Since 1993, we have been taking independent travellers on unforgettable adventures around Scotland. The world has changed a lot since then, and we’ve evolved and adapted along the way. Right now, this is more important than ever.
Click here to find out about the ways we are making booking a trip easy, secure and flexible - peace of mind guaranteed.
We have all adapted to this new world, where it’s imperative for us to take additional measures to stay healthy.
That’s why you can travel with us reassured that we have put numerous new measures in place to elevate our hygiene standards and protocols. The health and well-being of our guests and team have always been, and always will be our priority.
Click here for full details about our protocols and what we require from you.
HAGGiS Adventures and Highland Explorer Tours are sister companies. Highland Explorer Tours include bed & breakfast accommodation on their multi-day trips, whereas HAGGiS Adventures include mixed gender hostel accommodation (exception being the 6-Day Wild Skye Volunteer Adventure).
Most of our tours run in conjunction with Highland Explorer Tours, so there will be a mix of people staying in B&B and hostel accommodation on multi-day trips.
If you are looking for a HAGGiS-only experience, check out the 3-Day Easter in Scotland tour.
The price covers all transport in our famous yellow bus and legendary local Guide to lead the way, and hostel multi-share accommodation.
We know you’re travelling on a budget so you should spend your cash how you want to. We’ve included a handful of our favourite highlights but with others, you’re free to include them or not.
Meals are not included allowing you to keep your options open and eat according to your budget.
Check out our Accommodation page for more information.
We always take full payment before the day of departure. This is because we need to secure your place so other passengers are not turned away! Depending on availability, we can reserve a place until a few weeks before departure so you can check with mates or organise connecting travel.
We keep extra costs to a minimum – there may be a couple of entry fees into various attractions, but these are usually £5- £10 and are optional. On some of our trips we have chucked in a few freebies that we feel you absolutely must-see. You can choose to pay in advance to keep things as easy as possible or pay locally. Please note that the Jacobite Steam Train, Gearrannan Blackhouse and Tomb of the Eagles need to be added as an extra at the time of booking. You can not pay locally. Advance booking is required to secure your spot.
Ideally, you should budget approximately £25 per day for meals and optional activities. There are always the fabulous Scottish pubs to tempt you in for a pint or two after a day on the road! A pint of beer costs around £5.00, a wee dram of malt whisky in Scotland would be about £4.
We only use top quality independent and Youth Hostel Association hostels mostly rated 3 and 4 stars. We guarantee dorm bed accommodation on all our trips. Most hostels have mixed dorms with females and males sharing a room.
All hostels have great facilities, provide free linen, (you don't need a sleeping bag), and have top quality self-catering kitchens, security, laundry facilities and comply with stringent safety regulations.
If you would prefer to stay in a single room please get in touch with our sister company Highland Explorer Tours (Bed & Breakfast options). Single sex dorms cannot be guaranteed and are subject to hostel availability.
Check out our blog to find out what hostel life in the Highlands really is like.
We don't include meals but food can be as cheap or as expensive as you want it to be. Most of the hostels have self-catering kitchens and some offer excellent meals for £7 - £12. There's also plenty of opportunities to eat at local pubs, cafes and restaurants.
Due to limited availability, we are unable to offer private room upgrades for your hostel accommodation. If you are travelling solo and would like to book a private room, we suggest that you book a tour with our sister company Highland Explorer Tours (B&B or hotel accommodation).
A sleeping bag is not required. All hostels provide linen but it is a good idea to bring a towel.
Check out the essential preparation guide for your HAGGiS Adventures tour from our blog.
We book all on tour accommodation for you, but you will need to decide whether to pay locally when you get to the hostel or select the "Tour + Hostel Multi-share + Free Time activity" option at the time of booking. Please contact our reservations team info@haggisadventures.com for recommendations on where to stay pre and post tour.
Please check individual tour pages for departure and return times. Return times are approximate and depend on road conditions and weather so if you're leaving that night, make sure you give yourself plenty of time to make your connection. (we recommend at least 3 hours after the scheduled return time)
We have tours departing from Inverness and Edinburgh. See departure points here.
Edinburgh provides great local bus service with frequent buses running to the city centre from all parts of Edinburgh. Information on routes and timetables can be found at Lothian Buses.
Inverness has direct bus service connections from Inverness Airport to Inverness City Centre. Find more info about bus services to and from Inverness here. Inverness Train Station is a 2-minute walk from our departure point.
Our HAGGiS Adventures Reservations Office and departure point is at 60 High Street on Edinburgh's Royal Mile where you can book your tour in-person and check in for your tour.
To make sure we make the most of our day we only pick up and return to the stated departure location to ensure your day is not compromised by running around the city. Most of the hostels are walking distance to our departure point. Likewise, the bus and train station are a few minutes walk and the airport has frequent transport from the city centre.
The minimum age on all tours is 18. There is no maximum age (however the 8-Day Orkney, Hebrides, & North Coast 500 tour has special age requirements) As long as you are reasonably fit and have a good sense of fun, we are sure you will have a fantastic time! The majority of our customer are in the 18 to 35 age bracket and our style of travel reflects this.
Our tours are all getting off the beaten track and exploring Scotland so a reasonable level of fitness is required.
As much time as possible! Our aim is to get you out and about and to actually experience the country you’re in. We'll take you for walks, explore castles, recount local myths and legends and tell you about our often turbulent history.
Some of our tours run in conjunction with our mates at Highland Explorer Tours, so we get a good mix of couples and friends travelling together. We also get a good number of solo travellers and down to our style of travel, you'll get to know everyone soon enough! We're all about meeting new people and making new connections.
HAGGiS-only trips like the 8-day Orkney, Hebrides & North Coast 500 tour or the 3-Day Easter in Scotland tour have groups that stay exclusively in hostel accommodation.
Occasionally we do have more than one departure each day so it is not guaranteed that you will be on the same bus if bookings are made separately. This can be easily be arranged by contacting us prior to your departure date. Just call or email us with everyone's names, booking references and the tour they are on – we’ll do the rest.
Each customer can bring one standard piece of baggage up to a maximum weight of 15kg. This weight should cover a standard 60 litre backpack or a medium holdall or suitcase (67cm x 45cm). Unfortunately, if your baggage is in excess of this allowance you may be asked to leave it behind in secure storage. In addition, a standard daypack may be carried on the coach provided it can fit in the luggage rack or under your seat.
We're partnering with Unbaggaged, an exclusive luggage concierge in Edinburgh that not only stores your luggage securely but also offers on-demand pick-up and drop-off services.
Here's how it works:
- Book:Visitwww.unbaggaged.com and book your luggage pick up, store and drop off service.
- Pick-Up: The Unbaggaged team will come directly to you and pick up your luggage at your designated location and time.
- Storage: Unbaggaged will store your luggage in our secure 24/7 warehouse for the designated length you inputted.
- Drop Off: Unbaggaged will then return your luggage back off to you at the location you need.
Tipping is not compulsory. If you'd like to recognise great service then please feel free to do so. 100% of tips are retained by our team - not the company. We are often asked 'How much?' and around £1 per day on average is fine but feel free to tip as little, as much or not at all, as you feel appropriate. You can also show appreciation by leaving a Trip Advisor and Tour Radar review and naming your Guide.
We offer Student discounts if you hold a ISIC or ISE card. Make sure you let us know at the time of booking and the discount will be applied. You will need to show this card when you check-in. If you do not produce this you will be charged the difference between the normal brochure price and the discounted price in addition to an administration fee of £25.
Our guides are unable to assist with wheelchairs or offer physical assistance when embarking or disembarking from the bus. Passengers should be able to board and disembark the coach themselves using the access stairs or with the assistance of a travelling companion. Wheelchairs should be foldable so that they can be stored away in our luggage storage onboard while driving.
Please be aware that some of the stops on our tours may be on rough terrain or be only accessible by steps.
Hostels have limited access for wheelchair users, please contact us to find out about specific hostel's access.