Craig McDonald

Craig was very well organized and punctual. He went out of his way to ensure each member of our group was treated in a personal, warm, and caring manner. He also was a great storyteller with a good sense of humor.

Graham was terrific. He asked our opinion and was sensitive to our needs. There was only one day when we felt rushed due to timing of a ferry, but I wasn't sure why the rush given that there were ferries later in the day (day of hike to Dun Caan). I loved that he stopped for coffee, etc., as an add on when we requested that. We could not have asked for a better guide.

As previously mentioned, our primary guide, Graham, was excellent. We had a second guide, Craig, on one of the hikes who was also excellent. In addition to all I have already stated about Grham, he was also very gracious. He went above and beyond the call of duty.

Craig is just a great guy all around - smart, knowledgeable, good sense of humor, interesting, interested in his clients and caring.

Great knowledge, fun, great story teller and didn't mind too much being tested a bit!

It is very hard to get a better, knowledgeable guide than Craig. His stories were priceless and allowed us to entertain him in return.

Craig was excellent! He helped our group to bond right away and we all got along very well. Many laughs and everyone was very considerate.
Craig was very knowledgeable about history, the wildlife and the plants. He made ever hike interesting. He has a great sense of humor and is very patient.

Our guides Craig and Scott were excellent . Loved their knowledge of the history, geology and flora/fauna. I enjoyed the time they spent with me along the trail. Both were very compassionate and accommodating where they could be for the slowest hikers (me) in the group. They were also great in assisting in ways to help us get to the next accommodation when they recommended we skip or cut short that day's hike so that they weren't kept so far behind the rest of the group (for safety reasons).

Craig and Scott were superlative. Please see my earlier comments for details. I would home with either (or both) again without hesitation.

Scot and Craig were excellent guides. That couldn’t have been better . Very knowledgeable and always there to help and answer questions. They were perfect !

I cannot say enough great things about Craig and Scott!!!! They were amazing! They made the trip a success by taking care of individual needs, by making everyone feel comfortable and safe. They both had a great personalities for guiding. They were extremely knowledgeable about the terrain, the history, the general knowledge of the area. They made sure to chat with each and everyone throughout the days/week checking in on any injuries or first aid issues. Thank you to them both!!!!!

Craig was a gifted guide, a clever, storyteller, and went out of his way to accommodate everyone in the group. His knowledge of Scottish folklore and history was fantastic. His technical skill in leading the hike was superb. He was friendly throughout, and remained upbeat, even in drizzly weather or hard going.

Both of the guides were great. Craig was great at telling stories and did not mind sharing his cheeky sense of humour to the group. Scott was knowledgeable and loved sharing his experiences of Scotland and what made him choose to be a guide in such a stunning country.

PLEASE GIVE CRAIG A HUGE PAY RAISE!!! His expertise on the road and his knowledge of the local history made the trip very unique, special and epic.

Craig's knowledge of the history and geography of the areas were visited was remarkable. His ability to translate that knowledge into discourse and interactive questions/answers with the group made the trip. He seemed to have a good sense of the different personalities in our group and how to facilitate each person having the best experience, at least for me he did that.

Craig, our guide, deserves the highest rating possible for our trip. He was always professional yet personable and warm at the same time. His knowledge base is vast and deep, and he clearly is passionate about Scotland, its history, land, and people. He communicated complex information succinctly and clearly, and also displayed a wry sense of humor (e.g., "How's that poncho workin' out for ya?" in 100-mile/hour gale force winds. . .) He seemed to really key in on the abilities/limits of each person in our 8-member group without ever holding anyone back. I really appreciated how Craig managed to have us have fun when weather conditions were truly challenging. On a scale of 1 tof 10, with 10 being excellent, I'd give Craig 100!

Knowledgeable, enthusiastic and conscious of our safety in dreadful conditions!

Craig made the holiday for us, he was so friendly and reassuring and his knowledge of Scottish history was incredible. We felt very safe with him as driver and also as he led our hikes in very challenging weather conditions. We appreciated the extra visits made along the way and his company throughout the trip.

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

Great guide. Craig was Fanta!stic!

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.

Loved all the story telling.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Brilliant guide. Knowledgeable and fun

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.

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.

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

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!! :)

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.

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.

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..

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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!!

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

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.

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

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.

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.

Craig gave us a wonderful and varied experience.

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)

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.

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

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!!

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.