We are a tour company that specialises in Private Tours of Scotland.
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
We are a tour company that specialises in Private Tours of Scotland.
We specialise in and offer Private Tours for just you and your party, you can book directly on our website or give us a call to talk things through….
A Private Tour is designed with you in mind. It is called private as it includes just you and your party, no outsiders. It could be you and your partner/spouse, or a family, or a group of friends or colleagues, essentially it is just you guys and the Driver/Guide. The Driver/Guide is there to concentrate on your party only, letting you monopolise all the information and knowledge they have. The beauty of a private tour is the flexibility, we will arrange dates to suit you, the tours can depart on any day you like, unlike group tours, also when you are on the tour itself you can extend your time at one place or, if you want to head back to your beautiful accommodation just tell the Driver/Guide, no dancing to anyone else’s tune, this tour is all about you, you are in charge.
Yes, as of 2024 we will be offering Inspiring Group Tours as well as Private Tours. If you don’t see a tour you want to book or you like the look of one but would want to amend it to suit, or you fancy something completely different, then simply call or contact us by clicking on the Tailormade – Customise Tour button and filling in the Tailormade form. We would love to hear from you to find out about what you want or the kind of things that interest you, we can then custom design your dream trip to Scotland.
A Driver/Guide is there to take you on your tour of Scotland. They are Tour Guide Badge accredited and tour guides with several years experience, they are quite simply the best in the business, combining vast amounts of knowledge with first-rate practical guiding skills, guaranteed professionalism and a deep understanding of their beautiful country.
We really believe that your time with Driver/Guide will help you connect with and really immerse yourself in the country and will turn a good holiday into an unforgettable once in a lifetime experience. Quite simply having a Driver/Guide will let you truly connect with & enjoy all Scotland has to offer, hassle-free. No need drive in a foreign country on the wrong side, no anxiety or getting used to the road signs & traffic rules, no missing out on looking at the scenery or paying hefty fee’s for car hire & the deposit local payment & losing out again on the exchange rate when the deposit is returned. No, none of that thanks. Plus, we still haven’t found a car that’s friendly or knows all about Scotland and all the subjects and topics you are interested in.
Typically, they will pick you up in the morning after breakfast from the accommodation we have booked for you and after a day of site seeing and travelling they will drop you off in the late afternoon at the next property we have booked for you, and then see you the next morning to repeat the process until the end of the tour. We know when we travel we like to explore on our own sometimes. Typically, for our Tailormade tours there will be a meet and greet at the airport, you will then be whisked off to your lovely hotel in the city, where you will spend some time. It tends to be the time in the cities at the start or end or both that you have free time to enjoy the sights and sounds yourself. We will have prepared some passes for entrance to places of interest and/or added in some tips of what to do and see and maybe recommendations on where to eat and drink, but unless specifically asked for, the time in cities at the start and end you will be free to look around on your own steam.
We like to give value for money, often the price will be cheaper than larger group tours that take longer and visit places or areas you are not interested in, this way we tailor it to your interests and streamline things making it better value for money. With all our Private Tours, the beauty is the flexibility, any date you want, private tour just for your party, you are in charge.
With the introduction of Inspiring Group Tours for 2024 our aim is to give more people the opportunity to enjoy one of our amazing journeys around Scotland. Inspiring Group Tours are affordable luxury, designed for you to enjoy a fantastic travelling experience with other likeminded people.
Inspiring Group Tours will run a very select number of times per year and the maximum group size is 12, as such booking early is a must. Click on this link or the Inspiring Group Tour button on the home page to find out more.
We also specialise in Tailormade – Custom Designed tours. We would love to hear from you, just contact us or click on the Tailormade – Customised Tours button & fill in some details, it will take less than 2 mins to fill in the Tailormade form. Then we will be in touch to iron out the details and create your own Tailormade unique tour of Scotland.
Typically 25% of the total cost, sometimes additional supplier costs are necessary, within 10 weeks of departure date then full payment is required.
The hotels we use tend to be at the higher end of the scale, mostly 5-star. In the cities, we see location as being important, but we always strive to use hotels and other accommodation that are a little bit different, that have character and style. We try to stay away from business hotels, IBIS & Travelodge etc. Often, we will use fantastic heritage style properties, so you can get the chance to stay in a Castle or old Stately home. You will receive information on the hotels before booking & further details of the hotels after booking when you receive confirmation.
That is why we are here, we would love to hear from you to plan your trip and book it for you. Don’t worry, whatever stage of planning you are at we want to hear from you, we can walk you through an itinerary from scratch, if you haven’t prepared a thing or know nothing about Scotland, that’s why we are here, to help you and put together your dream itinerary for Scotland or implement one you have already planned, we are here to help and like to think we are a friendly bunch so please call us for a chat.
Call us immediately, if we have taken a deposit and you have not yet received confirmation that the tour is booked we will usually be able to return all your deposit. However, if you have received confirmation from us that the tour is booked, then the deposit and any part payments are non-refundable. You should still contact us by phone or email so we can endeavour to help you further, also you may need a cancellation invoice from us to make a claim on your travel insurance. Please also see the Booking Conditions sent to you at the time of booking if you need more information on what to do if you need to cancel.
Please call or email us immediately so we may assist you. Please also see the Booking Conditions sent to you at the time of booking if you need more information on what to do if you need to cancel.
Travel insurance is an integral part of any holiday. You should take out travel insurance when you book any holiday, on the day it is booked and make sure it is comprehensive enough to cover you for all eventualities. As a tour operator based in the UK, Inspiring Travel cannot sell Travel Insurance to clients arriving in the UK from other countries or comment on 3rd party travel insurance policies.
If you have a problem that needs to be rectified, always try to deal directly with the appropriate member of staff or escalate it to a manager if you do not feel you have been dealt with satisfactorily. If a suitable outcome is not forthcoming then speak to your Driver/Guide for assistance who may then contact Inspiring Travel in order to rectify any problems. For emergencies, we have a 24-hour crisis number that all our clients can phone and will be noted in your documentation. Please see the Inspiring Travel Essential Information for Scotland document we sent to you on confirmation of your booking for more information.
You might want to come during the long summer days or when the streets twinkle with Christmas lights and snow lies on the hills. There is never a bad time, the main tourist season tends to be end of March until November. As December January & February tend to be the coldest months they are quieter and some accommodation and amenities in more remote places are closed during winter months, luckily we do not get extreme cold and people obviously want to come for Hogmanay celebrations, it really all depends on you and what you want to get out of your trip, give us a call so we can help you.
Before booking we will send a provisional itinerary, typically about a 15 page document with a day to day description of your tour and information, details on sites you will visit. The Itinerary will include lots of photos of the places and things things you will experience along the way too. We will also include details of the hotels and room types where you will be staying. As well as that we will include the boring stuff, like total price and a deposit price, when the final balance is due and details of how to book with a link to make the deposit payment, some supplementary notes and things to be aware of. To make things clear and easier for you at the end of the document we include a brief a summary of the tour, that you can quickly scan to see what exactly is included.
After you book we will send you a Detailed Tour Itinerary. The Detailed Tour Itinerary will give you more information on all the hotels and day by day tour along with a handy “Inspiring Travel Essential Information for Scotland” document that will give you lots of information and handy tips for Scotland and details of your Driver/Guide.
Closer to your departure date we will post your Detailed Tour Itinerary along with your meeting instructions & your very own personalised Inspiring Travel Wallet where you can keep all your documents handy & in one place.
Once your tour is confirmed, we will contact you to make you aware it is now a confirmed booking. We will send you a Booking Confirmation Number along with a confirmation invoice, the date of when the balance is due and how much is left on the balance. We will also include the final confirmed detailed tour Itinerary.
Within 2 to 4 weeks of your tour departure date, we will send your travel documents to you, enclosed in your personalised Inspiring Travel Wallet which will include the final detailed tour itinerary, Inspiring Travel Scotland Tips along with meeting/joining instructions and any other relevant documents necessary for your tour.
You will be met & warmly welcomed by a representative of Inspiring Travel, depending on the itinerary you have booked it will be either a chauffeur or your personal Driver/Guide, either way just look out for someone holding a board with your name on it, your Scottish trip of a lifetime is just about to begin…