Edinburgh Locals Tour in 2025

If you are have limited time in Edinburgh, don't want to trouble yourself with driving and love to hear stories about the highlands, then this is it! With no doubt, Steve is a wonderful person who have tons of knowledge and histories to share with you. Also, he's very funny, very Scottish, he said, I quote "know how to speak Gaelic". He also can point to you which shops sell the best chippy and bread! The only reason I wouldn't recommend this trip is if you have motion sickness because highlands can be a little snake pass. But hey! That's a thrill for some others ;)

At first I thought 12 hours would be a long trip to take, and going in winter with less sunlight would make it less enjoyable. But the time was well worth it and the winter experience added to the excitement as there was changes from place to place along the way, from rain to snow, overcast to clear blue skys. Our tour guild was very good and with a wonderful way of sharing history and local knowledge. Highly recommended and will treasure my trip.

The tour guide, Michael, was excellent. Great driver, entertaining and knowledgeable. Felt 4.5 hours on a bus one way to look at a lake and a fair bit of commerce was a bit much. The info along the way and the highlands saved the day. I think the tour company should have warned about boat ride tickets before we left Edinburgh as we couldn't buy them later as they were sold out by the time we got to Fort Augustus.

Really great tour! Euan our tour guide was very well spoken and educated on Scottish history. The bus ride was a little long, but was well worth it because of the frequent outstanding stops for pictures and snacks. We spent the extra 20 quid for the Loch Ness boat tour and that was also well worth the cost.

My tour was given by Rose and it was incredible. Rose has a magical way of telling stories the passion she has for her country and heritage is infectious. She weaves you through a historical narrative that evokes pride, sorrow, humor and a belief in magic. In times when she is not talking you will still feel the love she has for Scotland in the musical buffet she has prepared for you to listen to as you are mesmerized by the Landscape. Rose also knows everyone/thing at all the stops (dogs, people, the best coffee, treats etc). Seeing the highlands through her eyes made the experience. Sincerest thanks for such an incredible three days.

My sister and I really enjoyed this trip. We knew beforehand that it was a long drive and that most of the time would be spent on the bus so that wasn’t a surprise. Of course we wished we had more time for pictures or more stops in the highlands of Scotland, but for a day trip it was amazing. Our guid and driver, Peter, was amazing, he had lots of useful information (historical, geographical, technical, fun facts) and he even played some scottish music for us. For lunch we went to the Bridge Cafe, the food there is amazing, perfect comfort food. We had the leek and potatos soup and it was just what we needed as we watched the drizzle outside. Loch Ness has a breathtaking view, we could not make ourselves leave the place. We are so glad we decided to choose this trip.

We had an amazing day driving around to the different places featured in Outlander. The driver Brendan was great fun and informative which added to the day.

This was a wonderful experience and people who come to visit Scotland should definitely take the hairyCoo three day tour with Brian Smith. You will be totally entertained and feel comfortable by his stories and knowledge about Scotland. He did a wonderful job showing us great spots in the Highlands.

Such a fun trip! We got to see lots of different spots and got a lot of historical information via our guide, Scot(t?). He was full of dad jokes and Braveheart tidbits, and it was very fun. There's so much to see that you end up a bit rushed, but it's worth it for having such good guides.

Rory was our tour guide and he was brilliant. Gave us loads of information and stories of the history of places as we passed them. He gave us plenty of time at each stop and kept us fully informed of where we were/going. He played some grate music and had some funny jokes. It was the best bus tour I've ever been on and I can't recommend him highly enough.

It was absolutely amazing! Seeing the Highlands and Loch Ness was so impressive, the nature was breathtakingly beautiful. Throughout the tour on the bus was pleasant as well as Erin provided us with all sorts of interesting facts and explanations about the surroundings and history of Scotland. It was amazing! I would recommend to bring your own lunch as time flies by on the stops you make so you can spend the time on eating and enjoying the breaks instead of standingin the queue to get food. I would also make a visit to the toilet a priority at every stop as the other touring busses stop at the same places you'll often have to wait in line for things. I would definitely recommend this trip. Its nice to be out of the city if you go there for a week and because it has given our first stay in Scotland(Edinburgh) a way more complete view of this amazingly beautiful country!

We had a lovely time - the trip was very well organized. Our guide/driver Kristy (I hope I'm spelling her name right) did a phenomenal job with her excellent driving, great storytelling and overall nice personality. We'll definitely recommend this trip to our friends!

The tour guide was amazing 🤩 very funny, well informed and also perfect and patient driver 😉

Best Harry Potter Tour Ever! OMG! This was absolutely the most wonderful time! Jackson is hands down the best guide I’ve ever met — an endless source of fun facts, humor, and pure passion for the world of Harry Potter. You just can’t resist his energy! Massive shout-out to our amazing Slytherin guide, Jackson 🐍💚 Aside from the magic of the tour, Edinburgh itself is breathtaking — it’s impossible not to fall in love with this city. And discovering all the Harry Potter history woven through its streets (after all, it is the birthplace of HP!) makes it a total dream for Potterheads. 10/10 would do it again! ⚡️🏰✨

A quick day trip into the highlands to get a taste of the region. Definitely worth the time and money. Our driver/guide Stephen was entertaining and friendly. He clearly loves his job and enjoys what he does. The bus is fairly small and not very comfortable for such a long day, but it’s ok. There are no washrooms on board but our driver made plenty of stops to accommodate us. There are no foot rests or USB chargers on the bus so be prepared as it is a long day with lots of time spent on the bus.

Loved the tour. Our guide, Paul, was so helpful and made sure everybody enjoyed the tour. I really liked that we learned about Harry Potter world inspirations and also got to learn the history and fun facts about Edinburgh. Would definately recommend this tour and Paul the guide!

A brilliant day with driver William and guide Graham. The Scottish Highlands were far more beautiful and mesmerising than on photos. Went through all four seasons of weather in one day but it made it more magical. Would thoroughly recommend this tour.

Had the best day. Our driver and tour guide Rob was fantastic. Rob was very informative and had many stories to tell. The beauty of the Scottish Highlands is so spectacular I will definitely be back again. Make sure you chose the boat cruise and visit the castle. Both are awesome. Cruising on Loch Ness was gorgeous and serene. The weather was perfect and stops along the way were also fabulous. Loved every minute.

John was the best tour guide! He is an incredible story teller, has an awesome playlist, excellent sense of humor, and extremely knowledgeable about Scotland. We were laughing within seconds of getting on the bus. It was the best three day trip. John is very helpful and a skilled bus driver too. I wish all my subsequent tours had been with John as well. #hairycoojohn The real king of the north. I loved the kilts. You set the bar high Sir. I’m so glad my first visit to Scotland and the highlands was with the best Scott.

Paul was an excellent tour guide. Very knowledgeable and funny! We are very happy with the tour.