Frequently Asked Questions

Whether your tour is with me Brenda Anderson, the travel company founder or one of my trusted colleagues we value customer service excellence above all else. Delivering a flexible, safe, professional, 5-star service in everything we do is what gets each of us up every morning. For you it means you can relax knowing you’re absolutely in safe hands.

Beginning to End. No matter what you need when arranging your tour. No time wasted repeating your wish-list or knowing who to contact!

Amassed over the years, yet entries never remain simply for old time’s sake.

For us it means no-stone is left unturned in creating your perfect trip. We hone in quickly on what’s important to you.

From the planning stages to the final farewell, it’s Our Scotland, Your Way.

Luxury vehicles for the duration of your trip ensuring your maximum comfort.

We’re not perfect – no electric vehicles…yet! But we remain committed to investing in sustainability, in the land and communities you visit. Wherever possible its local over global, independent over chain, small-scale over mass-produced in all we offer.

We own a ‘Trees for Life’ grove and your tour booking means something continues to grow on the land of your happy memories. For each day we are on tour with you we plant a tree and dedicate it you and your travel companions. We’ll share the grove details at the end of the tour.

Primarily private groups of 1 – 7 people. Most of our tour guests are independent travelers, couples, groups of friends, relatives and multi-generational families.

If you have a larger group? Just let us know. As well as being well respected within tourism in Scotland we are also very well connected!

If you require a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle or prefer a tour in a language other than English, we also know just the person who can help.

Yes, many of our inspiration itineraries are designed to complement each other and we can combine as many as you wish.

A standard tour day is 8 hours (usually 9 am – 5 pm). Occasionally tours are 9, 10 or 11 hours (extended day tours). We really don’t recommend a tour day over 11 hours.

Every tour is 100% customizable. We provide curated inspiration itineraries on our website and for many they offer the perfect combination for a tour in Scotland. However, if you have a particular preference, we’ll be only too happy to finely tune further.

For any of the curated ‘Inspiration Tours pre-designed by Tasting Scotland up to three sets of changes (complete with estimated tour costs and suggested accommodation/s) will be provided free of charge. The vast majority of all tour amendments we deal with are perfected and agreed within this time frame.

Should any further changes be necessary, a £250 non-refundable fee per set of changes will be applied in advance of the changes being made. These charges will be deducted (up to a total of £500) from the tour cost upon booking.

Yes, we do. Tasting Scotland can create from a blank canvas. If you wish to utilise our Platinum fully custom-designed itinerary service just get in touch.

There is no charge for the initial tour draft itinerary. There are no charges for the first two sets of changes, thereafter.

Should any further changes be necessary, a £250 non-refundable fee per set of changes will be applied in advance of the changes being made. These charges will be deducted (up to a total of £500) from the tour cost upon booking.

Absolutely. The benefit of private travel is that it offers ultimate flexibility. If you want to spend extra time at a specific location, make an impromptu stop or linger over lunch, your dedicated Private Driver-Guide will wherever possible adjust the schedule seamlessly.

Included:

• Dedicated professional Driver-Guide services  
• Luxury vehicle transportation with climate control (Mercedes V Class Minivan or similar)
• Fuel and vehicle insurance 
• On-board amenities (Hotspot Wi-Fi, Mineral Water, Charging points for mobile/cell phones) 
• For Multi-Day tours Driver-Guide accommodation expenses are also included

Excluded:

• Accommodation (see below)
• Entry admission tickets to castles/distilleries etc (see below) 
• Meals/drinks 
• Gratuities
• Personal Travel Insurance

We have spent time carefully selecting the accommodation we recommend. We listen carefully to feedback from our guests. We look for great customer service, comfortable and characterful rooms and attention to detail and favour independently owned over chains.

We provide two flexible accommodation options depending on your preference:

1. Self-Booking If you prefer to manage your own hotel bookings or utilize personal luxury rewards points, we can supply (if wished) a tailored list of recommended properties corresponding directly to your tour itinerary route. We will also assist on which entrance tickets you need for castles, distillery tours etc.
2. Full-Service Luxury Travel Arrangements via our trusted Travel Partners: We can put you in touch with our Travel Partners who will arrange and book your entire trip inclusive of accommodation and entrance tickets. From 3, 4 and 5-Star hotels, to historic Highland estates, luxury boutique guest houses, and exclusive-use castles they have a sizable portfolio of options.

Unfortunately, not. We’d be happy to put you in touch with our Travel Partners who can assist you though.

We have our own well-maintained stock. Of course, you can bring your own if it/they comply with UK road safety legislation. We just need to know the age, height and weight of the child/ren two weeks in advance of your tour date so we can adhere to the strict legislation in place. Your driver may be subject to a £100 fixed penalty notice, or up to £500 if taken to court for non-compliance.

• Your driver is legally responsible for ensuring any passenger under 14 years old is properly secured
• Children over 12 years, or over 135cm tall, must wear an adult seatbelt.
• Children must use a child car seat until they’re 12 years old, or 135cm tall – whichever comes first.
• The child car seat must be right for the child’s weight/height and compatible with the vehicle.
• Car seats used must be EU/UK-approved (bearing a capital ‘E’ mark) under one of two safety regulations:  i-Size / R129 (Categorized by the child’s height) or ECE R44/04 (Categorized by weight groups (0 to 3)). 
• Children must travel rear-facing until at least 15 months old.
• Children under the age of 
• Backless Booster Cushions: Backless boosters are only approved for children who weigh over 22 kg and are at least 125 cm tall.

There are some exemptions including medical conditions.

No, but we do strongly recommend that you hold comprehensive travel insurance to cover any unforeseen circumstance. If you don’t already hold travel insurance, we strongly recommend you take out a policy at the same time as booking (or within 10 days). This will give you the best protection should something not go to plan.

Completion of our standard booking form and a 30% deposit payment secures your booking for all tours over one day in duration, with the final payment due a minimum of 60 days from the first date of your tour commencing. We will send your final payment invoice/payment link 30 days before payment is due. 

Full payment is required if your tour start date is less than 60 days.

If you are booking a half day or one day tour/experience full payment is due upon booking.

We understand that on occasions unexpected situations arise. 

Here is our Client Cancellations & Refund Policy Summary:

For ½ day & 1-day tours/experiences.

• Cancellation notice of 61+ days: Full refund less £50 Admin Fee 
• Cancellation notice of 31 – 60 days:  70% refund 
• Cancellation notice of 15 – 30 days:  50% refund
• Cancellation notice of 14 days or less: no refund or transfer to alternative date

All refunds are subject to any non-refundable Third-Party costs including card processing fees.

For all tours/experiences of more than 1 day in duration.

• Cancellation notice of 60+ days: 30% non-refundable deposit retained
• Cancellation notice of 31 – 59 days: 50% refund (of total tour value)
• Cancellation of 30 days or less: No refund or transfer to alternative date

All refunds subject to any non-refundable Third-Party Costs including card processing fees. 

We will always do all we can to assist you. There is no Admin Fee for the transfer of a Half Day or Full Day Tour/Experience to an alternative date. There is a £150 Admin Fee for the transfer of a Multi-Day Tour/Experience. All transfers are subject to availability and are at the discretion of Tasting Scotland. Should any additional costs be applicable in relation to the new date/s these will be disclosed by us prior to confirmation, giving you the final decision. Guidance on the specific timelines of when the tour must be booked by you and taken is in our full Terms & Conditions. We would rather see you than not at all!

• A booking confirmation
• Receipt of payment (Full or Deposit depending on the tour you’ve booked)
• For One day tours: ‘Your Final Itinerary’. 
• For Multi-Day Tours: ‘Your Initial Itinerary’. Once your balance is paid (due 8 weeks before the start date of your tour) you will receive ‘Your Final Itinerary’ complete with any relevant timings.

Predicably unpredictable! And yes, it does rain on occasions. Don’t worry. If we’re caught in a rain shower, we’re never far from a cosy country pub or a lovely coffee shop to hide in! In the winter months snow sometimes usually puts in an appearance as some point!

Many visitor attractions / experiences close from November – March each year so it makes it impossible. The winter weather can also play a part in making it tricky. We do have some Winter Tours which means we can continue to offer some tours for those who are coming off-season. You’ll see them on the website or by all means get in touch.