Highlights of Scotland

Customer Reviews

• SS

  Silvia Elfriede Sieglinde

  · July 31st, 2024
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  Very interesting trip, excellently led by our competent tour guide Tony, who didn't let himself be put off, even when something didn't work out at the beginning of the trip through no fault of his own (train only had 2 carriages instead of 5). We learned a lot about the country, its people and history without stress and experienced a different way of traveling, which we really enjoyed (small group/participants from 3 continents/5 countries). Lots of interesting conversations among the tour participants. We are thrilled!
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  Intrepid Travel commented on this review

  Thank you for taking the time to post a review. It great to see that you enjoyed your time in Scottland. That you learnt a lot about the country, its people and history in an enjoyable stress-free way and you had many interesting conversations with you... Show more
  Trip date: July 2024
• 

  Sheila

  · September 25th, 2023
  I recently traveled with a friend to Scotland. We included a week long tour with Intrepid, booked through Tour Radar. We paid a very healthy sum for the tour, $3,460 each. The description said the trip was appropriate for ages 15-99. It also described two nights in Portree on Isle of Skye with a private van tour on the full day on Isle of Sky. My friend and I chose this tour because of the time spent in Portree and on Isle of Skye, the small group size, and that if it was okay for ages 15-99 then I’d be fine six months post a major knee surgery. What wasn’t included in the description and what happened: -No where did it say that we’d be expected to walk/transport our luggage on foot from Points of transportation to our lodging ranging from 10-20 minutes. My 94 year old father-in-law lives with us and is able bodied, but there’s no way he could have done these distances While also carrying/pulling luggage. My 87 year old mother could not accomplish this either. I could do it with my recovering knee, but I was slower and it also used up some of the energy I needed for enjoying walking portions of the tour. I didn’t anticipate having to schlep my suitcase for 15 minutes at a time over uneven sidewalks, etc. I would have packed differently had I known or we would have looked for a different tour. -My friend and I still wonder why Fort Williams was included on the itinerary as a place to stay?
The only thing Intrepid provided was a walk to a castle that wasn’t open for visitors. The rest was on our own and there really wasn’t much happening other than a nice, little museum. We would have preferred more time on Isle of Skye. -We were notified prior to departure that our time on Isle of Skye would be at Kyleakin - not in Portree- and we’d have to arrange our own tour. Phone numbers were provided but no one on the tour had any luck booking anything prior to arriving, calls not returned, no availability, etc. So, 3-4 of our tour group spent 2 FULL hours or more on their phones while we were in Fort Williams trying to come up with some options for us. They pieced together a public bus ride to/from Kyleakin to Portree and a private taxi tour at our own expense! (After paying for it in the cost of our tour.) This should have been done by Intrepid!! Not once were we offered reimbursement. We didn’t have any time in Portree. We’d hoped to have lunch before our taxi tour, but all the restaurants were full. I found a to-go cup of tea and scone at a bike shop, then time in cue to use a bathroom. I’d looked forward to staying in Portree and had many places I had planned to walk to when not on the private van tour we were sold but didn’t get. Also, While staying in Kyleakin, the guest house did not provide a cooked breakfast, just light snacks in our rooms. Breakfast was provided, but we had to walk to/from the restaurant that was a mile each way. This used up time we could have been site seeing. Also, it would use up my knee energy for the days site-seeing. My friend went to breakfast but I skipped the walk to reserve my energy for site-seeing. Oh, and the whiskey tasting…we passed distilleries but we Were given a private lesson on tasting with our tour guide. While he did a fine job, the setting was not the same as a distillery setting. The room was bare, we used wine glasses, we were Supposed to take notes but no hard surfaces to write on, etc. Just wasn’t what any of us were expecting. I found Intrepid’s disregard for the changes and the misleading descriptions as to be very unprofessional. I use tours so that I don’t have to do all of the arranging. Why pay you if I’m going to have to do it myself? Next time I book a tour, I’ll be sure to avoid Intrepid. Many friends have asked about my trip. Unfortunately, the biggest disappointment was the tour. I’ve shared that multiple times now. I’m not the only member of the group that walked away Disappointed. We didn’t want to “blame” the tour guide, I don’t think he was responsible, he was just trying to keep us happy as he could sense how displeased we were. His answers too our questions were not satisfying at all. He seemed to be trying to cover for the company best he could.
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  Intrepid Travel commented on this review

  Hi Sheila. Thank you for taking the time to share your comments with us. We are very sorry to read that you had some disappointments during your tour. We will begin an investigation into your time away, and the Customer Care team will be in touch. Thank... Show more
  Trip date: August 2023
• 

  Lyn

  · September 9th, 2022
  My husband and I just returned from the Highlights of Scotland Tour. We had a great time! We would go back to Scotland again and soon! The country is beautiful, and the people are very friendly. The itinerary was great. Our introduction to Scotland, on this tour, covered a lot of ground. We did a loop around the country and were able to enjoy a lot of different landscapes. We enjoyed the activity level included in the tour as well. Our tour guide, Martin, was excellent. He is a native of Scotland and it was obvious that he loves his country. We would recommend this trip to anyone as long as they are active.
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  Intrepid Travel commented on this review

  Thank you Marilyn for such a lovely review. We are so happy to hear that you enjoyed your adventure around Scotland with us. So much so, that you have plans to return again very soon - It is an incredibly beautiful part of the world! Wishing you all the... Show more
  Trip date: July 2022
• KJ

  Karen

  · August 8th, 2022
  I loved my tour. Andrew our your guide was excellent. He showed us great hiking places,was insightful with local history and very knowledgeable. He helped me navigate my extra days of sightseeing after the tour was over. I would have been lost without his help. I would do this trip again or if you had one visiting the islands around Scotland. I'm really sorry that the trip is over, however I'll have lasting memories and stories to tell
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  Intrepid Travel commented on this review

  Thank you for your review, Karen! We're so happy to hear how much you enjoyed exploring Scotland with us, and Andrew. We're so proud of the amazing work our local leaders do all over the world, and believe their unique insights and experience are what... Show more
  
  Trip date: June 2022
• 

  Carolyn

  · July 9th, 2022
  The trip was a huge success despite many challenges: our tour guide was ill and we had a last minute substitute (Sam) who was AMAZING, there was a railroad strike which necessitated last minute transportation changes and there was even a medical situation requiring a trip to A&E. Sam (first tour guide) was brilliant and he and Graham switched off towards the end of the trip. Graham was very professional, knowledgeable and even brought his guitar so we could all play and enjoy music in the evening. The hotels/accomodations were great, the travel was secure and the sites were well-chosen with a good mixture of outdoor walks/hikes as well as indoor activities such asmmuseums, etc. It was the first tour my husband and I have even been on, and it was top-notch. We met some amazing people, too. Bonus! This will be the first of many trips in the future for us! A deep and sincere "Thank you" is in order.
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  Intrepid Travel commented on this review

  Hey Carolyn! Thank you for the great feedback. It is always appreciated to hear about how your experience was. Travelling can always come with some curve balls so happy to hear everything turned out well in the end! We are looking forward to having... Show more
  Trip date: June 2022
• MP

  Magdalena

  · May 28th, 2022
  Lovely tour, very committed guide
  

  Intrepid Travel commented on this review

  Hi Magdalena - thank you for your kind review. We are pleased to reach that you had a wonderful time with us in Scotland. Look forward to welcoming you on another trip with us again soon.
  Trip date: May 2022