The UK with Explore!, Rabbie’s

I spent five super-great weeks in the UK, mostly in Scotland, in late summer of 2013. Two of those weeks were spent doing tours with Explore! (Nelson House, 55-59 Victoria Rd., Farnborough, Hampshire, GU14 7PA, U.K.; phone 0843 634 5157, www.explore.co.uk). one in Orkney and one in Hebrides and Skye.

I flew into Scotland on July 29 and around Aug. 4 joined the tour “Discover Orkney,” priced at £699 (near $1,093). It ended around Aug. 10. There wasn’t much walking on that one.

The second Explore! tour was the 7-day “Isle of Skye & Hebrides” (also around £700), starting Aug. 13. We hiked on both Westray and Papa Westray. Reportedly, the shortest flight in the world is between these two islands (less than four minutes long!), but we took the ferry.

Our tour leader said they wouldn’t be doing the Skye/Hebrides tour anymore since finding rooms was a big problem in some places. The hiking we did on that trip was way off the beaten track.

In between these two hikes I toured Scotland in a more leisurely way, with Rabbie’s Trail Burners (207 High St., Edinburgh, Scotland, EH1 1PE, U.K.; phone +44 [0] 131 226 3133, www.rabbies.com), out of Edinburgh.

Several months before my trip, I had done a LOT of research and chose Rabbie’s. The average price for a one-day tour was $40-$55. They’re number one in my book, really great outfit. I highly recommend them to anyone looking for a one- to 6-day tour.

Soon after reaching Edinburgh and checking in to my accommodation, I signed up for two or three of the Rabbie’s day tours as well as their “Outer Hebrides & Skye Adventure 6-Day Tour” (on which I saw totally different scenes than on the Explore! tour). The total came to about £400 (near $625), which went onto my American Express card.

The price of the Rabbie’s 6-day tour (£339) did not include accommodation, which we paid for each night on arrival. We could choose to stay at a hotel, B&B or youth hostel.

I always opted for the youth hostels, which were good everywhere except in Ullapool. The problem I had with the Ullapool hostel was that my shared room smelled (perhaps because it was above the kitchen). A few people on the 6-day tour who stayed at that hostel had the same complaint, only I decided not to stay.

One year earlier, in 2012, I had tried staying at that hostel, but when I saw there were no bottom bunks available, I left and went to the Royal Hotel (Garve Road, Ullapool, Scotland, IV26 2SY, U.K.; phone +44 [0] 1854 612181 or email info@royalhotel-ullapool.com). I went back to it this time.

The Royal Hotel charged £50 ($78) per night for a single room, but it’s right on the lake and has superior photo ops from daybreak until about 7:30 a.m. Rabbie’s gave us a lot of free time to just wander around and shoot photos.

All of the Rabbie’s day tours began in Edinburgh, in front of their office. Every tour was full or close to it. They take only 16 tour members on each of their small buses. All of their drivers have personality-plus and know so darn much Scottish history and make it enjoyable to hear. 

One trip was to Rosslyn Chapel in the town of Roslin, near Edinburgh.

On the one-day “Stirling Castle & Loch Lomond National Park” tour (from £35, near $55) in central Scotland, the 2-hour stop at the castle was great, as was seeing the sheep dog “herd” six ducks. We also had time for a short hike around the lake.

The 6-day Outer Hebrides and Skye tour was excellent, with a fun multinational group. One morning, we each sang a few lines of our national anthems.

While on a ferry in the Hebrides, we passed real close to the Isle of Muck. I had researched the island but found nothing that interested me enough to convince me to change my itinerary.

While in Edinburgh, I stayed at Brodies Youth Hostel (93 High St., The Royal Mile, Edinburgh, Scotland, EH1 1SG, U.K.; phone +44 131 556 2223, www.brodieshostels.co.uk).

It cost about £30 in a mixed-dorm room — more than usual because of a festival going on; the whole town was jumpin’. But it was much cheaper than the Travelodge, whose prices had tripled for the festival.

At the end of the second Explore! tour, I took a train from Edinburgh to Leeds to visit a friend. She and about 10 other women were going to “ladies’ day” at the races in York, but I didn’t want to get that dressed up. I went with them to York, then went shopping and sightseeing instead. Good shopping there. And York has the double-decker bus city tours.

SAMANTHA SARTAIN

Colorado Springs, CO