Isle of Skye Private Tour

Beautiful landscapes but a long day in the car.

Beautiful landscapes. The trip from Inverness is a long day. We knew that going into this but folks should be prepared for a lot of time in the car. The stops were 20 min up to 1.5 hours. We bought sandwiches and ate lunch in the car. Perhaps we would have changed the itinerary to include a restaurant stop for lunch and skip some of the smaller or shorter stops. We had a very very windy day so we didn’t linger on any walks.

The isle of sky tour was amazing. Many stops along the way and beautiful. Would highly recommend

Wonderful tour. We had the private tour with just our family. Roberto was a wonderful host & driver. Would highly recommend to others

Best Highlands Experience Imaginable

Our tour with Andy was truly fantastic and the highlight of our several week European vacation. Prior to the tour I let Andy know that I would be proposing to my girlfriend on this day. He helped me with all the logistics, captured some amazing photographs of us, and even brought champagne so we could raise a glass in celebration. Isle of Skye was breathtaking, and I cannot believe how much Andy was able to fit into a single tour. He was incredibly knowledgeable about the area and really brought the tour to life. Next time we are in the Highlands we will be booking another tour with Andy as his service was truly second to none

Trip of a lifetime

Amazing trip..picturesque scenery.. It was what we hoped for and more Pleasant, knowledgeable, helpful guide “Andy”..He managed to adjust the itinerary based on what the weather allowed and our preference with hotel pick up & drop off. He also had extra umbrellas for possibility of rain & drinking water.. All in all it was a very enjoyable experience, would definitely recommend. Thank you Andy..

A must-book adventure!

HUGE gratitude to Andy for the incredible Isle of Skye tour! He was extremely accommodating, very knowledgeable and personable, and an all-around great guy to spend the day with. His tour was well-designed, and he made sure to check in with us about our needs and preferences throughout the day. And, he recommended great whiskys! We would highly recommend this tour if you are looking to cover a lot of Scottish highland ground and learn interesting facts in great company.

An expensive taxi ride, not a guided tour

If you are looking for an enjoyable tour that will provide information about the sites you are seeing, I would avoid this tour. We thought we were getting a wonderful, personal tour that would be informative and fun. Instead, we were met at the hotel by a taxi driver who told us he would be the driver. We were told that Andy was on a different tour that day. We spent the day in the back of a taxi with a man who is not from the area, did not know anything about the sites we were seeing, and who drove like a taxi driver. The taxi was not a nice one like the classic ones you find in London, but closer to a New York City cab. The taxi driver was kind, he never waited to make sure we were settled and buckled before taking off. At the beginning of the tour he asked if we wanted the long walk or short walk. We are quite active so said the longer walk, not realizing that the longer walk would bring us on a completely different tour. That was not explained to us, so while the Isle of Skye is beautiful, we did not see many of the things we had been excited to see. When we asked about one of the castle ruins we were going to the driver said he did not know anything about it. We contacted the tour company afterwards once we had wifi and were told that this is what we paid for, but he would give us a small refund due to being stuck in a taxi and not a nicer vehicle. The tour company also said we should have confirmed the stops prior to starting the tour and it was our fault the tour was changed. If all you are looking for in a day trip to the Isle of Skye is to take some photos and not get any information, you could do this tour, but I would recommend doing a big bus tour instead. You will save money and definitely be more comfortable.

Say No to the Isle of Skye Tour with this company!

This was NOT a Tour! It WAS a taxi ride to 4 places. The driver was polite but knew NOTHING ABOUT SCOTLAND! For the price we paid we could have hired anyone off the street. We had booked the northern part of Isles of Skye but because we did not understand what the driver was asking we had a different drive. At no point was this a tour! We understand that if you get Andy you have an entirely different experience but otherwise just say NO to this over priced taxi ride!

Use a different Tour group if you really want a tour!

If looking for just a private driver I guess this is a fair option but a pricy one. When we booked our "tour" we were expecting the driver to know the itinerary along with some historical facts about Scotland. We reached out to Andy regarding our disappointment, his response is as follows, "I am sorry you felt that you didn't learn about Scotland from our tour but we are more about scenery and photo opportunities rather than lots of historical facts and we cant please everyone."

Amazing Isle of Skye Day Trip

If you're in Inverness and want to do a day trip to Skye, this is the tour for you. As many people who've traveled to Isle of Skye will tell you, you need at least 2-3 days to enjoy all there is to offer. But if you're just interested in checking out some of the highlights, snapping photos of some of the beautiful scenery, and getting an idea of where you might like to explore on a future trip, this tour is ideal. Andy was our guide for this trip, and he's very friendly, knowledgeable, and courteous, making sure to adjust the tour as needed based on what's important to you. We couldn't believe all the amazing things we saw in just one day, and we're looking forward to going back next year to see more. We even booked a separate day trip with Angel, one of Andy's drivers, to visit several distilleries in Speyside. We were also extremely happy with that tour, as we were able to visit spots that no other tours were offering, and Angel was similarly friendly and accommodating. We'll definitely be booking tours with Highland Discovery again when we return to Scotland. Thanks, Andy and Angel!

Awesome day trip to Isle of Skye.

Had a fabulous day trip to Isle of Skye. Roy Martin was a terrific tour guide and driver. Absolutely beautiful scenery and we learned a lot of history from Roy. Highly recommend.

Magical Mystery Tour.

We went "over the sea (actually over the bridge) to Skye" with Andy in his sparkling clean new vehicle. It was the highlight of our trip. Since we were starting from Kyle we were able to see just about everything there is to see on Skye, even a few tucked away spots. Andy is knowledgeable not only about the history of the island but also about its lore and legends. He joined us for a delightful and delicious lunch at a tavern by the Talisker Distillery and we learned more about the magic of the isle and what we would see the rest of the day. One of our goals was to add to the mystery of the Fairy Glen. Mission Accomplished! Skye is a "must see" when visiting Scotland and you "must be" with Andy. He'll even have you believing in fairies! Can't recommend highly enough.

Lovely day!

Roy was a great guide. He was punctual and kept us on track all day! He was very knowledgeable and accommodating as well! We lucked out with weather so we have beautiful pics!

Private trip from Inverness to the Isle Of Skye

Andy was a great host, very knowledgable about the local sights and able to accommodate our preferences. We had a great trip seeing the castles and the Loch Ness along the way. The hike to the Fairy Pools was the highlight of our visit to the Isle of Skye, with Scotch tasting in the Talisker Distillery coming in second. The island is quaint and beautiful. Andy was an entertaining host regaling us with both the history and the current affairs of the region.

Incredible day trip to the Isle of Skye

Andy was very knowledgeable about the area, he started our trip by first asking what we were hoping to see and customized the trip based on our conversation. We saw more of Skye than we anticipated and can’t wait to visit again. Visiting Eilean Donan castle was magical The fairie pools were amazing and a highlight of our trip. Enjoyed a dram at Talisker distillery. We made it all the way up to Uig and got to see the heart of Scotland. Appreciated the option of sitting down to eat or grabbing a quick sandwich to be able to discover more of the island. Touring with Andy was more like being shown the sites with a member of the family you are visiting rather than just a tour guide, enjoying the conversations between places.

Scottish dream in a day

Our driver/guide Andy was great to spend the day with. He asked what our priorities were for the day and gave us options on what to skip or see so we could spend the most time in areas most interesting to us. Andy also did a good job advising us if we weren’t sure what might be best based upon his experiences and what he thought we might enjoy most. Long day but well worth getting to see so much and experience all the beauty of the area.

Beautiful views and whiskey

Beautiful and informative from start to finish. Our driver and guide Roy was amazing. Very patient and helpful.

Spectacular tour to the Isle of Skye!

Andy was an exceptional host - he was knowledgable, and affable. We saw so many lovely sites within the day we spent together. If you want a memorable visit to the Isle of Skye, you have to book with Highland Discovery Tours!

Fantastic tour

What a fantastic private tour we had with Andy today!! Beautiful island of Skye, cattle, country side, a zip of Talisker (18 years old) and a great guide who entertained us all day with funny stories and anecdotes. Do not miss this tour with Andy. It is one of a kind! Highly recommended !!! Many thanks Andy, best day in Scotland thus far! Best Catherine, Thierry and Christine

Amazing tour of the Isle of Skye

An amazing day! Taking a private tour allowed us to customize the experience. The Isle of Skye is incredible, and Andy was a wonderful guide. We got to see all the major sites as well as some hidden treasures. One of the best tours I've taken. Highly recommend!

Great Trip! One of my Favorites

We had a great trip to Skye with Andy! Informative for the sites. Able to answer all questions except 1…have you seen a Beltie? He’ll be on the lookout now!! Gave us enough time at each stop..no rushing Brought us to a very nice cafe just outside of Portree that had delicious food! I had the Heilan Coo sandwich Definitely worth having a private guide with you and Andy was exceptional

Thoughtful tour with caring driver

Andy was fantastic. He picked us up right on time and took us to all of the best ‘must see’ destinations in Skye as well as a few of the secret or lesser known destinations. He had great knowledge of the area and route, where to eat, where to find bathroom breaks, etc. His car was comfortable. We didn’t have the best weather, but I could tell that Andy was still putting a lot of effort in to make sure we had the best time possible. We enjoyed him so much that we booked him for another trip later in the week.

A-maz-ing

Andy was amazing. Being on a private tour in a smaller car enabled us to zip around the island and squeeze I to places your can't in the big motor cars. The tour was incredible.

Only book these tours

So much to talk about with this amazing tour. First let's talk about Andy. Pleasant, engaging, knowledgeable and just plain delightful. Being on a private tour was incredible, especially aince it was our wedding anniversary. We were able to go see so many amazing things on the loch and the Isle of Skye. If you are planning to go to Inverness, you have to book with Highland Discovery. If I knew when I was booking this trip with what I know now, I would have only booked tours with this company.

Very Pleasant and Accommodating

Just wrapped up a very pleasant day tour with Andy. We were traveling with our 5 month old and Andy was very pleasant and extremely accommodating for just about everything we needed - including extra stops to nurse and/or change a diaper. He had plenty of extra water for us, had extra cables to allow us to charge our phones, and even allowed me to use his mobile hotspot when my phone wouldn’t connect. He knew exactly where the good scenic viewpoints were, and - sometimes more importantly - which ones you could afford to skip. Would definitely recommend for an all day tour - especially if you enjoy talking cars and dogs

Best Day Tour Ever - Loch Ness, Eileen Donan Castle, and The Isle of Skye!!

Andy Mason provided me and my daughter with a perfect day tour from Inverness to the Isle of Skye. As other reviewers have noted, Andy is professional, knowledgeable, and a great conversationalist. I've had the privilege of traveling to many countries over the world during the past 12 years (minus 2020-2021 due to COVID-19), and have taken private tours in Egypt, Ireland, South Africa, India, Turkey, Portugal, Spain, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Easter Island, England, and many other places. I've enjoyed all of my guides, but Andy is, hands down, THE BEST. This is what we did today: Andy picked us up at our hotel (Kingsmill in Inverness) - upon arrival the concierge shared with me that he knew Andy from other tours he's given to the hotel guests and that Andy was outstanding. Ok, so from there we went to Loch Ness and took some wonderful photos - the overcast skies added to the beauty. Next up were the ruins of Urquhart Castle, then snacks at Glen Shiel followed by an exploration of Eileen Donan Castle which featured so prominently in the film, The Highlander starring Christopher Lambert & Shawn Connery. There was a soft rainfall during this visit which added to the majesty of this beautiful castle on the waters of the Loch. We then continued west and as the mountainous peaks rose around us, it started snowing. We stopped along the road to check out the first of several beautiful waterfalls and saw wild deer and elk on the hillside! A surreal experience as the snow fell around us. We drove further into the light snowstorm and crossed the Sky Bridge when all of a sudden we were greeted with blue skies and sunlight. We stopped at the Sligachan Old Bridge (where William Wallace made his final stand in the film Braveheart) and took some incredible pics. Then Andy gave us a choice - we could do a 2 mile hike/trek to the Fairy Pools with a ton of tourists or we could continue on for about 3 miles and discover a less well-known Original Fairy Pool in the Fairy Glen! We chose the latter and it did not disappoint! From there we drove over to the Old Man of Storr and me and my daughter hiked up to it. Next was an epic drive to the top of the island, Cuith-Raing, which had the most spectacular views thus far. From there we went to Kilt Rock and witnessed a cascading waterfall off the very edge of the world! Then we stopped in the charming town of Portree for the best fish & chips we've ever had. It was a 2.5 hour back to our hotel and approximately 1 hr 45 min into the return drive Andy was able to get reception on his radio. However instead of music, there was a news alert that there had been a sighting earlier today of Nessie the Loch Ness Monster. Apparently, Andy had a good idea where this was and we raced over to this secluded area near The Clansman Hotel and were just in time to see the Loch Ness Monster just before she slipped away under the still, charcoal-colored waters of the Loch. It was still daylight (approx 6:20pm) and I was able to get possibly the clearest photographs of Nessie that I at least had ever seen. Got back to the hotel at 6:45pm - all in all, a fantastic 10 hr day-tour! Thanks so much Andy!!!

Sea to Skye - Packed with Adventure

My husband and I hit the jackpot when we found Andy Mason of Highland Discovery Tours! We chose a private tour - just my husband and me - and we could not be happier with what Andy was able to deliver! Andy picked us up in a lovely BMW X5, extremely clean, comfortable and classy. We met in the beautiful town of Inverness, traveled to Lochness and westward to Isle of Skye. Every moment, a new and more awe inspiring vista awaited us. Andy is a masterful driver and handled the windy, complicated roads of Skye with grace. His knowledge of The Scottish Highlands, it’s culture and landmarks is quite impressive. We highly recommend spending the day with Andy! You will not regret it!