All tours depart from our hostels in the Old Town of Edinburgh: Castle Rock Hostel, 15 Johnston Terrace, Edinburgh, EH1 2PW Always check your email confirmation for exact departure location.

Extended Tours – Three and Five Day Tours
During the winter season (Standard Time - usually November to March) our tours depart at 8:00am and return between 4:30pm and 6:00pm.

Extended Tours – Two, Three, Five, Six and Seven Day Tours
During the summer season (Daylight Saving Time - usually April to October) our tours depart at 9:00am and return between 5:30pm and 7:00pm.

Always check your email confirmation for exact departure times. Please be aware that we can not be responsible for any onward travel arrangements that you may have

It is important to come prepared for what we get up to on tour. We like to get out and about and get in about nature, and you need the right gear to do that - a flipflops won't see you through a hike.

 Therefore, we recommend:

• Sturdy walking boots or trail shoes from a reputable brand
  • A good pair of walking shoes is the difference between a nice relaxing hike and being hugely uncomfortable - Nobody likes blisters and twisted ankles.

• A lightweight waterproof outer layer
  • Scotland's weather can be changeable, and when clouds get trapped in the mountains that means rain. We recommend a shell-type waterproof outer layer for keeping the rain out that can be worn over your existing attire. Remember: Water resistant is not the same as waterproof.

• Cold weather clothing
  • Nobody wants sniffles so be prepared to wrap up warm, especially in the winter months. It will be cold - This can be as simple as a hoodie or sweater. 

• A small backpack 
  • Ideally, with a waterproof lining or cover, this is for your daily adventures with enough room for the essentials like food, water, cameras, medicine, waterproofs, dry socks, warm gear, etc. 

• Spending money
  • Be it whiskey, food or souvenirs for people back home: you'll need spending money. When you go to your local Bureau de Change you may be issued with 'Bank of England' notes - Don't worry, these are perfectly acceptable. 

• An open mind
  • Travelling is all about seeing new places, meeting new people and trying new things - Make the most of it.

The 2 Day Loch Ness Express departs on Tuesdays & Thursdays.

The 3 Day Isle of Skye tour departs on selected Mondays & Wednesdays and every Friday.
The 3 Day Loch Ness and Skye tour depart on Saturdays.
The 5 Day Skye and Highland Fling tour departs every Monday.
The 6 Day Orkney Stravaig departs on selected Mondays.
The 7 Day Best of the West departs on selected Mondays.

We do not currently organize accommodation in Edinburgh but if you would like to book accommodation in Edinburgh then please visit our hostel website to check availability and book www.scotlandstophostels.com.

All of our hostels provide dormitory accommodation, in rooms of between 6 and 12 beds. A dorm bed will be held automatically for you for each night of your tour (not including Edinburgh).

Unless otherwise stated, eg. Christmas/Hogmanay Packages, accommodation is not included in the price of the tour but is guaranteed for you whilst on tour. You will, therefore, be asked to pay on arrival at the hostels and the cost is between £18.00 and £24.00 per person per night.
You can pay for your accommodation with either cash or credit/debit card.

You also have the option to pre-pay for your accommodation on 2,3 & 5-day tours by utilizing the Express Check-in option at the point of booking.

All passengers MUST be aged 18 and over.

MacBackpackers tours have been designed for 18 to 40-year-old backpackers and therefore the nature and style of the tour reflects this. Certain levels of activity and the style of language used whilst on tour may not be suitable for passengers outside this age bracket.

We go on hikes where the weather and terrain can be difficult at times. Please be aware of this. A good level of physical fitness may be needed

We design our tours for 18 to 40-year-olds. In the main, people are traveling on their own and are looking to meet new people and have fun on their trip. At most there are only ever 29 people on the bus and we do our very best to ensure that everyone enjoys the tour.

Each tour has an itinerary which you can find by choosing a tour on the website and then clicking on the ‘itinerary’ button which is just above the map. The tours are quite flexible and so your guide will take you to the most interesting, beautiful and inspiring places, giving you plenty of memories to take home with you.

Our fleet of modern Mercedes Benz and MAN 16-29 seat mini-coaches have everything you would expect; heating, air conditioning, reclining seats, seat belts and plenty of Scottish music! They are safe and modern and are low emission Euro 5/6 compliant. Please note there are no toilet facilities on the coaches, though we do make frequent restroom stops.

The buses are small so that we can take you to the places that the big coaches can’t go. This means the storage is reduced too and so we would ask that you just bring what you need for the trip. If you have really big bags or large suitcases and you are staying at one of our 3 Edinburgh hostels before your tour then please ask the staff if you can leave it in the luggage store until you get back. If you are not staying in one of our hostels then please arrive slightly earlier for your tour and ask the staff in the hostel you depart from to keep it in the luggage store for you.

The price of the tour doesn’t include food. However, we make supermarket stops every day and each of the hostels has a well-equipped kitchen for our guests to use. There will also be pubs and restaurants near each hostel if you feel like eating out in the evening.

You should try to be prepared for all types of weather on our tours as it can be quite changeable. We would suggest that you bring warm clothes, a waterproof, sturdy boots/shoes, and swimming gear!