Malcolm O’Reilly

Malcolm is a conscientious guide and was excellent at spotting and pointing out wildlife. He also taught us a bit about the geology and the flowers which was wonderful. He recced potential campsites and is a good and safe driver, adept at manoeuvring the van and trailer.

Andy is a conversational delight with lots of stories about the area. He had really taken care to study the conditions and tides and was a very reassuring presence.
Perceptive and great with people.

The guides worked well as a team and both have a great sense of humour. They made good calls regarding the weather and distances and kept the group of mixed experience together so that everyone could enjoy the trip within their abilities. They managed to stick to their schedule whilst remaining calm and affable. Both taught us some kayak techniques and got a good balance between chat and contemplation. They made sure the group were aware of respecting the pristine nature of the places we were lucky enough to be spending time in.

Malcolm and Andy were fun to paddle with and very helpful, and their coaching in the water was very clear and useful.

2 excellent guides - both given the trip to run at short notice, hadn't worked together before, Andy hadn't I think worked for Wilderness Scotland before...but you wouldn't have known any of this; they worked well together and made sure everyone had a great time.

Our guides deserve a great deal of appreciation and credit as they were both last-minute replacements/additions to this trip, they had not previously worked together, and neither had previously guided this trip. They did a great job in keeping us safe and happy.

Andy and Malcolm were fantastic, they gave useful tips and guidance and were very encouraging, and always supportive and cheery!

Malcolm was a wealth of knowledge, not only in terms of the trails, but also the flora and fauna as well as the area history and environmental stewardship in the Highlands. He tailored our schedule and daily hikes based on weather conditions, and managed the various hiking paces within the group. He was enthusiastic, patient, and considerate and enhanced the experience by including side trips as time allowed.

Malcolm worked hard to make sure the entire group was enjoying the hikes and I really liked how he presented different options each day for discussion with the group to determine what we would choose to do.

He was funny and thoughtful. He seemed to be annoyed with me at times but otherwise was good


TEAM WILDERNESS RESPONSE:

We are delighted that you had a great time on your High Points of the Cairngorms trip. Our guide will be delighted to hear that you found him funny! It was not the intention of the guide to give the impression that they were annoyed in anyway and we along with the guide are very sorry you felt like this. The guide very much enjoyed spending time with you.

Malcolm really knew a lot about the plant and animal life everywhere we went. Everyone was interested and asked a lot of questions and we appreciated how knowledgeable he was. He was also clearly a very experienced guide. On the bad weather day I learned a little about navigation since our visibility off the peak was about 40 feet, ha! All in all I always felt confident in his abilities. He made a point each evening to talk about the next day's activities and made sure everyone was comfortable with the plan.
Additionally, Malcolm kept everyone entertained with his quick wit.

Malcolm was enthusiastic, knowledgeable, pleasant and cheerful - exactly the sort of person needed to lead a group. He certainly knows his Hebrides, and he fitted well into the group (even though he was a lot younger than me and them!) When the St Kilda day had to be cancelled, he booked a great alternative with a trip to Mingulay, which was similar. I'd have Malcolm again any time.

See previous comments about Malcolm.

Great knowledge and enthusiasm, and exceptional eye when spotting interesting dots in the sky and heads in the grass or sea. We were enjoyably educated and looked after.

For the first part of our vacation in Scotland, our driver/guide was Malcolm O'Reilly. He was the best!!. Very professional as well as very friendly. He was always on time, took care of every little detail, and he seemed to enjoy I believe he enjoyed the trip as much as we did. He was happy to do whatever we wanted to do. He made the trip fun and interesting. I wish we could have had him for our whole time in Scotland.

Our guide Malcolm O'Reilly is genuinely interested in providing a special adventure for the group. Very nice and responsible.

Malcom was a super guide. His knowledge and enthusiasm created enthusiasm in
all of us to look harder and to see the many flora and fauna which he pointed out to us. He went out of his way to make sure we had many opportunities to discover the
abundance of natural beauty in Scotland. I learned a lot and enjoyed the walks as
we sought otters, sea life, birds, plants, insects. He really gave us a lot of information, set a nice pace as we walked, and set up the telescope so we novices
could see lots that was far away (like red deer, seals, perhaps even an otter once.

Malcolm was very knowledgeable and patient and ensured everyone was having a good time.

Malcolm was very knowledgeable, not only about wildlife and the environment, but also about history. I learned a lot!

Malcolm is a great guide and good company. He is knowledgeable, ( I loved learning about moth caterpillars and dragon flies), great at spotting wildlife, a highlight for me was seeing a short eared owl at close quarters. He is good humoured and friendly and sorted out the day's programme to ensure everyone got the best experience and accommodated our different wishes with patience and good humour. He worked very hard to ensure we had a good time and I would like to thank him for this. He is an asset to Wilderness Scotland.

Very good local knowledge with a bit of luck.

See comments for trip overall. Malcom was great!

Malcolm was extremely patient with the group which consisted of many different personalities. He endeavoured to give us interesting information during the many miles we travelled ....and he succeeded. Always had a smile on his face which is very important to make people feel at home.

I thought he was very knowledgeable about everything to do with Flora, Fauna, sealife, knew all the best places to go and often found the animals he and we were looking for. He worked hard trying to meet our expectations [which HE thought we had :) ], and to show us what was in the program, which is almost a miracle as wilderness is not a zoo. Very friendly and cheerful. We could share his Passion for wildlife. Unforgettable!

Our guide worked really hard to find the wildlife, and to keep the group cheerful despite the poor weather.

Malcom is an expert guide. He ran a tight ship with the group's safety and did not take uncesssary risks.

One of the guides were a bit to eager to keep a high speed from start and gave us no chance to warm up.

Both Paul and Malcolm were great. It did seem that they were a little stressed at the start since we got a late start on day 1. Suggest they acknowledge that we are getting a late start and describe how late we are, but then put extra effort into getting everyone pumped about the trip.

Guides were great but poor taste in (their own) music.

Malcolm and Paul were fantastic guides. Paul was great at finding hidden singletrack and Malcolm knew so much about local wildlife and history.

Exceptional. Personable, knowledgeable and thoughtful. This particular trip has two built in elements of uncertainty (wildlife sightings and St Kilda visit) so much rests on the guide's ability to manage expectations and when necessary, disappointment. Fortunately Malcolm's expertise and the experience ensured an abundance of wildlife viewings. Upon first meeting the group, he advised us that the weather conditions for St Kilda were not looking favourable and continued to keep us updated so when the trip had to be cancelled it was not a surprise. His clear messaging prepared the group for the decision.

Great job Malcolm! No to lucky with punctures and mechanical failures but able to solve every problem without exitation. Professional, skilled, friendly ... we all enjoyed his presence

Our guide Malcolm was very knowledgeable. He did a great job.

Efficient and friendly

Malcolm was excellent and never let up with his searching for wildlife

Malcolm, the Wildlife Whisperer, was an incredible source of information. He was constantly spotting and identifying birds for the group. Malcolm was always quick to set up the spotting scope, so all had a good view.

He's is a real gem when it comes to looking after the group. He worked hard to ensure we all saw what we came to see and learned what we wanted about the local culture and history.

Malcolm was fun to be with and really contributed to the group dynamics. What a treat it was to have the guide in house with us, rather than off site.

Flexible to cope with members' need.

Malcolm was fantastic! Really friendly and easy to get along with, he quickly put everyone at ease. He was great on Scottish history and his knowledge of wildlife was brilliant, I saw and learnt loads and loved every minute! He was really enthusiastic and great at finding spots off the beaten track for lunch, he was also very good at finding all important coffee and cake stops! He had a good balance of chatting and silence to let people enjoy the surroundings, couldn't recommend him enough.

Please see earlier comments about Malcolm. Was also nice that he took some great pics on the walk that WS has a facility to share afterwards - nice touch.

very good

Occasionally got a little flustered with the responsibility of looking after 8 blokes! Overall good and looked after me personally very well.

Malcolm was a great guide. He carefully but unobtrusively balanced the different needs and abilities of the group and planned very successfully to make the best of the variable weather on the Orkneys. He's extremely knowledgeable about the history and nature on the Orkneys and has a great quirky sense of humour.

Malcolm was fantastic and very helpful at every stage of the trip. a great guide to have with us

Malcolm was excellent. Great guide, driver and companion.

It was good to be with Malcolm again. He coped well with our rather disparate group.

Both guides Malcolm and Amanda were outstanding, both put 100% into making the trip the best possible experience for us, both really put themselves out to make us feel comfortable even coming out with us in the evening, which made us feel like we were out with friends, taught us some really useful new skills,

Malcolm did work real hard to accomodate some different desires within the group. Despite the weather we had a wonderful week. We did get the impression though that the guide really makes long days, with report writing and stuff at the end of the day. We might have preferred to start the days of bit earlier so that more walking and sight seeing could have been fitted in ( it was often relatively nice weather early in the morning), but when there was a nice dry and warm evening he took us out to a beautiful place for sun set. We had a wonderful trip due to his guiding and explanations.

Malcolm knowledge was first rate on all aspects of the trip. History, geography, flowers, wildlife. This made the whole trip worthwhile and enjoyable. Malcolm was so easy going and answered all our questions with ease and a pleasure to be with.

Malcolm is a knowledgable guide who constantly reappraised the abilities and desires of the group and the changeable weather to ensure our mixed group enjoyed every moment of their holiday. Ever cheerful and encouraging I really appreciated his easy manner, not being the most sure-footed walker!

Malcolm could not have been more considerate, taking the trouble to talk to everyone on the walks, checking we were all comfortable and happy and consulting whenever there was a choice of activity. He is extremely knowledgeable about the wildlife, from starfish to sea eagles, and we learnt quite a lot about seabirds from him. He is good on plants too, and full of anecdotes about Hebridean history, customs and culture which made the journeys especially interesting. His enthusiasm and love for the area are infectious.Considering he was suffering from a nasty head cold for part of the trip, this was a bravura performance!

Our guide, Malcolm, made every effort to ensure everyone had a great time, with endless energy and enthusiasm. Fantastic bird spotter.

Malcomb is a great guide. Very sensitive to everyone's needs and abilities

Malcolm was extremely knowledgeable about the location and the wildlife, and adapted the itinerary to suit the weather and the group. Personally I'd have liked the walking to be a bit more challenging, but we did see plenty of interesting and beautiful sights.

Malcolm was great - knew where he was going, able to tell us about the mountains, wildlife, history etc. A very special guide, who made the holiday really successful.

Malcolm was excellent. He was very professional, catering to people's interests and needs, a great sense of humour and full of fun stories. Id take a trip with Malcolm again any time!

He was a good guide and sensitive to our abilities.

our guide could not have been better - helpful, great knowledge, patient and always
most pleasant

Highly recommend Malcolm O'Reilly as a guide. Very skilled and knowledgable and a pleasure to be with at dinner.

Malcolm was great. Answered questions willingly. We enjoyed his sories on history, and the naural science around us. He went above and beyond on many occasions.

I mentioned Malcolm's excellence in my answer to an earlier question. I'd also say his people skills were really an asset, determining what our group wanted and was capable of, and then doing his best with schedule and weather, etc. to give us all the best days possible. Totally professional in his preparation and leadership, but a companion to each of us as well - with a great sense of humor (which must come in handy) and infectious laugh. If your other guides are anywhere nearly as good as Malcolm, you are making great hiring choices!

Malcolm did a great job guiding the group on our walking trip. He kept us well-informed, well-fed, caffeinated, safe, and happy. He did a fantastic job of matching the itinerary to the weather and the overall group energy level. Malcolm went above and beyond to make sure we got the most out of our trip, even taking a small group of us out to try to get a better view of the Northern Lights after dinner one night on Harris. He could very easily have called it a night, but he didn't and it was much appreciated. He has an eagle eye (pun intended) for spotting birds and other wildlife, and his expertise made what would already have been some pretty spectacular spots even more enjoyable.

Malcolm was outstanding. Very knowledgeable of the area we were hiking and the hikes were well paced. Going out of his way for us to see the Northern Lights was extra awesome as I have never seen them before (and I think most in the group haven't see before either)

Malcolm was outstanding, there is nothing he could do to improve. He was amazing.

Please share with Malcolm what I wrote earlier in the survey.

The guide tried to provide good service for all of us - I was the outsider so it was harder to find things I liked. Besides the guide had a preference for tea and cakes where I would have liked a pub and a pint - now and them.

Previous comments covered this topic.

Malcolm was great. Did a great job of keeping us going and out of the weather. Appreciate his efforts.

Very professional guide

He went out of his way to be helpful and informative on the hikes. He also went out of his way to find fun things for us to do outside of the hiking time!

Malcolm O'Reilly did a great job of balancing interests of individuals in the group. He adjusted the hikes to suit the group while retaining visits to truly wonderful vistas.

Malcolm for me was a very personable guide who shared his knowledge with us very appropriately, taking us to a variety of places to walk and explore...eating out was also part of this. He was able to relate well with all of our disparate group.
I felt in safe hands and had fun.

Our guide Malcolm, was very considered and knowledgeable, and brought the trip alive for us with his great knowledge of local fauna and flora.

Dave was the 'glue' that held the group together, so calm, so friendly. Malcolm was very patient with me, even tho I am the world's most hopeless mtn biker (but I did love the road cycling).

The guides were excellent in all aspects. Thorough briefings each night; ensuring that the hired bikes were always cleaned and in good working order; consideration and respect for each member of the group with their different levels of cycling experience and ability and giving them opportunities to ride to that ability.

Malcolm & Dave where fantastic...the group was of mixed ability, and I think this was managed well, with various options available to suit all. Both personable hosts, with excellent knowledge of the area, flora and fauna.

Always helpful, always well prepared. Appreciated the loan of spare gear when needed. Good company and knowledgable

Our guide (Malcolm) was a star ! Very professional, I felt safe in his hands. He was an excellent leader; highly knowledgeable not only of the area but of the geology, wildlife and botany. He led with clarity and aplomb balanced by a gentle humour and kindness. Malcolm is a great asset to your company !

Malcolm was excellent, being a most professional and knowledgeable guide.He was good company with a great sense of humour and fun. In addition, he took great care of the group and safety was always paramount. He kept us very well informed of the day to day plans and had an extensive knowledge of the flora, fauna and geology of the area, quickly picking up on my interest in birds. Malcolm worked hard to ensure that the best option for the day also matched the expected weather and he managed to plan and provide an interesting day even when the weather was really dreich!! This also ensured we had a beautiful day for the long trek up and down Suilven.

Malcolm provided a depth and breadth of information about our environment which was impressive. He clearly had a passion for his subject and found clever ways to share it with those of us who had only a basic grasp of the subject. If being a top class guide means combining 'geekness' with a high 'EQ" - he is it!! He was patient with our questions and was astute in responding to those which most merited a response ! He was flexible with our schedule and did a brilliant job of adapting our activity for the day with the changing weather. He balanced our safety with respecting our independence and he really seemed to care about us getting most our of our trip . He definitely went the extra mile - eg: on our last night he devised a quiz which was great fun and made for a very memorable evening.

Malcolm was excellent, highly professional and always made us feel safe. He was very good at finding out what everyone wanted to do and keeping us informed of his thoughts and then balancing the needs of individuals and the group. He was also very flexible in adjusting the treks to suit the weather conditions and abilities of the group. He was always charming and has a great sense of humour.

We were a diverse group with varied interests, but Malcolm managed to keep us all happy!

Malcolm was lovely company and managed to find some beautiful places for us to walk. Thank you Malcolm.

Our guide Malcolm was the font of all knowledge! I learnt so much about the geology, history and geography of the area. He can spot a sea eagle half a mile away and also helped me with my map reading skills.

Malcolm was knowledgeable on wildlife, fauna and flora, history and geology, the weather and practically every subject under the sun- which by the way we were blessed with 4 out of 5 walking days- how did he manage to organise that? He was also skilled in planning and organising the trips, listening to individual needs and responding to requests being careful and concerned for the groups well being and helping us experience and have the most wonderful holiday!

Malcom was doing a terrific Job; we were a very diverse group; he balanced it all out and all our needs were met; he has an incredible knowledge about wildlife (plus flowers and butterflies; my personal interests); he also managed to fit in the historic sites of Orkney; well done; great Job; putting in 12-14h days; thank you!!!!!

Very knowledgeable and interesting; also extremely flexible.

I only hope everyone got a guide like Malcolm. Very accommodating providing lots of choices as to where we should go and very good at getting the right feel about what the groups strengths and weaknesses were and then taking us to the places where we could get the most out of our experience. As with any group of more than one there will be differences of opinion. Although there weren't many incidents Malcolm was quick to put things right quickly without, in my opinion, causing any hurt feelings. Malcolm's daily plans, instructions, cautions, questions and general demeanor were and are excellent. A cautious driver as he navigated the sometimes twisty roads of Orkney while keeping his eyes peeled on the fields, skies and water for signs of wildlife..although I wish he hadn't missed the small pod of Orcas that passed close to the ferry on the way to Orkney..I think he might have been the only one of the group that did..or where they minke whales(inside joke sorry Malcolm lol).In my opinion we got an excellent guide in Malcolm and he definitely was an integral part of this trip going as well as it did.

Malcolm was more than excellent. He looked after our every need, answered our many questions and kept us happy for 8 solid days. His knowledge of the Orkney Islands was outstanding and he made sure we saw everything with some surprises along the way. He chatted easily with the locals so we heard some great stories. He has a great sense of humour thank heavens!

Full of enthusiasm and very professional

Mark managed a great balance of imparting important information but fun stuff too.

Very informative, even on other subjects that weren't to do with the course.

Malcolm was great - pitched it at the correct level. Immense knowledge and passion for the Hills.

Seriously good, kept us alive !

I've traveled and hiked a lot in the UK and I've never met a better guide than Malcomb. He was the best guide imaginable. Malcomb was extremely personable and had an in-depth knowledge of just about everything, especially the natural world.

After consultation of all group members, the guide found very nice places to walk and could show us animals and plants, that are really special in wildlife: orchids, eagles, otters. Good instruction for people that are not used to walk in mountains and plesant company during the dinners.

Malcom and the other guides who joined us were all very knowledgeable and friendly. They created a laid back and very enjoyable atmosphere in our group, both during the hiking and in the 'relax' time. They were great in spotting wildlife and plants that I wouldn't have noticed otherwise. Also the whisky tasting sessions are highly recommended.

The guide is well informed on environment,history, fauna and flora and shares this in an interesting manner. Communicates good, proposes several options, listens to all team members and is well prepared. He shows patience and has a good sense of humor.

Really flexible, friendly and knowledgeable. Helped and encouraged the group really well. And his lovely dog was a bonus!