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Selected Trips

    Neil Macpherson

    Neil Macpherson

    Conscientious | Enthusiastic | Short…

    Mini Bio

    I’m lucky to have spent most of my working life in the mountains and rivers of Scotland and my passion for the place grows year on year. I have also travelled and worked in many other special places from Scandinavia to South America and wherever I am wild places the sense of a great day had continues to inspire me.

     

    Favourite Place to Play

    The Cairngorms, its one of the planets special places and a fabulous if fragile arctic back garden which I feel privileged to have on my doorstep. From summer running to winter battles or very occasional pristine powder days its just THE place for me.

    Not a lot of People Know This

    My Border Collie Muk can find Haglofs jackets buried in snow faster than a trained person can using an avalanche transceiver.

    What Fellow Travellers Say About Neil

    Guide performance was outstanding!

    Ryan Conboy
    Road Cycling - The Grand Tour
    Reviewed on 24/09/2024

    Ben and Neil were great. They each had their own personalities. Fun to talk to and very informative.

    Brendan Conboy
    Road Cycling - The Grand Tour
    Reviewed on 18/09/2024

    Neil and Andy were great!

    Todd Gray
    Road Cycling - Outer Hebrides
    Reviewed on 09/09/2024

    Very friendly and knowledgeable

    Nicholas Jones
    E-bike - The Outer Hebrides
    Reviewed on 29/07/2024

    If there was a category above excellent, I’d have chosen it. I have been on high-end guided bike tours before but Neil and Wally were a cut above any others. They ensured that we had everything we wanted and needed, and were flexible in the program if we wanted to include or exclude any activities.

    Sharon Cockerton
    E-bike - The Outer Hebrides
    Reviewed on 29/07/2024

    Neil and Peter had so much to do with the success of this tour. We would do another if we thought we could get them again! Interesting, knowledgeable, personable, fun, and excellent cyclists. We enjoyed riding with them, traveling with them, sharing meals and drinks with them, and found that the whole group really connected. Pretty sure that had lots to do with them. Saying good-bye at the train station was, frankly, pretty emotional. It was an intense and exciting week. I imagine these guys get these kind of responses from others who’ve done their rides. They were great!

    Linda Kimball
    Road Cycling - Outer Hebrides
    Reviewed on 06/06/2024

    Helpful and resourceful - see previous comments

    Steve Hubbard
    Road Cycling - Outer Hebrides
    Reviewed on 03/06/2024

    I thought both Will and Neil did a first class job. Their enthusiasm and knowledge added to the enjoyment of the trip.

    Steve Huyton
    Road Cycling - Outer Hebrides
    Reviewed on 03/06/2024

    Neil and Peter simply could not have done a better job. Professional, polished, knowledgable, responsive and flexible, good humoured, thoughtful and kind, and an absolute pleasure and honour to spend time with.

    Trish Shee
    Road Cycling - Outer Hebrides
    Reviewed on 17/05/2024

    They were both awesome and made the group become a family!! Truly awesome!!

    Tracy Largent
    Road Cycling - Outer Hebrides
    Reviewed on 13/05/2024

    Loved those guys

    Stuart Campbell
    Road Cycling - Outer Hebrides
    Reviewed on 13/05/2024

    Love Scott & Neil. I really enjoyed my solo ride with Scott on Day 5 back over the pass beneath Schiehallion. Their local knowledge and discussion of history (ie Stirling and of course Rob Roy's gravesite) was fantastic. And the mid ride treats were great as well

    Kevin Kelley
    Road Cycling - Scotland's National Parks
    Reviewed on 12/09/2023

    Scott was a wonderful guide! He was friendly, gave us lots of information, and was upbeat and positive.

    Dulcey Eubank
    Road Cycling - Scotland's National Parks
    Reviewed on 06/09/2023

    Scott and Neil were attentive as needed, fun and informative along the way.

    Roy Bash
    Road Cycling - Scotland's National Parks
    Reviewed on 04/09/2023

    I have already indicated that both Neil and Scott were great guides. They were well informed, reliable, friendly, and professional. I couldn't have asked for more or better.

    Roark Herron
    Road Cycling - Scotland's National Parks
    Reviewed on 04/09/2023

    Both Scot and Neil were excellent. Nothing was too much trouble and they even provided a birthday cake and special afternoon tea for my Wife's (Shirley) birthday, which I appreciated greatly.

    Greg Robertson
    Road Cycling - The Grand Tour
    Reviewed on 22/08/2023

    Neil and Scott were so easy to be around. Ready to handle any issue and make sure everyone was having a good time. A rider had a birthday and there was a birthday cake. My husband and I celebrated our anniversary and there was a cake for us too!

    Laura Engelund
    Road Cycling - The Grand Tour
    Reviewed on 17/08/2023

    Neil and Scott were super. They've got a really challenging and multifaceted job and just had loads of energy and enthusiasm and shared tons of information with us on everything from the Jacobites to geology to road resurfacing to the history of Tunnocks. We always had a clear idea on how each day's ride would be laid out, and they were so flexible and responsive as each ride would unfold.

    Evelyn Rubak
    Road Cycling - The Grand Tour
    Reviewed on 14/08/2023

    Neil is an absolute legend

    Aidan Fife
    Self Guided+ Cycling - North Coast 500
    Reviewed on 14/08/2023

    Neil is #1! Friendly kind patient knowledgeable

    Amanda Fowler
    Self Guided+ Cycling - North Coast 500
    Reviewed on 07/08/2023

    Again. Neil was top level. Made it all flow. Was unflinchingly kind, flexible, and unflappable.

    Robert (Bob) Hill
    Self Guided+ Cycling - North Coast 500
    Reviewed on 07/08/2023

    Neil and Paul ran an awesome trip. A+ for the great banter, looking after us all, and sharing their knowledge. Great job and thanks a million!

    Sofia Etchegoin
    Road Cycling - The Five Countries Tour
    Reviewed on 20/07/2023

    Neil and Dan were great. They were knowledgeable and adapted extremely well whenever a "surprise" happened, which was infrequently.

    Gerald Galewski
    Road Cycling - The Five Countries Tour
    Reviewed on 28/06/2023

    Dan and Neil were wonderfull , Helpfull , great stories , inspired us to get over some rude hills. days briefing at breakfast ensured no one got lost ------ almost!

    Grant craw
    Road Cycling - The Five Countries Tour
    Reviewed on 28/06/2023

    I can't imagine they could have been better. I enjoyed their company, felt safe and valued their advice and planning.

    Barrie Woodcock
    Mountain Biking - Coast to Coast
    Reviewed on 04/06/2023

    The guides were very knowledgeable about the situations along the way and where things were just a little different from what was expected, there was always an alternative. They were also always in a good mood and very helpful to people with questions or problems.

    Michael Sanders
    Mountain Biking - Coast to Coast
    Reviewed on 18/05/2023

    Neil and Graham were very good and really made the trip for me. Very well organized, attentive and clam with a lot of good information and stories.

    Shane Edmonds
    Mountain Biking - Coast to Coast
    Reviewed on 16/05/2023

    Neil was brilliant and very knowledgable - and what he didn't know he found out for us!!

    Jane Williams
    Wilderness Walking - Outer Hebrides: Uists, Barra and Mingulay
    Reviewed on 09/05/2023

    Guides are the key element in having a great experience with Wilderness Scotland. Neil did a great job managing our group and keeping everyone involved. He is a real professional, would welcome the opportunity to go with him on another trip.

    Donn Hutchins
    Wilderness Walking - Outer Hebrides: Uists, Barra and Mingulay
    Reviewed on 08/05/2023

    Great guy, very knowledgeable, friendly, practical and thought on his feet when we came across problems. He worked very hard 24/7 to give us a great holiday.

    Linda Hadcocks
    Open Canoeing - North West Highlands
    Reviewed on 09/09/2022

    Will and Neil were great, the night before briefings were well thought out and allowed us to be well prepared for the next day. They did a great job wrangling our group.

    Daniel Patton
    Road Cycling - The Five Countries Tour
    Reviewed on 29/08/2022

    A little more time should have been devoted to reviewing routes in the morning such as easy to miss turns, hard climbs,

    Edward S Buchsbaum
    Road Cycling - The Five Countries Tour
    Reviewed on 29/08/2022

    Will and Neil were great! Their personalities complimented each other. They had an answer to every question and I learned so much about the countries we visited from them…plus a lot about everything! I really enjoyed both of them!

    Donna Boutilier
    Road Cycling - The Five Countries Tour
    Reviewed on 28/08/2022

    Will and Neil wet the best guides I have ever experienced.

    Glenn Boutilier
    Road Cycling - The Five Countries Tour
    Reviewed on 26/08/2022

    As I said, Neil and Will were just amazing. They knew so much about a variety of topics, they were very nice, and handled any set backs or last minute plan changes extremely well. They made the trip so wonderful. I'm very happy to have met them and gotten to spend 2 weeks with them. Thank you both so much!!!

    Joanna Marie Boutilier
    Road Cycling - The Five Countries Tour
    Reviewed on 25/08/2022

    Exceptional is probably a better term

    Daniel Green
    Road Cycling - The North Coast 500: Highlights
    Reviewed on 06/07/2022

    I can't say enough about Neil and Dan. They have very different personalities and compliment each other. There was nothing they wouldn't do for us. Super!!

    Chris Mayled
    Road Cycling - The North Coast 500: Highlights
    Reviewed on 01/07/2022

    Thanks to Neil and Finlay.

    David De Vos
    22WSPD Private Departure
    Reviewed on 21/06/2022

    Neil and Finley were superb !!! thank you both for making our week a succes !!

    Rudy De Keyser
    22WSPD Private Departure
    Reviewed on 20/06/2022

    Neil and Ben were awesome. I appreciate all of their knowledge of history and geology they shared with us. They made sure we had everything we needed at all times and went above and beyond to get our group on the types of trails we were interested in riding.

    Lauren Hutchins
    Mountain Biking - Coast to Coast
    Reviewed on 20/05/2022

    The guides was eager to share their tips and experiences to make the best out the trip.

    Börje Larsson
    Mountain Biking - Coast to Coast
    Reviewed on 17/05/2022

    Both guides had an excellent knowledge of the areas we visited, and provided very welcome instruction on riding the more difficult sections. The both went more than the extra mile!

    John Boyle
    Mountain Biking - Wild Highland Trail
    Reviewed on 30/09/2021

    Guided - wonderful support from our guides who have great riding skills alongside the very wide range of skills and attributes needed to help/encourage/facilitate a disparate group of adults to get through the week!

    Jo Johnston
    Mountain Biking - The Hebridean Trail
    Reviewed on 02/08/2021

    Simon and Neil are both really nice people, very professional and made sure everything ran smoothly.

    Vanessa Hall
    Mountain Biking - The Hebridean Trail
    Reviewed on 02/08/2021

    Our guides Simon & Neil were outstanding, because of the amazing support & guidance they gave me during the trip. I had confidence in them, my hire bike & the MTB routes they organised were stunning & challenging, but very rewarding.

    Ian Symonds
    Mountain Biking - The Hebridean Trail
    Reviewed on 28/07/2021

    Simon and Neil worked tirelessly to ensure everyone enjoyed the trip.

    Mandy Sanders
    Mountain Biking - The Hebridean Trail
    Reviewed on 26/07/2021

    We had a self guided cycle trip on the NC500. Neil, our guide/support, was excellent.

    Jon Mitchell
    Self Guided+ Cycling - North Coast 500
    Reviewed on 18/07/2021

    Neil knew everything we needed to know. In fairness he probably over cooked the information and have too many options. By the time we were finished the last few days were really tough and he might have gone a bit long on the details… maybe it was just us being fairly novice cyclists!!!! Overall we were super happy with him

    Ed Watson
    Self Guided+ Cycling - North Coast 500
    Reviewed on 18/07/2021

    Neil could not have been more helpful he was fantastic

    Belinda Hutchinson
    Self Guided+ Cycling - North Coast 500
    Reviewed on 05/07/2021

    Did a perfect job! Neil and Jono did all they could to make as all happy and succeeded. (…and had some good tips along the way: Now I know about the real purpose of a shower cap..) Was fun riding with you guys. Thanks for all!:)

    Markus Gawatz
    Mountain Biking - Coast to Coast
    Reviewed on 18/08/2019

    As stated previously, I really thought the guides were so knowledgeable and great with us all in every way. They were tremendous fun, really experienced and knew the areas so well. They gave lots of tips to improve and we’re very motivating. It was as hard to say goodbye to them as to the rest of the group at the end

    Jessica Cadzow-Collins
    Mountain Biking - Coast to Coast
    Reviewed on 06/08/2019

    Both Neil and Jono were great guides and great company and hit the right balance between responsible guide and comrade.

    Gavin Clunie
    Mountain Biking - Coast to Coast
    Reviewed on 05/08/2019

    Both guides contributed to a fabulous trip, patient and supportive, we were made to feel very welcome

    Simon Maudslay
    Mountain Biking - Coast to Coast
    Reviewed on 03/08/2019

    I can't think of a thing they could have done any better! They both just did an amazing job any minute of their long working hours!

    Arnim Backofen
    Mountain Biking - Coast to Coast
    Reviewed on 29/07/2019

    Top class! Neil and Crayson were both excellent, competent, good at managing the group and made sure we knew what we had to do but made sure we were having a holiday.

    Marisa Gunn
    Open Canoeing - Canoeing the Scottish Highlands
    Reviewed on 21/07/2019

    They were both great!!

    Jo Barrett
    Open Canoeing - Canoeing the Scottish Highlands
    Reviewed on 21/07/2019

    Guides were awesome, full of knowledge and alway extra helpful.

    Iveta Champion
    Mountain Biking - Bike Across Scotland
    Reviewed on 14/07/2019

    On a scale of 1 to 10, I give Neil and Paul a 15! I could not have been happier with both of them as guides for our trip.

    Eric Champion
    Mountain Biking - Bike Across Scotland
    Reviewed on 14/07/2019

    As mentioned before, Neil was terrific. He knows his stuff, and we felt very confident in his abilities. He was positive and upbeat throughout the trip and we really felt that he had everything under control. All we needed to do was just enjoy the trip. (We had several changes of plan due to weather related issues, but Neil just figured it out and we kept going!)

    Elaine Chapa
    18WSTM Tailor Made trips
    Reviewed on 08/10/2018

    Please see my overall commentary for details on how much I adored Neil and Al, and why. They absolutely made the trip and I can't imagine having better guides. They were complete professionals while also making everything so much fun.

    Jennifer Farnham
    Road Cycling - Skye and the Inner Hebrides
    Reviewed on 19/08/2018

    You need to let Craig out of the office more often. That man was so happy to be out in the wilds and on a bike. His enthusiasm was ferocious, it was infectious! It's like Craig was the embodiment of the perfect marketing campaign for your firm and your wilderness just by virtue of the fact he was literally glowing with the joy of being right there in that moment. Craig smiles and his face lights up. You've gotta wear shades.

    Neil was the perfect complement to Craig. Listen up because you will learn when Neil speaks, as well as you will be cracking up over the many hilarious, wry little zingers he lets loose with. Pay attention to Neil. The quiet one is always full of surprises.

    Good job to both of you for the way you delivered difficult news, like there will be hurricane force winds tomorrow...congratulations you made it so the hotel, but we aren't actually staying at this one.

    Special thank you to Neil for coming along in the van at just the right moment on Benbecula so that I could put my daughter in it. It was windy, she was hungry, etc., but we were tipping over the line from I am sympathetic to now this is affecting me. I decided Fiona needs to go in the van right now, and there ahead of me was the van. How did he know? Neil wanted me to get in the van too, in the interest of time and keeping the group together, but having ridden 7 mph for the last while I needed to ride hard and feel free. Thanks for accepting I needed to do that, Neil.

    Yes, she was riding 7 mph. Kudos to Craig for trying to ride with her. It is nearly impossible to ride that slow, unless you are Fiona Leslie. She never felt censured over this pace. Thanks for that, guys.

    Cynthia Kendall
    Road Cycling - Outer Hebrides
    Reviewed on 14/07/2018

    Great job, they worked hard.

    James Serene
    Road Cycling - Outer Hebrides
    Reviewed on 27/06/2018

    Please see my previous note. Our guides were fantastic.

    Mary Bruce Serene
    Road Cycling - Outer Hebrides
    Reviewed on 25/06/2018

    Craig and Neil did all they could to make the trip work which was not always easy as there was a difference in speed between the 8 poeple on the tour.

    Rosemary Wakefield
    Road Cycling - Outer Hebrides
    Reviewed on 23/06/2018

    Neil is a bike mastermind and has exceptional abilities to create the perfect ride for every client. So friendly! Craig, equally as friendly, kept the itinerary flowing so smoothly and would effortlessly make tweaks to the schedule with Neil when weather/uncontrollables didn’t cooperate. They we’re so easy to talk to/hang out with and answered all our questions (even the stupid ones lol). Neil and Craig made the trip what it was; they are excellent at what they do for a living and cater to each individual client SO WELL.

    Fiona Leslie
    Road Cycling - Outer Hebrides
    Reviewed on 20/06/2018

    Malcolm and Neil were amazing.

    John Philips
    17WSTM Tailor Made trips
    Reviewed on 04/09/2017

    Very helpful and responsive to individual needs

    Susan Philips
    17WSTM Tailor Made trips
    Reviewed on 04/09/2017

    Our guides were very conscientious, knowledgeable and friendly.

    Paul Jones
    17WSTM Tailor Made trips
    Reviewed on 03/09/2017

    Neil Mcpherson was outstanding. He was able to provide work arounds when ferry schedules, distillery hours, etc. would not have met the original schedule. He was attentive to all our requests and provided asked for challenging hikes. He quickly determined the type of hikes we liked and adjusted accordingly. On more than one occasion after dropping us off for the evening he would scope out the hike for the next day. Neil was knowledgeable about Scottish history and culture and was completely familiar with the area. Totally exceeded expectations. We would certainly request him to lead our next Scotland trip.

    Peter Hershey
    17WSTM Tailor Made trips
    Reviewed on 21/06/2017

    We can not say enough about Neil.

    Karen Rigg
    17WSTM Tailor Made trips
    Reviewed on 12/06/2017

    Neil Macpherson is an excellent guide who was gauged the group's capability and capacity. Altered the trip as necessary while fulfilling the itinerary. Personable and knowledgable and a credit to your choice in team guides. Andrew the geologist who accompanied us on the second day was excellent as well.

    Patrice Boucaud
    High Points of Torridon and Wester Ross
    Reviewed on 21/05/2016

    Neil is clearly a very experienced and competent guide. Even though this was his first time doing the Western Ross / Torridon trip he had thought through how timings would work etc which was highly appreciable. Kept the speed during walks at the right level: challenging without being over stretching. Very eager to talk about Scotland, the environment and his past experiences, but could have shown a little more personal interest in his group members.

    TEAM WILDERNESS RESPONSE:
    I approached Neil about your comment, "could have shown a little more personal interest in his group members" which Neil admits he did focus more on conversation based around your location and the activity you were undertaking rather than bringing in home and work life to show a more personal interest - many clients come away to escape 'normal' life. Neil is now aware of this though and can work on a better balance and hopefully it didn't take anything from your enjoyment of his company and the trip in general.

    Robert Kimmels
    High Points of Torridon and Wester Ross
    Reviewed on 17/05/2016

    Neil was a great guide. He did a very nice job keeping the trip balanced and made a point of touching base throughout the day as well as through out the trip. He was able to foresee issues and make adjustments as the trip progressed such as flipping the scheduled itineraries to make the boat trip work nicely as opposed to rushing the day.

    Anna Brandin
    High Points of Torridon and Wester Ross
    Reviewed on 17/05/2016

    Both guides, Neil and Duncan, were great, very knowledgeable and fun, and always looking to make the best trip possible for us all.

    Martin Taylor
    Open Canoeing - Canoeing the Scottish Highlands
    Reviewed on 23/09/2014

    I have nothing but compliments for Neil, he was such an accomplished and professional guide with great experience, patience and very accommodating! I was really glad to have known him on this trip. Would definitely like to have him again if we ever return to Scotland in the future!

    Ghai Keen Lee
    Guided Walking Scotland
    Reviewed on 15/09/2014

    More than necessary as he certainly gave as many options as he could. Much appreciated. Also attempted to give a comprehensive account of each option provided.

    Daniel Lee
    Guided Walking Scotland
    Reviewed on 07/09/2014

    Very special thanks to Steve Bradley. He really understood our needs and has choosen the right loop for us.

    Petra Mikova
    14WSTM Tailor Made trips
    Reviewed on 11/07/2014

    Both Neil and Kelty were execellent and very proffessional best highlighted in the manor that they coped with the Ben View incident mentioned above.

    David Bower
    Mountain Biking - Coast to Coast
    Reviewed on 23/06/2014

    Our guides were fantastic. And the maps were good but I wonder if the company should send out guides who have actually done the route before. I get that the unknown adds to adventure but when going over some challenging terrain it would be a little easier if the guides knew the condition of the routes.

    Wilderness Scotland Response: This is a good point. For the overwhelming majority of trips our guides have ridden the routes many, many times before, Occasionally due to unexpected changes a guide new to the trip or route may be scheduled. Neil is one of Scotland's most experienced and qualified mountain bikers and we had no hesitation asking him to lead this trip for the first time.

    Charlotte Lawson
    Mountain Biking - The Hebridean Trail
    Reviewed on 12/08/2013

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