We are planning a tour with Best Scottish Tours and would like any feed back you have good or bad. Thank you.

I don't have a comment on the tour group your with, just in general: Tours in Scotland are very poor. They often do not offer you time to see what you want. Scotland and Ireland are quite the same in that it is better to get a car and drive and enjoy.

One can't make a sweeping statement like "Tours in Scotland are very poor". Some are quite good and some not so much . . .

I haven't been on a tour w/ them (I always travel independently in Scotland) but do know they specialize in small groups. They aren't the huge tours buses nikorami might be familiar w/. Whether they are good or not - can't tell you.

Tell us which obne yoy are taking and when and we can give you some advice.

Also - it might be good to tell us why you want to take a tour. there are some very legit reasons for wanting a group tour, but usually folks can do it cheaper on their own.

I believe nikorami needs a little time out from the Fodor's deletion police.

I 2nd the motion, Girlspytravel!

Why do you need a tour? Pick up a car at the airport, and armed with a Lonely Planet guide and a good road map, you can do it all yourself, staying at B&B's or hotels. You can see all the places tours don't go to, and you don't have to leave just as you are getting interested in a place, or stay at a boring place.

RAS32,

If you haven't already been put off by nikorami's negative ( am I being a bit too mild?) remarks, please reply with more information.

Most of us here are reasonable people who'll go out of their way to help you with the information you want.

Personally, I'm not familar with this company but if they are small group oriented I'd say that's a good start. Give us a bit more information regarding schedule etc.

This is a small tour group usually no more than 18 but they are taking us on a private tour with only 7 and catering it to our requests. Our family is orginally from Scotland and we would like to look up some of our family history. None of us want to drive in Scotland we all want to enjoy our trip and see all that we can. We don't want any one person to miss a thing. I really didn't expect the type of response that I have received. Don't know what caused all the upset. I will look back on this blog tomorrow and if its still on the same track I will try and close it.

It sounds as if your tour is perfect for your group. Driving a van for 7 people on your own could get complicated. I hope it turns out well and that you can give us a trip report on your return. thanks in advance.

Please ignore nikorami - obviously there is some issue there that we don't need to know about.

Janisj is one of the best experts on Scotland on this board, and is very generous with her advice - Sheila as well. They are both wonderful, helpful resources.

Don't worry about nikorami. He just registered on Fodors today (as you did) and yours was one of his very first posts on here. It isn't likely he will be around for long (unfortunately Fodors editors take a bit longer to nuke nasty posts when they happen on weekends, so we might be stuck w/ him for a few days)

Welcome to Fodors If you look over some of the other threads on the forum you will see there is a WEALTH of info shared on here every day.

You can't "close" a thread --only Fodors can do that. But don't let him get you down.

Now, about you small group tour. As I said I have no personal knowledge of this company - but if it has to be a tour, a 7-person tour in a minibus is the way to go.

My mother and I organized an extended family tour (a larger group than yours) to Scotland several years ago and when you get to plan your own itinerary and have a private driver/guide it is the best of both worlds. You get to go where and when you want -- and have someone else do the driving.

RAS32

I just looked up the website for Best Scottish Tours and the testimonials seem genuine.

Are you seeking further verification for the tour company or looking for ideas for your itinerary?

Just keep plugging away and hopefully you'll get the information you need.

Thanks for the kind words GreenDragon. We were posting at the same time.

I must admit I was a bit shocked myself w/ the "stuff". Sure hope Fodors doesn't get over-zealous and nuke the whole thread instead of just the post . . . . .

See, that's the problem with partial deletions; I made a mild (I promise) comment to nikorami, and then asked some relevant questions, and they've lost teh whole thing.

Anyway RAS32, if the tour is tailored for you, it'll be as good as it can get without you taking me with you

Please feel free to ask any further specific questions you may have.

RAS32, I think a personalized tour with a driver/guide for your group of 7 sounds fabulous. We did something similar in another country where we did not feel comfortable driving and it really worked out beautifully.

How many days will your trip be, and what areas will you visit? Who is lining up the accommodations, you or the Best Scottish?

Just a comment - I usually don't take tours because I love the trip planning part of a journey, but my husband and I are planning a Scotland trip with my sister and her husband. We are looking for a good 7 day tour of Scotland, because we all have "control issues" and different travel styles. We would most certainly have disagreements if we were planning the trip on our own. A tour will hopefully give us the ability to enjoy the trip and each other without daily "conversations" as to where to go, how much to spend, what time to head out in the morning, etc. So any additional input is welcome - I did see a Tauck tour of the Highlands, though I know they tend to be pricey.