Outer Hebrides self drive vacation in Scotland

Planet

We work exclusively with local, independent partners who share our values - to positively impact the communities and environment we operate in.

Our Self-Drive Highlands and Islands Road Trip is based at small independent B&Bs, of which your first and final night accommodation in Fort William prides itself on being environmentally conscious and wildlife friendly. The property reduce the use of chemicals when cleaning, avoid single-use plastics, serve locally sourced food, use a renewable energy electricity supplier, and much more. To be the most wildlife friendly they can, the accommodation replant any trees removed from their grounds for firewood, maintain the garden and pond for wildlife, feed the local animals (including red squirrels and pine martens).

One of our recommendations on this Scottish road trip will see you in the heart of the territory of a pair of golden eagles. A ranger is often on hand to answer any questions about the wildlife and help locate these magnificent birds.

People

We are big believers in supporting the local community on all of our tours, it's at the heart of everything we do. We work solely with local independent partners who share the same values for supporting their local community. While it is often difficult to find employment in rural areas, we ensure to work with local guides to lead your hikes, gorge walking sessions and Qi Gong so that opportunities for guiding jobs such as these are available to locals.

A growing concern to the younger generations in Scotland is the growth in part time jobs, and increases in self-employment, insecure working, and underemployment. Young adults are especially affected by these shifts: underemployment and insecurity in the form of zero hour contracts and an increase in cycling between low paid, short term work and unemployment have been identified as issues. There is also a significant inequality in pay with regards to age. Young adults are overrepresented in low wage sectors such as retail and food services, which rarely offer career progression. Making sure our employees and partners are paid a fair wage is not only the right thing to do but it also means they can afford housing in their local community. We're proud to support local people, keeping local talent and communities we visit thriving for future years.

Our self-drive adventure ensures that travelers are able to enjoy an authentic experience and aren't putting unnecessary pressure on rural communities by bringing large groups.