Donald and Sarah were fantastic - they clearly function well as a team and I appreciated how Donald (while clearly in charge) ensured there was space for Sarah to use her strong leadership skills as well. I very much appreciated a break from decision making, cooking and organizing. I felt safe and cared for.

Donald and Howard are excellent - hard to see what else they could have done.

Couldn't fault the guides. Very knowledgable and experienced. The group always felt safe in their hands and following their decisions. Loved hearing all about their adventures. On a particularly windy day we managed to have an afternoon of focusing on sea kayaking skills. I found this really useful and enjoyed putting my new skills to use on the following days. Donald's tubes were also a highlight! Donald and Howard were easy to get along with, as was the rest of the group, which made the trip that bit more enjoyable.

Superb day to day palnning and communication
Instilled confidence amongst the less experienced like me.
Affable and very interesting conversation

Outstanding. Excellent and any other superlative you may wish to add. Donald and Paul were an outstanding team in every way. They were both incredibly hard working, cheerful, friendly supportive. They had a difficult task as the winds were strong and two days we could not kayak. They turned into tour guides and introduced us to the Isles of Lewis and Harris.
The 3 days on expedition were only possible because they came up with a routes which was safe and fascinating despite the still strong winds and considerable fetch. They must have worked through dozens of scenarios to achieve the trip that they finally offered.

NO Words are adequate to praise their efforts.

The two guides were excellent, they really make the trip memorable. The enthusiasm they show really makes the whole holiday special

Guide was great, though I think his initial briefing could have been more comprehensive. My husband capsized early on - prior to any practice of use of spray decks..... I've just done a days kayaking off Studland and the guide there got us to practice release of spray decks etc early on.

My skeg kept sticking although this was not initially diagnosed - leading to a slightly frustrating time until it was sorted. Donald was the ultimate professional in how he dealt with it.
Very clear instructions to us and incredibly knowledgeable about all things kayaking and all things Scottish.
Great locations chosen and very conscientious in looking after us - eg he put up the emergency shelter for us at lunchtime when it was cold and made sure we always had midge cream when we needed it.




TEAM WILDERNESS RESPONSE

We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed your kayaking trip with us. Our guides alway try and strike a balance between providing enough information and trying not to provide too much information on an initial briefing. This is to try and not overload clients on the first day and is also based in the knowledge that they are on hand to assist whenever may be required on an individual level.

We appreciate that some clients may wish more information earlier and your guide will certainly take this feedback into consideration for the future - thank you.

Donald was an engaging, warm and knowledgable guide. He had a great knowledge of all things Scottish and engaging with the wide range of topics touched on during our holiday. Despite my inexperience I felt completely save in his hands. However I did do a wet entry at the introduction on the first afternoon due to trying to attempt to practice an emergency stop without being told to brace the legs.
I did appreciate his selection of a different area or loch each day and restaurant/pubs for the evening meal. All were good and had great views. This really made a great end to each day.
He was always keen for us to be happy/warm/comfortable with what we were doing. So much so that on day he towed my wife and myself across a sea loch due to sudden winds/swell beyond my capabilities which he quickly recognised.


TEAM WILDERNESS RESPONSE:

We are delighted to hear that you had a great time your kayaking trip with us. Our guides alway try and strike a balance between providing enough information and trying not to provide too much information on an initial briefing. This is also based in the knowledge that they are on hand to assist whenever may be required on an individual level. It is good to hear that you felt perfectly safe with our guide throughout the trip and that a hearty meal finished off a great day on the water.

Good sense of humour, able to be reassuring whilst challenging at the the same time. In retrospect it may have been useful to have a " I know this is obvious but if you capsize this is what to do, this is how we will indicate rocks etc" at the very beginning of the the trip as it was only during the trip that some people seemed less sure of what to do or expect. Maybe a brief mention of what to do in choppy seas, near rocks etc before getting there would be a useful to remind to less confident paddlers( this was not a problem to us but others did say that they would have appreciated this information)

Competence already mentioned.

Don and Sarah worked well togther. They both looked after us and inspired great confidence!

Donald would be the best ever kayak guide I have had on one of these kayak touring holidays. We have been on 5 now in various countries. He would be in the top 1% around the world

Better than excellent. Donald was patient and calm throughout the whole trip. He was very generous with his knowledge of kayaking, totally calm and in control when I decided to see an underwater view , great sense of humor, we not only learnt so much but have to say that this was the best trip and the best quide we have had. W

Donald Thomson was an excellent guide and made for a truly great trip despite the occasional spell of dodgy weather! Safety was paramount. Extremely well looked after throughout. Great decision making, great organisation and great company! Donald then surpassed all expectations by bringing us a pod of dolphins on the final morning of the trip. It rained but..who cared?!! A big thank you to Donald, for everything.

delighted to receive individual forward stroke instruction

Top team
Despite not seeing an otter!

we missed two days due to weather being too windy, but the guides priority was our safety, the whole group where happy with the decisions they made. Their extensive knowledge of the area meant that when we were on the water we explored the area fully and had good 'brewing' stops.

Both Donald and Judy were excellent

Absolutely love them

Two superb guides who really made the trip

Guiding simply could not have been bettered.

Friendly, committed and very professional guides. Especially impressed with Donald being able to come it last minute as a replacement and running it so well.

Both Donald and Paul were brilliant, and together they made a super team! We couldn't have asked for anything better.

Very professional and experienced kayak guides, knowledgeable about the local culture and wildlife, excellent trailer-driving skills :)

Donald is an excellent, confidence-inducing and good fun guide.

Donald and Tim were both excellent guides who complimented each other and looked after us really well. They were helpful, organised, knowledgeable and great fun. They even managed to make the day where we could not kayak at all interesting and enjoyable. Thank you both again.

Donald Thomson and Tim Willis were terrific guides. They were highly skilled, organized, informative, kind and confidence inspiring. They did an excellent job adapting to changing weather conditions. They were also a lot of fun.

Clearly very experienced and good company, while providing a lot of information on the area.

Professional accomplished reassuring and wonderful hosts with humor

Paul and Donald were great!.Got a lot of tips to refine my paddling, and always felt safe on the water, even in rougher conditions. The 1:4 guide:client ratio really helps too.

Knowledgable, supportive and provided flexibility when required.

Both Donald and Paul provided excellent guidance on our day trips, providing paddling tips. They also were calm when guiding us on the coast when the wind picked up-we were capable but needed confidence. They were also organised without being pushy, we never felt rushed. Good job!

Friwnfly, knowledgeable, well preared and good fun

Donald and Sarah were wonderful to paddle with. Their knowledge of the area and the history were incredible, and they taught me a lot more about Scotland than I was expecting to learn! Both guides were very fun and funny, and they handled the group effortlessly. Given the nature of trips that I've seen or lead before, I was very pleasantly surprised that they let the paddlers with more experience have some free reign. I was especially impressed that they slipped in a large handful of moments where everyone got a chance to lead or practice different skills.

Happy to have had Donald as a guide - knowledgeable, experienced & highly hospitable!

I consider myself very lucky to have had Donald as my guide. Patient, knowledgeable, expert coach, good company. First Class

They were very friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. They were happy to give paddling advice and instruction when asked as well. That was much appreciated.

they were friendly and helpful and had to deal with challenging weather conditions, they did their best despite the bad weather. Well organised and good standard of paddling, offered good tips for kayaking techniques

Donald and Sarah were really great!! Very knowledgeable, very friendly, were not fazed by the poor weather conditions. Made us all feel comfortable and happy at all times!

Donald was very knowledgeable and helpful.

Excellent! Perfectly prepared, competent, skilled, considerate, great sense of humor.

Thank you Donald, we had a great time! Your knowledge not only about sea kayaking but also about the islands, history, etc. was outstanding.