Extensive knowledge of the area and the walking routes

Al was a very considerate and knowledgeable guide. He briefed us each evening about the next day’s activities and during the walks took time to give us background on the history and geology of our location. He was safety conscious and helpful to each member of the group.

Alistair was a super guide!
The walks were well paced and adapted according to the weather.
He has a wealth of knowledge of the area - the geography, history, wildlife and gave us a real insight into life in the highlands and islands of north west Scotland.

Ali a été un guide comme on voudrait toujours en avoir; je ferais un autre voyage guidé par lui avec plaisir. Toujours patient, avec un coup de main au bon moment. Son choix de parcours en fonction de la météo a été sans faille.
Les informations qu'il nous a données «in situ» nous font encore mieux apprécier les lieux parcourus.

Ali has been a guide as one would always like to have; I would make another trip guided by him with pleasure. Always patient, with a hand at the right time. His choice of course according to the weather was flawless.
The information he gave us "in situ" makes us even better appreciate the places visited.

Very competant and able to adapt the itinerary to compensate for veryi different weather. I had no doubts about his ability to deal with any incidents - but we didn't have any due to good planning.

Very knowledgeable and took great care of us!

Our guide Alistair was very knowledgeable about the history, flora and fauna of the area. The walks were lead at a suitable pace for all to enjoy. Walks were adapted well to meet the weather / conditions underfoot.

Alistair was excellent. He had a great in depth knowledge of the history, geology fauna and flora of the area. I learned loads. He made sure to get to know everyone and make sure everyone was accommodated and got the most out of the trip. He skilfully arranged the walks to make the most of the weather and give us the best views. He was a pleasure to spend the week with.

Alastair was really friendly and very knowledgeable. Great at adapting routes to the weather conditions and provided loads of great information about the region

Al was really great. He is incredibly knowledgeable. He was also great at improvising if the weather or traffic required us to change plans at the last minute.

Al was the best. He always had our best interests at heart. He became one of us, not just a guide, that's saying alot.

Alistair and Lotte helped make my WHW experience outstanding. Having hiked the Great Glen Way a few years ago, self-guided, I was hesitant to do a guided hike. The people in our group and the guides, Alistair and Lotte, made this an unforgettable experience. (I will never look at lichen the same) They were both knowledgable, helpful and friendly. Amazing experience with the whole group!

Alastair and Lotte could not have been any friendlier and were always interested in hearing about individual 's backgrounds throughout the day. They had a wealth of knowledge about our surroundings and the whole group took away memories for life. It was great that we could unwind in the evenings for a drink with our guides as it gave them a chance to reveal their stories to the group.

From making sure everyone was enjoying the experience, to keeping us moving (and balancing with stops, usually at scenic points along the way) and simply being friendly companions, it would be difficult to top Alastair and Lotte. As a bonus, they gave me great feedback and food for thought about possibly leading hiking groups myself back in the U.S., when I asked them about it.

As stated before Lotte and Alistair were awesome. Loved the info Al shared with us. It was never boring. That guy would make a great teacher! Lotte as well!

Alastair and Lotte were always available and kind. They looked after the whole party and kept everybody safe without mothering. They were knowledgeable and interesting in their stories about the area. And excellent listeners!!!

Our guides, Lotte and Alistair, were both excellent, and complemented each other beautifully. They were both highly experienced, knowledgeable and skilful outdoors people, with great interpersonal skills. They were both also lovely, warm,likeable and cheerful, with relaxed demeanour..we felt very secure. They kept the group together over long distances, without ever herding us, or making anyone feel they had to go at a pace that was not comfortable. Even though myself and partner both arrived with colds, we felt the guides were totally supportive and non judgemental, allowing us to make decisions about whether or not to skip a day.
Their maturity and kindness were evident when one of the group members faced an unexpected tragedy outside our journey.
We have been on many guided hiking trips in many countries, over the years. Lotte and Alistair rate amongst the best. Having initially wanted to have a self guided trip, we felt very lucky that circumstances placed us on this guided trip with Lotte and Alistair.

Alistair and Lotte answered any and every question, and were extremely good natured throughout the trip.

Alastair was amazing - he was friendly, patient, accomodating, and knowledgeable. I very much enjoyed walking and talking with him and do hope to book another trip with his as the guide in the future.

Our guide Alastair was very competent and had a lot to share.
He almost always had an aswer to my numerous questions aboute the flora and fauna of Scottland.

He did a good job keeping the group together despite the difference in speed.

Very easy going and dedicated!

Guide was good and knowledgeable but I sometimes felt he wasn't in touch with how everyone was doing on the hills and where they were (behind him).

Led the group well, and made sensible decisions in itinerary choices.
Pace was a bit faster than I would normally walk at, but it did keep the group moving.

Incredibly knowledgeable and created a great walks programme to make the most of the conditions. The group got spread out a few times over tricky terrain though and I felt the guide should have waited for stragglers to catch up at some points when those at the back were either out of sight or could have benefited from some direction eg to a sheep track in very long grass.


TEAM WILDERNESS RESPONSE

Thank you for your feedback. We are delighted to hear that you had a great time and that the guide created a lovely suite of walks during your trip. Our guides often check on the group without clients realising they have to allow the walk to flow as much as possible. However, we very much appreciate the feedback and it will be passed on so the guide can take it into consideration on future trips.

Alistair was very confident with navigation, and knew lots of interesting history, geology and natural history. Occasionally I found the pace a little fast as I like to take in the scenery and stop for photos, and interesting birds or plants, but Alistair managed to accommodate the group well.

Alastair is a wonderful, organized, calm leader and clearly knows the area, history, flora and fauna.

Very knowledgeable and friendly. I appreciated Alastair’s straightforward approach and his patience even though we had a very wide range of fitness levels within our group.

Very helpful to everyone in the group. Went over and beyond. Great information details. Kind, considerate, and above all patient.

None better. Knowledgeable, competent, and caring, especially when faced with varying levels of hiking abilities.

Alistair was wonderful. He grasped our relative abilities very quickly. he was always there to lend a helping hand when I wobbled on a rock, or sank into the peat bog. He gave us lots of information about the history, the natural environment and so on. He drove beautifully and he was great company!

Alastair was the perfect guide for our group. We had very diverse hiking skills and he was able to ensure each of us participated and saw the sights while keeping us all safe and happy!

Alistair was wonderful. He managed the different personalities and skill levels with ease. He was so knowledgeable across such a broad range of topics and happy to answer everyone’s questions. He was always on time with a smile. For me personally his words of encouragement and mental as well as physical help were invaluable. If I ever take another trip I want to go with him!! He makes you feel secure in his abilities which for a novice was extremely important. Don’t lose him!!

This was my first guided tour at age 68. My late husband and I did much traveling from age of 21. I have nothing to compare except I doubt anyone could guide us better than Alastair. Eight people all with different needs, expectations and desires and then adding on personalities is a huge responsibility. Alastair made it look easy as he taught us about the history of your lovely land, knowledge of your local plants and wildlife. I asked for a little time to shop and someone else wanted a tour of a whiskey distillery and he made both possible (last one kept us out of pouring rain after a hike). How lucky were we that he was our guide!

Already commented. Loved Alister and would seek out a trip with him again. He does not over guide and true to control group. He gets his job done but let’s everyone enjoy everything. And his stories and experiences were so memorizing. I am so glad he was willing to share

My trip was guided by Alastair Goodridge. He's informative and very knowledgeable about the history and legends of the area. He explained a lot about the diverse flora and fauna that I’d miss if I opted to do the way unguided. He is very professional, flexible, conscientious, and calm!

Alisster was chilled, patient, didn't rush us and stress us around... He was caring and left us on our own pace as we were a small group... Kept checking on everyone, and provided loads of information about nature, vegetation, animals, history and answered all the questions we had in mind... Also he helped me in managing my meals according to my dietary needs... Super calm and polite...