experience

Three-Day Tours

Ultimate Skye Experience

Five-Day Tours

Orkney and The Far North

Hebridean Escape

Highland Experience Scottish Choice

Eight-Day Tours

Orkney, Skye and the Far North

Hebrides, Skye and the Far West

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 32 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 organize pre- or post-tour accommodation. We would recommend using Visit Scotlands Accommodations.

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 to book your accommodation in a B&B with en-suite facilites for you, or you can choose to book your own, as long as it is centrally located at the overnight stop location. We will send you a payment link before the tour departs so you don’t have to worry about carrying cash or paying when you arrive each night. Your driver-guide will drop you off and pick you up from the accommodation during the tour. Below is what you can expect when booking B&B accommodation using our accommodation booking service:

B&B en-suite

• Private rooms – single, twin, double, family rooms available
• 3* and above rating
• Small, locally run and independently owned accommodation
• Breakfast (either cooked on continental) provided
• Private facilities 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 at +44 (0) 131 226 1414

Accommodation is not included in the tour price, below is an estimate of the costs per bed or room night.

• Bed & Breakfast Ensuite (Double or Twin): From £110 – £210 per room per night
• Bed & Breakfast Ensuite (Single): From £65 – £130
• Bed & Breakfast Ensuite (Family): £180 – £240
• Ensuite: This means you will have your own private bathroom/toilet/shower

All accommodation costs depend on availability and season – so it may be more or less than estimated above. We will send you a payment link before the tour departs so you don’t have to worry about carrying cash or paying when you arrive each night.

Once you’ve booked your accommodation, you’ll need to contact us at [email protected] and let us know where you have booked to stay. Please, only reserve accommodation within the overnight towns that your tour stops in. If you’re unsure, please check with us first. Your driver will drop you off at your chosen accommodation as long as it’s relatively central.

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:

1 Day Tours:

• 100% refund if you cancel a 1-day tour with more than 24 hours notice.

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:

• Multi-day Tours
  • Within 7 days of the tour departure, no refund will be given.
  • 7-14 days before the tour departure, a 50% refund of the tour price will be given.
  • 14 days or more before the tour departure, a 90% refund of the tour price will be given.

  Multi-day Tours including the Jacobite Steam Train

  • Within 28 days of the tour departure, no refund will be given.
  • 29 days or more before the tour departure, a 75% 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.

You can read our full terms and conditions here.