Rabbie’s

Ok I was really looking forward to touring with this company because they offered small group tours for a reasonable price. However, I was let down by how the tour went. First, my cousin and I arrived at the check in point early and sat down for breakfast in the little café. We were told it would be announced when the tour was ready. It so happened that my cousin was in the restroom when they called us. There was at MOST a 5 minute delay from when they called to when we started walking towards the bus, but the tour guide started waving at us impatiently to hurry as if we were errant kids. The tour guide is also a former salmon farmer now tour guide and is dressed in a kilt. I would have preferred a friendlier guide without the gimmick — just be yourself! We arrived at our first castle and it was «closed» so we moved onto the town. We were told that we are stopping there for a meal and were recommended certain cafes for pies. We were not told this was for a light bite and that we are getting a lunch break later so we made sure to get the pies. We then rushed back only to see that the one other couple that was on the tour was already on the bus and the driver and the couple were both sarcastic with us for being slow. We simply replied that we only ate the pie that the driver recommended! Plus, he told us we were not allowed to bring food on the bus and so we didn’t get it to go. Come to find out that the first castle is actually open but the driver got the time wrong so that’s why he’s in a rush (the older couple happened to find out by having gone to a tourist center). So he drives like mad back so we can see the castle and the driver specifically tells my cousin and I to be sure we are on time. I also felt the tour was marketed differently than how it played out. I specifically chose this tour because it was to focus on lochs and castles without the hype of Loch Ness. We barely stopped at any Lochs! The first one we stopped at (which was breathtaking) we were given literally only 5 minutes to take pics and hop back on the bus! Same thing with the last loch. Also, on the way back to the city he drove us through scenery and stopped at a scenic viewpoint, but we had to specifically request if we could get off the bus to take pics and the driver seemed so exasperated by this! Lastly, the whole time the driver did not stop talking. I mean the guy barely took a breath and his stories weren’t that interesting or well told. I’m a fan of history and site seeing, but I could not take away anything from what he was saying. My cousin and I were seated towards the back of the bus and so we sometimes whispered to each other our own conversation. Finally the driver took a break and in the silence I guess you could hear our tone of voices and occasionally laughing. We were actually having a serious discussion, and so no way we were super loud because it was private information — but the driver decided to announce please be quiet back there — there are other people on the bus. Uhhhhh, there are literally 5 ppl on the bus (driver, my cousin and I, and the older couple) and we are supposed to just be silent the whole ride back? I could understand if were being rowdy teens or the bus was crowded or something, but my cousin and I are both well educated, well mannered young women in our late twenties. Clearly, if we were the party type we would not be opting for a small group tour of Scottish scenery and would have been partying it up in Edinburgh! I just thought the driver was rushed and rude and I didn’t appreciate how the tour was organized.

I couldn’t get to wifi quick enough to post this! I got far more than I paid at this astonishing 1 Day trip. If you choose to book one of rabbie’s 1 day tours, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE call and ask for James (not sure how much longer he will be doing the tours, he’s a very important and busy gentleman.)
I did the Highlands, Glen & Whiskey Distillery 1 day tour. Not only was I completely captivated by the inspiring scenery of Scotland, our guide (again, JAMES) was absolutely, incredibly astonishing. The history, the storytelling, the hospitality was just incredible. I have done a number of tours in a number of countries and I, by far, have yet to have such an incredible experience. I know more about Scotland than I do my own country (awful, I know… but there’s not as much rich history where I come from.) William Wallace, Robert the Bruce, the lochness monster… I can go on for days. My love for Robert the Bruce has blossomed (since Hollywood’s horrific interpretation — also historically inaccurate.)
The gorgeous views (even with the horrific flooding that’s just happened in Scotland — and much of the northern U.K.) was breathtaking. The Queen’s View is something I will never forget. That image of the highlands is heavenly. Also, it is not named the queen’s view due to Queen Victoria… you’ll know the true explanation on the tour. The distillery was incredibly informative and delicious :) We also made a tiny pit stop in Pitlochery which was gorgeous and lovely.
I can’t stress enough how important it is to take this tour, especially with James, to truly understand the Scottish culture.
In a nutshell: this tour is what I dream of learning on any adventure.
You won’t be disappointed! I promise!
P. S. James if you ever make it to the states, please contact us (Alex & I) we would love to show you around Southern California! Thank you thank you thank you for the most memorable part of our trip! go raibh míle maith agat

Great company to tour with! I did 2 tours, #1 was West Highlands Castles and Lochs with James. Definately small group, I think max was 16, and we rode around in a medium size van. Very comfy and roomy. Check in is at their café which is a great idea! You can go early, grab some tea/​coffee and breakfast while you wait to board. So first trip was great, went to some awesome castles to include one used for Outlander filming! Tour guide was great, provided interesting history facts and jokes as well as played some nice music.
#2 was with David to St Andrews and Fife. Though the weather was dreary, David was very knowledgable about history and when he didnt know, he admitted it and not made up crap! Again, some awesome places to see, stopped in Falkland which was used as Inverness in Outlander!
All tours provided plenty of stops for restrooms and food, plus you can bring it on the minibus!

Fantastic! In September my husband and I took the 3 day Isle of Skye tour and the Highlands with Rabbies and Daniel Young was our guide. Could not have been any better. He was quite informative, pleasant and accommodating. Was so knowledgeable, I felt he could easily be a professor of history in his next career.
Could not recommend him or Rabbies any higher. Great experience which we will do again.

I did the 4 day tour to the Isle of Skye with Ewan McCloud. He definitely made our tour extraordinary adventure. The sites and locations we visited were breathtaking. Ewan made sure we were taken care of at every stop making sure we had access to food/​drinks and toilets. He also stopped for the best photography moments. Ewan’s commentary throughout the tour made him invaluable. He gave us historical information, folklore and his own experience from living in the highlands. I highly recommend this fantastic and Ewan as a superb guide!

So, I took a 5 day tour with the company with the lovely and brilliant Gail as our tour guide and used the café and hence this is a combination review.
So frankly,​imo, the café is okay — not the greatest of food, but functional and will do in a pinch. Its mostly sandwiches and I think my disappointment is because I wanted pasties and pies. There is also only 1 (!!!) bathroom for the ladies so inevitable long lines :-(
​Now for the tour — it was just awesome and magnificent and I would totally recommend using Rabbies if looking to book a guided tour around Scotland. Gail was funny and knowledge and very good about trying to show us all she could, while also keeping to the itinerary. Her suggestions on places to eat were spot on and she did a great job — would totally book with this tour company again. Hence, its a 5-​star review, even thought the café would only be 3 stars.

Took a tour from this spot to the Scottish Highlands.
Very cool, fun and informative… but the tour guide cold shit on the Braveheart movie facts.
Thanks, lady.

My mom and I attended the 3 day highlands tour led by «Party Pete» and loved it. I enjoyed the itinerary and pacing of stops and would not have excluded any of them. The bus size is capped at 16 and was perfect, as it wasn’t so many people that it slowed down the group. I like the meeting place as it’s very central and easy to spot. Pete was a very cautious and safe driver, very informative, fun, quick witted, and friendly. He has all the qualities of a great tour guide and clearly a valuable member to the Rabbie’s team.
We made the first choice of a B&B Suite and got it — it was a lovely B&B we stayed at for both nights and I felt like we made the perfect choice.

The Highlands tour to Glencoe and Loch Ness with Peter as our guide was definitely worth it. A favorite part of our (3 teens and mom) trip to Scotland!
This was our way of seeing the Highlands since we only stayed in Edinburgh. The Highlands are gorgeous and Glencoe, my favorite. My teens thought Peter was cool. Amazed he knows so much of what we want to know. He even sang the Scottish Anthem but, not National Anthem.
It is a whirlwind trip with fast stops in awesome places but, we got to see it and enjoyed the company and learnings. Thank you, Peter! We highly recommend it!

This is a review of their 3-​day Highland and isle of skye tour. It’s my first time touring w Rabbie’s. The group was small, about 14 of us, and they can take up to 16 passenger+ one tour guide/​driver per bus. Their Benz-​Mercedes van was great, much exceeding our expectation, there are USB plug chargers next to each seat and seats are very comfortable. Our guide’s name was Dan (for Danial Young). He is young, passionate about nature beauty, the folklores and history of Scotland as well as so knowledge about them. he is nice and chill, but kept us on schedule, and he also work himself pretty hard to watch out for everyone and always to entertain us w stories and the highland cultures over long drive) and he is very cool about accommodating everyone’s request. if we ever came back to try another adventure, I’d request to be put on his tour.
We chose double bed B&B option and it turns out to be great! Our host (Mr. Murdo) offered us a cozy and comfy queen-​size bedroom on the upstairs. He is not quiet talkative, but he is so considerate, having water boiler/​tea/​coffee/​shortbread snacks, UK adaptor, WIFI password in our room. He cooked us a very hearty traditional breakfast each morning. He treat you nicely and sometimes try to make you learn the Gaelic words, like good morning. His place don’t have an ocean-​view, but it is pretty close to the downtown, which is a plus for us to walk back at night.
About the tour itself,
I love the nature beauty by heart, and i would definite recommend the highland tour, and hopefully the weather is in our favor. That’s the nice thing about going w a tour, is that they are more experienced w plan the trip by ear according to the weather. We have a dripping/​rainy first day, and lucky majority of the time we stayed on the bus and take some picture along the way. Dan is good at timing each stop for pictures, for castle touring, and we stayed at a pub at Glenhaig Inn at Glencoe for lunch, where they filmed some of the Harry Potter scene nearby. I think it’s quiet interesting to see a not-​that-​sunny day in skye so you understand more why the highland is harsh for the plants and for the people. After We arrived in Portree in the late pm and Dan drove us around downtown to give some suggestions and dropped everyone off at their hostel/B&B/hotel. I personally recommend to try Sea Breeze seafood restaurant because the seafood here is fantastic. While we are waiting for our reservation, we hiked a little around the black rock loop (entrance is next to the Cuilling hotel). It took about 1.5 hour and you got to see Portree and from a distance, really nice hike and it’s not that demanding. It’s quiet nice that in the summer, day time are so long, so if you want to take advantage of being in Skye, you can do a lot of things until sunset around 9 pm.
On our second day, weather turns much nicer and everyone are so excited to the real beauty of the island. Dan is awesome of taking advantage of the weather, and we as a young group, had a very productive day. and our third day was very fruitful too. I will let the picture to do the talk.

Visited the highlands including several small towns and villages capped off by a tour at Dewar’s Aberfeldy. Our tour guide was Doug or «Dougie» and he was an absolute hoot! Great at explaining the countryside and telling historical stories about the areas we traveled through. If you have a chance to check out any of their tours they seem to hire knowledgable people which is a huge plus. Thanks again Doug!

We went on the Alnwick Castle/​Borders tour. Gill was our guide. She did a great job! Her love of Scotland and history made this a fun trip. She shared wonderful information and kept the trip lighthearted, even though we traveled many miles on the coach! I would recommend this tour and Gill anytime!

Muy buena opción de tours para Edinburgo. Compramos el de las high lands y la destilería. Fue un placer. El guía Mike y el conductor Grand tenían la posta. fueron divertidos y el tour se hizo muy ameno pese a la duración prolongada.

This is for the Loch Ness and the Highlands tour. The group was small — about 16 of us — which I absolutely prefer. Our guide’s name was Mackenzie (Mac), and should we ever want another tour in Edinburgh, I’d request to be put on his tour in a heartbeat.
It’s not that he got us from start to finish safe and sound (though that does count for a lot, right?), or that he kept us on schedule. Mac was funny. Mac was intelligent. Mac wore a kilt and had a thick Scottish accent. But most importantly, Mac was an excellent storyteller. He shared stories about the histories of the Clans, the battles that were fought and the impact on the countryside. He shared stories that could be corroborated, and he shared local myths and legends. But he didn’t just tell the stories — no. That would be ordinary! Mac relived the stories, and had us reliving them right along with him. He wove sound effects, gestures (sometimes alarmingly so — 10 and 2, Mac, 10 and 2!) and music into the stories, and it was magical (or was that just me?)
He also dropped some knowledge on us in the form of «…and that’s where the phrase [enter phrase here] comes from.» I made notes of all the ones he mentioned, and fully intend to look them up. I hope he wasn’t just blowing smoke up our crack. But hell, even if he was, he was such a great storyteller, I think I can forgive him!
Finally, Mac talked about how his company cares for the environment, which was great, but at every stop he showed that to be true for him, as well. He carried several empty trash bags and a trash-​picker-​upper, and at every stop picked up rubbish. I have to mention that because he wasn’t doing it for accolades from the group. He did it because he loves the country, and hates that people are so careless with their litter. I find that to be highly commendable.
He also found a way to work in extra stops along the way, which allowed us to see and learn more about the lochs and Scotland. This is actually the biggest reason we were so exhausted. You wouldn’t think that sitting in an air conditioned bus being driven around the Scottish countryside would be tiring, but Mac made us work. We’d drive, he’d pull over to tell us about the area then we’d get out for pictures and to hike.
We must have made four or five stops before actually getting to our first «real» stop, which was Rannoch Moor in the Highlands. This is what Mac called «the last great wilderness in Britain», and I really hope it stays that way. The pictures will not do it justice. Pictures will never be able to capture the depth of color or the expanse of nature. I know we’ve all experienced nature before — mountains, deserts, oceans, parks — but these places felt more… is «hushed» the right term? Battles have been fought on these lands — whole clans have been slaughtered and allegiances changed — and you can feel that in the air. Or maybe I’m just being a namby-​pamby.
The biggest stop for this tour was, of course, Loch Ness. And I will say that it’s not at all as I expected it to be. It’s huge, yes, and very picturesque. But I was preparing myself for the visual and capital onslaught of a street or two full of «I SAW NESSIE!» merchandise. I was surprised to find that there were only two shops off the main drag, and that they kept their Nessie merchandise levels low.
We opted to skip the loch boat cruise in favor of having a nice lunch in town and touring the city of Fort Augustus. As I said, it was a beautiful day, so once we were full, we were able to walk along the Caledonian Canal down to the banks of the loch. It was on our way to the loch that we passed Mac, who had produced a small set of bagpipes from the bus and was camped out on a bench, playing his heart out.
At the shoreline, we paused to take it all in and, of course, pose for some pictures. The loch is the second largest in Scotland, though a claim can be made that it’s the largest, when comparing volume. Lookit that — I just dropped some knowledge on y’all.
We didn’t really have a whole lot of time at the loch — for those that took the boat tour, they basically got off the bus, waited for tickets, hopped on the boat, sailed around for an hour, got off the boat, and boarded the bus. I’m glad we decided to stay ashore, because we at least had a chance to explore.
We made several more stops on the way back to Edinburgh. At one point, Mac stopped us in an area he referred to as «Scotland as it was before humans came along to screw it up» — basically forest and streams and waterfalls. Pure beauty. This was the second time we came across Mac and his bagpipes, and it set the mood so perfectly. Here we were, viewing a fast-​running stream that ended in a waterfall, surrounded by trees and blueberry bushes and heather, and you could hear the faint strains of a bagpipe on the wind.
This is the only tour I’ve been on where I was actually sad at the end. I wanted more stories, more Scottish countryside, more folklore.

Booked a tour from Edinburgh to St Andrews & Fife. It was amazing! Emily our tour guide was incredible! Very knowledgable! Thank You!

We did three individual day trips — the trip to St Andrews /​Fife (with Jan as our driver) and the longer trip to the Highlands /​Loch Ness (driver Ally) were fantastic. The scenery — photo stops — colorful, insightful and funny commentary were top shelf. Highly recommend both trips.
The trip to Alnwick Castle was not as good. The driver was very insightful but not as engaging as the previous two. The castle itself is stunning — one of the most attractive in the UK — the trip down /​photo stops not as good either — it was interesting but a little disappointing compared to the aforementioned trips.

My husband and I went on the 4-​day tour from Edinburgh to the Isle of Islay, week of May 18, 2014. Our driver was Jamie, and he was truly fantastic! We were part of a group of 11, plus the driver, transported in a very comfortable, modern van. We spent most of the first day en route to Islay, with a stop at Oban along the way.
Our stay was centered around the Bowmore distillery, staying as two groups in the very spacious and nicely equipped cottages on the grounds of the distillery, which is itself located in the heart of the village. On day 2, we toured three distilleries, and returned to the cottages by dinner time. This schedule was basically repeated on day 3. On day 4, we spent most of the day returning to Edinburgh, stopping to see sights along the way.
The distilleries themselves were of interest, but the overall trip was greatly enhanced by our guide. As Jamie drove, not only would he tell us about the next distillery, but all the local legends and historical sights along the way. Much of this was punctuated by the Scottish music he played through the van’s sound system.
The guide Jamie was truly beyond excellent. He had a thorough grasp of historical facts, was a delightful story-​teller, and very pleasant and patient with us all. My husband and I returned home with a keen interest in Scotland and its history. We would love to visit again.
Take the tour! Of the two of us, my husband is the true single malt whiskey drinker, but I actually found some along the way that I like. So even if you aren’t big into Scotch, there is still a lot that you will enjoy on this tour.

We wanted to see wild and scenic Scotland, without having to do the driving and navigation ourselves, and without feeling rushed. So we joined the 3 day Isle of Skye tour, leaving on a Monday at 9am and returning on Wednesday around 6pm.
The mini-​buses were nice, even with ours being completely full (yes, even the fold down seat by the driver).
The guides were knowledgeable and decently friendly.
The schedule was pretty flexible and relaxed, with frequent comfort stops for food, shopping, and toilet breaks. And when we were on the Isle of Skye and the weather wasn’t exactly optimal, Stewart even took a vote as to what we wanted — venture out to Neist Point, head to a castle, or tour the Talisker distillery.
Our requests for accommodations were met, though I think the price ended up a wee bit higher than the range advertised when we signed up for the tour. And our B&B did request payment in cash — just fyi.
While I appreciated the less than strenuous days, and I could see how driving a minibus would make you want a nice long break, I wish we’d gotten started before 9am each day, or at least the successive days of the tours.
I highly recommend for a great way to see the country without having to navigate it yourself.

I joined the Rabbies one day West Highland Lochs and Castle tour and can definitely recommend this tour to anybody!
The tour started about 8.30 in the morning and the bus was booked out. I believe that there were additional buses arranged due to high demand. Unfortunately I was the last one arriving (15 min before departure) and only got the seat beside the driver, which is not the most comfortable seat for long journeys.
TIP: Arrive at least half hour before departure to grab yourself a good seat
Note: Rabbies should avoid counting/​booking the front left seat as a full seat, considering that one unlucky person might not enjoy the trip as much as others!
Having said this, you get a good full on view!
First stop was Doune castle. You are not able to enter the castle (ticket is not included in the price) and are advised to look at the castle and its walls whilst walking around it. Still, you have plenty of time to buy yourself a ticket and have a very quick look around. Toilets are available.
We drove on to Loch Awe, parked and walked towards Kilchurn Castle. It is a lovely 10 min walk from the mainland to the island where Kilchurn castle is build on. It always helps when the sun is out!
Next stop Inveraray Castle and/​or Inveraray town centre where you also can buy lunch. Group entrance to the castle is £8. Not much to see to be honest.
On our way back we stopped at Luss on the shores of lovely Loch Lomond, as well as Stirling castle.
Overall I enjoyed the trip very much. Plenty of toilet breaks, time to explore and eat without being rushed, knowledgeable and funny tour guide/​driver called Martin, decent driving, and good booking process without any difficulties.
Shame that I got the most uncomfortable seat, otherwise it would have been a 5* for the tour.
I will definitely be back and book another tour soon so that I can experience the full pleasures that Rabbies has to offer.

Excellente petite entreprise de tour guidés, guides drôles et sympathiques et petit groupes. Notre guide a préparé une belle sélection musicale, connaissait bien le pays et ses traditions et savait en parler avec humour et passion.

It would seem weird wouldn’t it. for someone who lives in Edinburgh to join a local bus tour. but given the opportunity, I’d gladly do it again!
I’ve lived in Scotland almost 3 years and never gone to Skye, when one of my BFF’s said she was coming to visit, we looked into various options but decided it was just as cost effective and really a whole lot easier just to join a tour.
As her time was very limited, Rabbies was our only option as they were the only ones offering a 5 day tour leaving on a Saturday. Well, we were not disappointed!
We had a fantastic time! There was only 6 of us on the tour so we got to spread out in the bus. Our guide Doug had great knowledge about Scotland and shared lots of great stories about the various places we went to see. We were lucky enough to meet a few of the other drivers and they all seemed super friendly and all had a great sense of humour.
Talking to a couple of other girls (at our B&B) who were on a 3 day tour from Glasgow, it sounds like we got to visit a couple of places that their guide didn’t take them to. So I think the experience could be quite different depending on who your driver is. But the girls seemed to be having a great time on their tour also.
The B&B’s that were booked for us were also great. Both in great proximity to town to get dinner etc.
If you don’t have your own transport or are pushed for time, or just feel like letting someone else do the hard work on holiday (driving, research, accomodation etc) then I would highly recommend joining a Rabbies tour!

My mother and I signed up for the 3 day tour to Skye. I was pleased to have a small tour group of 15, and the fact that our guide: Jamie, wore a kilt. The buses were new and fairly comfortable to be in, and Jamie was very approachable and entertaining throughout, ranging from history lessons to Scottish folklore to crazy statements deliberately made to catch people out.
The weather was beautiful for pretty much the entire duration of the trip, and the energy that Jamie put throughout the trip made this tour impeccable. Jamie’s light hearted sense of humour seemed to touch every single one of us during his tour, whether it was his Scottish accent lessons, his intriguing faerie stories or when he talked about racial stereotypes specific to us, it was an excellent trip overall.
The choice of Bed and Breakfast accommodation at Portree was great, we had this lovely place that served hot breakfasts and gave us the option of having drambuie in our porridges.
I’m definitely taking another tour with Rabbies when I travel to Scotland again!

It was a great trip in Scotland because of Rabbie’s team. We’ve got an amazing guide with a laughter incredible ;-)
The bus was new but the finishes was not so good. A ceiling was broken, maybe it was just in our bus.

Wow! Das war ein schöner One-​Day-​Trip in die West-​Highlands! Unser Busfahrer hatte viel zu erzählen und hat wirklich schöné Orte zum Aussteigen ausgesucht. Lediglich mit dem Lunchstop war ich nicht sonderlich glücklich, da hätte ich mir etwas Netteres vorstellen können.
Insgesamt eine sehr gute Möglichkeit, um schnell etwas von der Schönheit Schottlands Landschaften kennenzulernen