The image of Scotland for many people is men in kilts, bagpipes, and shortbread. It is true that they do all exist in Scotland, but there is so much more to do and see in this beautiful little country.
So why do we suggest taking a tour?
Without an organised tour, many tourists will just take a couple of days in Edinburgh and then move onto the next European country. You can see and do a lot with 2 days in Edinburgh as it is a small city that is easy to walk around. Highlights include visiting Edinburgh castle and Holyrood Palace. If the weather is good you can walk to the top of Arthur's Seat and see the whole of Edinburgh spread out below you. You can see across the Firth of Forth to Fife and down the coast to East Lothian. Some visitors just favour walking around the town and looking at all the old buildings and doing a little shopping.
However, with just one spare day you can take a day trip from Edinburgh with a local tour company and go as far north as Loch Ness. A tour like this will give you an idea of just how much the country changes as you travel north. If you have more time, we recommend taking a multi-day tour that includes many more stunning places such as the Isle of Skye and St Andrews.
What are the benefits of a coach tour?
- No Driving
In Scotland, we drive on the left and most of our roads outwith the central belt are narrow single carriageway roads. If you drive to more remote places or visit the islands you will find many single track roads. Instead of concentrating on driving and using your passenger as a map reader, a coach tour allows you to sit back, relax and enjoy the view. You also don't need to worry about parking. - Tour Guide
On a tour like a Hairy Coo tour, your tour guide will keep you entertained. They will tell you all about the places you see and visit. The tour guides at The Hairy Coo will regale you with stories about Scotland's fascinating history and probably tell you some jokes too! If you plan your itinerary yourself, you will have to read history books and travel journals to find out just a fraction of the information that our tour guides know. - Safety
Scotland is on the whole a safe place to travel with friendly, helpful people who like to chat. However, if you are travelling by yourself or you are young and it is your first time travelling with a friend, then joining a tour means you have a tour guide to take care of you. You may even meet some fellow travellers who will keep you company during the tour. - Itinerary
For some people, part of the holiday is planning out an itinerary and reading about the places they want to visit. However, by taking a tour with a local tour company you will be taken to some places that are off the beaten track or places that you never knew you needed to visit.
What do you see on a tour of Scotland?
There are many tours of Scotland available from Edinburgh. They tend to range from day trips to week long tours. Each tour will have a slightly different itinerary so you are likely to find one that will appeal to you.
Some will try to give you a taste of Scotland so will include stunning mountain scenery, a tour of a whisky distillery, a castle and hopefully some wildlife. Popular castles to visit are Stirling Castle, Doune Castle, Urquhart Castle and Eilean Donan Castle.
Longer tours will include pretty villages, ancient sites such as Culloden Battlefield and Clava Cairns, and the Isle of Skye.
On a Hairy Coo tour, we always try to include a visit to some of our gorgeous Highland Cows. Otherwise known as Heilan Coos or Hairy Coos.
You can read about The Hairy Coo coach tours on their website.
