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I want to chat to a person, what are your opening hours and how do I get in touch?
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Great, we want to chat to you too! Our office hours are Monday to Friday 09:00–17:30 UK time. You can reach our Adventure Consultants on +44(0)1479 420 020 option 1.
If you are calling from North American we have a toll free number: 866-740-3890 option 1. We are in the Highlands so our UK office hours apply but you can drop us an email anytime on [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you.
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How can I find out if places are still available on a trip?
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Please click on the trip you are interested in, then, on that trip page, scroll down to view prices and availability. Next, to the departure date and price, you can see how many places are still available, and a note to confirm if a trip is confirmed to run or not. We confirm trips with just two clients, meaning you can book with confidence.
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How many people can join a group trip?
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We try to keep our group sizes small. Our trips generally have a maximum of 8 people but our Knoydart Peninsula and West Highland Way walking trips can have up to 10 people.
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How many people does it take to confirm a trip?
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A trip is normally confirmed when two people book but like any good rule, there are exceptions. Some of our road cycling and mountain biking trips confirm with 3 people and our sailing trips confirm with 4. Don’t be afraid to book on to an unconfirmed trip – it’s our experience that when one person books it encourages more people to join.
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The trip I want to book is fully booked – is there a waiting list?
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Of course, just drop us a line on the phone or by email with the departure you’d like to join and we’ll make a note to contact you if space becomes available.
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There is only one space left but we’re a couple can we squeeze in?
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Unfortunately not. Our group sizes are planned in advance taking in to account our guiding ratio and spaces in our vehicles. We can either pop your names on the waiting list for this departure or we can help you have a look for another trip or departure that might work for you.
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How challenging are the trips?
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This is hard to answer because it is all relative, what’s challenging for one person might be easy for another. However, we’ve designed and graded our trips so there should be something for everyone. Please do remember that all our trips are activity based so you will need a fair level of fitness. Our grading works on a scale – Green 1- 3 are easy trips, Blue 4 – 6 are moderate trips and challenging trips are Red 7 – 9. To understand this practical sense we suggest watching our grading videos. If you are still unsure give us a call and we’ll help find the right trip for you.
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Can I book a single room?
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Single rooms are offered on most of our trips but these are limited so are allocated on a first come first served basis. It’s no problem to book a single room as long as there is one available. Most single rooms do incur a single supplement, which you can find in the trip dossier.
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I want to book a trip, how do I do this?
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Fantastic! You can book our small group trips, private departures or long distance trails online or by telephone. If you are interested in a customised itinerary then drop us an email or give us a call and our Adventure Consultants will chat through the process with you. Once you have booked any trip please wait for confirmation from the team before making any travel arrangements.
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Are there any age restrictions on the trips?
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You do have to be at least 16 to join our scheduled trips and be accompanied by an adult if you are under 18. We have no upper age limit so as long as your fit, happy and able to join in the activities on the trip then we’d love to have you travel with us!
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Can I bring my dog?
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It really depends on the type of trip you’d like to do. If you are joining a group holiday then it’s not possible to bring your dog. We can sometimes accommodate dogs on a custom or private tour depending on the availability of accommodation. Give us a call if you want to bring your pooch.
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How much of a deposit do I need to pay and when is the balance due?
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A 25% deposit will confirm your place on your trip and the balance is due 10 weeks before departure.
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Your trips sound amazing, are they really as good as they look?
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Yes! But don’t just take our word for it, check out the reviews from previous travellers.
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Can I book a day trip with you?
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Unfortunately, day trips are not something we arrange. We’d recommend contacting Visit Scotland for advice.
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What type of clothing and equipment will I need?
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This is a great question, it’s really important to have proper outdoor gear because our weather can be changeable. We’ll send you a comprehensive equipment list but if you have any question about any gear please just give us a call and we’ll be happy to chat through it. We will provide any specialised equipment you need for sea kayaking or canoeing.
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I have dietary requirements can you cater for me?
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Absolutely. Please do let us know on booking: it helps if you are specific and provide as much detail as possible. If you have an allergy please let us know how severe it is, do you carry an Epi-Pen? If you are gluten-free please do clarify if you just avoid wheat or if you are coeliac and mustn’t eat anything that has come into contact with wheat. It’s really helpful for us to know this up front so we can alert the restaurants we visit. Vegetarian or vegan? No worries, but please be aware that you may have limited choices. We can usually cater for all dietary requirements except on our sailing trips because the limited kitchen space makes it impossible to cook different meals for each traveller. If you have any questions or want to chat through a requirement then get in touch.
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I’ve heard about midges, give me the low down?
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Ah, midges, it’s amazing that these tiny wee creatures are the cause of so much worry, however, the stories about them are generally much worse than the reality! Yes, they can be annoying but we’re lucky they don’t carry any diseases so the worst case scenario is an itchy red bite. The best thing is to just be prepared with some preventative measures. We recommend Smidge insect repellant, this is DEET-free and was developed in Scotland particularly for these little beasties. It’s also a good idea to have long sleeves and trousers so you can cover up and if you are camping it’s worth having a midge headnet just in case. Midges are much smaller than mosquitos so it must be a midge net otherwise they can fly right through.
If you usually react badly to bites make sure you have a supply of antihistamine. If you are looking for extra reassurance check out our reviews, hardly any of them even mention midges! Midges really shouldn’t have a big impact on your time in Scotland and you certainly shouldn’t worry about planning a trip to try and avoid them but do give us a call if you would like to chat about it further. If you want to know more about midges then have a wee look at our midge video.
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I only have a few days free so can I just join part of the trip?
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Not usually as our itineraries are carefully planned. Occasionally clients may join the first few days of a trip but pay for the full trip. It is not possible to join a trip midway through.
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I’m flying to Scotland, what are the best airports?
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Edinburgh and Glasgow are Scotland’s biggest airports. Both cities have good train connections to Inverness and other trip start points. Inverness airport has good connections via London, Manchester and Amsterdam. Check out our travel to Scotland section or give us a call.
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What will the weather be like?
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One of the great things about Scotland is that you never know what you are going to wake up to. On a typical week, you may encounter some showers but some beautiful sunshine as well. We will keep all our fingers and toes crossed for sun throughout your trip but Scotland can be just as beautiful in the rain, thousands of little waterfalls cascading down the mountains and lush green plants that you just wouldn’t experience without rain. You just have to be prepared for any weather and we’ll provide you with a helpful equipment list when you book. After all, there is no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothes! Follow this link to view a blog of excellent weather links covering general, mountain and marine forecasts.
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What is the typical age of people on your trips?
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On average our travellers are aged 45 to 70. However, it varies from departure to departure and lots of younger and older people travel with us too. For details of a specific departure give us a call.
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Do you supply bikes for biking trips?
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Yes – you can hire bikes from us. We don’t include bike hire in the trip price as some guests like to bring their own. Check out the trip dossier for details of the bikes we offer and let us know if you have any questions.
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Do I really need walking boots or are trail shoes enough?
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Although it does depend on the trip the answer is usually yes. Even our green graded trips will require you to walk on rough, sometimes boggy ground. Your shoes will need to provide you with good ankle support and be waterproof. Gaiters are also an essential bit of kit to keep you dry. We’ll send you a full equipment list when you book or let us know if you would like us to send it to you beforehand. It’s also a good idea to have a look at our grading videos so you can get an idea of the type of terrain you will be hiking. Check out our blog posts on footwear for hiking or sea kayaking/canoeing.
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Ok so you can’t predict the weather but what’s the best time to travel to Scotland?
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We love Scotland all year round! May and June are a great time for wildflowers and plants bursting into life after the winter, it’s also a good time to see lots of different bird life. July and August are great months to see a variety of different wildlife including marine animals; these also tend to be the warmest months and August is the month for breath-taking purple heather. The weather in September and October is generally pretty settled, and the light is beautiful, particularly as the leaves and bracken are starting to turn golden. There is also the chance of hearing the eerie roars of the rutting stags echoing through the glens. There is something special about every month so you really just need to decide when works best for you.
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Can I book my travel?
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Please wait until we have confirmed your trip before booking any travel. If in doubt please do give us a wee call.
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Do you send out e-newsletters?
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Yes we do and you can sign up for them by clicking here and scrolling to the bottom right. You can also view our e-newsletter archive for inspiration.
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I can’t see my question here, how can I get an answer?
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Just drop us an email on [email protected] or give us a call and we’ll do our best to help you. You’ll find our telephone number in the footer of the website.