Beyond the Tartan with John Smith

Multidestination

SF
Scotland Folk Tours
  • Email address verified
65 reviews
Sep 10 - 20, 2024
Group size: 12 - 20
Beyond the Tartan with John Smith
Multidestination

Scotland Folk Tours
  • Email address verified
65 reviews

Sep 10 - 20, 2024
Group size: 12 - 20

About this trip

This musical tour has it all when it comes to exploring Scotland! You begin the 11 day tour in the capital city- Edinburgh. For the first four days you are shown around by a true local, one of our fantastic tour guides. You’ll experience historic must-see tourist sites, such as Edinburgh Castle, Old Town and Grassmarket to name a few, but you’ll also get to see how modern Scottish people enjoy themselves with cultural events, music and meals peppered around the city.


On Day 5 we head north into the highlands, where your mental image of our beautiful country will be challenged and expanded with every kilometre travelled. We’ll see castles, mountains, glens, monuments, sheep (lots of sheep), rivers, lochs and the sea- all on our first day out of Edinburgh!


Over the course of the days to follow your cameras and phones will be filled with beautiful 

photographs of the Highland and Island landscape, local flora and fauna, and with luck some of the magic you experience as well. We’ll take you to historic sites and sites of folktales, but don’t worry about having your schedule too full as you will also be given plenty of time to explore on your own throughout our journey together.


You’ll hear Scottish music, taste traditional food and, of course, hear traditional stories from our talented and friendly tour guides. Come along and explore our country with like-minded people on a tour that is sure to expand your horizons to an unforgettable musical score.

What’s included

  • 11 Days of fun!
    Please note the first day, your Arrival Day, only has an unofficial dinner and is an opportunity for you to settle in before events start the following day. Accommodation is still included this night.
  • 10 nights Accommodation
    Accommodation begins on Arrival Day and concludes when you check-out the morning of Departure Day.
  • Breakfast
    Breakfast will be included at the accommodation every day!
  • Dinners
    Three group dinners will be included in the tour cost
  • All sites & activities
    Any site, event or activity listed in the itinerary is included in the tour cost. No additional entrance fees will be required.
  • Near nightly Live Music!
    Many of the nights we share together will include private concerts with either local musicians or your tour leader (they have one show). We also take you to local pub sessions along the way!
  • Ferries
    All fees for any ferries that might be required.
  • Group Airport Transport
    We will provide 2 group airport shuttles on Departure Day. One will be early morning, and one late morning/early afternoon, depending on when passenger's flight times are.
  • Orientation Meeting
    Zoom meeting with tour leader, company directors, and other passengers to ask questions and meet people before the tour!

What’s not included

  • Flights
  • Lunches

Available Packages

Single Room (single occupancy only)

*For one person traveling alone or wanting their own room

You will receive your own room, with a single (sometimes twin) bed at all the accommodations throughout the tour.

$3,600
Deposit:$500
Double Room (double occupancy only)

*Must be booked in increments of 2, as this if for traveling pairs sharing a double room. Not to be booked by solo travelers.

This package comes with a double room (one bed) at the accommodations throughout the tour for sharing with your traveling partner. This is usually a double or queen sized bed.

$3,100
Deposit:$500
Twin Room (double occupancy only)

*Must be booked in increments of 2, as this if for traveling pairs sharing a twin room. Not to be booked by solo travelers.

This package comes with a twin room (two beds) at the accommodations throughout the tour for sharing with your traveling partner. These are usually single or twin sized beds.

$3,100
Deposit:$500

Available options

Arrival Day Airport Transfer
$60
Deposit: $0

Once you arrive into Edinburgh we will have a car pick you up and take you directly to the hotel city centre. 

Departure Day Airport Transfer
$125
Deposit: $0

This option is for you if you are unable to make one of the group transfers on Departure Day, but would still like a ride pre-arranged.  

T-Shirt
$25

We will send you options to choose from, and have the item ready on your Arrival Day!

Hoodie or Sweatshirt
$40

We will send you options to choose from, and have the item ready on your Arrival Day!

Additional Night at Hotel Before Tour
$250
Deposit: $0

If you would like to add additional nights onto your stay, we are happy to book this for you! *Please note this is dependent on availability

Additional Night at Hotel After Tour
$250
Deposit: $0

If you would like to add additional nights onto your stay, we are happy to book this for you! *Please note this is dependent on availability

Customized Day Tour
$1,220

A full, organized day tour of your choosing on your free day, or on a day before/after the tour. Specifics can be discussed, designed and implemented with the Scotland Folk Tours team at admin@scotlandfolktours.com


Day tours last from approximately 9am to 5pm. You will be picked up and dropped off at your designated hotel. 



Itinerary

Day 1
Arrival Day & Settling In

Today we don't have any official activities, so that you may arrive, check-in and combat jet lag at your leisure. The hotel's check-in time will be 3pm, however if you arrive before then you can have them hold your luggage at reception in order to explore the town centre handsfree. 


In the evening there will be an unofficial welcome dinner (not included in the tour cost). Your walking guide will meet you in the hotel lobby and take you to a nearby restaurant where you will have the opportunity to meet your fellow passengers and prepare for the adventure ahead!

Your Organizer


SF
Scotland Folk Tours
65 reviews
Our tours are for people who love music, travel and to meet the local folk! Listen to local voices of Scotland, providing you with some ‘up close and personal’ experiences of great music. Taking you to some of the most unforgettable and sensational parts of the country, our tour guides and drivers are arguably the best in the land. They have a deep fondness of their most incredible country, and years of experience. Equipped with stories of our past and our folklore, they will reveal to you some of the most incredible parts of Scotland.

Reviews

We travel a lot and this is definitely in the top trips we have taken. It was so well organized, and our tour guides and music hosts made Scotland come alive with their stories and songs. The activities and tour leaders allowed for a group of strangers to come together as friends. We got to see "authentic" Scotland, not the traditional "tourist traps".
By Rebecca P for Beyond the Borders with Katie Dahl & Julie Wolf on Oct 11, 2024
Hi Rebecca, thank you for your review! This type of feedback makes us beyond happy. Thank you for letting us know you feel you got to experience Scotland authentically. We hope to see you both back again :)
By Scotland Folk Tours on Oct 11, 2024
SF
The trip was fun and educational. The musical host Kitty Donohoe was great. The tour members were a congenial group. The guides, Fiona and Doug, presented historical and geographical information in an entertaining but effective manner. The tour included a substantial amount of walking, which I consider a plus. It isn't just sitting on a bus, or eating and drinking. There was some trouble communicating with the tour organizer, Alexis, especially regarding transportation arrangements. There may be a time zone issue there. Overall, the tour opened my eyes to Scottish history and culture. I look forward to another one,
By Gregory D for Beyond the Borders with Kitty Donohoe on Oct 09, 2024
Hi Gregory, thank you for taking the time to leave feedback. We're so glad to hear the trip opened your eyes to Scottish culture and that you are thinking of joining us again. It's disappointing to see me named as having trouble communicating. I'm not sure what happened there, but can only apologise if there was any issues getting to the airport at the end of the trip. This is a new piece of feedback for me, so we will be sure it does not happen in the future.
By Scotland Folk Tours on Oct 10, 2024
SF
Wow!!!! Our tour guides, Gail and Fiona were spectacular. They each had an amazing command of the history, the landscape, the culture - we felt very spoiled. Gail was super at communicating bathroom and eating stops. She even curated a playlist for our bus rides that matched where we were. Musicians were great - wonderful to hear local music AND Katie Dahl and Julie Wolf made the experience fabulous. Together they created positive vibe that perused our whole trip. Thank you for a trip that far surpassed our expectations.
By Melissa A for Beyond the Borders with Katie Dahl & Julie Wolf on Oct 08, 2024
Hi Melissa, thank you for your review! We are thrilled to hear it surpassed your expectations. Reading about experiences that blew our guests away is what we're in the business for. We're so happy that you enjoyed our beautiful country and the culture we could show you. Hopefully, it's not the last time you get to see our bonnie land!
By Scotland Folk Tours on Oct 09, 2024
SF
This was the first group tour we tried, and it was all we were hoping for and more! Folk Tours Scotland provided a great experience with capable, engaging tour guides, along with fun and outgoing leaders. All of the participants got along well and enjoyed spending time together. Daily trips were fun, and took us to interesting places, full of history and friendly culture. We expected to enjoy music on some evenings, and were pleasantly surprised to have daily playlists of folk music related to the land and culture we traveled through. Accommodations were in the center of most small cities we stayed in. This made getting around in evenings or during free time simple and convenient. Moving between hotels happened about every 3 days which helped the tour have a relaxed atmosphere. We would definitely recommend Folk Tours Scotland to people interested in travel and folk music.
By Mary A for Beyond the Borders with Katie Dahl & Julie Wolf on Oct 08, 2024
What a fabulous and helpful review, Mary! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave feedback on your experience. We appreciate your time and support of our small business. You and Roy were a pleasure and we hope to see you again in the future!
By Scotland Folk Tours on Oct 09, 2024
SF
The beauty of Scotland was the setting for a fantastic trip. We loved walking Edinburgh and learning some of its history, the hotel and the food were excellent, while the whiskey tasting gave me an appreciation for Single Malt Scotch. Our group drove north with Ben, our fantastic tour guide and driver, who knew endless stories about the highlands. Almost every evening was folk music featuring local musicians or our tour leader Katie D. Our fellow travelers were wonderful, we made new friends and shared lots of memories and laughs. I would definitely recommend Scotland Folk Tours.
By Andrea B for Beyond the Tartan with Katie Dahl on Oct 05, 2024
Hi Andrea, thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review. Your feedback is much appreciated! It's nice to read what the highlights for you were, and that you enjoyed the music we put together. I hope you made it home safely and are ready to come to Scotland once again in the near future!
By Scotland Folk Tours on Oct 07, 2024
SF
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