Edinburgh Shore Excursions

A tour that adds to the experience This review is specifically about Discover Scotland Tours’ “Isles of Mull, Iona & The Highlands – 4 Day Tour from Edinburgh”, as I couldn't find this particular tour listed separately on Tripadvisor.
When I was researching organised tours around Scotland, I read a lot of reviews of different trips and companies. Many left me with the impression that the tour would provide the itinerary and transport, but that making the journey truly interesting would largely be up to me. It was only when I came across reviews of Discover Scotland Tours that I started reading consistently detailed accounts of guides who genuinely added something to the journey. That was one of the reasons I chose this tour, and having now travelled with them, I understand why.
Even before the trip, I had several questions about the organisation and received quick, detailed replies that gave me all the information I needed to prepare.
Our driver-guide, Dave, was excellent. Throughout the four days he shared a great deal of information about Scottish history, nature and everyday life, always with a light sense of humour that made even the longer drives enjoyable. I particularly appreciated the music he had selected for the journey, as well as the personal stories he occasionally shared about places we were passing through. These details added another layer to experiencing the places themselves.
We were a small group of only eight people, which contributed greatly to the atmosphere and also allowed the tour to be genuinely flexible. I particularly liked the balance between structure and freedom. Whenever the itinerary depended on a fixed schedule, such as catching a ferry, departure times from each stop were clearly set. When there was no such constraint, however, the group could decide how much time we wanted to spend at a particular place. This worked remarkably well — everyone respected the flexibility, and we never found ourselves waiting for a long time for one person.
The itinerary on Mull is inevitably dependent on the weather and sea conditions, and I thought this was handled particularly well. The programme was rearranged from day to day so that we could make the most of the conditions rather than simply following the original schedule. Unfortunately, rough conditions at sea meant that our trip to Staffa had to be cancelled, but instead we visited a weaving mill and a castle. I appreciated that the cancellation did not simply leave a gap in the programme — alternatives were found so that we still had a full and interesting day.
For me, this was exactly what I had been looking for when choosing an organised tour of Scotland: not simply transport and a fixed itinerary, but an organisation that provided structure when it was needed, flexibility when it wasn't, and a guide who genuinely added context to what we were seeing.

Isles of Mull, Iona & The Highlands 4 Day Tour I had an amazing time on my recent Discover Scotland 4-Day Isles of Mull, Iona & the Highlands tour. My tour companions and our remarkable leader, Colin, made this the perfect adventure. Colin made the trip a fun, memorable experience I will always cherish. He was always happy to answer our questions and fill us in on the history of the places and areas we visited on the tour. The isles of Mull and Iona are truly beautiful! The boat ride to Staffa was an adventure, and even though the rough swells prevented us from getting close enough to embark onto Staffa, we were close enough to appreciate the breathtaking views of the uninhabited island and Fingal’s Cave. I may do the same tour next year before the puffins leave Staffa near the end of July, not to mention that I may be 'called' again to the spiritual Isle of Iona. Awesome tour! Thank you, Colin, Discover Scotland Tours, and the friends I made.

Excellent tour of the highlands Our guide, Harry, was excellent and told us many great stories. We enjoyed the trip very much and would definitely recommend it to everyone thinking on joining a tour.

Excellent Wonderful tour of Glencoe and Glenfinnan Viaduct with Big Al, very comfortable, great commentary and information. Al was spot on with his timings and the locations. I would highly recommend this company for their professional, friendly approach.

Wonderful Experience and Great Stories We had an amazing time seeing the Scottish highlands on this tour. Dougie made the experience both educational and fun with his stories. We were very prompt to each destination and even had time to make a few extra stops along the way. Highly recommend!

Best tour we’ve been on Can’t recommend the trip enough! Was the highlight of our holiday. Kyle, our tour guide, was super friendly, knowledgable, and helpful. Hope to do another one of their tours again one day.

The romance of Scottish Highlands & seaside villages Wonderful guide and experience! I did tours in Ireland and out of Inverness and Glasgow on my travels. This tour was the best all because of the amazing tour guide Jerry! He made our day so fun - playing Scottish music - telling tales from growing up in Glasgow and really made the history come to life! Some of these were good I had were just a little too chatty and Jerry really knew how to read the vibe of the group and play music and help us relax and enjoy ourselves on a very long day. A true professional!
Scotland has captured my heart. I can’t wait to go back. Would definitely recommend this tour!

Fun trip! Dougie was a great guide. Very personable and informative. Very enjoyable day!

Great tour for the money. Beautiful scenery. Took lots of pictures. Great all day tour to see hills, mountains, and lakes with several stops to get out of the van. This is the tour for you if you are not into castles and only want to see the country side and end up in Oban for excellent fish n chips and shopping. There are two castle stops to take pics and walk around if you like. The rest is beautiful scenery to enjoy. Our guide Chris was great!

Great 3,Days Fantastic trip! Guide was incredible flexible to support everyone’s requests, safe and clean

Great highlands day trip Loved this day trip from Glasgow into the highlands (Inverary, Oban, Glencoe plus a few other short stops). Our guide Harry was great, full of information & sharing some Scottish music artists along the way.

Highly recommend Harry was great. Shared relevant information about the trip, played great Scottish music, and shared funny stories. Really enjoyed the day, except for moments of pouring rain (which of course is not under anyone's control)! Highly recommend.