Breathtaking Scotland: Skye, Orkney, NC500 & Highland Quest

We had a wonderful time on our 8 day tour with Highland Explorer Tours. Although we drove over 1100 miles during the trip, we never felt like we were in the van too long, because we stopped every hour or two, and our driver/guide, Ali P., told stories about the places we were visiting, and we also enjoyed listening to and talking about her playlists. The scenery on the Northcoast 500 was stunning. We saw so many beautiful and interesting places each day. Although the van held 16, we had 13 people in the group, so it was very comfortable. Our group got along very well, and it was interesting to talk to people from all over, and we had a lot of laughs. The tour did involve a fair amount of walking. The guest houses we stayed in were a 15-20 minute walk to the restaurants. Also, since we didn’t know where we were staying in advance (and our group was split into two different guest houses in all but one place), and we also didn’t know what time we would get to our lodging each night, we were unable to make reservations in advance. Ali made sure to point out different restaurant recommendations when we arrived in each town, but a few times, they were fully booked, and it sometimes took a few tries to find a place to have dinner. Also, our first night in Kirkwall, we arrived late, so we stopped in Tesco in the afternoon to grab sandwiches, which we ate in our room that night. This was fine with us, and we also liked that we were on our own for lunches and dinners, so we could choose what we liked, rather than having everyone eat at a specific place all together, like many other tour companies do. Others might prefer to know exactly where they are eating each night, but we liked that only breakfasts were included in the tour price. We also appreciated that Ali took us to a few places that were not on the itinerary, like Loch Ness and Eilean Donan Castle. Overall, it was a great trip, and I would recommend Highland Explorer Tours.

Our driver/ guide was excellent. His name is Rich. He was knowledgeable, a great sense of humour, my husband and I learnt so much from him.. the small tour is fantastic. Lovely mix of people..

Packed itinerary showcasing the best of the Scottish Highlands. As a couple, we were part of a group of 14 travelling on a small, comfortable coach. Our driver/guide, Rich, was extremely knowledgeable, and mixed factual narrative with funny stories about family and friends. He really made all the daily journeys thoroughly enjoyable, and helped us all get to know each other as the days passed. The overnight accommodation was generally good overall, and Rich always recommended good places to eat in every location we stayed. In summary, this tour was an excellent overview of the Scottish Highlands, and we would definitely recommend it (particularly if you are lucky enough to have Rich as your tour guide!)

Outstanding. Outstanding driver and guide ( very safe driver and informative and very entertaining guide) called Rich. Outstanding scenery and well chosen and well timed places to stop. Good comfortable accommodation. Really enjoyed ourselves.

Fantastic, well-paced, and beautiful tour of Highlands on a small bus with our fun, experienced, and knowledgeable guide Rich.

Went with friends and family....had a wonderful time! Scotland is a beautiful country especially the Scottish Highlands! Got to see so many beautiful sights including mountains, cliffs, ocean, waterfalls and castles to name a few....every town we stayed in was quaint and pretty and the accommodations were clean and comfortable! Our tour guide Alie P was kind, courteous and professional. She got us to our daily destinations safely and on time. She was knowledgeable in both Scottish history and places to eat, drink and see in every town we stayed at. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to see and experience Scotland!

Great trip, wonderful scenery. Comfortable and clean B&Bs at our overnight stops. Evening meals were a challenge because everywhere was so busy and most places wouldn’t take bookings or were fully booked. On the last two nights a group of us managed to have a meal together, which was fun! Enjoyed the Ferry trip to/from Orkney.. Steve, our driver and guide was very knowledgeable, helpful and fun. He did point out various Pubs and Restaurants in each place we stopped at. There was so much history everywhere. Dunrobin Castle was fabulous with the Birds of Prey demonstration. The Italian Chapel on Orkney is wonderful. The Ring of Brodgar, Yesnaby, Skara Brae, the Kelpies at Falkirk - all amazing! If you are thinking of touring the North of Scotland, we would recommend this tour.

We did the 8 day Highland Tour in the beginning of September and had a great tour/travelmates. Our van held 1 but we were a group of 12 - 4 Canadian, 2 English, 2 Aussies and 4 Americans - none of us knew each other prior. This is a world wind tour that covered about 1,300 miles. The highlands are the most beautiful part of the world I have traveled to date with each turn bringing another geography or stunning view. We had plenty of stops with lots of admissions included in the tour price. Some admissions were optional. The B&Bs we stayed in were generally well located, clean, and had satisfying breakfasts. There's not much one can do about the hills and rain in the highlands so bring good weather-proof walking shoes and clothing. I think about half of our lunches were grab and go from grocery stores but that was the price of covering so many sites and destinations. The icing on the cake of our tour was our driver/guide Steve. He is a polished professional who always tried to point out local businesses we could support, was an amazingly safe driver on some crazy roads - we always felt secure with him at the wheel, gave sound overviews of dining options in each town, and played terrific music. His unbridled enthusiasm and joy for the beauty, history and vibe of the highlands is contagious. We can't thank him enough for the value he added to our experience. This was our first small van tour and we will definitely consider doing another.

We throughly enjoyed our 8 day Highland tour. Amazing and stunning scenery; Orkney was such a unique place. Our tour guide/driver Steve truly excelled….from his knowledge of the highlands, stories and legends, and not to forget his music playlist which only enhanced our journey through the many hills, lochs and castles. Edinburgh and Glasgow are great cities to include if you visit Scotland, but to really appreciate the full essence of this country, I would recommend you to not miss the Highlands.

We just returned from the 8 day highland explorer tour. The itinerary was an extensive tour of this amazing part of the world. The tour bus was clean and comfortable. The accommodations were very clean and up to date. The included breakfasts offered a generous selection. One downside was we were not told where we were staying in each town until drop off. Knowing where we’re staying would have allowed us to make dinner reservations or other plans as we often arrived at our night accommodation late in the afternoon. But for me, our driver and tour guide, Steve, made this trip a standout. Steve’s love of the highlands was evident, but he really made the tour about his passengers. He also made safety a priority. He was very knowledgeable about the area, Its history and culture. The mostly Scottish playlist on the bus made the journey fly by. His humor (and even Dad’s jokes) kept the tour light. We had an amazing group of fellow travelers on board with whom we shared many a giggle.