teani

Hi we are coming in May 2015 and I want to take a bus tour that will let you spend more time on land than in the bus. I am a photographer and looking forward to taking pictures. We have 1 week there. I really want to go to Skye. I would also love to see a cattle . Could anyone recommend a good tour company for this? Thanks.

janisj

OK -- first question -- why do you want a tour? There are some decent small group tour companions. But by FAR the best way to see the most scenic bits of rural Scotland is by car.

If there is some reason you simply can't drive, then it partly depends on your budget.

For less expensive small groups check out Rabbies. http://www.rabbies.com

For similar tours but in larger vehicles there is Timberbush. http://www.timberbush-tours.co.uk

For higher end tours there is http://www.drumscot.com among others.

teani

Thanks. I am looking for for a small group. I was looking at CIE but I don't think they give you much time at the actual sites.

janisj

IME very few group tours give one a lot of time at any site. That is why driving/independent travel is generally best for folks who want to see things in depth.

historytraveler

Expensive but very good and photography oriented is National l Geographic Expeditions.

teani

Thanks everyone. History traveler that tour would be great, but it's alittle out of my price range and I don't think I could hike up to 7 miles a day.

teani

Janis's, if we drove we would cause an accident! Lol

janisj

>>Janis's, if we drove we would cause an accident! Lol<<

Probably not - few visitors hit anyone/anything

>>it's alittle out of my price range<< If you are on a budget -- even more reason to at least consider driving. Most slower/in depth/specialized tours tend to be more upscale/expensive.

If you still can't face driving (even though its VERY easy in the rural/scenic bits of Scotland), then Rabbies / Timberbush are probably your best bet. They are good companies and offer good itineraries . . . but do plan on being frustrated having to move on before you are ready.

sheila

There are quite a few if you Google. Not my thing, and I don't know your budget, but here's an example. Http://www.lightstalkersscotland.com/workshops

I also think you should do it yourself. Spend the money you save on a Colin Prior workshop

janisj

I couldn't get your link to work -- but this one should http://www.lightstalkersscotland.com/workshops

teani

Thanks for that link. I am going to check into that.

wjm457

Diving in a foreign country is not for everyone. If you are not comfortable with it, don't do it. There are people on these boards who like to answer questions such as yours with unwanted advice on how you should spend your vacation. My wife and I just returned from six weeks in the UK. We hired a car the first part of our trip, took the Rick Steves tour of Scotland, and then rented an apartment in London the last two weeks. Having the car was nice, but having someone doing the driving was also nice. Do what makes you comfortable and have fun.

janisj

>>There are people on these boards who like to answer questions such as yours with unwanted advice on how you should spend your vacation.<<

No -- we try to give them good advice both ways. I suggested driving would be better for the sorts of things the OP wants . . . but also gave links to tours.

teani

Thanks for everyone's help. I am checking into lighstalker photograph tours. Also rabbie's.

AHGal

Just came back from four days in Scotland and we took a Rabbies one day tour to Fife villages and St Andrews. Because we went on a Sunday there is no play on the Old Course and you can walk it. We found Rabbies excellent and highly recommend them. Our tour guide was Tony- outstanding. Enjoy your trip!!!!

teani

Thanks AHGal. Did you get to spend much time at the actual sites you went too?

bvlenci

My husband and I just returned from a trip to Scotland. Most of the time, we took public transportation, but we rented a car for three days. Originally, we were dead set against driving. We had driven once in Ireland, not altogether happily, and we were younger then. I had almost settled on a Rabbie's tour, but the thing that bothered me was that all the tour companies seemed to take the same routes and stop at the same places. This made me feel that we might always find ourselves in a pack of fellow tourists.

In the end, shortly before the trip, we decided to rent a car for three days. We drove from Glasgow to Oban, visited Mull and Iona (as foot passengers on the ferries) from there, and then drove to Edinburgh on the third day. We made several stops each day.

The driving went very smoothly; it was much easier than in Ireland. We drove fairly slowly. If a line of cars piled up behind us, we pulled over to let them pass. There's little traffic in the highlands, and the main roads are in good condition, although a little narrow. (I was glad we decided not to take the car to Mull, though.) We paid extra to have an automatic transmission, so we wouldn't have to shift with the "wrong" hand, but I think even that wouldn't have been a big problem.

A few months ago, on this forum, I was reciting the reasons why we didn't want to rent a car. Now I'm back to say I'm glad we did!

If you want to see my trip report, it's here:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-june-2014.cfm

The driving starts on Day 5, and ends on Day 7. (I'm still working on days 6 and 7).

teani

Has anyone ever used Brendan tours or lynott tours ?

hartsj

We used Rabbies tours when we were in Scotland last year and they were fantastic! Highly recommend them. We did it out of Glasgow and went up into the highlands (oban, glencoe, kilchurn castle)