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A near perfect experience!

The accommodations were varied and lovely. The breakfasts and dinners couldn't have been better. And the itinerary extremely well planned without our being too rushed while still being alloted adequate and appropriate amounts of time given the particular stop.

Our guide, Giovanni, was very knowledgeable, energetic, personable, and took great care of his flock...even going so far as to make special lodging arrangements for a unique situation.

I should also commend our guide for his sensitivity in not bringing any political or cultural bias into our time together.

Thank you, Giovanni, and Ian, our driver, for bringing the Back Roads of Scotland to life for us!

NOTE: Despite the fact that politics and religion are worthy topics, they need to be handled delicately and without derision...otherwise not mentioned at all. My appreciation to those fellow travelers who respect this.

I already did

We had a wonderful, knowledgeable guide and an excellent and skilled driver. A great group of travelers with which we shared the special experiences of Scotland!

Great tour guide, great driver, our van needs some improvement
The places we went were very interesting
The hotels we stayed at could be improved

Our tour guide Peter Charleswoth was very knowledgeable and our driver Abby was the best

It was an exciting trip with gorgeous scenery.

Our tour leader Peter Charlesworth was extremely knowledgeable and our driver Abby was the best.

The Scottish Journey tour was great! Our tour leader Giovanni and driver Ian made it wonderful. We saw a lot of Scotland in 10 days.

Great trip! Clara and Abbey were personable , professional and always responsive to all .
The tour itself was well conceived and managed. The beauty of the country speaks for itself.
The entire trip was fun , educational and inspirational.
Would do it again!

Our trip to Scotland’s backroads was a magnificent trip. It was filled with beautiful scenery, quaint and wonderful hotels and a clean roomy Mercedes van for transportation. The best part of the trip was our quide Clara and our driver Abbey. Clara was knowledgeable and provided insights into history as well as observations into the landscape and regional diversity. Abbey got us there with her perfect driving and knowledge of the roads. It was a balanced trip with history, stories, music and laughter. We loved it and would recommend it 100 percent

My daughter and I, and a friend joined 15 other new friends on a wonderful Scottish Journey guided by the best - Clara and driver Abby! Blueroads ( USA name) Tours let us experience Scotland in the best way possible. We had 9 nights and 10 days learning about the history of the Scottish, beautiful scenery, delicious food, gracious hotels, and lots of new words - coo's and the loo's!! Clara is a wonderful guide and went out of way to text a verbal wrap up of the day each night so we had record of where we had been. Thank you for sharing your country with all of us!

Excellent tour with great guide and driver

The guide and driver were terrific as were the other guests. For me, there was just too much sitting in the van. I fully realize that in order to see the specific sights that were scheduled, long drives were necessary. This type of trip would not be my preference the next time.

Beautiful country, great tour guide and great driver. The people on the tour were all awesome, a good group makes for a stellar trip. Everything went smoothly, and we got to see many interesting sights. Wonderful experience all around.

LOTS OF FUN. CLARA WAS A FOUNTAIN OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT SCOTLAND. SHE WAS ALSO ENTERTAINING WITH MUSIC AND FOLK LORE, KEEPING THE SPIRITS HIGH AND UPBEAT!

ABBY WAS AMAZING DRIVER. I ALWAYS FELT SAFE, AS SHE NAVIGATED THE NARROW ONE LAND ROADS.

BOTH CLARA & ABBEY WERE KIND, THOUGHTFUL AND CONSIERATE.

This trip was a joyous adventure start to finish, We had an incredible guide who studied every trip and had surprises woven throughout the day. Staying at hotels for two nights gives one time to decompress, Our guide took note of any guest needing extra care throughout the trip. This is the second trip with this company and I could not recommend it more.

This was our first Blue Roads/Back Roads tour and we couldn't have been more pleased! The organization, the hotels, our guide (Clara Pelica was FABULOUS!!) and drivers were all great! Clara made us all feel like family and were taken care of as such! The 18 person minibus was great - clean, comfortable and spacious. We're not researching for our next trip! Thank you!

Fabulous trip. Our guide Warwick’s knowledge of Scotland’s history, culture and landscape was very informative and enjoyable.

Clara and Abby were awesome

well thought out itinerary. beautiful small hotels. our tour guide was very knowledgeable and knew many great spots to stop for viewing/scenery. we saw a lot more than had we been on our own. a great way to see Scotland from a relaxing seat instead of driving yourself

I had no idea what to expect but the description sounded good. I was very pleased with the tour guide and driver, mini coach that allowed us to take small scenic routes (although the seats aren't designed for human spines; fortunately I had a travel cushion I was able to use to make it comfortable) and limited the group size. The other travelers were friendly, fun, and polite--everyone was always on time for the bus, dinner, etc., which was so appreciated. The pace was pretty hectic but I did get a wonderful overview of the country from east coast fishing villages to the highlands, to the western isles. Each day involved breakfast at the hotel, then setting off for the day, often stopping somewhere to pick up sandwiches for lunch that we would later eat in a scenic spot. The tour was mostly scenic drives and stops for photo opportunities, plus a few activities (such as tour castle, open air museum, battlefield, whisky tasting). The tour guide was very knowledgable about the history, geography, culture, economy, and people of Scotland and added a lot of context everywhere we went. He kept us on schedule without making us feel overly rushed. Hotels were very nice, as were the breakfasts and dinners they provided. I would have loved an opportunity to get in the ocean. I would also have loved more opportunity to sample classic Scottish foods. I did my best when on my own but would have welcomed this either in the hotel meals or at scheduled stops for lunch or snacks.

Wonderful, entertaining, educational, comprehensive tour of Scotland!
Our Tour Leader Giovanni, his trainee Susan and driver Mike made the trip memorable and provided exceptional service.
Would highly recommend!

Our tour guide Lesley Anne was phenomenal! The tour took us on many backroad adventures of the beautiful Scotland! What a great time! 💚

We LOVED this tour!! Our guide Lesley Ann was the best! She understood our group dynamic and provided a magical mix of folklore, history and road knowledge throughout the trip. 5 out of 5!

Our Scottish Journey tour was first scheduled for fall of 2020. Then again in fall of 2022. We - my husband and I along with 7 of our relatives - finally went October of 2024. Our group all agreed the trip the best we could have hoped for! The hotels were all top notch with king sized beds, bottled water, wifi, and good breakfasts. We had 2 excellent drivers, Ian and David, who were accommodating, knowledgable, friendly and, most importantly, safe. But the make or break feature was Lesley Anne, our intrepid tour guide. She was the best! She did everything she could do to make our trip informational and comfortable - in a word - perfect. She was flexible enough to make a few changes when she thought it was best. She was knowledgable and entertaining. She included not only facts about the sights, but other things as well - local customs, music, the clans, restaurant recommendations, shopping hints, and the people. The scenery was indescribably beautiful and although I took hundreds of pictures, I'm not sure any will do justice. Because we traveled in a smaller mini-bus, we could traverse the roads less traveled, many of them barely wide enough for 2 cars to pass. The people we met along the way were unfailingly friendly. Lesley Anne included regular comfort and coffee breaks along the way and took care of us like a big sister. Most of our stops were 2 nights which was just right.

We chose October 1 -10 for our trip because it was the perfect time for the weather to still be decent, which it was, and for the crowds to abate. It was a good decision. However, my advice is to bring more warm clothes than you think you need! I brought 1 raincoat with a hood (good decision) and a light winter coat. I should have brought a warmer coat. I bought a hat there. I wished I had taken gloves, a warm scarf, and my UGGS. Although I took some nicer pants and tops, I didn't take any dressy clothes, and I didn't need them. Don't forget a super long charging cord for your phone if you want to have it by your bedside during the night. Although I might have a couple of suggestions for improvements at the hotels, they are minor. We flew into London and spent a couple of days there before taking the train to Edinburgh. We stayed in Edinburgh for 2 days after the trip - our tour didn't spend time there and it's a delightful city, especially if you stay on or close to the Royal Mile. Then we flew back to London and stayed in an airport hotel before our trip home the next day. I would say our trip was a 10!!

- Lesley Anne is an excellent guide.
- Tour itinerary was as advertised with a few surprise bonus stops included.
- Food and lodging included were first class.
- daily pace was good. I would suggest a little less time at some coffee/comfort stops to allow more time at stops with greater content.

The trip was fabulous. However, as a solo traveler the only issue I had was that you get the short-end of the stick with hotel room assignment. Even though as a solo-traveler you pay a supplement to bring Blue-Roads profit up to that of a couple traveling, you do not get the same quality of hotel rooms. Often the solo traveler is put in the smallest attic room. In paying the supplement I expect to get equal treatment and consideration on accomodations. Don't charge me the supplement and then short suit me on accommodations.

It was our first 'group' tour, and we could not have been more pleased. The booking process and follow-up was great. The tour guide and driver were wonderful-knowledgeable, engaging, and fun to be around. The scenery in Scotland was stunning and the sites visited were perfect. Be prepared for a lot of walking in some areas and some hotels did require going up and down steps. So when it says that you will be walking and not have mobility issues, it is very true. Prepare for unexpected surprises along the way. Definitely a 5-star adventure.

This was an experience of a lifetime made especially noteworthy with our tour guide, Edward (Ted) Ashe's, depth of historical knowledge articulated throughout the 10 day journey.

The exquisite Highland views and historical Scottish sites visited were only possible due to Ted's keeping with the "Backroads Tours" company name.

Video link:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/PQY7ArEf52zpkYUt7

The drivers were road and terrain savvy with marvelous skill and personality.

Belinda and I are already planning a Northern France tour predicated on Ted's schedule.

The Tour was everything we hoped it would be and more. Our Guide, G, was knowledgeable, personable, and entertaining with the group. The driver, Paul, much the same. We saw the beauty of Scotland with many off the map hidden surprises. It was truly amazing. Would do this tour again in the future, no doubt

The two days of rain hampered our tour a bit, but you can't blame the tour for that!

I would have liked a 1 page summary, on the first night, of the places that we were about to see.
Bus seats were cramped for a long legged person.
The towns and stops that we visited were well chosen.
The hotels were generally good; the room on Mull was a bit small.
The dancers and the piper were a bonus.
Mike, our guide, was just superb. He has a very good with history and related well to the group. He was prideful and humorous.

Outstanding guide, safe driver, perfect size group, well planned with diversity historical experiences, some city opportunities but most importantly true back roads adventures. Appreciated having two nights in one place with daytime excursions.

We enjoyed our tour. The tour guide Tom was wonderful being a Scottish born and bred person who had a lot of knowledge and insights along the way and shared in a fun and engaging manner. Our bus driver Tony, also Scottish born and bred, was amazing, especially on those one lane back roads. The hotels we stayed at were very comfortable and the food was very good. The sight seeing was incredible and we felt we got a good chunk of the Scottish landscape. The people on the bus were loads of fun and we had a nice time getting to know them and share our experiences together. I would highly recommend this tour.

The cost of the trip was higher than a couple others we looked at.

Purchase transaction was fine

Good price for such a great trip.

The purchase experience was fine and technically the logistics were fine. While the tour description states "Savour time exploring the magnificent Cairngorms National Park", we never went into the park because the ground was wet and several participants had canes. Personally, we would have liked to have done more hiking and spent fewer hours on our own in small towns - albeit quaint not justifying the amount of time spent.

The highlight of our tour was our tour leader, Paul. His knowledge of the Highlands, his background in photography, and his talent in storytelling, and his performances of caber tossing and the ode to haggis all made the trip memorable. At the same time, he attended to every detail to keep things running smoothly, and constantly consulted with our driver, Abby, whose superb skill in negotiating both city streets and narrow winding backroads had us all agog. They both quickly established a close rapport with the group. The minibus was a bit cramped for 20 (18 guests), but it was able to take us to sites larger bus tours had to miss. The accommodations were all good, though often cramped. I am already recommending this tour friends.

We saw so many sights. Truly got the feel of Scotland and the wonderful people!

Again the tour and tour guide were great but the choice of hotels and meals was poor. Certainly not 4 star.

The knee room on the bus seats was a bit tight. The scenic back roads that Giovani chose and Andrew's amazing driving made long drives almost magical

Well worth the money spent.

Great pace and loved having two nights in each hotel. Much more relaxed way of travelling. The small bus enabled travel off the main roads and we had access to beautiful vistas

Recognizing that the tourist industry worldwide is still recovering from COVID, the hotels were clearly trying to provide good service but with limited staff & that required everyone being patient.
Having to provide meal choices so far in advance to accommodate the hotels was somewhat frustrating & confusing.

Very well organized, friendly staff