John Walker

John and Aidan were AWESOME! It was great to have 2 different guides of diifferent generations. They do a great job of balancing keeping the team together and accomplishing the goal and also being able to just chat. There were 2 other guides that came for a day each and they were also quite lovely.

I have been on a number of similar trips. John Walker stands out far above any other guide that I have been with. He is a great fellow and an excellent guide. The others that were assisting were also top-notch.

John and Aiden were incredible guides. They took any challenges in stride and went the extra mile to make sure the group was happy and well taken care of. We had lovely conversations with both guides throughout the trip and felt very safe and prepared along the trail

We das 2 guides and they were both very experienced and committed to making the trip work. I would have liked to get more info on the places etc. I felt I did not get much of their commentary as the group was very diverse regarding walking speed with one guide at the front with the fast ones and one guide at the very end. The difference got more pronounced towards the end of the week and as an average walker in the middle I might not see the guides or fast/slow walkers during the day.

Both Caroline and Johnny were most excellent - knowledgeable about our surrounding and genuinely nice people

John and Caroline were the BEST!!!

John was one of the best guides we have ever experienced in decades of travelling. You are so fortunate to have him work with you. He truly made our trip.

John and Caroline are the best! They were incredibly patient, encouraging, knowledgeable, and hilarious. Our group had a wide range of experiences/speeds and I thought they handled it very well. I would go on another trip with either of them in a heartbeat.

A highlight of the trip, John and Caroline where both brilliant in different ways. They worked well as a team despite having not worked together before. Nothing was too much trouble and they explained each day in helpful detail.

The guide was knowledgeable and entertaining. He was clearly very experienced. He worked hard to solve a couple of minor hiccups quickly and effectively.

John provided an Awesome guided walking tour. He made sure that everyone felt comfortable doing the walks, had great, positive energy each day & was very encouraging & entertaining!

Previously stated John was top notch

Thank you John for keeping me safe. I had a couple of rough days on Harris as you know!

John Walker was so adaptable and personable. Inclement weather ruled us and he did such an excellent job with changes and trying to keep us happy. Great sense of humor also.

John Walker is a great guide. This trip was challenging. John has to constantly adjust our plans depending on the weather. In the end we did not miss out on anything but maybe not in the order in which the itinerary stated. I was impressed with the way in which he handled the less capable walkers in the group. I don't think that they felt "left out" in any way and that was because of John.

Each day we saw incredible views and natural wonders in a true wilderness that we could get to fully experience thanks to our amazing guide, John, who had a fantastic knowledge and experience of this area. We’ve learned so much from him and his love of mountains. A very nice person, kind and engaging.

I couldn't fault John. He led the group exceptionally well and I enjoyed his anecdotes along the way.

Our guide John Walker did a fantastic job. Always cheerful and encouraging. Took the time to talk to everyone

Our guide was superb - could not fault his enthusiasm and general approach to the trip! Very knowledgeable and helpful.

Always friendly and supportive

Excellent. Some of our people did not like getting pointers on riding/gear usage, but we were a group of people who are not used to being told what to do. And everyone communicated well so it was a good source of humor. They dealt with us well!

John and Dave were excellent guides giving us all the background, being supportive and safety conscious. We missed a day's cycling because of the strong wind, but appreciated that they explained to us it would not have been safe to cycle. They were both flexible with regard to Plan Bs on some days and generally fun to be with

I have mentioned the excellence of the guides throughout

John did an amazing job of being aware of everyone's needs and abilities. I also appreciated that he took time to walk and talk one on one with each member of the group. (I've been with other guides who either don't talk to anyone, or find one or two members of the group engaging and stick to those folks.) His knowledge of both the landscapes we walked through and the history of Scotland and England was shared with clarity and enthusiasm. He provided gentle encouragement when I needed it, as well as slowing me down when I was pushing myself too hard. If I am able to do another week with Wilderness Scotland, I will definitely look for one that is guided by John

John was terrific - able to multi-task, recognize the level of the group and individuals, and work with it. He taught us a lot, both about walking and hiking and about Scotland. He selected interesting walks with just the right amount of challenge, as well as differing landscapes and settings. He was flexible and careful to consider everyone.

our guide was terrific - incredibly knowledgeable, patient, high level of social competence, prepared to be a leader, sense of humour, absolutely dependable and last but not least someone who can communicate respect and love for the hills.

Johnie Walker is amazing! He taught me so much in such a short time. I often wondered how someone could know so much. He even taught me at the age of 65 why I eat so slow. “Keep the knife and fork in your hands, don’t set one down” Still working on that Johnie, not working just yet!

Our guide knew his stuff, genuinely loved the history and landscape, and kept us safe and looked after in a seemingly effortless way which is quite a feat in itself. He conducted himself with humour and seemed very authentic which are lovely things. The only note i’d say is sympathy, concern or empathy are kindnesses that can sometimes help people redouble their efforts. Interweave those with the ‘get on with it’ approach and it will reduce the complaining

John Walker was fantastic! I was the slowest and definitely the weak link in the group but he was very encouraging and understanding. Loved his knowledge of Scottish history!

John Walker was an excellent Guide- very knowledgeable about the trails, the history of the surrounding areas, as well as the amazing Scottish culture. He was very patient and supportive of each of our skill levels and interests. He was adept at every aspect of our experiences during the week- equipment, trail conditions, weather, water and food on the trail, and flexible. In fact, this was our SECOND time with him and we were excited to be hiking the trails with him. He is truly a consummate expert whose broad skill and knowledge-base blessed us at every turn of the trail. We will cherish our time in bonny Scotland for years to come because of all that he did for us.

John Walker was a good guide. He was flexible and accommodating. Very knowledgeable about the history in the places we walked. We walked at a good pace and he was very mindful as not everyone in our group was confident with the terrain.

We loved our guide! John was knowledgable and energetic and extremely patient with the group.

Our guide, John Walker, was excellent. I was not an experienced hiker and could not have had such a great experience without him.

We will definitely be back. When we book again we will be looking to see what trips John is guiding. He is an outstanding guide.

Our guide was super. I especially liked how kind he was to some of the more challenged individuals in the group. I don't know how he does it, putting up with strangers week after week.

We all just loved John.

Stu and John were wonderful! We loved their knowledge of the history, geography, culture, and spirit of the Scottish people.

Maybe some further golf-course navigation lessons might be necessary. Besides that, great trip!

John Walker is a fantastic guide: professional, experienced, compassionate, and extremely capable of meeting the needs of a diverse group of hikers. He's also a excellent driver; I'd rate him in the top 2% of all drivers I've experienced in my lifetime.

John Walker was an excellent guide and ensured that everyone made it to the top which I very much appreciated.

Our guide, John Walker, was excellent. He was very friendly, experienced, professional, safety conscious and helpful. He was also flexible and ensured that each person in our group had a great hiking experience according to our abilities. John is very knowledgeable about Scotland's mountains and all of its natural beauty and we appreciate all of the information that he shared with us. We highly recommend Wilderness Scotland tours and plan to hike again with this awesome company. Thank you, John!!

Again, see previous notes. We were generally self guided, but we had guides on 3 days and they were the BEST. The days when we had guides would not have been memorable without the guides, as they all fell on days with spotty weather, but they each took those days and made them into our absolute highlights. They were all consummate professionals, kept us safe and comfortable yet challenged, taught us a lot, and worked flawlessly with our group dynamic.

self guided notes were good and maps were informative

Self guide - piece of cake.
Loved all 3 guides. Felt very comfortable with and confident of their skills and experience. Very easy to talk with.

Scott and John were really terrific and everyone thoroughly enjoyed them. They were helpful, supportive, kind and gracious.

please see my previous entry about the guides. they were great!

John and Scott were both very competent and knowledgeable. They were extremely helpful when we had questions and with equipment needs. Very fun to be with.

We can’t cheer loud enough for our guides. Knowledgeable, accommodating, pleasant, funny, flexible, supportive. We learned about history, had great fun riding, and felt listened to at all times. Bravo bravo bravo

As I mentioned before, John and Craig were amazing. I think they both helped to make the trip. Knowledgeable, great sense of humor, kind, helpful, and easy going. Great fit with this type of travel. I think they both did a great job of accommodating the different levels of cyclists we had on the trip. Kudos to you both. I want my next trip to be led by the dynamic duo!

Friendly helpful and supportive guides.

Craig and John were patient, knowledgable, kind and energetic guides; I would book another trip with them in a heart beat - just need to start saving my pence!

Always calm, confident, enthusiastic and flexible to the requirements of the group

As already stated, Craig, John and Russell were excellent representatives of the company to the point that I would seek out other holiday opportunities where those guides are involved.

John Walker was exceptional. He was able to assess our abilities and tailor our walks to meet all of our needs and interests. I especially liked it when he offered choices. I couldn't have asked for a more personalized experience. He is very personable and an expert in his field.

See previous comments, with notes about the guide. John is fantastic. HIs enthusiasm for the area, the history, the mountains, is contagious. He really made the trip for us.

John Walker was an excellent guide for our trip. He is extremely knowledgeable about the Cairngorms and was able to tune our walks for our abilities as a group and for the expected weather.