De Edimburgo : 4 - Dia da Ilha de Skye & Glenfinnan Tour

Matthew (Matt) took our family of 9 members, between the ages of 11yrs and 75yrs, on a private tour from Edinburgh, via Skye, Loch Ness, and Inverness. His knowledge of the history of Scotland and the sites we passed is phenomimal and it enriched our trip tremendously. This is absolutely his calling. Matthew's prompt pick ups, great lunch suggestions and can-do attitude really made our trip stress and hassle-free. Scotland is such a beautiful and serene location for a family trip. We made so many lovely momories, and a new friend in Matthew. It was amazing!

My sister and I have just returned from the 4 day Isle of Skye , Jacobite steam train/ Glenfinnan viaduct tour from Edinburgh. From start to finish, this was an amazing tour. Our fantastic guide Robin T was friendly and informative right from the start. He shared his vast knowledge of Scottish history with lots of humour, giving us lots of anecdotes to keep us entertained- he even taught us some Gaelic phrases! He went above and beyond to show us as many places as possible, selecting great photo viewpoints at multiple scenic spots. We ended up seeing far more than we expected- hairy coos, a moving commando memorial on top of a hill, many waterfalls, breath taking scenery to name a few. Every place we visited was stunning. Robin navigated the tricky roads very skilfully, despite the weather, ensuring our safety both on the coach and whenever we stopped for photo opportunities. He made suggestions of places to eat in most of the towns (including vegan options), places to avoid and pointed out places of interest. He also seemed to work out when the rain would stop to enable us to take photos. Despite there being a couple of 'challenging people' on the tour, he dealt with everything with a smile and positivity throughout. Our guest houses were great. In Fort Augustus we stayed in The Bank guest house which was minutes away from the stunning views of Loch Ness, as well as local restaurants. The hosts were friendly and very welcoming. Our room was huge and beautifully decorated. It was spotlessly clean with a huge choice of food for breakfast- which was delicious. Our guest house on Isle of Skye was Tigh Blath. This was slightly isolated due to the layout of this town, but the host Jackie made up for it. She was extremely friendly and very welcoming. Our room was a big family room with good sized bathroom. There was also a large lounge area with comfy sofas and a hot drinks machine for the sole use of guests. This was an added bonus. There was a good selection for breakfast, all cooked to order. This included a great vegan selection- which was great for my sister. The booking process with Highland Experience was easy. In fact we couldnt fault anything in our break. We will definately use again. Thank you

My sister and I have just returned from the 4 day Isle of Skye , Jacobite steam train tour. From start to finish, this was an amazing tour. Our fantastic guide Robin T was friendly and informative right from the start. He shared his vast knowledge of Scottish history with lots of humour, giving us lots of anecdotes to keep us entertained. He went above and beyond to show us as many places as possible, selecting great photo viewpoints at multiple scenic locations. We ended up seeing far more than we expected- hairy coos, a moving commando memorial on top of a hill, fairy pools, many waterfalls, breath taking scenery to name a few. Robin navigated the tricky roads very skilfully ensuring our safety both on the coach and whenever we stopped for photo opportunities. He made suggestions of places to eat in most of the towns and pointed out places of interest. The places we visited were so beautiful, we hope to plan a return trip. Our guest houses were great. In Fort Augustus we stayed in The Bank guest house. The hosts were friendly and very welcoming. It was spotlessly clean with a huge choice of food for breakfast in a great location. Our guest house on Isle of Skye was Tigh Blagh. The location was a little isolated as a small village, but the hospitality made up for it. Jackie offered a huge choice of breakfast options including vegan options which was great for my sister. The rooms were very spacious and clean. There was also a large comfortable guest lounge which was an added bonus. The Jacobite train ride was great fun, made more entertaining by the staff on board fulfillng their Harry Potter inspired roles- which added to the entertainment. The views across the Glenfinnan viaduct were magical- if you excuse the pun. I could go on. A truly fantastic trip. Our thanks to Robin and all involved on this trip.

Overall, I enjoyed my experience immensely. My tour guide was Robin, it was his first time to do the 4 day tour and he did a great job. We only had 12 people on our van/bus and it was perfect (glad we didn't have 16). The only bummer was the Jacobite steam train was broken so we only got a 15 minute window to take a pic of the Glenfinnan Viaduct, BUT they made it up to us in a big way with two different unexpected stops. We got to go up Ben Nevis and to a secluded loch and those ended up being 2 of my favorite things. There were things that were definitely rushed, but I was ok with that too in hindsight bc I would rather see as much as possible for a shorter time than to miss something else altogether. I would 10/10 recommend this company and Robin to anyone and would use them again in the future.

We were with Hugh Mackay, and he was the most awesome guide anyone would ever be lucky enough to experience. He was professional, knowledgeable, amusing, empathetic, and a joy to listen to with his commentary and little stories. It was wonderful that he played appropriate music on the bus sound system and even better when he played his bagpipes for my husband's birthday and at other times to enhance the experience of the area. The tour was great, and Hugh made it an unforgettable experience. We were supposed to go on the Jacobite railway, but that was cancelled. The company made up for it by providing a gondola ride up mt Nevis and a visit to the glenfinnan aqueduct.

We had a very enjoyable trip to the Scottish Highlands. Although both the Jacobite Steam Train and the Mallaig Ferry were unfortunately cancelled at the last minute, the replacements turned out to be wonderful surprises. The gondola ride up Nevis Range mountain and our visit to Culloden Battlefield gave us a deeper appreciation of Scottish history and views. Our driver and guide, Stefan, was knowledgeable, interactive, and very nice. He shared fascinating local history throughout the journey and took us to some lesser-known spots and hidden attractions. Even though there was quite a lot of time spent on the bus, we were never bored thanks to his engaging storytelling, interesting anecdotes, and even local music. The Highland weather is truly unpredictable. We often passed through sunny areas while driving, only to arrive at our destinations under cloudy or rainy skies. The scenery—both the mountains and the lochs—look completely different depending on the weather. Interestingly, most days only cleared up in the evening, giving us just a couple of hours to enjoy the Highlands in sunshine. At each longer stop or accommodation, Stefan recommended restaurants and viewpoints, which was extremely helpful. Our first night’s stay in Fort Augustus was in a historic cottage that was very comfortable, clean, and well-equipped. The following two nights on the Isle of Skye were also lovely—the room was spotless, and the host even delivered breakfast to our room. We regret not having the chance to say goodbye properly before leaving. There is quite a bit of time spent on the bus, but that’s really the only way to explore such a vast region. This itinerary is well-suited for older travelers, those who prefer a more relaxed pace, or visitors like us who want a general overview of the Highlands. The four-day trip was easy-going, with departures after 9 a.m. and returns around 6.30 p.m. each day. However, if you are an avid hiker or looking for a more physically challenging experience, you might find it less demanding. One downside was that at some popular attractions, heavy tourist traffic meant there was no space for the bus to park, so we couldn’t stop to visit. Overall, it was a enjoyable journey and we will definitely will recommend it to our friends

Absolutely fantastic four day/ three day trip to the Highlands and Skye. Our driver Stefan was outstanding and made our trip even more memorable with all his knowledge, not just of Scotland and it's history, but special places to see without lots of visitors. Accommodation was good and fine for the three nights. Our fellow travellers were all lovely and we had a great time. Definitely recommend and we will be booking another trip with Highland Experience. Just a pity we can't guarantee having Stefan as our driver and guide.

If you’re booking this tour for the train ride (which I’m guessing a lot of people do since it’s in the headline) I’d suggest you don’t. What they don’t tell you is that the company operating the train has had legal issues for years and is technically not allowed to run the train, so the rides only happen during review periods. Our ride didn’t happen, instead we got a gondola ride we didn’t go on, since we’re not good with heights. You won’t get refunded for the ticket if you don’t like the activity. If you’re booking the tour to see the Highlands you can also just book any other tour, this one wasn’t anything special. The hotels are also a very mixed bag. The one in Fort Augustus was terrible, the room was cold and we couldn’t keep the heating on overnight, because it was so loud. The breakfast was also not good. On the other hand, the guest house on Skye was great and the host was very lovely. Our guide was also good, but I had the feeling he had to kill time, so we stopped at places that weren’t that interesting. Instead, I would have liked to have more time elsewhere, like at Eilean Donan Castle. We also didn’t do the boat trip on Loch Ness, because he said it was a waste of time, so nobody else wanted to do it.

A great tour if you have 4 days and want to see everything. Key highlights are the boat ride on Loch Lomand ( didn’t see Nessie), the Steam Train, 2 Castles, the natural Beauty of the Isle of Skye, and feeding the Coo’s. But there were so many other sights that Craig pointed out or stopped at along the way. Craig was excellent both as a tour guide but also in how he ensured everyone was comfortable and taken care of for dinner and B&B’s.

This was one of the most amazing trips. Hugh, our coach driver made this the most memorable time. The commentary was superb.. nothing left unsaid