Highland Explorer Tours

Highland Explorer Tours

Headquarters in Edinburgh, Scotland

View all tours
Number of tours
7
Age Range
5-99
Number of reviews
457
Rating
4.7/5
Response rate
92%
Response time
within 1 day

Highland Explorer Tours Reviews (458)

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Accommodation
4.5/5
Transportation
5/5
Meals
4.5/5
Value for money
4/5
Guide
5/5
  • Isle Of Skye And The Highlands reviewer 1
    Written on September 13th, 2025
    A great way to see the highlands and Skye. Our driver Dave had a vast knowledge of the history of the area and this was delivered with a great sense of humour.
  • Isle of Skye, Loch Ness & Inverness reviewer 2
    Written on September 10th, 2025
    Wonderful tour, thoroughly enjoyed
    Highland Explorer Tours commented on this review
    Dear Cathy, Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us a review of your recent tour experience. We are delighted to read that you had such an enjoyable time on tour with us. We will be sure to pass on your kind words. We look forward to welcoming you back on tour with us again soon. Kind Regards Keith, Reservations, Highland Explorer Tours
  • DH
    Written on August 31st, 2025
    What a fantastic 5 days tour we had visiting the Scottish Highlands, the Isle of Skye and Loch Ness. The weather was amazing as was the scenery and activities …
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    Highland Explorer Tours commented on this review
    Dear Don, Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us a review of your recent tour experience. We are delighted to read that you had such an enjoyable time on tour with Cliff. We will be sure to pass on your kind words. Thank you so much for the wonderful 5* review and glad you enjoyed the stories and scenery on tour. We are delighted to receive such lovely feedback, We look forward to welcoming you back on tour with us again soon. Kind Regards Keith, Reservations, Highland Explorer Tours
  • Isle of Skye & The Outer Hebrides reviewer 4
    Written on August 31st, 2025
    There are really no words that can do this trip justice. My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our six day tour. The scenery was amazing, but what really made our…
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    Highland Explorer Tours commented on this review
    Dear Mattie and Lorna. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us a review of your recent tour experience. We are delighted to read that you had such an enjoyable time on tour with Tiegan. We will be sure to pass on your kind words. Thank you so much for the wonderful 5* review and glad you learnt history on tour. We are delighted to receive such lovely feedback, and are happy to read that you loved Bonnie Scotland as much as we do! We look forward to welcoming you back on tour with us again soon. Kind Regards Keith, Reservations, Highland Explorer Tours
  • SJ
    Written on August 24th, 2025
    Our five day tour of Scotland was fantastic! Paul was excellent and told many stories of Scotland history. He fit in extra stops when he could which made the tr…
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    Highland Explorer Tours commented on this review
    Dear Sally Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us a review of your recent tour experience. We are delighted to read that you had such an enjoyable time on tour with Paul. We will be sure to pass on your kind words. Thank you so much for the wonderful 5* review and glad you learnt history on tour. We are delighted to receive such lovely feedback, and are happy to read that you loved Bonnie Scotland as much as we do! We look forward to welcoming you back on tour with us again soon. Kind Regards Keith, Reservations, Highland Explorer Tours
  • SF
    Written on August 22nd, 2025
    ich habe direkt an den Touranbieter ein etwas längeres Feedback auf englisch geschrieben und teile das hier auch gerne After completing our tour last Sunday,…
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    Highland Explorer Tours commented on this review
    Dear Stefanie, Many thanks for taking the time to share your feedback following your recent 8-day tour. All comments are very much welcomed as we pass this on to the relevant teams to ensure continual product improvement. We are so pleased to hear that you enjoyed the company of our wonderful Tom during your trip. He is passionate and conscientious and a great amabassador for our company and Scotland generally! Delighted that you appreciated his support with local recommendations alongside the entertaining and informative commentary and Scottish playlist. We have passed your comments onto Tom directly and know this will mean a lot! Regarding the aspects of the tour that fell below your expectations in terms of accommodation for the tour, during peak season it is regretfully not always possible for us to secure rooming for all passengers with the same providers. The very nature of Highland Hotels/ B&B's and Guesthouses are that these will have a much smaller capacity of rooming with limited availability especially during the height of the summer season which is when you were travelling. For this reason, we never specify the details of the exact accommodation for each location but will always use trusted local providers who ensure a 3* minimum standard of comfort, amenities and complimentary breakfast. We are therefore concerned to hear that your experience at The Muthu does not appear to have met the expected standard. We have asked our operations team to review your stay with this hotel to address these points. We have also forwarded your suggestions regarding alternative activities for the Jacobite Steam Train excursion for passengers who may not have opted to participate in this activity or for dates on which availability had been limited on this service. We will look to explore options for our passengers during this day to as product development for future tours and thank you for your constructive input to support us with this. We are delighted that overall, you enjoyed the tour experience and hope that you will treasure memories from this wee adventure together! We hope to welcome you back on tour in the future. Kind regards., Amy
  • Isle of Skye, Loch Ness & Inverness reviewer 7
    Written on July 9th, 2025
    Beautiful sights, and Tim was a brilliant guide.
    Highland Explorer Tours commented on this review
    Dear Mary Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us a 5 star review of your recent tour experience. We are delighted to read that you had such an enjoyable time on tour with Tim. Scotland has some amazing scenery. We will be sure to pass on your kind words. We look forward to welcoming you back on tour with us again soon. Kind Regards Keith
  • CC
    Written on July 6th, 2025
    Fantastic tour with a wonderful guide. Highly recommended.
    Highland Explorer Tours commented on this review
    Dear Connie Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us a review of your recent tour experience. We will be sure to pass on your kind words. We hope to welcome you back on tour with us again soon. Kind Regards Keith
  • NC
    Written on June 24th, 2025
    Timing for arrive at locations was badly managed
    Highland Explorer Tours commented on this review
    Hi Nicholas, thanks for taking the time in leaving your 3 star review. We are disappointed to hear your views on the timings of locations with us on your recent tour experience. We plan and allow enough time for each location and stops on tours but sometimes delays can occur and these timings can be subject to alterations. We hope that you enjoyed the tour and we will pass your feedback on. Kind Regards. Keith
  • CP
    Written on June 23rd, 2025
    Great itinerary. The company was responsive to questions. Our tour leader was knowledgeable. Accommodations were clean and conveniently located in the towns …
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    Highland Explorer Tours commented on this review
    Hi Christine, thanks for your 5 star review. We are so glad to hear you enjoyed your tour with us including accommodations. We will pass your feedback on. We hope to welcome you back on another tour with us. Kind Regards. Keith

Highland Explorer Tours Tours

About Highland Explorer Tours

Highland Explorer Tours are dedicated to delivering the very best travel experiences every day. Our 1-6 day tours are designed to make the most of your time in our stunning country and to give you an authentic experience of Scotland. Our mission is to exceed your expectations, a commitment that is recognised by our VisitScotland 5 star accreditation and consistent excellent customer feedback. Scotland's landscape is stunningly beautiful with a magnificent history and culture that deserves to be told by the Scottish experts, our Guides. They will bring this heritage to life while ensuring you get to explore our nation's most breathtaking landscapes. Whether you are planning a day trip or a longer visit, our range of tours will give you an unforgettable insight into our country and its people, leaving memories that will last a lifetime.

Highlights

Passionate Local Guides
Award Winning Tours of Scotland
Committed to Sustainability
Authentic Scottish Experience

We Are Committed To Your Well-Being

Well-Being On Tour

We have all adapted to this new world, where it’s imperative for us to take additional measures to stay healthy.


That’s why you can travel with us reassured that we have put numerous new measures in place to elevate our hygiene standards and protocols. The health and well-being of our guests and team have always been, and always will be our priority.


In this new, fast-changing Covid-19 era, we are doing all we can to adapt to new requirements and expectations. Here are some important new steps and procedures that we have implemented to enhance hygiene protocols, to comply with physical distancing requirements by relevant government authorities and to give you the needed peace of mind during your travels in these new times.



Expertly Trained Driver Guides

Our Driver Guides have recently been trained in new and enhanced hygiene and physical distancing procedures. They operate an enhanced duty of care and monitor the hygiene etiquette of our guests during our trips, reacting, and advising as needed to ensure high standards are maintained. We will inform you before you travel about new protocols required in these areas, and ask that you cooperate with and heed the advice and direction of our Driver Guides while on your tour. Our Driver Guides have preventative measures in place to try and ensure your well-being and in the event that any unexpected issues arise on tour, they will activate additional protocols.



A full Team of Support 24/7

It’s not just your Driver Guide who will be taking care of you. Behind the scenes, our operations and guest support teams are in contact with them and on-call 24/7, so you can rest assured that you’re in good hands.



Stringent On The Road Protocols

Our coaches are sanitised before the start of your trip and have always been kept to very high standards. Following the outbreak of COVID-19, we have taken additional measures to elevate our hygiene and sanitary practices in accordance with guidance from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and as required, applicable government regulations.


Our Driver Guides are trained with the latest hygiene protocols and will clean and disinfect all surfaces including handrails, door handles, tables, seats, air-conditioning filters and overhead lockers on a daily basis.


All our guests are asked to follow hygiene practices recommended by the World Health Organization including the thorough and regular washing of hands and sanitising when required. Hand sanitiser is available onboard for our guests to use throughout the day. Please bring your own hand sanitiser, washable face mask, and gloves with you, as these are required to be worn in public in some countries.


Should an unexpected situation arise, additional face masks, rubber gloves, antiviral sprays, and wipes are available for guest distribution on all trips.



Trusted Partners, Exceptional Standards

We are very selective in who we work with and choose to only use hotels, restaurants, ground handlers and venues that take the health and well-being of our guests as seriously as we do and agree to meet expected guidelines and specifications. We only work with establishments that we are confident will consistently adhere to our standards.



Smaller Groups, More Personal Space

We have worked to ensure our groups are divided into smaller sets at each stop, to ensure the required physical distancing is ensured.



Always In The Know

As part of The Travel Corporation, Highland Explorer Tours is kept up to date with all government advisories and travel alerts on a daily basis and is continually in touch with all of our partners on the ground in each destination. Also, rest assured that during your tour, our teams work to ensure our supplier partners (hotels, restaurants, museums, and other venues) are also applying the same standard to this new hygiene and distancing protocols, to the extent possible.



Personal Responsibility – COVID-19 Warning

We have introduced these enhanced hygiene protocols – for you, our other guests and our team members.


An inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present. COVID-19 is an extremely contagious disease that can lead to severe illness and death. According to the UK Government, senior citizens and guests with underlying medical conditions are especially vulnerable.


We ask that you please take personal responsibility for your wellbeing. This begins with packing any personal protective equipment and sanitisers you require. Please adopt physical distancing and hygiene practices throughout your pre-trip travel arrangements and follow all health instruction whether physical signage or requests from our professional staff, once you are holidaying with us.


In choosing to travel with HAGGiS Adventures, you voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19.


Let’s help keep each other safe and healthy.

Highland Explorer Tours Guides

Questions & Answers

  • Where do your tours depart from?

    ALL EDINBURGH TOURS WILL DEPART FROM:

    Haggis/Highland Explorer Office
    60 High Street
    The Royal Mile
    Edinburgh, EH1 1TB.
     
    https://bit.ly/Edinburgh-Departure-Point

    ALL INVERNESS TOURS WILL DEPART FROM:
    15 Union St
    Inverness, IV1 1PP *
    *Across from the entrance to the Victorian Market. Look out for a blue or yellow coach bus


    Our website has been updated with this information
  • Are meals included in the tour price?

    Your tour will stop at some excellent and varied restaurants en route with traditional and contemporary options to suit every palate. For maximum flexibility, your Tour Guide will be on hand to give you the locals’ tips on the best hidden gems and then the choice is yours to decide where, what and with whom to eat.
  • Are there any luggage restrictions?

    Highland Explorer allows each passenger to have one main piece of baggage with the total weight being no more than 44lbs/20kgs. You will find that the majority of tours have a 20kg luggage limit per person, as this provides luggage room on the transport for all travellers in the group. In addition, you can bring one daypack onboard the transport but you must be able to carry this around with you.
  • Are there any age restrictions?

    Unfortunately, Highland Explorer are unable to carry children under 5 years old and anyone under 17 must be accompanied by an adult. There is no maximum age restriction, so if you are young-at-heart or have a sense of adventure, then Highland Explorer would love to have you!

Contact our Travel Experts

  • Contact our Travel Experts
  • Contact our Travel Experts
  • Contact our Travel Experts

+64 4888 0182

24/7 Support

Our team of experienced tour specialists have travelled to hundreds of countries around the globe and have decades of first-hand travel experience to share. Contact us now to have all of your tour-related questions answered!