My husband and I were absolutely delighted with our 5-day tour of The Highlands and Isle of Skye with Rabbie's Tours. We weren't sure about "tours" but this one exceeded our expectations and we wanted to make sure to post the name of this group. Our guide was "Donald" -- a passionate and knowledgeable Scot who took us to his favorite, out of the way places, through the Highlands and the Isle of Skye. Traveling with 16 folks on a Mercedes Coach allowed us to make good friends with passengers and the size of the bus allowed us to take the small back roads. We would definitely recommend Rabbie's for Day tours as well as trips to Ireland and Wales. We'd go anywhere with them. We spent two nights in Ullapool and two nights in Portree.
We stayed at Ibis Hotels prior to and after the tour and were happy with them all, particularly Ibis on So. Bridge in Edinburgh.
Posted by
18 posts
Totally agree! Rabbie is the way to go. Loved every minute of this scenic, historic tour through the beautiful highlands! A perfect experience in Scotland.
Posted by
Temple,Tx
417 posts
Thanks for your insight on Rabbie's Tours. I've heard of them and looked at their tours but wasn't sure that it would be the right fit for me. When I get ready to head to Scotland and will be checking them out. Good to know! Have you done other organized tours before and how did this compare?
Posted by
OP
5 posts
The only organized tour I did was a Greek Cruise many years ago. A small group, like Rabbie’s, was my best experience of an organized tour.
Posted by
SE Pennsylvania
2370 posts
I've done 1 Rabbie's tour (actually the same one as the OP), 1 Trafalgar tour, and 4 Rick Steves tours.
Rabbie's tour are less "guided" than others. The driver/guide gives you information, but you mostly explore on your own on stops. You choose your type of lodging on multi-day trips, and bus-mates can be scattered around different places. It's a perfect way to see rural places in the UK where you might not want to drive, and where B&Bs are much more common than hotels.
Posted by
Cape Ann, Massachusetts
3207 posts
Thanks for this. I am just in the process of planning a trip to I of Skye. My husband is both a MacDonald and a Mcleod. I've been reading about their tours. Did you feel you had enough time on the Isle of Skye, and did you see both castles?
Posted by
OP
5 posts
We could have spent more time on Skye if it was an option. That being said ... if we were on our own, with car, we would have missed a lot! Our guide took us to very remote parts of the island. We saw several castles on Skye as well.
Posted by
Rancho Cordova, CA, USA
33 posts
Hi Marilyn, sounds like you had a great trip! What are some of these great places that you think you would have missed out on, if you'd explored on your own?
Posted by
OP
5 posts
If we were not on a "tour" and doing our own thing, we would have missed 1. Looking out windows! With so many narrow roads and driving on the left, we wouldn't have had the relaxed experience of seeing all that was around us. 2. Would have missed the actual time to get up and get to certain sights enabling us to see the mist rising and catch the quiet, beautiful experience of certain Glens. 3. We would have missed the out-of-the way coffee/desert spot that was next door to a small bagpipe school ... to hear a young man practicing the lovely pipes in the woods. 4. We would have missed an incredible beach experience that was tucked away, needing a 10 min. hike to get to it ... aqua waters and white sands. (we rolled up our pants and got in!) I could go on ... our guide made the whole trip magical.