Highlander Tours
Highlander Tours
5
Multi-day Tours • Historical & Heritage Tours • Movie & TV Tours
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About
Our kilted Highlander guides would be delighted to take you on a tour of their home country. We provide a variety of other bespoke services to cater to the Scottish experience you are looking for, including Outlander, history, scenery and whisky!
Glasgow, Scotland
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2022
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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5.0
143 reviews
Excellent
143
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Dot M
1 contribution
Mar 2022 • Friends
Couldn’t have had a better weekend with our fabulous tour guide Andy. He was funny, knowledgable, attentive with the added bonus of being an extra on our favourite show Outlander. He made the day memorable from start to finish, was very professional and provided lots of whiskey and orange juice for the pregnant lady. The best guided tour we have been on, excellent value for money, we can’t wait to do another longer tour next year visiting more Outlander locations. Thank you Andy!
Written April 5, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Sinde W
Petoskey, MI5 contributions
Aug 2022
“You invent yourself...You look at other women–or men; you try on their lives for size. You take what you can use, and you look inside yourself for what you can't find elsewhere." -Diana Gabaldon (Claire to Jamie)
Andy has created his phenomenal character, "Andy the Highlander," which he portrays perfectly. He knows his audience, and he plays to it for everyone's maximum enjoyment. He knows how to pack in the most sites while paying attention to the needs of his clients, meeting them where they are (literally) with the knack of putting everyone at ease with his engaging personality. And he knows his lines! Andy is at home on the stage of Scotland, excited to bring its history to life. He loves to share his knowledge of, participation in, and appreciation for Outlander, which makes the experience so personal. Our whole group sure loved our three private days with him!
Andy has created his phenomenal character, "Andy the Highlander," which he portrays perfectly. He knows his audience, and he plays to it for everyone's maximum enjoyment. He knows how to pack in the most sites while paying attention to the needs of his clients, meeting them where they are (literally) with the knack of putting everyone at ease with his engaging personality. And he knows his lines! Andy is at home on the stage of Scotland, excited to bring its history to life. He loves to share his knowledge of, participation in, and appreciation for Outlander, which makes the experience so personal. Our whole group sure loved our three private days with him!
Written August 19, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Farah S
Rochester, NY11 contributions
Apr 2022 • Family
My family and I just returned home from a fun filled ten day Harry Potter and Outlander tour of England and Scotland. When I asked what they liked the most about the tour, the answer was unanimously “Andy”! that speaks volumes about the genuinely wonderful person, easygoing and highly experienced tour guide Andy is.
Even though I have zero Scottish blood in me, the connection I felt to Scotland was beyond words. Andy has a unique ability to immerse you in Scottish culture and in the places you visit. We had so much fun exploring Outlander and Harry Potter sites with Andy in and around Edinburgh. He goes out of his way to make sure that everyone is enjoying their time no matter their age or interest (including two young children and a teen). He’s also a big kid himself and joined in on Easter egg hunts with my kids at Blackness castle and Hopetoun house and kept fueling them with fun activities and snacks.
As for the highlights of our tour with Andy, it’s my boys transformation into Highlander warriors in kilts, sword fighting lesson, as well as the reading on the steps of the reunion scene in Outlander at Bakehouse close.
Hands down, best tour guide in Scotland! Thank you Andy for a tour of a lifetime with priceless memories!
PS Steak and Haggis pie that Andy had us try in Culross was out of this world!
Even though I have zero Scottish blood in me, the connection I felt to Scotland was beyond words. Andy has a unique ability to immerse you in Scottish culture and in the places you visit. We had so much fun exploring Outlander and Harry Potter sites with Andy in and around Edinburgh. He goes out of his way to make sure that everyone is enjoying their time no matter their age or interest (including two young children and a teen). He’s also a big kid himself and joined in on Easter egg hunts with my kids at Blackness castle and Hopetoun house and kept fueling them with fun activities and snacks.
As for the highlights of our tour with Andy, it’s my boys transformation into Highlander warriors in kilts, sword fighting lesson, as well as the reading on the steps of the reunion scene in Outlander at Bakehouse close.
Hands down, best tour guide in Scotland! Thank you Andy for a tour of a lifetime with priceless memories!
PS Steak and Haggis pie that Andy had us try in Culross was out of this world!
Written April 25, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Olivia Sebald
Minden, LA1 contribution
May 2022 • Family
WARNING!! Book this tour. Book it now. BUT be prepared that after your tour with Andy, when the high of sheer joy starts to wear off and you begrudgingly come back to reality, you will wake up one morning and you will be faced with some tough questions. Such as “Where does my life go from here?” and “Could it be that my best days are now behind me?”
I’m not being dramatic here, it just simply does not get better than a day spent adventuring around the most beautiful country with such an incredibly joyful, enthusiastic, considerate soul there to not only give you the history of the places you visit but also use his imagination and acting skills to bring it to life for you. We did a one day Outlander tour and the details that Andy has thought of….just amazing. From the Outlander music playing in the background, to the clips and pictures he shows you as you are standing in the very same spot in real life (pinched myself so many times), to acting out the scenes, and giving behind the scenes info he knows from his time on the show….just surreal. And while doing all that, Andy made sure that my mom and daughter (not Outlander fans) had just as much fun as I did!
We were only on day 2 of our 16 day trip when we toured with Andy and afterward we debated just going home because our trip and arguably our lives were now complete. We decided to stay mostly because the jet lag was brutal and we had finally survived it (and each other barely) and we didn’t think it was safe (for anyone) for us to experience that again for a while! We went on to visit the devils pulpit, Glencoe, Glen Etive, Iona, Staffa, all of Skye including hiking the Fairy Pools, Fairy Glen, Old Man of Storr, and the Quiraing, spent a night on Lewis and Harris where we saw so many standing stones (and tried them all of course), blackhouses, and gorgeous beaches. Throughout the trip we saw so many precious wee lambs, puffins, otters, rainbows…you name it we saw it. The weather was more than kind to us. The trip in all was an absolute dream. Perfection. AND STILL I tell you when someone asks any one of us what the best part of Scotland was our answer is one word. ANDY. AND my advice to anyone who tells me they want to visit Scotland, “Plan it around when you can get a tour with Andy, even if you have to wait two years.”
Our trip just would not have been the same without our amazing day of exploring, sword fighting, kilt pleating, flower smelling, steak pie eating, croquet playing, and just generally being delighted by our own personal highlander/cheerleader. I think if everyone could experience a day with Highlander Tours, the world might be a better place!
I’m not being dramatic here, it just simply does not get better than a day spent adventuring around the most beautiful country with such an incredibly joyful, enthusiastic, considerate soul there to not only give you the history of the places you visit but also use his imagination and acting skills to bring it to life for you. We did a one day Outlander tour and the details that Andy has thought of….just amazing. From the Outlander music playing in the background, to the clips and pictures he shows you as you are standing in the very same spot in real life (pinched myself so many times), to acting out the scenes, and giving behind the scenes info he knows from his time on the show….just surreal. And while doing all that, Andy made sure that my mom and daughter (not Outlander fans) had just as much fun as I did!
We were only on day 2 of our 16 day trip when we toured with Andy and afterward we debated just going home because our trip and arguably our lives were now complete. We decided to stay mostly because the jet lag was brutal and we had finally survived it (and each other barely) and we didn’t think it was safe (for anyone) for us to experience that again for a while! We went on to visit the devils pulpit, Glencoe, Glen Etive, Iona, Staffa, all of Skye including hiking the Fairy Pools, Fairy Glen, Old Man of Storr, and the Quiraing, spent a night on Lewis and Harris where we saw so many standing stones (and tried them all of course), blackhouses, and gorgeous beaches. Throughout the trip we saw so many precious wee lambs, puffins, otters, rainbows…you name it we saw it. The weather was more than kind to us. The trip in all was an absolute dream. Perfection. AND STILL I tell you when someone asks any one of us what the best part of Scotland was our answer is one word. ANDY. AND my advice to anyone who tells me they want to visit Scotland, “Plan it around when you can get a tour with Andy, even if you have to wait two years.”
Our trip just would not have been the same without our amazing day of exploring, sword fighting, kilt pleating, flower smelling, steak pie eating, croquet playing, and just generally being delighted by our own personal highlander/cheerleader. I think if everyone could experience a day with Highlander Tours, the world might be a better place!
Written June 10, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
CAGrapeGrower
Healdsburg, CA148 contributions
Jun 2022
Spending the day with Andy, as we explored Blackness Castle, Chapeltoun House and Culross, was like taking a step back into a different time and different world. In full Highland dress, he was the embodiment of a character of the Period and he brought history vividly to life. And entertaining? Oh, my goodness! With stories galore and tales of his separate career as an actor on Outlander (and other TV series), he kept us enthralled throughout the day. Instructing us in folding fabric to make a kilt led to plenty of hilarity; and the mock-swordfight he choreographed for us to perform with some of his antique weapons was another source of much laughter. Treat yourself to a wonderful, memorable day with Andy, the Highlander. You'll be glad you did!
Written June 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
SandyTep
Lakeland, FL3 contributions
Aug 2021 • Couples
I have been on three tours with Highlander Tours so far and have prepaid for a future tour. Andy is my absolute favorite, but I've enjoyed everyone involved with Highlander Tours. Andy is very knowledgable and passionate about Outlander and all things Scotland. He is very proud of his home and he is proud of the work him and his family have done on Outlander. He works out an itinerary for private tours to make it unique and catered to you. The way he takes the time out to make sure you see as much as possible is amazing. He also makes it loads of fun! I cannot wait for my next adventure with Highlander Tours!
Written November 22, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Stephanie D
Syracuse, NY15 contributions
Sep 2021 • Couples
Andy was the best tour guide! We booked a 1 day private tour. (And after we kicked ourselves for not booking a 2 day!) As we drove to the sights Andy played the Outlander soundtrack which totally set the mood! What made this tour unique was the fact that Andy is an actor in the show so not only did we get the historical background of the sights but we also got to hear about stories on set. He’s just super fun and I cannot recommend Highlander tours enough! He was super accommodating! Since we were in a private tour while talking he learned that we would be spending the night at the Covenanter hotel. Since that was a stop on his tour he decided to take us somewhere else but give us some fun facts to enjoy while we would visit later. We packed SO much in one day but it just went by too quickly! It was the absolute best way to kick of our Scotland trip but also set the bar way too high for anything else to be as exciting as this trip was. And a little surprise drive by the studios to take a photo in front of the Outlander sign just was the cherry on top of a perfect day! I could not have asked for a better day for a huge Outlander fan! My husband watches Outlander with me but was honestly hesitant about this tour because he thought it would be touristy. After we got to our hotel that night my husband told me he wished we did a longer tour. (Which we absolutely will next time!) Andy told us about the scenes he filmed and next time we rewatch we will play who’s Andy playing this episode! It was a great tour, scratch that, the BEST TOUR and if you are an Outlander fan this is simply a must do. Even if you do any of the other tours they offer I have no doubt they would be just an incredible! Thank you again Andy! You’re the best and we can’t wait to see you in the next season!!!!
Written November 21, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Kate w
1 contribution
May 2022
My 75 year old mother was the driving force behind us going to Scotland and she wanted to do it all. Especially the Isle of Sky, Culloden, and as many Outlander sights as she could. When we started planning our trip we were looking into doing it ourselves and I was so overwhelmed I wanted to cry. Then one night I saw their post on Facebook and clicked book a tour. Suddenly all my worry and stress were relieved. Andy and the rest of Highlander Tours were amazing. Lily was my point of contact and she took my rambling emails; relayed everything to Andy and they made the most memorable trip we will ever have! We got to go to places we never even knew we wanted to go. We were blessed to have Andy for 7 days and each time we were in a new hotel Andy helped us with our bags. Each morning he arrived with a smile, our transportation cleaned and filled with snacks. Our week with Andy was filled with laughter, stories, songs and a friendship only Andy could provide. He led us to castles and danced us across Fairy Pools. He endured our crazy chaos with a smile and charm. We met up with others from Highlander Tours and shared a dram. We highly, highly, recommend Highlander Tours. You will not be disappointed the amount of knowledge and love of Scotland’s history, heritage and fancifulness is delivered with the help of this amazing tour company.
Written October 5, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Dietrich Neuman
6 contributions
Aug 2021
My husband Dietrich and I spent a wonderful afternoon and evening with Andy. We had met him through a Facebook Scottish travel group and he had just started his tour guide business. We spent a lovely afternoon with him in Edinburgh, had dinner at the White Hart Inn, then walked up to Edinburgh Castle and had an amazing evening watching the Tattoo with Andy.
During the course of the evening we discovered Andy has a beautiful singing voice. My husband doesn't travel anywhere without his guitar. After the Tattoo we went back to our room at the Grassmarket Hotel, got the guitar then Andy and Dietrich stood in the Grassmarket and sang a number of songs together. We were in Scotland for 3 weeks and this was Dietrich's favorite, most magical time of the trip. (and in my top 3) Locals came over, joined in the singing and made song requests.
Travel anywhere is always the very best when you can connect with the locals. We are proud to call Andy friend and will use his tour guide services again when we visit Scotland next.
During the course of the evening we discovered Andy has a beautiful singing voice. My husband doesn't travel anywhere without his guitar. After the Tattoo we went back to our room at the Grassmarket Hotel, got the guitar then Andy and Dietrich stood in the Grassmarket and sang a number of songs together. We were in Scotland for 3 weeks and this was Dietrich's favorite, most magical time of the trip. (and in my top 3) Locals came over, joined in the singing and made song requests.
Travel anywhere is always the very best when you can connect with the locals. We are proud to call Andy friend and will use his tour guide services again when we visit Scotland next.
Written November 27, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Gina H
1 contribution
Dec 2021 • Couples
Our favorite part was that Andy was so knowledgeable about the history of the areas we visited as well as the filming of the TV series Outlander. He has been an actor on the show during all 6 seasons now and really has a wealth of information about not only the filming and the actors, but of the books as well as the history of Culloden and the Jacobites and other historical things of the time period. If you are an Outlander fan, he is your man to be the best guide. He is also fun and personable and really makes certain you have a good time and that you accomplish everything, and more, that you have on your list to do.
We felt his tour was extremely good value for the money, and not as expensive as other companies we looked into. This trip was our second time using his tour company, having done areas around Edinburgh on our previous tour. We plan to go with him again.
As to advice to other travelers: sure you can do this on your own, but you won’t see half as much or learn as much history as we were given by Andy with very little effort on our part other than mentioning a few places we were interested in. He put together a four-day tour for us in Glascow and the Highlands and because he knows the areas so well, he was able to organize the days so we saw the maximum possible without backtracking or missing things.
We highly recommend him.
We felt his tour was extremely good value for the money, and not as expensive as other companies we looked into. This trip was our second time using his tour company, having done areas around Edinburgh on our previous tour. We plan to go with him again.
As to advice to other travelers: sure you can do this on your own, but you won’t see half as much or learn as much history as we were given by Andy with very little effort on our part other than mentioning a few places we were interested in. He put together a four-day tour for us in Glascow and the Highlands and because he knows the areas so well, he was able to organize the days so we saw the maximum possible without backtracking or missing things.
We highly recommend him.
Written April 8, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Hi guys. We booked the Highland Feast tour and are trying to sort out our accommodations accordingly but can't seem to find where we are to meet for it aside from the city of Glasgow. Can you help us out?
Betsy811
Ashburn, VA2 contributions
Andy picked us up at our hotel in Edinburgh. I am sure if you are all in one spot he would do that.
lynettemorgan2
Sydney, Australia
Hi, do you do one day tours from both Glasgow and Edinburgh, cheers Lyn
Hi, will the tour also gå from Edinburgh? What day in july?