Glencoe & Highlands Guided Tour Starting Glasgow

The Highlands are incredibly beautiful, and this tour from Glasgow is a great way to discover some of its most impressive parts! Glencoe, autumn-coloured and covered in mist, was an amazing sight, and the same goes for Loch Lomond. The sights could almost be described as otherworldly. The short hikes on this tour were fun too, and the waterfalls along the way are very pretty. The day was made even better than it already would have been by our fun little tour group and Ailsa, our tour guide. She guided our group through the Highlands with stories, great music and, most of all, she was so much fun to chat with! She's incredibly kind, and we laughed a lot during our trip. We were lucky enough to spend another day with her during another trip we booked with Experience Scotland's Wild (to the Standing Stones – but I'll save that for another review). Guides like Ailsa make tours like these days to cherish and remember. Thank you so much!!

Trip of a lifetime. Two weeks in Scotland is not nearly enough to experience all there is to see and do. From the cities of Glasgow, Edinburgh, & Stirling to the highlands the sites, the history, the arts, the people are amazing. Started in Glasgow, stayed at the Albion Hotel, great little hotel and very reasonably priced. Walking distance to Kelvingrove art gallery and museum. Must see the Salvador Dali at Kelvin grove is a must see. Took the Hop on bus tour all around the city, on and off for shopping at Sauchiehall Street, eating, tea, Modern Art Museum and then over to the transportation museum, The Glenlee sailing ship was great for tea, whose sister ship I've been on in San Francisco. Tried to go to one of the oldest pubs ever, The Saracen Head, on the east end, famous in Billy Connolly's Crucifixion comedy routine, but it may be closed certain weekdays, it was padlocked when we went, so check in advance. The fish & chips and the Indian food in Glasgow are some of the best meals anywhere. We went to the Oran Mor, a converted church and had Cullen skink, which doesn't have an appetizing name, but is a wonderful thick soup of smoked haddock. Then on to Edinburgh, the castle, the royal mile are fantastic. Also took the Hop On/Off bus, great way to get around the city and stops at all the most important places. The history of these cities is astounding. I found it fabulous to see Starbucks or the Apple store in buildings 200-400 years old. Remember to look above street level, the architecture is impressive. We then went to the Braemar Gathering, the royal games, King Charles and Queen Consort Camelia were there, and I got some great up-close photos. Privileged to see two records in weight for height, first the Braemar record, then the world record and have great pictures of both with the weight just clearing the bar. Scottish games in Scotland are different from the U.S. Not as much abouts the clans more about the events and they have different events. Caber Toss of course, hammer throw, dancing and pipes, Tug of War, and running races and in Braemar they race the hill, an old established race to the top of a local mountain and back. The day was great, but the bus broke down on the way back to Edinburgh, so it took almost 5 hours to get back. The next two days were spent with Rabbie's Tour out of Edinburgh, a tour of the highlands on a smaller bus maybe 20 people. The driver, Alastair, was perfect, knew the area, knew the history and could tell great stories, brilliant. Went to Dunkeld, a quiet little town extremely steeped in history. Beautiful Cathedral and town center right on the Tae River, only regret was not enough time there. Then through the Cairngorms National Park. Stopped at the Cairn, some of the oldest burial chambers in existence, around 2000 BC. Had some time but not enough at Culloden, some may know from the TV show Outlander, but is known for the end of the Jacobite uprising, the beginning of the highland clearances and the end of the highland way of life. An incredibly somber and historic site where survivors were given no quarter; soldiers and civilian supporters were hunted down and slaughtered. A few who escaped made it to the colonies and participated in another rebellion. It was a perfect Scottish day to tour, rain, fog, sun, very emotional experience walking the lines of battle where they were buried where they fell, names of famous and not so famous distant relatives and perhaps the saddest stones of just "mixed clans". The second day was spent in Glencoe, perhaps one the most beautiful places on earth. I've been to Yosemite, Jasper, Banff, Glacier National and now Glencoe, and I consider Glencoe easily ranks with these parks. Rivers, waterfalls, mountains, lakes, weird white beach mountain lakes, the sad and tragic history of the weeping glen, much more complicated than most imagine. I can't wait to return. No trip to the highlands could be complete without a visit to Loch Ness, and an open mind to the possibility of a Nessie sighting or at least the idea that a monster may have existed at some time when 500 million years of tectonic plates moving around finally bumped into each other to form this vast lake. We did not see Nessie, but did have a great experience at Urquhart Castle. The ruins of the castle and the views of the Loch are stunning. The Commando Memorial where the British trained during WWII before they invaded Normandy at Sword and Gold beaches for a quick stop has great views of the valley and a good place to take pictures. Stirling was another amazing city. Stayed at The Allan Park, Hotel, restaurant, bar all in one, the staff were great, very friendly, the food was excellent. The castle was fun, it had everything you would expect in a medieval castle, historic battles, births of nobilities, views of the valley, Wallace monument, The fields of Bannockburn and Stirling bridge. Scotland should not be missed. I can't wait to go back and stay longer in some of the places we only briefly visited. The people are so friendly, funny, and good natured. The cities have such energy and are filled with students from the many universities. Art, culture, history all on view and easily visited. Never got a chance to visit the islands, fish the famous rivers, or even golf the famous courses, but I will go back and soon!

James did an excellent job explaining the history and stories as we toured the highlands through Glencoe. He played relevant music and had good humor. He was easy to understand and very helpful! The sights were beautiful and awe inspiring. I strongly recommend this tour with Scotswild!

I loved everything in this trip. The car was comfortable and tour guide was lovely and caring. 5 stars

We loved our guide Tim. He was knowledgeable and passionate about sharing what he knew about Glencoe and the Clan MacDonald massacre. We visited the Three Sisters, Glencoe Center, hiked to a beautiful waterfall, and visited adorable little towns. There were bathroom and food breaks to break up the day. He also had a great Scottish song playlist that he played as we travelled through the Highlands. Well worth the time and would do it again because the area is stunning and picturesque.