ChgoGal

Your photos are wonderful. Thank you for sharing. The Quiraing landscape is out of this world, but as you say, it seems a place you want the time to hike and bask in. Timing the weather may be the more difficult aspect of that, though. The tour did seem a wonderful option.

memejs

This is the first and only multi-day tour I've done, so I can't really compare Rabbies to what you might experience with another tour operator.

Pros:

• Someone else does the driving
• The guide provides info, commentary, stories about the history and culture (this depends on the quality of the guide; both of my guides were good at this but Gill, the first guide, was fantastic)
• Rabbies guides seem to have a degree of freedom in the itinerary to take routes and make stops that they think the group would enjoy; introduction to small sites or businesses that you may not have found on your own
• Plenty of stops for bathroom and food (sometimes too many!)
• Rabbies will book your accommodations or allow you to book your own; I had Rabbies book all of my accommodations at B&Bs - all had high ratings online and were nice, clean, and comfortable
• Rabbies limits group size to 16; my groups were 5 and 9, which were good sizes; 16 would have probably felt like too many; a large tour bus would be...well, I would never take a tour like that!

Cons

• A lot of time on the bus
• Someone else controls the itinerary and timing of the stops; some of the stops I could have easily skipped and others I wanted more time
• Sometimes you're at the mercy of the opinion of the majority; we were scheduled to go to Scone Palace but the group opted to skip it; I would have liked to have gone
• Often a mix of ages, mobility, activity level, which can impact the itinerary
• The guide can make a world of difference to your experience

If I were to do it again with exactly the same circumstances (first time to Scotland, traveling solo), I would do the Rabbies tours. They were a good introduction to the places I most wanted to see, and I really appreciated what the guides offered as far as commentary and the introduction to stops I wouldn't have known about. However, if I had been traveling with at least one other person who was comfortable with driving, I would have preferred to do the trip on my own so that I could have spent more time in the places that really resonated with me and been more flexible with the schedule/itinerary.

Both of my tour guides were candid about having worked for other tour companies and Rabbies being the best. So if you definitely want to do a tour, Rabbies is the way to go.

maitaitom

"Sometimes you're at the mercy of the opinion of the majority; we were scheduled to go to Scone Palace but the group opted to skip it; I would have liked to have gone"

That would have ticked me off. Did you go somewhere else instead, or the group just didn't want to go? And why wouldn't they want to go? I would probably be thrown off any multi-day tour by Day 2.

Adelaidean

Dramatic moody photos! I’d not drive either, so I’d do a small group tour, too.

janisj

For me it would have been the reason for omitting Scone -- what if anything was substituted. There is so much to see and do in the areas they traveled through and you can't see everything.

Maitaitom . . . I'm sure Kim/Mary/Tracy have been sorely tempted more than once

memejs

It was the last day, so I think everyone's energy was flagging. The group opted to spend more time than originally planned in Braemar for lunch and then made an ice cream stop in Pitlochry...not adequate substitutes, in my opinion. To be fair, I didn't speak up about wanting to stick to the original plan (though I'm usually the type to do so) because it was clear that the majority were really enthusiastic about the new plan.

@Maitaitom - Judging by the writing on your trip reports, I would consider it hitting the jackpot to have you as a fellow passenger on a tour!

tripplanner001

Thanks memejs. Appreciate the feedback. When I was considering Scotland earlier this year, I considered going with Rabbies, but on a private tour given that there are several of us. Sounds like we would get the upsides of someone else doing the driving and the local knowledge but we may have more flexibility given that we would be a group to ourselves.

margo_oz

I've really enjoyed your trip report. Thank you.

I'm in Scotland in September, .and, although I've been several time before, your Rabbies tour goes to some places I've not seen.

Currently trying to decide between tours and driving. Bu then, I'm used to driving on the left side of the road.

memejs

tripplanner001 - Actually if you're considering a private tour with Rabbies, my best recommendation is to contact my first guide, Gill Brown, who has her own business doing private tours. Her email address is [email protected]. She also has social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram @gillbrowntourguide

StantonHyde

Wow! We just got back from Scotland too! you had better weather in Glencoe-believe it or not! I also loved the valley you described--so gorgeous!!! We drove--not tour folks. But we did do the West Coast Tours to Mull, Iona, and Staff. The bus, ferries, and boats are too much to stitch together on our own. The couple sitting across from me were blown away by Mull--the husband said--I thought this was what you had to get through to get to the good stuff--but it IS the good stuff.

memejs

Day 7

Today I was up at 5:30 to see the early-morning sunlight. The sun rises about 4am, so I wasn’t trying to catch the actual sunrise, but I did want to catch the morning sunlight on Plockton, and I was rewarded with a gorgeous and serene morning.

I first picked my way down a little lane between homes that led to a small, pebbled bay. The water was completely still, and the sky and clouds were reflected perfectly in the water. At one point the sun’s rays broke through a hole in the clouds, creating a scene that looked, literally, divine. I made my way down the one little main street of Plockton and took various outlets that let down to the shore, photographing all along the way. The light shining on the water and the many white buildings of Plockton were spectacular.

As you may have noticed from my frequent comments on meeting cats, I love cats and look for them everywhere I go. I have freakishly good “cat radar!” Well, I was standing on a cement ledge photographing Plockton’s main street when I felt something furry rub up against my legs. A friendly young calico, completely unbidden, had come to say hello. The idyllic beauty of the town, the peaceful morning, and a friendly cat – I wondered if I’d been transported to heaven! I spent as long as I possibly could enjoying the quiet morning until I had to head back to shower, eat, and be ready to start the last day of tour #1.

Our first stop was a little café with a view of Eilean Donan castle, the most photographed castle in Scotland. From there we continued onto the actual castle site. I opted not to pay to go in. Instead, I spent our free hour down on the rocks and soggy fields below the bridge, photographing the castle from all angles and doing a really poor sketch of the site.

I don’t remember how long the drive times were between stops, but our next stop was Fort Augustus for lunch. This is a picturesque although very touristy town at the end of the Caledonian canal where it empties into Loch Ness. For lunch I had soup and a black cherry almond slice at the Caledonian Canal Café. There seemed to be fresh baked goods at every stop and café! Maybe I just noticed more because I was in vacation mode, but it was hard to resist…or more accurately, it was sad to pass up delicious-looking baked goods when I was still full from the B&Bs’ large breakfasts!

After Fort Augustus we did a bit more driving, and I then said goodbye to my first tour group in the little town of Dunkeld. My next group would pick me up there the next morning. On the way to my B&B I slipped into The Scottish Deli just before it closed and ordered a smoked cheddar and apply chutney sandwich and a slice of passion cake (a banana carrot cake, no passionfruit involved) to eat for dinner. My B&B, Tayburn House, was actually in Birnam, a bit of a long walk with my luggage. I swear I checked a map before I booked, but it must have seemed closer on the map than it was in real life! Dunkeld and Birnam are both cute little villages right along the Tay river; I would not be opposed to staying there again!

KarenWoo

How long was your walk from Dunkeld to Birnan? Was it difficult with your luggage?
I love your descriptions of the scenery! And your photos are gorgeous! They look like postcards!

memejs

Thank you! Your pictures of Greece are amazing too! I haven't commented on your trip report, but I've been following along!

It was about a 15-minute, 3/4 mile walk, which isn't too far, but I use an eBags brand carry on-sized backpack that gets quite heavy after a while.

Adelaidean

Such wonderful scenes!

geetika

memejs, thanks for the pros and cons of a guided tour, what you say makes sense. Obviously we loose some autonomy over what to see and do, but what I’ve heard suggested Rabbies is much better than others.

I would most probably go with my sister and we’re not comfortable driving on the left, so I guess some compromise will be necessary.

Thanks again for your TR and pictures, so very atmospheric!

sassy27

I am glad I’ve stumbled on this. I love Scotland and your pictures amke me miss it. I have also taken Rabbies tours before.

I haven’t done your first tour but other ones and used them for traveling to Skye. I know what you mean about sometimes skipping things as after 3 times to Skye, I still haven’t seen the Fairy pools. That is something they just don’t recommend even if it’s offered in the tour description. The last time, I should have gone but I would have been by myself as no one on the tour wanted to go. I think that’s made me want to go more. To see why they don’t like it.

I am surprised they made you walk from Dunkeld to Birnan. In the past when people were transferring to another tour, it was at one of the bathroom stops where the switch happened. That would be deal breaker but I am looking forward to hearing about your second tour.

progol

Wow, memejs! What spectacular photos! That first shot overlooking the bay in Plockton with the rowboat in the foreground is just outstanding. The rest are merely terrific!😉

And I love your cat story and the photo - cat radar, indeed!

Gardyloo

I'm enjoying the TR and photos very, very much. I have a couple of pictures of Plockton, taken - yikes - almost 50 years ago, that are quite similar to yours (except yours are way better.) Keep 'em coming!

memejs

@margo_oz I imagine that being familiar with driving on the left side of the road makes a big difference! Knowing the etiquette for driving on single-lane roads is important too!

memejs

The guide did offer to drop me off at my B&B, but I don't think I realized quite how far away it was, and I wanted to stop in Dunkeld to pick up something for dinner, since I knew I wouldn't want to go out again once I checked in and got settled. I don't know how many more years I have of wearing a heavy suitcase on my back, but it all worked out this time!