Highland Explorer Tours

Highland Explorer Tours

Highland Explorer Tours
5
Historical & Heritage ToursSightseeing ToursPrivate Tours
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
About
Scotland's landscape is stunningly beautiful with a magnificent history and culture that deserves to be told by the local experts, our guides. They bring our heritage to life while ensuring you get to explore our nation's most breathtaking landscapes. Whether you are planning a day trip or a longer visit, our range of tours give an unforgettable insight into our country and its people, leaving memories that last a lifetime.
Edinburgh, Scotland

Awards
Travellers' Choice
2024

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Tours and Tickets by Highland Explorer Tours
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Day Trips
6+ hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this booking up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 98% of travellers
98% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
£48
per adult
Travellers talk about

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

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5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles11,791 reviews
Excellent
10,238
Very good
1,101
Average
259
Poor
100
Terrible
102

These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
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Mary C
Asia29 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2024 • Family
As an avid Harry Potter household, we were eager to experience the Jacobite train while in Scotland. But, we also wanted to explore the Highlands. Enter the one-day Highlands Tour with Jacobite Train by Highland Explorer Tours!
Louise was an amazing presence on the tour, deftly handing the winding roads and infamously changing weather while providing Great Scottish history, facts, information from multiple movies and entertainment, and the occasional dad joke for the amusement of some, and the groans of many. I appreciated her efforts to get to know each of the traveling parties, check in with how we were doing, and making what sounds like a looooooong bus ride more manageable.

Leaving Edinburgh and heading to the Highlands, Louise provided great explanations of topography while interspersing historical information relating to where we were and setting the stage for where we would be later. Further, she kept things upbeat and relevant, connecting to current events, movies and shows, and was overall engaging. She offered great tips for where to grab snacks and bites along the way, encouraged questions and conversations, and added personality to the adventure. Best of all, she made all efforts to help us spot the elusive ‘harry coos’ as we ventured in and out of the Highlands!
Written 6 June 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi, thanks for taking the time out to leave us a 5 star review. We are glad you enjoyed the tour. Louise is an amazing driver/guide and we will pass your feedback on. We look forward to seeing you again on a tour with us. Kind Regards Keith
Written 7 June 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Jenny M
London, UK91 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024
This was our second year with Highland Explorer Tours to Shetland and Up Helly Aa and so as returning customers we had high expectations and they didn't disappoint. Dougie Scot and Tom as the driver guides had the same excitement and anticipation and their energy ewas infectious. A good group of 20+ travellers on the bus we were escorted and looked after everywhere. A WhatsApp chat group meant that time critical information was easily shared. The scenery on Shetland is breathtaking and the 2 North Sea ferry crossing in winter were good even though the sea "wasn't pretty according to the Northlink Ferry Captain. Up Helly Aa itself is a long interesting day and although primarily for the Shetlanders the locals were welcoming and friendly. I would recommend to anyone seeking an adventure and the vast experience and contacts built up over the years of visiting means Dougie and Highland Explorer are the absolute best hosts for the trip. Thank you
Written 5 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Up Helly Aa is the highlight of their year, so glad you have manged to experience it not just once but twice.
Written 9 February 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

mojito_jo1
Sydney, Australia55 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2023
I was initially apprehensive about this small group bus tour as we usually prefer the flexibility to manage our own itinerary.

I'm so glad that we were wrong! Our driver, Owen was extremely engaging and knowledgeable and had an encyclopedic knowledge of Scottish history. You could see that he loved his job and sharing stories with the group.

The bus is modern and comfortable and we felt safe on the roads, even when they were icy and it was dark.

The itinerary for the 5 Day Isle of Skye tour was great - I felt as though we had the right amount of time to explore our stops and Owen took great care in considering the itinerary for each day, ensuring that we had adequate stops for toilet breaks and sight seeing - no small feat considering there was only about 7ish hours of sunlight each day (we did the tour in early January 2023)

I would highly recommend this tour for anyone who would like to explore the highlands.
Written 17 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi, Thanks for your 5 star review. We are glad you enjoyed the tour. We will pass your feedback on and hope to welcome you back on another tour with us soon. Kind Regards. Keith
Written 17 January 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Caroline
Canada13 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023 • Friends
We went on the 1-Day Moray Coast, Puffins, & Speyside Whisky Explorer tour on May 6th with Iain. We had a bit of a mixed experience, as we enjoyed many of the locations we went to, but felt that the tour itself was poorly organized and that our tour guide was not knowledgeable for this particular tour. The beaches and cliffs that we were able to see were absolutely beautiful, and we would highly recommend going to visit Findhorn beach. We were very pleased with the choices of the coastal areas, though we wished we’d had more time there. The tour description states that we would “learn all about single malt production at a Speyside whisky distillery”, and although we did go into a distillery, we were only offered menus from which we could purchase whisky and not provided with any information on whisky history or production from either our guide or the staff at the distillery. Our guide pointed out distilleries as we would pass by them but did not seem to have anything to say about them or about the process of making whisky. We also feel that this tour should remove the “puffins” in the title, as when we got to the bird sanctuary it was quite clear that puffins don’t seem to nest in that area at all, even though we went at the right time of year. After discussing puffins with another tour guide, it became clear that this coastal region is not actually known for having puffins in the first place. What was particularly disappointing is that our tour guide claimed that he had seen puffins the last time he came, only for him to admit later on that what he thought were puffins were actually razorbills (cute, but not puffins). He only admitted this once one of the members of the tour pointed this out to him. We made the best out of the trip, however, as we did enjoy seeing the cliffs, but the sheer lack of knowledge on our tour guide’s part was upsetting. This tour would be much better off simply advertising for gannets instead, as they are definitely present on the cliffs. In terms of safety, we did feel that our tour guide was driving a bit recklessly. We weren’t sure if this was simply due to the roads, but after having taken many other tours on our trips, we did observe that our other tour guides did a much better job navigating the roads. Unfortunately, we also didn’t feel that we had enough “comfort” breaks to go to the washroom, which was never an issue on the other tours we took. We were quite disappointed when we arrived back at 6:45pm rather than 7:30pm, as that extra 45 minutes could have been used for more time at some of the beautiful locations we went to, such as Findhorn beach. Overall, we cannot say that we would recommend Highland Explorer tours, especially when compared to the other tour companies we used over the course of our trip. This may have been due to an unexperienced or unprepared tour guide, but either way we felt that the tour’s title and description were misleading and should be changed.
Written 25 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lyndsay D
5 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2024 • Couples
The sites were beautiful and the guide was amazing, so I assume the 12 people who had full-sized seats on the 6.5 hours of bus ride throughout the day had a wonderful time. As one of the four people sitting in the back seat, sitting shoulder to shoulder with strangers in less space than on a budget airline, the trip left much to be desired. The tour company should sacrifice one ticket per trip on these 16 passenger buses to ensure the ride is equitable and comfortable for ALL of their guests, as I paid the same rate for a significantly diminished experience. I hate to leave a negative review for what should have been a great experience, but given you spend most of the day on the bus, it was too uncomfortable and awkward to ignore.
Written 19 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello Lyndsay, Many thanks for taking the time to leave your feedback on the recent tour you took with us. I am sorry to hear you did not find the seating comfortable. Our seats are standard size and we do not usually get negative feedback on this, especially on our 16 seater sprinters. However, we will pass your feedback to the relevant departments. Kind regards, Ayla
Written 16 October 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

cesar v
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2024 • Couples
Charlie is an amazing Guide! It has made our tour of about 12 hours very easy and simple. A fantastic day in which he has worried about every one of us who were on the bus. She has been very attentive to everything we were asking and about which we might have doubts, she has accompanied us to our seats on the Jacobite train. And it has taken us along all the routes from the south to the north of Scotland through the highlands, telling us anecdotes and stories. A fantastic hostess.
Automatically translated
Written 7 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello, Thank you for your 5 star review! We are so happy to hear you enjoyed your tour with Charlie and will be sure to pass this lovely feedback on to her. Thanks again, Emma
Written 14 September 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Sara C
Athens, GA2 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Family
This tour was fun- I went with a family member who was an Outlander fan but even as someone who had never seen the show there was still plenty to see and enjoy! Apparently many attractions are closed in the winter which was a little disappointing to have one planned stop taken off the itinerary and another was under construction and we were not able to go inside! Brodie was our tour guide and he did a great job, just be prepared for bagpipe covers of pop songs to be played very loudly at certain points of the trip :P
Written 7 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Sara, Thank you for taking the time to leave a review of your recent Outlander tour with Brodie. I am happy to read that you had an enjoyable tour, even though you hadn't seen the show prior - I hope you learnt lots! Often sites of Historic Scotland close at times in winter for important maintenance which is beyond our control, however we will always re-route and plan other exciting Outlander-related stops. I am not sure whether the bagpipe covers were too much for you, or secretly you enjoyed them! The Scottish disco bus sounds rather fun... Thanks again for the review, and hope to see you on tour again soon. Kind regards, Ayla
Written 11 January 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Erin B
1 contribution
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2023 • Friends
Bus was faulty with no air conditioning during a heat wave. Guide Dusty, is only reason for 3 star. He did his best to entertain and accommodate the passengers. Temps on bus were over 40C causing me and other passengers heat exhaustion 3/5 days. No one felt it bearable to be on this bus. Company was well aware of issue but did nothing to rectify situation. This could of been a 5 star rating but my experience left me sick after 5 days and a notion to not recommend this company as they did not want to accommodate their passengers to enjoy the experience since tour was paid for in full. Tour guide 5 stars, company 1 star.
Written 21 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Moun
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2024 • Friends
The trip didn’t follow what we booked, we booked an itinerary with castles and historical monument and we got harry potter train and boat on the lochness. But Ryan was amazing and he made things in such a way that we had everything we were wishing for. Thanks Ryan for all the historical facts, all the legends, all the tips!!
It was a 5 star trip thanks to you!
Written 23 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello, Thank you for your 5 star review! It certainly sounds like you had a fantastic trip with Ryan, we are so happy to hear it and will be sure to pass on this feedback to him. Thanks again, Emma
Written 14 September 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Sudzy
Indianapolis, IN5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2023 • Family
Dusty was our incredible tour guide (Jacobite Steam Train from Ft. William to Mallaig) who offered interesting history, a bit of comedy, great tunes, and excellent driving. He was friendly and happy to answer questions. I highly recommend booking a tour with him, especially since I was happier being on his bus with his stories than I was on the Jacobite Steam Train.

I was initially disappointed that we wouldn't ride the Train both directions, but I was glad that our bus picked us up from Mallaig for two reasons. First, the train is very dated, a bit hot (in July), and visibility at the scenery was a bit limited at times because of the dirty windows. Secondly, Dusty drove us into Glenfinnan and gave us a chance to see the entire viaduct from a beautiful vantage point in the distance. Our route back to Edinburgh was via a different route than the way up which gave us a chance to see more of the countryside.

The overall day was very long, leaving Edinburgh Bus Station at 07:15, typically returning after 20:15 - 20:45 depending on traffic and extenuating circumstances. HOWEVER, if you only have 1 day to see the Highlands, this is the way to go. We even got to see the shores of the Isle of Sky. And Dusty made a long day enjoyable.
Written 13 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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