North Coast Explorer
North Coast Explorer
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Premier chauffeured tours tailored just for you. Local knowledge gained from more than 14 years of North Highland exploration enables us to create a customised tour itinerary which provides unique, immersive and unrivalled experiences for our guests. This is not a tour bus full of strangers on a predefined route. This is travelling in comfort and style in our top of the range Land Rover enjoying an itinerary created exclusively for you. Relax and discover the best of what the North Highlands has to offer.
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5.0
30 reviews
Excellent
30
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Tania B
1 contribution
Aug 2023 • Couples
My husband and I had an amazing 4 days touring with Robert. Everything was taken care of and we could just relax and enjoy the experience. The tour was tailored to our specific interests. Sally and Robert went above and beyond.
The hi-lights included exploring my husbands family history ,the effort these guys put in to made us feel like we were back with our ancestors. Awesome scenery and wildlife surprises.
Robert who knows the the area perfectly, also scotlands history and places to go in northern Scotland , the trip was worth every cent .
The hi-lights included exploring my husbands family history ,the effort these guys put in to made us feel like we were back with our ancestors. Awesome scenery and wildlife surprises.
Robert who knows the the area perfectly, also scotlands history and places to go in northern Scotland , the trip was worth every cent .
Written 11 October 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.
Aitch42
Eyam, UK132 contributions
Sep 2023 • Couples
We had an amazing day with Robert, full of interesting places and his knowledge of the history was superb. Learnt loads and visited places we wouldn’t have found on our own.
Written 22 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.
Thank you for your lovely review Lorna - although we only had a day to share our fascinating area with you, we are really glad you enjoyed your time with Robert. Sometimes it is hard to convey the benefits of a private tour guide but your reference to Robert's knowledge and the chance to see places you would not have known about if you had been travelling on your own, go along way in explaining what you can gain from using a good private tour guide. So thank you for these comments.
We trust you enjoyed the rest of your travels in the North Highlands.
Written 28 September 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
aec484
Belmont, MA37 contributions
Sep 2023 • Couples
We had an amazing holiday, thanks to Robert and Sally-Ann of North Coast Explorer tours. From our first email and phone call with them a few months before we went, they were kind and attendtive to every part of our trip. They tailored the itinerary to us and combined hiking, walking, sightseeing, food, everything. Sally-Ann did an amazing job helping us find perfect accommodations, sending us detailed information on each recommended lodging.
Robert picked us up in their very comfortable Land Rover and we spent an amazing 7 days touring along the North Coast 500 and saw many hidden gems. Robert knows so much about Scottish history, geology, food, fun - everything! Their love for Scotland shone through in every aspect of the trip. We are so grateful to them and would give them 10 stars if we could!
Robert picked us up in their very comfortable Land Rover and we spent an amazing 7 days touring along the North Coast 500 and saw many hidden gems. Robert knows so much about Scottish history, geology, food, fun - everything! Their love for Scotland shone through in every aspect of the trip. We are so grateful to them and would give them 10 stars if we could!
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.
Thank you for this wonderful review Amy - we so enjoyed meeting you and Robert and are so glad that we allayed the concerns you had prior to your trip, especially over the infamous 'midges'! You were certainly blessed with the weather during your time with us which helped to keep them at bay - I can't say that we can promise 30 degrees for all our guests!
And our 'Apprentice Explorers' loved meeting you too! They love the opportunity for a day out and for anyone who loves dogs, like yourselves, we are happy to let them join join in the touring for a few hours.
Hold on to all those memories you made and perhaps we will see you again some day.
Thank you again, Sally-Ann
Written 28 September 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Marianna M
1 contribution
Sep 2023 • Family
We (myself, partner, mum & dad) booked a 7 day north coast tour with Robert as our guide / driver / curator. It was a terrific week. Sally-Ann arranged the itinerary (historical/wildlife/distillery/archeological themes) and guided us on accommodation and dining arrangements - all of which worked out perfectly. Having toured with driver/guides in many countries, we can say with authority that Robert is the best - genuinely professional and exceptionally well-informed. As a communicator, he is engaging and informative. (We think he should host his own tv documentary series or podcast!)
His genuine enthusiasm and love for the North Highlands shone through every day. Thank you Robert and Sally-Ann for a wonderful, memorable family experience. We will be recommending North Coast Explorer widely.
His genuine enthusiasm and love for the North Highlands shone through every day. Thank you Robert and Sally-Ann for a wonderful, memorable family experience. We will be recommending North Coast Explorer widely.
Written 17 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.
What a pleasure it was meeting you all and spending time with you. I know Robert really enjoyed your company too! We are always glad (& relieved) when things go smoothly, even when we add things to the itinerary at the last minute, like the Falconry experience - and it is lovely to hear your feedback on Robert specifically, afterall you spent plenty of time with him. We were also pleased that our provision of waterproof trousers and wellington boots came in handy, even if we would have preferred that they were not required.
Thank you for entrusting your holiday in the North Highlands to us and we thank you for spreading the word about what we offer. We hope you have taken home many good memories.
All good wishes, Sally-Ann
Written 19 September 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Thomas A
1 contribution
Apr 2023
Our tour was totally awesome!! They asked us what kinds of things we wanted to see and they packed a lot into the 6 days!! Robert was extremely knowledgeable about Scottish history and it was very evident how much he loves his country. He took the time to be aware of our needs and to be sure he was doing what we wanted. I highly recommend Robert and Sally-Ann James!!
Written 10 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.
'Awesome' is such a great word and we are so pleased that our tour met this fantastic response, so thank you for your comments and this review Thomas. Our aim is always to provide what suits our guests in terms of interests, needs and preference, so we are happy to know that you thought we achieved this. And we hope your tour has provided some lasting memories to savour. Thank you again!
Written 17 May 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Sightsee17943698594
Southport, UK1 contribution
Apr 2023 • Couples
I contacted Sally-Ann as I was looking for a surprise for my husband's 60th birthday during our NC500 road trip.
Sally-Ann took the time to check our itinerary and booked a day to fit in perfectly with our 10-day trip. She even sent me a personalised document to put in my husband's birthday card to detail his present and the trip!
Robert planned a personalised day which was enjoyed by us both. From using the headset to watch the drone fly out to give us close-up views that we would never have experienced otherwise, to enjoying a lovely lunch in the farm shop. Followed by Robert's expert knowledge of the area and interesting facts about the area's history.
Fully recommended if you are looking to know more about the area you are visiting and the luxury of a guide to show you places you would more than likely miss on your trip to the highlands.
Sally-Ann took the time to check our itinerary and booked a day to fit in perfectly with our 10-day trip. She even sent me a personalised document to put in my husband's birthday card to detail his present and the trip!
Robert planned a personalised day which was enjoyed by us both. From using the headset to watch the drone fly out to give us close-up views that we would never have experienced otherwise, to enjoying a lovely lunch in the farm shop. Followed by Robert's expert knowledge of the area and interesting facts about the area's history.
Fully recommended if you are looking to know more about the area you are visiting and the luxury of a guide to show you places you would more than likely miss on your trip to the highlands.
Written 8 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.
Thank you so much for your comments, Helen, we really appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts and we are so happy that your 'surprise' worked out well. We are always happy to try and work with a guest(s) to ensure you receive what works for you best and we are glad we were all able to make it happen for this special celebration.
Written 17 May 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Julie G
1 contribution
Sep 2022
My sister and I had high expectations for our trip to the North Highlands to retrace the footsteps of our clan ancestry and the team at North Coast Explorer exceeded those expectations in every possible way--beyond what I could have even imagined. Robert our guide and his partner Sally-Ann take the idea of a bespoke travel tour to another level! In addition to his already encyclopedic knowledge of the region's history and terrain, Robert did loads of research customized to our very particular interests in our family's history, which enriched the experience immeasurably. Can't thank him enough for memories that will truly last a lifetime!!
Written 24 October 2022
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.
Thank you so much for this review Julie. We were so pleased that you could finally take your tour with us and Robert so enjoyed his time with you both. Our aim is always to try and meet the needs and interests of our guests, so we are thrilled to hear that we managed that for you. Hold on to those memories... and if you ever fancy a return trip, you know where we are!
Written 30 January 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Chris C
Seattle, WA6 contributions
Sep 2022
A stunning experience from beginning to end. The absolute best! 11+/10!!
If I had to pick just a few words for our North Coast Explorer tour it would be things like -- luxury, bespoke, friendly, knowledgeable, personalized, well-researched -- and amazing! That was our complete experience with them...by far the best guided tour for the North Coast 500 (and anywhere else in the Far North of Scotland)!
Robert and his wife Sally-Ann are just the best team you can imagine. Robert is the incredibly wonderful guide, teacher, and skilled driver (in a stunning Land Rover that my sister called "James Bond-like"), He did personalized research and took us to beautiful, important, and historic places (especially for our own family's history) that would have been impossible to not just see but even know about. Everything was tailored to our interests.
At the same time, his amazing wife Sally-Ann handled every detail of the booking that you could think of -- from our first inquiry email to every important aspect of our hotel and restaurant bookings and planning -- whilst also calling ahead and making sure that every part of our tour along the way went perfectly, too. These two are veteran professionals who will make sure your experience is second to none while also being incredibly friendly and delightful people to know and enjoy.
My sister and I had the full experience -- six days and the whole NC500 -- after waiting over two years from our initial 2020 booking (and before that, our whole lifetimes...). It was worth every minute of the wait and beyond.
So when we come back another time to our ancestral Highland home, we wouldn't ever contact anyone else -- and neither should you. There's not even a close second. North Coast Explore is simply THE BEST!
If I had to pick just a few words for our North Coast Explorer tour it would be things like -- luxury, bespoke, friendly, knowledgeable, personalized, well-researched -- and amazing! That was our complete experience with them...by far the best guided tour for the North Coast 500 (and anywhere else in the Far North of Scotland)!
Robert and his wife Sally-Ann are just the best team you can imagine. Robert is the incredibly wonderful guide, teacher, and skilled driver (in a stunning Land Rover that my sister called "James Bond-like"), He did personalized research and took us to beautiful, important, and historic places (especially for our own family's history) that would have been impossible to not just see but even know about. Everything was tailored to our interests.
At the same time, his amazing wife Sally-Ann handled every detail of the booking that you could think of -- from our first inquiry email to every important aspect of our hotel and restaurant bookings and planning -- whilst also calling ahead and making sure that every part of our tour along the way went perfectly, too. These two are veteran professionals who will make sure your experience is second to none while also being incredibly friendly and delightful people to know and enjoy.
My sister and I had the full experience -- six days and the whole NC500 -- after waiting over two years from our initial 2020 booking (and before that, our whole lifetimes...). It was worth every minute of the wait and beyond.
So when we come back another time to our ancestral Highland home, we wouldn't ever contact anyone else -- and neither should you. There's not even a close second. North Coast Explore is simply THE BEST!
Written 28 September 2022
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.
Dear Chris, It felt like we waited so long to finally meet you - so we are just so pleased that your tour with us met all your expectations - and beyond, reading all your fantastic descriptors! Thank you so much for your comments here. We are quite overwhelmed but thrilled that our time together was worth the wait. It was our absolute pleasure to host you and Julie and we really do hope you decide to return and visit our beautiful area once more. We will be here waiting to welcome you once more :-)
Written 12 October 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Ron S
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico4 contributions
Sep 2022 • Couples
Robert’s tour of the NE Scottish coast was as superb a day as I could imagine. We explored 5,000 year old burial sites( on hands and knees), walked a magical forest trail replete with fairy homes, and had in depth discussions of all things Scottish, including culture, history, politics and more. Highly recommended.
Written 27 September 2022
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.
Thank you for your lovely comments Ron. We are so glad that you enjoyed your day with us - and felt that it was the best we could have provided. Our aim is always to provide guests with the best possible experience they can have, be it during a day tour, the follow up recommendations for food - which we know you enjoyed - or the planning and organisation prior to each tour. So we are really glad you enjoyed your time with us and hope that you and Sally have returned home with lots of happy memories from our day together and your trip as a whole.
Written 12 October 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
LosAngeles5967
California92 contributions
Aug 2022
We are back from Scotland, and we have the best memories of our 4 day tour of the North Coast 500 tour with Robert. We booked a tour with Robert and Sally-Ann for 4 days, and they helped us to plan a unique tour that was catered to our interest in castles, rugged terrain, and delicious food. We can not say enough wonderful things about Robert and Sally-Ann, this tour was absolutely the highlight of our 2 week trip to Scotland.
They recommended wonderful small hotels for us to stay at on the route, all were superb, and unique. Robert is a wonderful tour guide, able to weave history, cultural, current life in the Highlands, and is such a warm, smart, and kind person. At the end of our tour, we were sad to say good bye.
We had such a blast for four full days of touring, weaving through small roads ( he is the best driver btw, rest assure, and is a top conversationalist! ), seeing sheep, castles, turquoise beaches, and stopping for the best views along the route. He took his time driving, allowing us to stop along the way to take photos, breathe in the salt clean air, and even hike in the bogg.
One of my highlights of the trip was walking through the bogg, in the mud boots they brought for us, and then flying a drone over a waterfall. But that is just one favorite moment of many, each day was a favorite, as they were all unique.
The landscape of the NC500 is nothing short of magical. I'm looking at my photos and remembering this tour with a big smile.
Thank you Robert and Sally-Ann.
Anyone who is considering booking a tour, you should. It's so much better not to drive it, and just to sit back, and let Robert and Sally Ann take over, and show you the best of the best! They are expert planners, great communicators, and just wonderful people.
We'll be recommending them to our friends who travel to the Highlands.
They recommended wonderful small hotels for us to stay at on the route, all were superb, and unique. Robert is a wonderful tour guide, able to weave history, cultural, current life in the Highlands, and is such a warm, smart, and kind person. At the end of our tour, we were sad to say good bye.
We had such a blast for four full days of touring, weaving through small roads ( he is the best driver btw, rest assure, and is a top conversationalist! ), seeing sheep, castles, turquoise beaches, and stopping for the best views along the route. He took his time driving, allowing us to stop along the way to take photos, breathe in the salt clean air, and even hike in the bogg.
One of my highlights of the trip was walking through the bogg, in the mud boots they brought for us, and then flying a drone over a waterfall. But that is just one favorite moment of many, each day was a favorite, as they were all unique.
The landscape of the NC500 is nothing short of magical. I'm looking at my photos and remembering this tour with a big smile.
Thank you Robert and Sally-Ann.
Anyone who is considering booking a tour, you should. It's so much better not to drive it, and just to sit back, and let Robert and Sally Ann take over, and show you the best of the best! They are expert planners, great communicators, and just wonderful people.
We'll be recommending them to our friends who travel to the Highlands.
Written 21 September 2022
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.
We are so pleased that your North Highlands' trip met your expectations - and more! It is always our aim to provide exactly what our guests want, hence the bespoke nature of our tours but it is equally rewarding to hear that we have indeed met those requirements and provided a highlight within any trip, be it a single day tour or as in your case 4 days. We certainly packed a lot in but we too enjoyed seeing you 'enjoy' the use of our 'mud boots'. 'Squelching' has never been such fun! We hope you have plenty of photos and soundbites to provide happy memories for a long time to come.
Written 12 October 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
No questions have been asked about this experience