Scotland island hopping vacation, car free

Planet

We are continually increasing our range of public transport vacations for those who want to leave the car behind. We grapple with the timetables of trains, boats and buses, and fill-in the gaps with short taxi transfers to make this possible in the more remote areas. Not having a car in tow can transform your experience, especially on a Scottish island – exploring on foot and by bike helps you to properly engage with the environment and experience the place at a more appropriate, slower pace. In each place, there are plentiful local walks, and some short trips available by local bus on Mull and Skye - we will provide suggestions and recommendations in your vacation pack, but do check the most up-to-date information with the staff at your hotel.

We take the utmost care to choose local business partners who share our values and commitment to sustainable travel, preferring to work with locally-owned and managed businesses wherever possible. Your hotel in Spean Bridge is committed to home-cooked organic food, while the shellfish for the hotel restaurant on Skye is landed at the local pier. We build long-term relationships based on mutual trust with our business partners, with a joint commitment to excellent customer satisfaction and care for the environment.

People

For us, true sustainability means promoting and helping to maintain a way of life, where the economic benefit from tourism can make a genuine difference. That’s why we work almost exclusively with local, family-run businesses, not with large corporate organisations. We build close and lasting relationships with our business partners, based on mutual trust and an unerring commitment to customer satisfaction. We carefully select these partners to ensure that they share our values of sustainable and responsible travel. For example, the small hotel featured in this vacation on the Isle of Skye is based in the heart of a Gaelic community, and all staff are encouraged to learn the language, whatever their original native tongue.

All of our vacation packs include "Robert's Recommendations", our specific tips on places to visit, places to eat and places to shop locally, all of which have been researched by us, and many of which are off-the-beaten track.

We are corporate members of the John Muir Trust, an organisation committed to protecting the wild land of the Scottish highlands and islands.