Best Scottish Tours - Dunoon

Arthur B.

I was initially going to try to plan a self-drive tour and I am so glad that I didn't!

The name really does say it all...we had the best experiences and best vacation, ever with "Best Scottish Tours".

From my many inquiries with Leah from your office staff, who was so accessible and very responsive with all our communications, to the ease of the booking process. Leah was so helpful and coordinated everything perfectly!

We chose to join the 7 Day Best of Scotland Tour. It has all of the attractions/points of interest that I was hoping to see. It was really nice that Best Scottish Tours also took care of booking fabulous hotels as well as making dinner arrangements and providing breakfasts, too! Not having to do that ourselves, just made it so much more relaxing.

Your literature mentions that our tour guide would become our friend; and that is also true.
Chris was so funny and interesting and knowledgeable about practically everything we asked about. He kept us on schedule and provided stories, history and back-round on every place we went to. He is a walking encyclopedia on Scotland! We saw everything mentioned on the actual tour and then some! He helped make a family connection for a couple on the same tour as us. He also found out that I enjoy "Outlander" and brought us to Balnuaran of Clava, the sight that the standing stones is based on. Chris went above and beyond in his duties and care of us.

We will never forget and always treasure our time in Scotland with Chris and Best Scottish Tours.

Thank you,
Gail & Jamie Brennan

Cathy K.

Outstanding Tour!
My husband and I have just returned from the 8 day Best of Scotland tour and it was the best travel experience ever. Everything from the friendly helpful and responsive office staff to the itinerary, travel coach, accommodations and meals were top notch. The van was spacious and comfortable and allowed for a wonderful view regardless where you were seated. It was a very relaxing and stress free way to travel with every detail being taken care of. Our accommodations were locally owned and operated with locally sourced food for the delicious meals: Everything from an elegant Victorian charmer to a grand manor house to a seaside hotel, each unique, all very impressive. We were always excited about where we would be staying next. Each was wonderfully appointed and the meals were delicious with lots of choices to satisfy even the pickiest eater. The rooms were clean with comfortable beds, thick thirsty towels (and towel heaters) and decorated very nicely. We saw and experienced so much in our 8 days but never felt rushed as the perfectly timed breaks allowed for a steady and relaxing pace. It was one wonderful encounter after another! Scotland is a beautiful country and we saw a very good cross section of what it offers which we would never have achieved on our own. We have never taken so many photos as we did this trip. Absolutely stunning scenery!!! We travelled with 2 other couples whom we did not know before this trip and we really enjoyed their camaraderie. We shared a lot of laughs.
Now, I have saved the best for last, our driver/guide John! John made this trip so enjoyable and his attention did not go unnoticed. He made the difference between a great trip and a fantastic experience.
We felt very well taken care of. His knowledge of Scotland and its history and geography was very impressive. He had a great sense of humour and we laughed a lot. John was excellent at letting us know where we were headed and the timeframe so we knew how our day was going to unfold with ample free time to explore on our own. John managed a special request to see a building designed by my husband’s 9th great grandfather without affecting the plans for the day. It was very much appreciated!
We really can’t say enough good things about Best Scottish Tours. We honestly don’t know how our trip could have been any better. We have many wonderful memories that will be shared for years to come.
Thank you Best Scottish Tours and John for doing what you do so very well. We will be back!

Lauren M.

Best Scottish Tours was amazing from beginning to end. We did a 6 day walking tour which took us around most of the highlights of Scotland. Our driver, Duncan, was wonderful - he certainly made the trip for us! He adjusted the schedule to our group preferences, entertained us with stories, danced with us, and showed care and concern for us. The memories mad on this tour will last a lifetime! Thank you, Best Scottish Tours!

Kim B.

This tour group absolutely lives up to it’s name! Just returned from the 7 day walking tour, we covered 1,000 miles of Scotland with daily walks/ hikes built into the itinerary to see the most we could of this beautiful country. Our tour guide Duncan made this well planned tour even more awesome with his stories and thoughtfulness going above and beyond to make sure each one of us saw things related to our interest. There are no words to adequately describe this experience, just go!

Carolyn B.

We can’t express how grateful we were to have John F. as our tour guide this past week! John was so much fun and made sure our trip would be a memorable one, from the moment he picked us up in Glasgow to the moment he dropped us off! We appreciate the hard work he put in each day to make sure we felt safe and comfortable with lots to see and do; and the wealth of knowledge that he shared with us about the history and culture of Scotland including his upbringing and life in Scotland.

The hotels were quaint and charming, the scenery and lochs were beautiful and the sights were impressive including special stops along the way that we requested like the Jacobite steam engine train station, the viaduct in Glenfinnan and the Helix Home of the Kelpies. It’s hard to decide what was our favorite; from the quaint villages or historical castles like the Sterling Castle (and shopping in the gift shops) to the jaw dropping mountains and cliffs on the Isle of Skye (and shopping in Portree) or the Hairy Coos on the side of the road to the shores of Loch Ness (and shopping in Fort Augustus). John made sure we saw it all and had plenty of shopping options along the way while guiding us to the best stores for authentic gifts. John truly has the gift of getting to know his guests so he could give us options that we’d enjoy each day. It didn’t take long for him to realize we were four ladies from Texas who loved to shop! 😊

The trip was well organized and everything seemed perfectly timed, even the Hairy Coos on the side of the road so we could grab a quick photo. John also had great tales to share along the road, we laughed a lot and learned a lot (and we shopped a lot). He had umbrellas for us when it was raining and spray for us when we encountered some midges in the village of Luss.

We were impressed with the pride John has for working at Best Scottish Tours. He made sure the van was immaculate and comfortable for us each day. He took his time and never made us feel rushed. He kept the van stocked with water and even treated us each day to a different Scottish treat to try, which we ended up buying more of them to bring home with us. Again, we like to shop!

The food was great and John introduced us to some of the local traditional Scottish dishes like Haggis, Cullen Skink Soup and a Scottish egg. The meals at the hotels were wonderful along with our evening cocktail time to wind down and reminiscent about our day. The hotel rooms were comfortable and clean, and we found the staff to be super friendly and accommodating.

John created a great experience for us and his humor kept us entertained each day, I think we had permanent smiles on our faces from laughing so much. We couldn’t have asked for a better tour guide and we feel like we made a new friend in Scotland! He even invited us to come back again next year for a 7-day tour. Thank you for choosing John to be our tour guide and we’re glad that we chose Best Scottish Tours for our iconic four day tour of Scotland!

Tee

We had a fantastic time on our trip to Scotland. It was so easy. They really did a great job of putting everything together for us. We didn't have to worry about any detail. We loved every place we visited. The hotels/Inn's were all wonderful. The beds were also comfy (which is important). 🙂
Our tour guide Chris was very knowledgeable and gave us lots of history. He was able to answer all of our questions as well. Great tour guide!
The small group tour was one of the best parts of the trip. I can't imagine trying to tour on a big bus. The van was comfortable and spacious. We had time at each stop to really enjoy it. We never felt rushed.

I will return to Scotland and use Best Scottish tours again! they are true professionals in every way.

Julia G.

I think it is easy to underestimate the importance of travelling with family. We just finished a 5-day trip with Colin Gilmer from Best Scottish Tours. We saw a lot of beautiful country during our 5 days with Colin. We didn’t really know what to expect but Colin in every way exceeded our expectations. Colin was very flexible, we asked if he could show us a couple of other places that were very important to us that were not on our planned trip itinerary. He made sure it happened and didn’t disrupt our planned tour. He even organized a hike at the Old Man of Storr for our adult children. Since he is from Scotland, he has a vast background and knowledge of Scottish history and everyday questions. You didn’t feel silly for asking questions. He was kind, considerate and very respectful. Our experience was a 10 out of 10. The only con I have is it would be nice if we all stayed at the same place, it was relaxing and fun to visit during dinner. It would also be comforting to know that if you need something, everyone stays at the same place. We learned so much and are grateful we became fast friends. We enjoyed every minute of our trip and would go back every year if we knew we could travel with Colin.

Sara R.

Our group tour through Scotland was an unforgettable experience, made even better by our amazing guide, Alan. Alan was knowledgeable, engaging, and passionate about Scottish history and culture. Alan brought each location to life with fascinating stories and insider tips. From the rugged Highlands to the charming cities and villages, the tour covered a perfect mix of scenic beauty, historic sites, and local culture. The itinerary was well-paced, and Alan took great care of the group throughout the tour. Highly recommend this tour for anyone looking to explore Scotland in an immersive, enjoyable way!