The Hebridean Explorer

We took a tour of the Isle of Skye with John in June 2013. We had a great time. John is very informative on history, geography, and culture of the area. He is very personable and I would highly recommend his tours.

We took a three-day tour of the Scottish highlands and Isle of Skye in September, 2019 with John, and it was easily the highlight of our two-week trip to Scotland! John was accommodating from the moment we arrived and customized the tour to fit our interests! Our only regret is that we did not have more time. Next time we visit we will definitely add a Hebridean Explorer tour to our trip. John's knowledge of Scottish history was vast; we learned so much even though we studied up ahead of time!

I would highly recommend John MacDonald to anyone hoping to gain a true experience of the Scottish Highlands. His tour options are designed with care and meant to make the most of your time in Scotland. I am a seasoned traveler and have taken many tours around the world from large group to personal tours so my expectations were high going into our tours. A personal tour is expected to bring you an intimate look at sights and experience you would never get in another venue and happily, John exceeded my expectations! The basics were all there…exceptional communication, promptness, knowledge of the area but what really set John apart was his passion for the culture and insight that can only be gained through years of study and experience. I typically like to plan adventures on my own so by sharing my thoughts with John was able to get exactly the experience I wanted.John takes great pride in his native land and it clearly shows through his entertaining and factual history of the region. He took time to talk with my son and I but more importantly picked up on our interests and made recommended stops to area sights that I had no idea I really wanted to see! I took the 3-day Isle of Skye and 1-day Highland discovery tour in late April so castles, distilleries and the most beautiful scenery ever. I am not a fan of spending time driving by sights so really like the itinerary John put together which allowed us to get out and experience the sights first hand. On a high note, I was trying to complete my collection of the Game of Throne Scotch whiskies and was down to two bottles. John took the time to call ahead and found a distillery near our tour route who had both bottles in stock…happy day! I could not have had a better time in Scotland and am looking forward to my next tour with John.

John is one of the best tour guides ever! We wanted to visit some whisky distilleries while in the Highlands so we hired John to be our guide for the day. He was early to pick us up at our inn which was a good first sign. Then he took us to the first distillery all the while explaining some background info about that particular whisky. At lunch time in between stops he took us to a great pub that hit the spot perfectly.During the entire tour I kept thinking that John is the consummate tour guide. He was constantly providing tidbits about areas we were in or going to, or about Scottish culture in general. He was funny and gracious and we all loved him. Do a tour, you will be glad you did.

All of the wonderful reviews are true. John MacDonald has a terrific passion for his homeland that he shares minute by minute with every glorious twist in the road.Our bucket list adventure was possible only because of John's deep knowledge of the place and beyond-belief good humor. My husband was just recovering from a difficult illness when we contacted him. Recognizing that 4 days in a car with 2 strangers and some unusual symptoms is not always a formula for travel success, I expected he would decline the tour. Instead, he immediately jumped in, planning, re-planning and re-routing our last minute trip to reflect not only our particular interests, but also limited September lodging options, new medical realities and my own travel planning fatigue. On the road, he made adjustments to the itinerary as he got to know us better. John made us both welcome. Our best decision was to simply accept his travel advice, relax in the car and his company, to experience this remarkable place through his fond eyes.He'll tell what is worth seeing (or eating or experiencing) and what is not worth the bother. (BTW, listen to his suggestions; he's always right). Better still, he is so organized that you won't realize until the very last day how driven he is to keeping your trip on track...he knows each castle schedule, ferry stop and sheep-track toilet in the Outer Hebrides. His Honda Civic seems to hold all that you might need: umbrellas and sweaters, small change for the lavs, towels, water bottles, towels, dry socks.Even now, 4 months after our return, its hard to express how special this Highland road trip was and how glad we are that John agreed to share it with us. We still think of him and smile. Maybe we will back to see him again, soon.

This was one of the most awesome trips I have ever taken, and I have been everywhere. Not only is the very north of Scotland so magnificent, but John Macdonald, the Hebridean Explorer made it come alive. John is a gifted guide, with broad in depth knowledge of the places he goes, passion, and the ability to relate. We were going at what normally would not be an optimal time to visit Orkney and the Shetland Isles, and John made sure we understood what we were getting into. From the clothes we would need, to hotel and restaurant recommendations (and reservations) he makes every step of the process easy. He is a quick study, so quickly senses what you'll like. He doesn't do a lot of drive bys, but rather chooses his stops with care. There is no rush - you take your time, where you want to spend it. He adjusts his itinerary to the weather and the ferry schedule, with plenty of breaks for leg stretching, a cup of tea, or a toastie. John is a historian – and makes the neolithic ruins come alive. He not only knows so much, but conveys it in a charming way so you never feel like you are listening to a lecture. He is attentive to every need, always checking to make sure things are the way they are supposed to be. The total experience is priceless. I would travel again with John Macdonald in a heartbeat, and I hope to do so. I would love to see the Outer Hebrides through his eyes and experience. The trip exceeded my expectations. And if you decide to travel with John, say hello to him from Mary and Harry.

My girlfriend and I took a day tour to the Isle of Skye with John this last August. Everything about the trip was absolutely perfect. I could go on and on about the unparalleled beauty of the Highlands and the lochs and the castles - but none of it would have been as meaningful without the added color of John’s personal stories growing up in the Hebrides and his expert knowledge of Scottish history (with particular emphasis on the Jacobite rebellion). He was an utter delight in conversation, and he even helped me get “David Hume” and “John Knox” on my trip bingo card! When we head back to Scotland, we will definitely be seeking the services of good Sir John again!(Special note - If you have any gluten restrictions in your diet, John is your guy. He knows where every GF pastry in Scotland lives. True story.)-Douglas & Jenna

I took my husband on a surprise trip to Scotland for his 40th birthday. We spent 2 days of our week long adventure with John, The Hebridean Explorer, on the Isle of Skye Explorer tour and a Scotch Whiskey tour around the Speyside region. These 2 days were our favorite of the entire trip to Scotland. This review will focus on day 1. Skye!Booking the tours was incredibly easy. John was delightful in his correspondence, responsive, and willingly answered all of my (sometimes inane) questions. I could tell just over email we were going to have a great time. He even suggested special additions/modifications to the tours as to make it even more special for my husbands surprise.John picked us up at our hotel in Inverness bright and early and we set off for the day. We passed Loch Ness and wove through the picturesque countryside on our way to Skye. We stopped periodically for photo ops and exploration opportunities (such as Eilean Donan Castle) and at no time did we feel either rushed nor did I feel like I was spending too much time in the car. The pacing was perfection. The ride was made even more pleasant by John's commentary. He is both immensely knowledgeable about the history of the country but also injects humor and levity to the tales he tells as you progress through the day.Skye itself is too beautiful for words and pictures really don't do it justice. Its something you must experience in person. Do yourself a favor and do it.During our conversation I mentioned that my family was affiliated with a regional Clan. On our way back to our hotel for the evening he took us on a detour so we could visit my ancestral lands and check out what is left of one of the Castles that once belonged to them. That attention to detail and willingness to go above and beyond made the trip even more special than it already was. That's just how John is. Gracious, thoughtful, and always thinking of ways to improve your experience.At the end of the day I felt like we had not just taken a tour, but had really connected with the countryside, understood the history in a way a textbook could explain, and and made a friend for life in John.Do yourself a favor and don't miss this experience.

John took us on a wonderful tour today of the Highlands! He was upbeat, knowledgeable and customized the tour to fit our needs and interests! Even with some unfortunately rainy weather, which didn't allow for the view on the Isle of Skye, he made up for it by taking us to a few other view points as well as a path leading to a beautiful waterfall. John was kind, friendly, and had wonderful recommendations for us to do the rest of our stay. Highly recommend!

Excellent tours, 100% personalized, we took 2 days whiskey tours, the first day the most populars distilleries and the other day smaller ones. John is an excellent tour guide, very organized and helpfull. We also made a quick stop at a castle to visit and have lunch, meanwhile john organized an extra stop, to make a quick tasting to an other distillery, that was not in our tour.We spend hollidays in uk, inverness and jhon`s tour were the best!!! We thefinateble are going to come back to more highland tours with jhon.