Scotland with Rabbie’s Trail Burners

We would second the recommendation (Aug. ’04, pg. 67) of Rabbie’s Trail Burners (207 High St., Edinburgh EH1 1PE, Scotland; phone + [0] 44 131 226 3133 or visit www.rabbies. com).

We took the 5-day/4-night trip which include Iona, Mull and the Isle of Skye, June 14-18, ’04, and had a wonderful experience viewing the magnificent scenery, learning about the history of the area and enjoying local hospitality. The basic tour cost £189 (near $363); with a senior discount it was £169 ($325).

Rabbie’s books any kind of accommodation you want, from a hostel to a B&B to a 3-star hotel, which you then pay for on site. We spent two nights in Oban and two in Portree, Isle of Skye, which allowed us to see a lot of the countryside without changing rooms every night.

What we enjoyed most about Rabbie’s philosophy is they avoid tourist traps and the forced shopping that many tours promote and instead invite participants to get out of the bus as much as possible to experience the countryside. Our delightful young driver/guide, Alec Robertson, loved to take us for “wee walks” at every opportunity. The activities are guided by the wishes of the group, so, since most of us wanted to hike, the few who chose not to occupied themselves with photography, strolling around near the bus or reading.

I would say, in general, that this tour is suited for people of all ages but with good mobility.

Alec was ingenious in finding alternate routes on two occasions. On day one the road to Inverary was closed due to a major accident, and the next day the ferry to Mull was broken down. He discussed alternatives with the group of 16 and found routes that got us to our desired destinations and which were perhaps even more breathtaking than the usual approaches.

We all enjoyed this sense of spontaneity and adventure. And if we had been on a 40-passenger tour bus we would not have had the flexibility to make these quick adjustments to the itinerary.

Many of the small roads through the mountains are as hair-raising as they are scenic, so we were quite happy to leave the driving to an experienced professional. Alec kept us informed and entertained with historical facts, tall tales and lots of Scottish music, and we all left the tour feeling we had gotten to know the “real” Scotland.

— MARJ & MALCOLM WRIGHT, Marlboro, VT