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Selected Trips

    Craig McDonald

    Knowledgeable | Passionate | Humorous

    Mini Bio

    Although hailing from the Central Belt my passion and love for Scottish History was destined to draw me to my ancestral homelands. This passion led to a deep love for the Scottish mountains and Glens, and so I embarked on a career working in this stunning environment.

    I love hillwalking, mountaineering and biking all over Scotland, all year round. My passion for exploring the history of these areas is infectious and I love sharing these experiences with other people!

    My idea of heaven is a cracking long day on foot or on bike exploring Scotland’s stunning scenery and history, followed by a good hearty dinner and some mirth and laughter by a roaring fire with a wee dram in the evening!

    Place to Play

    A tough question to answer – but probably Ardnamurchan. It is wild feeling and very peaceful, offering stunning peaks, glorious coastline and untrampled miles of heather-clad goodness! And of course being a McDonald means I am close to where it all began…

    Not a lot of people know this

    I am hugely interested in paranormal activity – I was even a member of the Ghost Club (started by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle himself) for a few years before moving to Fort William to be closer to the mountains. I started out as a sceptic but several experiences may have changed my mind!

    Adventurer's Stories about Craig

    Crsig was fantastic. Great manner, great knowledge and brilliant sense of humour. Helped the group bond so well

    Maureen Cochrane
    Wilderness Walking - Wilds of Assynt
    Reviewed on 12/09/2023

    Great guide. Craig was Fanta!stic!

    Liane Couture
    Wilderness Walking - Wilds of Assynt
    Reviewed on 11/09/2023

    Craig was the most amazing guide. His knowledge of the geography and history shaping the landscape was first class. Great stories entwined with facts gave a different aspect to learning about our Scottish culture.

    Carolyn Murray
    Wilderness Walking - Wilds of Assynt
    Reviewed on 11/09/2023

    Loved all the story telling.

    John Himmelsbach
    Wilderness Walking - Wilds of Assynt
    Reviewed on 11/09/2023

    I commented briefly on your guide, Craig McDonald, previously, but I would add that I found him to be very professional, with a lot of knowledge about the sites we visited and the surrounding area, including the plants, animals and birds. Craig has an ability to articulate his knowledge, which made it easy to understand and very interesting. I found him to be very sociable.

    Ramona Phipps
    Wilderness Walking - The Orkney Islands
    Reviewed on 12/07/2022

    Our guide Craig was very knowledgeable and had a great sense of humor.

    Markus Derrer
    Wilderness Walking - The Orkney Islands
    Reviewed on 11/07/2022

    Craig was very well informed on all aspects of the archeology and history of the areas we visited.

    Nicola White
    Wilderness Walking - The Orkney Islands
    Reviewed on 11/07/2022

    Good sense of humor and very knowledgeable. Craig is a very good guide.

    Alison Kershaw
    Wilderness Walking - The Orkney Islands
    Reviewed on 11/07/2022

    Our guides were wonderful- they made our trip special. Craig had told us all about Scottish history. While Caroline took care of all our special needs and made everything work smoothly.

    Deborah LePage
    Wilderness Walking - The West Highland Way
    Reviewed on 01/07/2022

    Craig is a wealth of knowledge about Scotland and the West Highland Way. He is a great guide. Caroline is very organized and keeps things running smoothly. She was a great addition to the team.

    Chuck Suitor
    Wilderness Walking - The West Highland Way
    Reviewed on 30/06/2022

    Our boat captain John was amazing…excellent in every category. Our land guide was also excellent.

    Joann Rooney
    22WSTM - Tailor Made Trips
    Reviewed on 29/06/2022

    John at sea and Craig on land were informative and interesting and solicitous.

    Anne Zahner
    22WSTM - Tailor Made Trips
    Reviewed on 28/06/2022

    Craig was amazingly knowledgable about Scottish everything and was always informative and very entertaining. Caroline & Craig worked well as a team, and both consistently circulated around the whole group & ensured that everyone felt included. Top guides.

    Lesley Norton
    Wilderness Walking - The West Highland Way
    Reviewed on 24/06/2022

    Craig and Caroline were absolutely wonderful and really made the trip enjoyable. They were super attentive to the groups needs, adjusted pace when needed, and answered any questions we had. They were both really encouraging as well. Craig’s folk stories are also one of a kind. 10/10 would recommend both.

    Amanda Heyden
    Wilderness Walking - The West Highland Way
    Reviewed on 23/06/2022

    Craig our guide was fantastic. Amazing historical knowledge, great storyteller, and really helped make the trip truly special and keep the group motivated on longer treks.

    Edward Cooper
    Wilderness Walking - The West Highland Way
    Reviewed on 05/08/2021

    Already mentioned Excellent Craig. Also had a great boat trip out and saw puffins seals and to staffa island and caves.

    Ian Livingston
    21WSTM Tailor Made trips
    Reviewed on 13/07/2021

    The guide is what makes us keep coming back to Wilderness Scotland.
    Craig was brilliant and had a fantastic grasp of history in particular.

    A great sense of humour and willingness to be part of the friendly banter.

    Gavin Bateman
    Wildlife Adventures - Outer Hebrides & St Kilda
    Reviewed on 12/07/2021

    Brilliant guide. Knowledgeable and fun

    Tricia Bateman
    Wildlife Adventures - Outer Hebrides & St Kilda
    Reviewed on 12/07/2021

    We travelled with a private guide to the Shetlands and were absolutely delighted with the result. Craig was an absolutely first class guide, combining an impressive knowledge of local flora and fauna with a wealth of historical understanding - all of which significantly enhanced our engagement with and enjoyment of our surroundings.
    He was also acutely sensitive to our preferences and levels of ability and adjusted itineraries and plans to suit us perfectly. We also had so much fun and are looking forward to travelling with him again - if only so I have someone equality crazy to enjoy sea swimming at 60 degrees north!
    We can’t recommend the experience highly enough.

    Susan Dalgarno
    21WSPD Private Departure
    Reviewed on 15/06/2021

    Craig was super knowledgeable but not at all lecturey :) I felt completely safe with him leading, and appreciated him being so flexible with arrangements - his Plan A and Plan B were equally enjoyable, so the group could choose which they'd prefer.

    Margaret Swinyard
    Wilderness Walking - Outer Hebrides & Skye
    Reviewed on 06/09/2020

    Craig quickly grasped what the group was about , he had a wry sense of humour, kept everyone in check. Gave encouragement at the right times and made sure we were safe. Took us to good places and gave us choices. Had a good grasp of history. Thanks Craig

    Carl Broomhead
    Wilderness Walking - Outer Hebrides & Skye
    Reviewed on 03/09/2020

    Craig was an amazing guide! He was friendly, funny and very knowledgable. I loved hearing about the history of the areas we hiked. Craig was also very flexible and adapted our hikes to accommodate our family's hiking level and needs. I thoroughly enjoyed every part of our trip. Each day was unique, with a variety of terrain and experiences. I would 100% recommend Wilderness Scotland and our guide Craig!! :)

    Irene Gamboa
    19WSPD_Private Departure
    Reviewed on 09/10/2019

    We could not have been happier with our guide, Craig McDonald. He was gracious,
    knowledgeable, professional, humorous and solicitous of our needs. We were totally comfortable and confident with his recommendations and suggestions and always felt safe and secure.

    Irene Gamboa
    19WSPD_Private Departure
    Reviewed on 27/09/2019

    Our guide, Craig, was fabulous!! It felt like hanging out with an old friend. Absolutely love his sense of humor, his kind spirit, and his knowledge of history. He made each day so interesting and fun. My parents, sisters, and I were sad to see our trip end.

    Irene Gamboa
    19WSPD_Private Departure
    Reviewed on 26/09/2019

    Craig chatted with us to find out our reasons for visiting Shetland and planned our walks to match our interests - wildlife, plants and archaeology - which meant we had a great time on all of our outings. I got to visit a couple of places I had always wanted to visit. I also really appreciated that Craig gave me advice and encouragement when I needed it..

    Anne Johnston
    Wildlife Adventures - The Shetland Isles
    Reviewed on 03/07/2019

    Craig could not have done more to ensure each and every one of us got as much as possible from this trip. I cannot praise him highly enough. He made the holiday an unforgettable experience.

    Ruth Roberts
    Wildlife Adventures - The Shetland Isles
    Reviewed on 01/07/2019

    Craig McDonald was our guide. He was great, noticeably making sure he spent time with everyone while walking etc, and was there to help with an outstretched hand if we needed it. He was full of entertaining tales, lots of history and wild life information which made for even more enjoyment. He was very quickly aware of the group's interests and capabilities.

    Sonia Chapple
    Wildlife Adventures - The Shetland Isles
    Reviewed on 01/07/2019

    Craig McDonald, was exceptional. We have done several walking trips in the past in Italy and France, and found Craig among the best we have encountered. He is extremely passionate about his Scotland, adding in depth historical knowledge, geography, fauna and flora and insight to Scottish life which clearly was the highlight of the tour. His humour, energy, problem solving skills and driving made the tour proceed seamlessly. He is to be highly recommended.
    We were lucky to have Lizzy from head office, with us as well. She ostensibly was along to gain first hand experience of the tour but for us added another level of knowledge and vitality which we all appreciated. Her energy and enjoyment of life was a bonus.

    David O'Hagan
    Wilderness Walking - Isle of Skye
    Reviewed on 26/05/2019

    See earlier comments. Both Craig and Lizzie were very attentive to all of us.

    Darsie Bowden
    Wilderness Walking - Isle of Skye
    Reviewed on 14/05/2019

    Craig was professional, knowledgeable, organized, and has a great sense of humor. He s a great guide!

    Mary McLennan
    Wilderness Walking - The Orkney Islands
    Reviewed on 06/09/2018

    A very good historian. I wanted and expected more walking.

    Sarah Leigh
    Wilderness Walking - The Orkney Islands
    Reviewed on 24/08/2018

    I think I said it all already. Craig is excellent!

    Mary Mills
    Wilderness Walking - Outer Hebrides & Skye
    Reviewed on 22/08/2018

    Can't speak too highly of Craig. He was the ideal guide for such a trip - we did our best to live up to him!!

    Margaret Seward
    Wilderness Walking - Outer Hebrides & Skye
    Reviewed on 19/08/2018

    As previously stated Craig was knowledgeable, professional with a great sense of humour.

    Maxine Offredy
    Wilderness Walking - Outer Hebrides & Skye
    Reviewed on 15/08/2018

    Craig was an excellent and very knowledgeable guide. He was flexible in managing our programme to suit conditions and to ensure we had the best experience. The North Highland roads can be a bit of a challenge, but we always felt safe with Craig driving.

    Maura Buchanan
    Wilderness Walking Luxury – North Highland Coast
    Reviewed on 12/07/2018

    The guide was very good and have a good experience and we were like a friend

    Mohamed Alsuwaidi
    Wilderness Walking Luxury – North Highland Coast
    Reviewed on 11/07/2018

    Craig was exceptional, with his great sense of humour, stories and in depth knowledge. He judged each day perfectly and adapted the itinerary expertly to enhance and extend our walks. He also really enjoyed ensuring we had very many ‘wow’ moments and created a great team spirit amongst us all. He was a pleasure to get to know and have as our guide.

    Anne Laskowski
    Wilderness Walking Luxury – North Highland Coast
    Reviewed on 10/07/2018

    Craig was an inspirational guide. He was incredibly knowledgeable about the area; he wisely adapted the trips to make the best possible use of the weather; he quickly assessed our ability and chose walks which challenged us but were within our capability; he always had a Plan B if there were an unforeseen hitch (eg the ferry not running); he was always polite, patient and kind.

    Catharine Wall
    Wilderness Walking Luxury – North Highland Coast
    Reviewed on 02/07/2018

    Craig gave us a wonderful and varied experience.

    Caroline Taylor
    Wilderness Walking Luxury – North Highland Coast
    Reviewed on 02/07/2018

    Best guide I've ever had. He was so knowledgeable and passionate about the history of the Orkneys. He was also very funny and very inclusive (he made sure everyone was involved in conversations, decisions etc)

    Denise Chidley
    Wilderness Walking - The Orkney Islands
    Reviewed on 04/09/2017

    Craig McDonald was the absolute BEST!! He was so knowledgable , loves his job and really took interest with his group. He has certainly set the bar high for any future guides and trips we take.

    Shirley Jacobsen
    Wilderness Walking - The Orkney Islands
    Reviewed on 01/09/2017

    Craig was great. He clearly wanted to make sure we were having a good, safe vacation.

    Lisa Slotznick
    Wilderness Walking - The Orkney Islands
    Reviewed on 29/08/2017

    Craig was extremely knowledgeable regarding the history and archaeology and had a wicked sense of humour which helped a disparate group (British, American, Australian and Belgian) to blend very well.

    John Edmonstone
    Wilderness Walking - The Orkney Islands
    Reviewed on 28/08/2017

    Craig was an extremely good guide, he knew the Islands well and the history. He was always on time!
    He organised our days to suit everyone and managed to avoid the cruise ship hordes which I was a bit concerned about! We all mixed very well and had plenty of fun!

    Carol Edmonstone
    Wilderness Walking - The Orkney Islands
    Reviewed on 28/08/2017

    Craig, with his Scottish accent and fast manner of speaking, could be a bit of a challenge to understand at times, although he was clear about imparting vital information. He has the best interests of his clients at heart all the way.

    Steven Phenicie
    Wilderness Walking - The Orkney Islands
    Reviewed on 28/08/2017

    Our guide Craig McDonald is easy going and has a perfect personality for being a guide. He is good at assessing the interests and abilities of the group. His historical knowledge of the country and various regions are a highlight.

    Kathleen Leonard
    Wilderness Walking - Argyll & the Isles
    Reviewed on 01/08/2017

    Nothing but praise for our guide, Craig. He did a great job of accommodating the needs and desires of a fairly diverse group. I learned lots about the history of Scotland and he made me and my sister laugh like we haven't laughed for years!

    Lynn Dunikowski
    Wilderness Walking - Argyll & the Isles
    Reviewed on 23/07/2017

    Craig was a great guide. He was able to assess the team members individually and planned each day to make everyone's trip successful. He provided some flexibility also, if here were special requests ( time allowing). Easy to talk to, humorous and very knowledgeable.

    Irene Conner
    Wilderness Walking - Argyll & the Isles
    Reviewed on 23/07/2017

    Our guide Craig was GREAT : most friendly, with a great sense of humor and outstanding historical knowledge. He brought us to wonderful hiking paths which were challenging but within our capacities, we always came back proud of ourselves and with awesome memories of outstanding landcapes! He even treated us to drinks after our hike to Toe's Head which was a bit challenging, as we did not wait for him and took a rather harder (mountain sheep) path!!

    Lizanne Rouillard
    Wilderness Walking - Outer Hebrides & Skye
    Reviewed on 17/07/2017

    Loved the history knowledge of the guide and he was very good with getting us fruit and snacks.

    Belinda Baccarini
    Wilderness Walking - Argyll & the Isles
    Reviewed on 17/07/2017

    Craig was such a good leader. He had a wonderful sense of humour, didn't molly-coddle but always knew our capabilities. He had a fund of knowledge about where we were and Scottish history in general.

    Mary Bolton
    Wilderness Walking - Outer Hebrides & Skye
    Reviewed on 11/07/2017

    Craig MacDonald was excellent. He challenged us to our limits, which was good. Also, offered us choices, such as whether we wanted to go further. We always did. Also, he is highly informative with a great wit.

    Charles Gardner
    Wilderness Walking - Outer Hebrides & Skye
    Reviewed on 10/07/2017

    What can I say Craig? You did an excellent job. You got all the animals to co-operate for us. You were as genuinely interested in what we were experiencing as we were. You were flexible and listened to our needs and to the advice of the locals. I loved your stories about Scotland and about your life in general. What a terrific person to guide us for 7 days. You even carried our packs up the mountain for us when you saw we were struggling. What more could one ask for. I loved every minute of it.

    Valerie Harlow
    Wildlife Adventures - The Scottish Highlands
    Reviewed on 07/06/2017

    Craig went over and above every day. Knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the region, history and the wildlife. He is a considerate guide.

    Helen Biggerstaff
    Wildlife Adventures - The Scottish Highlands
    Reviewed on 05/06/2017

    Knowledgable,friendly,competent, enthusiastic, hard working. Took interest in all & couldn't do enough to help. Outstanding.

    Jennie Walter
    Wildlife Adventures - The Scottish Highlands
    Reviewed on 05/06/2017

    Craig was an excellent guide. He noted our abilities and made astute suggestions for future possible trips.

    Sharon Newman
    Wilderness Walking - Cairngorms National Park & Royal Deeside
    Reviewed on 11/10/2016

    Great sense of humour. Very informative especially about the history of Scotland

    Jeanette West
    Wilderness Walking - The Knoydart Peninsula
    Reviewed on 29/09/2016

    The group was always Craigs priority. He was very knowledgeable about the area and history. Great fun to be with.

    Anne Etherington
    Wilderness Walking - The Knoydart Peninsula
    Reviewed on 27/09/2016

    As mentioned, Craig McDonald was beyond excellent! We would love to do another adventure with him and will highly recommend him to our friends !

    Brian McIntosh
    Wilderness Walking - The Knoydart Peninsula
    Reviewed on 26/09/2016

    Craig was fantastic - superb sense of humour, much hilarity and banter throughout the group. Also a good guide, decisive and judged the ability of the group well.

    Valerie Hague
    Wilderness Walking - The Knoydart Peninsula
    Reviewed on 21/09/2016

    Book a trip with Craig

    Trip / DepartureAvailabilityStatusPriceBook
    The West Highland Way
    27th May - 3rd Jun 2024
    1 place(s) leftGuaranteed £2,695Book Now
    Wilderness Walking – Outer Hebrides: Uists, Barra & Mingulay
    3rd Aug - 9th Aug 2024
    6 place(s) leftGuaranteed £2,555Book Now
    The West Highland Way
    2nd Sep - 9th Sep 2024
    7 place(s) leftGuaranteed £2,695Book Now
    Wilderness Walking – The Orkney Islands
    28th Sep - 4th Oct 2024
    8 place(s) leftAvailable £2,575Book Now

    Make Trip Private

    Sometimes it's nice to get family and friends together and travel privately for some quality time. This means you benefit from all the features of the group departure, including hand-picked accommodation and expert local guides and we'll take care of it all. Then you can make your choice of departures dates and we'll get back to you to finalise the details.

    We work together with our team of guides to decide which departures they lead each year. As part of that, guides provide available dates that they are free to be booked. This means that any of the dates you see in the first field of the form below, could be perfect for your private departure or customised tour.

    Craig's Gallery

    © Craig McDonald / Wilderness Scotland

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