Secret Scotland

3 Whiteside Park, KA9 2PR, Prestwick
3 Whiteside Park
KA9 2PR, Prestwick
+441292474778

Opening hours

  • sunday: 9h-17h
  • monday: 9h-19h
  • tuesday: 9h-19h
  • wednesday: 9h-19h
  • thursday: 9h-19h
  • friday: 9h-19h
  • saturday: 9h-17h

Travel Guides and vacation planning help for self drive Scotland tours. Scotland based travel experts who have been helping people to make the most of their Scottish holidays since 2005.

Our comment from TraTraTravel UK about Secret Scotland:

Secret Scotland is the perfect companion for anyone looking to explore the breathtaking landscapes and cultural richness of Scotland. Founded by Mike and Aury, this family-run business provides customized travel itineraries that take the stress out of planning and help you discover the hidden gems and lesser-known paths of this beautiful country.

Here are some highlights that customers have appreciated about Secret Scotland:

  • Comprehensive Guides: Their itineraries are detailed and well-organized, providing everything you need for a successful road trip, including driving directions, recommendations for accommodations, restaurants, and attractions that are often overlooked by tourists.
  • Personalized Service: Mike and Aury take the time to understand your preferences, creating tailored itineraries that match your interests, whether it’s history, culture, or scenic views.
  • Local Knowledge: Having lived and traveled extensively in Scotland, they provide insider tips and suggestions that allow you to experience the country like a local, ensuring you don’t miss out on the best spots.
  • Easy Navigation: The guides come in PDF format, making them easy to access on mobile devices, which is incredibly convenient while traveling.
  • Trustworthy Recommendations: The accommodations recommended by Secret Scotland have all been personally vetted, ensuring quality and comfort during your stay.

While most customers rave about the guides, a few noted the challenge of navigating single-track roads and expressed a desire for additional guidance on this topic. Nevertheless, the overwhelmingly positive feedback showcases the dedication and passion Mike and Aury have for providing a remarkable travel experience in Scotland.

Overall, Secret Scotland is highly recommended for anyone planning a self-guided tour, offering exceptional value and an unparalleled journey through one of the world's most stunning landscapes.

Tratra.travel cannot guarantee that the companies that appear in the directory are certified travel agencies or that they have the corresponding licenses. The majority of companies that appear in the directory are travel agencies, but other types of companies also appear such as tour operators, guided tour providers, etc. We recommend that you request the Travel Agency registration number of the business you are going to attend.

Secret Scotland: Reviews

5/5 (51 Reviews)
Arjen van der Veen 6 months ago

Fantastic experience: Beginning of September my friend and I will be traveling to Scotland for the first time. Since we have no experience roadtripping in the UK we decided on basing our route on an existing one that Secret Scotland offered on their website. After second thought we bought the guide that came with the route as well and we do not regret it! It provides a ton of tips and info on every step of the way as well as various travel options you can choose from based on your time schedule. A lot of love and care has been put into this, it really shows. Thanks Mike! Best regards from the Netherlands

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Hello Arjen. Thanks for your kind words. Fingers crossed now that the weather stays good for your trip.

Hernan Pettinari 7 months ago

Fantastic experience: A"must have' guide for a magic trip to Scotland. You can feel the love and knowledge Mike & Aury have for Scotland. Cannot describe in a few words how much all the details ( routes, sites, accommodation, dinning, etc) have assisted us in planning and executing this marvelous trip. Kudos!!

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Thanks Hernan. That's a lovely description of our Guides. It's great to know our labour of love is appreciated.

Emily Boldt 7 months ago

Fantastic experience: Secret Scotland planned an amazing custom trip that I could never have done my self. All the directions were easy to follow and the itinerary was perfect. The suggested list of accommodations directed us to the perfect stay and I would chose them again for another trip!

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Hi Emily, Thanks for the feedback. We look forward to helping you explore more of Scotland when you return. Mike & Aurelia

Ben Gardner-Young 7 months ago

Fantastic experience: My wife and I used Secret Scotland to plan and execute our Summer 2022 self-drive vacation. The information provided was instrumental in making our trip a success. Information contained in their guides was up-to-date and accurate. I really liked that their information comes in the form of very detailed PDF files, which makes having pertinent information at your literal fingertips very easy and real-time. I wish all of my travel destinations had a resource as comprehensive and valuable as Secret Scotland.

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Thanks Ben. We try hard to keep the guides up to date. It's a job like painting the Forth Rail Bridge... by the time we get all the updates done, we have to start at the beginning again.

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William Anderson 7 months ago

Fantastic experience: Just got home form a wonderful Scotland trip! Your itinerary was an invaluable tool that helped make our trip truly amazing! Oban, Mull, Ratagan Pass & the Glenelg Brochs, plus the Skye ferry were my highlights. We had a venison pie & beer with a lovely Scottish couple in the converted barn below the Broch, it was truly magical. ONE thing I wish I had known before hand was how to navigate the singletrack roads! My first encounter was with a lovely local tour guide and he explained how the singletrack system worked. Please make a video explaining this! The car rental in Glasgow recommended we upgrade from sedan to SUV if we were going to the islands (Good idea!) but they said nothing about singletracks! It really changed the amount of travel time I had planned on. Thank you again for your itinerary, we loved it!

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Thanks William, point noted. My style of driving on single track roads (or any locals style of driving) might not be the best example for you to follow...

Warren Bushart 11 months ago

Fantastic experience: We used Secret Scotland to plan a self driving trip though Scotland. The process was painless. Mike was so accommodating in taking our ideas and creating a plan that worked for us. The B an B s that were reccomended were all top quality. We're currently hitting a few other bucket list places to travel but when we go back to Scotland, and we will, we will definitely use Secrect Scotland again for trip planning.

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Hi Warren, Thanks for the review. We hope to be able to help you explore more of Scotland when you get round to planning that return trip.

Jeanne Smith 1 year ago

Fantastic experience: I'm traveling to Scotland this year for my first time. It can be daunting to plan travels to such a beautiful land and not have any idea how/where to spend your time. Secret Scotland to the rescue! Mike and Aury have painstakingly created invaluable details of Scotland that can help you to create a dream of a lifetime trip. The extensive resources available to you have come from their genuine desire and care for you to have a great visit to their homeland. Thank you Mike and Aury for your kind and generous resources and the care with which you created them.

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Hi Jeanne, Our apologies for taking so long to respond to your kind review. Feel free to email us if you need any more help with the planning of your Scotland tour.

S L 1 year ago

Fantastic experience: Secret Scotland is a MUST if you plan on seeing the Country on your own---and you won't be with these folks...it feels like they are travelling with you! My only regret is not leaving this review sooner as we went to Scotland in 2022...although part of me wants to keep is as our little secret! We are planning another trip back for next year, of course using one of the tours from Secret Scotland. The wealth of information and knowledge, (that is also both money and time-saving) will pay for itself over and over, and we saw things we definitely would have missed without the tour resources. We also met another couple who were using the same tour as we were, and it was so fun to run into them throughout our trip! If you love culture and history then this is for you--we learned so much about each place that I wish we would have had months to explore. I recommend Secret Scotland to everyone I talk to who is planning a trip. I have even sent the link to the website to complete strangers! I am so grateful to Mike and Aury and wish them all the best for a long and fruitful business!

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Wow! Thanks for the great review and for telling your friends about Secret Scotland.

Lisa MacLeod 1 year ago

Fantastic experience: The itinerary and answers to my multiple questions from this family-run tour service was the best thing I could have done to plan our 2 week trip-of-a-lifetime to Scotland. When I married my MacLeod 42 years ago I vowed that we would go to Scotland to see where his family line had come from and we finally did it. We started in Glasgow (1 night only), then drove through the Glen Coe area, up to Skye, out to the Outer Hebrides (family croft remains at Achmore), back to mainland via Ullapool and Inverness to Grantown-on-Spey, 1 night in St. Andrews, ending in Edinburgh for 2 nights. Their itinerary was worth every penny for the suggested places to eat, detours to take for beautiful vistas (will do more of that the next time too!) and most especially places to stay. I used their suggested B&B's rather extensively and was very happy with all my choices. I will say that per their feedback when I reached out for any updates SS did point out that many accommodations had closed during COVID and they were right - many of the websites were inactive and some had posted their sorrow at closing. We also used our phones for GPS and the SS road directions were spot on. Also very helpful when we ran into a few places with spotty service (military roads in Cairngorms). We probably could have benefitted from a heads up about exactly how a single track road works - we learned that using a right side pull over space thinking we were being nice just caused annoyance :). We used Arnold Clark for our car rental and can't say enough good things about them too - thanks for the discount code. Again I can't thank Secret Scotland enough for helping me take this very long awaited trip. I will be recommending your service forever.

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Hi Lisa, Thanks for taking the time to write such a detailed review. We've been doing quite a lot of B&B visits this year to try to find replacements for the Covid closures. We're always interested in finding good new places so please let us know if you found any new places you think we should be checking out.

Steve Gentry 1 year ago

Fantastic experience: Do NOT do a tour of Scotland without purchasing this program. It made our tour of Scotland a thousand times better! We saw places off the beaten path that we never would have found on our own. The small price charged will be returned a hundred times over in the memories made. We printed out the entire file for reference and reviewed it every night to decide what we wanted to see. It doesn't limit you to a standard trip but gives options based on what your preferences are. If you truly want to see Scotland, this is a must.

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts. It makes it so worth all the hard work to know our guide has helped make your experience of Scotland that little bit more memorable. You rock ❤️ Aury & Mike

Michelle Gingrich 1 year ago

Fantastic experience: Mike made a custom itinerary for our May trip to Scotland, it contained perfect directions that we used with our GPS. It was packed with so many different options of things to see that we could take the same tour again and see all different things. It was wonderful to be able to choose what we wanted to see and there were many stops/sites that I did not discover on a google search. The helpful tips about restaurants and hotels, made sure that we had reservations at fantastic restaurants and on the ferries! The itinerary included hotels and BnBs, we personally enjoy small hotels and everywhere we stayed was perfect. I can't recommend this service enough, it is a must have for making the most of a trip around Scotland.

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Hi Michelle, Great to read that the trip was such a success. Hope that you can make it back again soon to explore all the other places we mentioned in the guide. Aury & Mike

Nathan Raabe 1 year ago

Fantastic experience: Two week trip is a wrap and we are very thankful for Secret Scotland's insanely helpful research. No need to bounce around from site to site trying to figure out what to do on your trip, their suggestions based on trip duration and what you want to see is all you need. I purchased the wrong direction tour, reached out to them and they promptly sent me the correct one. What to do, what to see, where to eat, where to stay it's all covered. Car rental discount was great too. Highly recommend folks.

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Thanks for the feedback Nathan. Glad your trip was a success. We know what it's like trying to plan a holiday abroad with information overload from websites and guidebooks. We hope our guides take the worry and hassle out of the experience. Mike & Aury

Fabio Soares 1 year ago

Fantastic experience: They are simply the best ! All you need if you want to explore Scotland is get their experience and hit the road. I did the west part of Scotland and it was just superb!!!

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Thanks Fabio! I hope you didn't find the weather too cold.

Sara Hood 1 year ago

Fantastic experience: OMG.OMG.OMG. How do people plan a 30 day road trip of Scotland withut Secret Scotland's guides? They are brilliant. DH stumbled across them on the interwebs, and what a find! We stitched several together to create an itinerary that suited us, bought the add-on accommodation guides (also brilliant) and have saved several hundred Australian dollars on the car hire, due to Secret Scotland's special deal. (I should point out we have the car for almost three months .. so we didn't save that much just on the 30 days in Scotland.) It saved so much grief knowing you were taking recommendations from people who knew the area and had visited the accommation options. Like having new BFFs. Have already recommended them to several friends who are also delighted. Big ups to Secret Scotland.

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Thanks Sara, of all the reviews and feedback we've received over the years, this is my favourite. Delighted that you saved so much money on the car hire with the Secret Scotland discount. Lots of great restaurants and craft shops in the guides where you can spend the money you saved...

Leslie Bridge 2 years ago

Fantastic experience: Mike was amazing with the flow of information for our trip planning to Scotland! He even threw in a trip itinerary when I paid for the wrong itinerary. They were very helpful! So excited to go!!

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Hi Leslie, thanks for the review. Hope the trip goes well. Mike & Aury

C Bruck 2 years ago

Fantastic experience: We received the pdf very quickly. We purchased the three day-Isle of Skye tour. Since we only have 4-5 days, we are trying to optimize our time. We also bought the accommodation package for a few dollars more and look forward to reviewing that as well. The pdf is 88 pages long! It is incredibly well worth the money you pay for it.

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Delighted that you feel the guide is such good value. Thanks for the feedback!

Laura Hall 2 years ago

Fantastic experience: Secret Scotland has been so helpful planning our travel in Scotland. Meticulous details and directions and you can rely on their recommendations. Excellent value and highly recommend if you are planning a trip anywhere in Scotland.

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Thanks Laura, we really appreciate your kind comments.

Linda Reed 2 years ago

Fantastic experience: Our experience with Secret Scotland was exceptional, exactly what we were looking for. Their customizable itineraries let us select what we wanted to see and do on our own in our own time and select accommodations and restaurants to suit us, a fun experience in itself. We would highly recommend this company and am now searching for such a company in Ireland with no success. Instead of Ireland we might just have to return to Scotland and use Secret Scotland again.

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Hi Linda, It would be great to have you back in Scotland. There's always something new to find here and we're still exploring new places in Scotland after 17 years of researching for our travel guides..

Kerry H. 2 years ago

Fantastic experience: I have been fortunate enough to run a travel company for women for years with destinations to many of the edgier places in the world. When it came to my own holiday, though, I wanted another expert to quickly 'read' my travel style, provide me with some guidance, and set me up on my own journey...you know, the easier way. That's what Secret Scotland does. Wow. What a company. Mike and Aury truly understood me when I said "I want to zig where the other tourists zag". I wanted to avoid crowds, find delight in the unexpected or unusual, be taken down paths others missed, find pubs not in the blogs, cross bridges that weren't sign-posted...and this is exactly what the itinerary suggestions provided by Secret Scotland did for me. Their stuff was gold! It's not a group tour and it's not you using 40+ hours to research a place you don't know well. Instead, Secret Scotland provides itinerary suggestions, based on your input, that allow you all the freedom in the world to discover the best of Scotland that I argue you would likely miss without their local, hyper-knowledgeable help. I drove my own rented car with a friend. We stopped where we wished as long as we wanted. We booked our own accommodation (though SS will help you with that too). I felt like I was a bit of a local even though I'd never been to anywhere that they suggested we visit. Right or left-hand turns, mileage, distances, tips, warnings, land markers...it was all in their very detailed itineraries. Since 2017, I've told so many people about their services. In 2023, I will be back. I am quite serious when I say that Secret Scotland made our trip to that beautiful land quite remarkable.

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Hi Kerry, We're very flattered to get such a great review from someone who is also a travel guide / tour planner. We clearly recall your first email when you told us you like to "zig" when others "zag". It was a pleasure to work with someone on the same wavelength as us.

Jo Chester 2 years ago

Fantastic experience: We have just returned to Australia from our quick trip to Scotland, and I feel the need to contact you to thank you ever so much for your amazing guides! It was our “bible” and we discovered some amazing places, not the least of which, was the Bealach na Bà! We had such a wonderful “taster trip” in Scotland, and all made possible with your fantastic guide! Highly recommend using these guides and travelling the roads less travelled for an amazing trip!

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Hi Jo, Thanks for taking the time to give us your feedback. It means a lot to us and we're delighted we helped to make your trip a success. Aury & Mike

Sandy Armstrong 2 years ago

Fantastic experience: I purchased Rick Steves book for Scotland and then found Secret Scotland. I highly recommend Secret Scotland. It is much easier to print out and take with you than the Steve’s book. With Secret Scotland you only have what you need not the entire Scotland in Steve’s book. In addition it is in the proper chronological order for your trip as you have selected. I liked the Secret Scotland suggestions and the way it was written. I would highly recommend this in your Scotland travel planning.

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Hi Sandy, This is one of our favourite reviews as you've explained the idea behind our guides so succinctly. Thank you!

Linda Weatherseed 2 years ago

Fantastic experience: We had just under a month in Scotland. It was our first trip and having the guidance from Mike and Aury”s itineraries was invaluable. They put so much into their guides, which are easy to follow and full of useful information. We thoroughly recommend them!

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Hi Linda, Thanks for the review and for your appreciation of the effort that goes into preparing our guides. It's so much more than a job for us. Mike & Aury

Kristen Bergevin 2 years ago

Fantastic experience: We loved the Northern Highlights Secret Scotland Guide! We cannot recommend it highly enough. From B&Bs to restaurants, we pretty much followed every recommendation, and we were never disappointed. We had a satnav in the car, but when the satnav went out on some of the more remote roads, we were so grateful to have the guide to keep us on track. We traveled in October 2021 and it was very important to book the restaurants ahead of time—so the recommendations helped us plan ahead and secure those. We loved all the hidden gems and “detours” the guide featured. A few of our favorites included - Ratagan Pass detour, Glenelg Inn, and Badachro Inn—outside of Gairloch. Loved all of our B&B hosts—we would have never found them on our own. Not in the guide was the Seaflower boat trip we did on Skye. It’s run by a lovely couple that was so helpful and enthusiastic in planning a surprise birthday day on the water for Craig’s birthday. We also did the Glen Elg Skye Ferry – the last remaining turntable ferry in the world from the mainland to Skye. Definitely recommend them if you like boats and islands. And finally, we were looking to plan our next trip and looking for info to do Islay and Jura and the Secret Scotland team was very quick and responsive to provide us with helpful information. We really felt like we had an insider’s view and knowledge while traveling in Scotland. Looking forward to our next adventures there!

Han (Hanoch) Rabinovitz 3 years ago

Fantastic experience: Great, actionable guides with a lot of knowledge, super friendly and attentive service. Easy 5 stars. If you want to plan your Scotland trip the best way - Secret Scotland has everything from detailed routes, to secret places and even alternative plans on rainy days. We are a father and teen son planning a 20 day trip to London and Scotland, and basically, all of our plans are based on Secret Scotland guides. We booked all of our accommodations through them. It's an incredible solution for a problem I believe a lot of travelers face.

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Hi Han, Sorry for my late reply to your review. It's great to read that the holiday was a success. Father and Son road trips are one of the best things in life and something I now enjoy doing with my son when I go out doing research for our guides. Glad you had success with Accommodation as we are rushing around trying to find new places this year after 2 years of being unable to visit so many places. Cheers Mike

mjt anonymous 3 years ago

Fantastic experience: If you are considering a holiday in Scotland then make sure you pick Secret Scotland as your first port of call for ideas and recommendations on what to see and how to get there for your trip. We flew to Inverness and then picked up a hire vehicle which we dropped off at Edinburgh. The information and guidance Secret Scotland give is written with the holidaymaker in mind and is not only very informative but takes you to places that without their guides, you would never have found or knew even existed! Even if you are heading for a popular destinations such as Loch Ness, Secret Scotland's guide makes sure you cover the smaller roads and sites that you could of otherwise missed. Easy to read and easy to follow. Our trip covered the Scottish Highlands and we stayed at Inverness, Isle of Skye, Fort William and just outside of Edinburgh and used their guides for day trips out as well as getting from A to B. Mike & Aury from Secret Scotland could not have been more helpful and are obviously passionate about what they do. Excellent product at a very reasonable price. Would highly recommend to anyone. Thank you - our trip was made that extra bit special with the help of your guides.... Sue & Mark

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Thanks Guys.... we really appreciate the feedback. Always open to suggestions on how to make the guides better too.

Ted Head 3 years ago

Fantastic experience: Mike and Aury were wonderful to work with. They were quick to answer any questions. Using their resources for B&B's, hotels, and destinations made it the best trip we have ever taken. Being able to customize the trip was perfect for us. Making all the reservations was easy. The fact they have stayed in the B&B's was helpful in deciding which to use. We loved our hosts! Plus, all the suggestions, like saying there is a road above Eileen Donan Castle for a spectacular view, or getting the best fish and chips in the UK from a food truck in Tobermory on the Isle of Mull...it made all the difference! We will be using Secret Scotland when we return soon.

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Thanks Ted. Picking the right hosts is really important to us. We've visited some 5 star places and not included them in the guides because the hosts weren't "people people". Glad we were able to add value to your time in Scotland.

Henry Stone 3 years ago

Fantastic experience: If you are thinking of going to Scotland, where to go, how long will it take, where to stay, where to eat, what ferry's to take, etc, etc, then look no further than contacting Mike and Aury. They provide every detail including choice of routes with detours to suggested attractions. My advice to everyone is to switch off their sat navs and follow one of the suggested detailed routes otherwise you will miss 80% of what there is to see! Once Mike and Aury understand your likes and dislikes such as walking, golfing, eating, places of interest and visiting distilleries, then leave the rest to them. Most people think they can organise trips like this themselves today on-line but the level of detail they provide would have taken me years to collate. The only problem is that they are too cheap for the service provided! Thank you Mike and Aury for providing us with the most enjoyable 15 days in Scotland and even organising excellent weather! Just used Mike & Aury for the 2nd time to plan a trip on the Whiskey Trail in November. So much information supplied on where to go, route to take, places to eat, where to stay length of journey and distilleries to visit. Great attention to detail that made organising everything easy. Now just looking forward to going. Thanks again guys

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Hi Henry, we really love to hear that all the hard work is appreciated. We know we don't charge enough for the amount of time that goes into researching and preparing the guides, but we prefer to over-deliver and have happy customers! :)

DE McLean 3 years ago

Fantastic experience: In 2014 while surfing the internet for our 1st trip to Scotland, I came across this company "Secret Scotland" who provided detail driving tours of Scotland, and I thought WOW no more digging for information as to where to go and what to see, this tour offered everything in one spot! The original guide we purchased in 2014 was the Scotland 6 Day Tour. This guide was so jammed pack with information, and there is no way we could do everything! I even reached out to SS to see, if they had someone based in Ireland for a trip there, but sad to say they did not :-( We are now making our 5th trip back and each time we visit we purchase a new tour! We've also purchased: Castles 7 Day Guide / Island Hopping and for 2022 North Coast 500. We hope to purchase a tour based on the Borders, down the road since we've yet to transverse down that way as of yet. You won't regret using their services and I recommend them to everyone who tells me that they are interested in doing a Self Driving in tour. Thank you for all the services you provide to make our journey's so much easier to plan David and Elizabeth McLean Pennsylvania, USA

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Thanks for the feedback David & Elizabeth. We've got plans for 2022 to add in some new day trip options around the Borders and Solway coast area. Drop us an email and we'll give you some extra suggestions for these areas as its a region with lots of hidden gems.

Mark Saunderson 3 years ago

Fantastic experience: I think Secret Scotland are absolutely outstanding. Their knowledge of Scotland and their intel about the best way to access everything are absolutely second to none. My family and I have now used Secret Scotland for 3 or 4 family holidays, and each has been excellent. Mike and the team have such a great knowledge of where to visit, where to stay, where to eat and what to do, as well as brilliant tips about the best way of getting from A to B, so that instead of just driving along a boring road you might be driving along a more scenic road with waterfalls around you, with a stop off to see red squirrels and a place along the way with excellent cake. I really couldn't recommend them highly enough.

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Thanks Mark, it's very gratifying for us to hear that we've made you want to come back to Scotland so many times.

Shirley G 3 years ago

Fantastic experience: I have just received the Scenic Flexi East to West pack and the accompanying accommodation guide. Wow! To say it contains a wealth of information would be a huge understatement. There is absolutely everything I need to plan a week experiencing some of the delights of Scotland. And plenty of choice to be able to plan quite different experiences if I want to go back for another week ... and another. Thank you so much. I’m going to have great fun planning and can’t wait to put the plan into action.

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Hi Shirley, Thanks for the feedback. Don't forget that we're also here to answer any questions you might have about planning your tour. It's all part of the service when you buy one of our travel guides.

Tami Wallace 4 years ago

Fantastic experience: My husband I used one of Secret Scotland's itineraries to help plan our dream trip to Scotland. Their recommendations for local activities were incredible! We got to see places the tour buses can't go, try food and spirits recommended by a local, and truly have an adventure. Their recommendations made our trip unique, wonderful and personalized. The recommendations were low cost and we even got a discount on our rental car. They were responsive to my many questions and we knew that if we needed help we could contact them (we never had to :-) ). Below is a picture from an overlook on a one lane road they recommended, no throngs of tourists around us, just incredible beauty.

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Hello Tami, So happy that we could make your special holiday into a "dream trip". It's good to know that all the time spent on research is appreciated. We hope to be able to help you again sometime soon.

Peter Wilson 4 years ago

Fantastic experience: We used Secret Scotland 5 years ago now, and I just recommended it to another friend. Still the best travel purchase I have ever made. Outstanding service. Extremely thorough, extremely thoughtful trip suggestions. Can't imagine our trip to Scotland being nearly as wonderful trying to tour with just our own research. The length and detail of our packet from Secret Scotland was daunting when we first saw it, but it is easy to sort through, and your pace can be as lazy or as intense as you like. The best money we spent on our Scotland adventure was the price of a tour packet from Secret Scotland.

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Thanks for the feedback Peter. We're always delighted to hear that we helped folk to get a great experience of Scotland.

Sue Markham 4 years ago

Fantastic experience: We used Secret Scotland to arrange our trip and also to book our accommodation. The information they provided was very useful and ensured we had a trouble free enjoyable journey. The suggested accommodations were all of a high standard. Communication with the owners was easy and they helped me through technical difficulties in downloading information. I highly recommend Secret Scotland.

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Thanks for the review Sue. Great to hear that the trip went so smoothly.

Terry Rooney 4 years ago

Fantastic experience: Amazing

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Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Thanks for your feedback. I'm guessing this is the same "Rooney" that we created a Customised tour for in October 2018... Yes? I recall planning a route that took a great drive down the west coast from Gairloch to Skye and then island hopped down to Islay. Glad you enjoyed it!

Tracy Ray 5 years ago

Fantastic experience: We used Secret Scotland several years ago and loved their service!! They did a customized tour for us and they hit all of our highlights!! We loved following their driving instructions and they made it so easy. Their recommendations for bed and breakfast were very good and we had great experiences at all of them. We would recommend them to anyone planning a Scottish road trip!!

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Hi Tracy, Thanks for your feedback.

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Debra Pitts 5 years ago

Fantastic experience: I bought Mike’s East West guide and his accommodations guides for each region. I have often said when I’m travelling to a new country ”I sure wish there was a Secret Scotland for every country.” His guides provide a sense of reality as to what is hype and what is real. He helped me understand that the distance on the map is often times misleading as Scottish roads are very narrow with very little shoulder. He also advised me that I was packing too much into my schedule. I eliminated a few stops and I’m certainly glad I did. When I decide to return to Scotland ; my first email will be to Mike. His words of wisdom are priceless. Please purchase his service as you will enjoy Scotland so much more with his recommendations.

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Thanks Debra, we really appreciate your comments. One of the main reasons that we decided to create Secret Scotland was to cut through the "hype" that frustrated us with other guidebooks and websites.

HG 5 years ago

Fantastic experience: So very well done - detailed, precise - an invaluable resource for our ten day excursion. Definitely recommend.

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Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Thanks "HG". We've put the last 15 years of our lives into developing these guides so it's gratifying to know the hard work is appreciated and valuable.

Tamara Lipshie 5 years ago

Fantastic experience: I wish this had been the only guide we purchased. I had contacted Mike about a custom guide with a general outline of our trip just a few days before we left. He kindly wrote back to say that they were busy with a new website so couldn't do a custom tour in the short time remaining, but he nevertheless pointed out something in the itinerary for us to rethink. I asked him another question which he answered immediately. I want to emphasize that he did this thinking we were not going to be paying for his services. We purchased a ready made itinerary and it has been fabulous. We followed routes and went on suggested walks not mentioned in any guide books that have all been superb. Plus Mike contacted us to thank us for the purchase and let us know he was available for questions. Just extraordinary value added.

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Thanks Tamara. When we set up Secret Scotland we aimed to create a guide that would overcome the problems of using conventional guidebooks where the information is laborious to sift through. We also got frustrated that guidebooks like Lonely Planet are often out of date and they miss out so many of the little things and places that can really add colour and adventure to your trip. We're glad the holiday went so well and hope you'll want to return soon for another road trip in Scotland.

joy hobbs 5 years ago

Fantastic experience: My husband and I hired a rental car and drove around Scotland for a month. When I initially planned the trip I was bamboozled by all the travel information available. So with Secret Scotland's help I was able to tailor an itinerary that suited us. They suggested going to The Orkneys and also The Outer Hebrides and I'm so glad they did because these places were our favourites. We also found their list of suggested B&B's very helpful and ended up staying in some delightful homes. We'd thoroughly recommend Secret Scotland

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Hi Joy, we're glad you enjoyed your road trip round the Outer Hebrides and Orkney. These parts of Scotland are really special and all the better for being off the mainstream tourist trail.

Anne Calhoun 5 years ago

Fantastic experience: Leave the Lonely Planet guide behind. I have purchased three tours and accommodation guides from Secret Scotland over several years. Each tour gave me step by step driving directions, description & links to historical/natural sites, side trips, and dining recommendations. Because Mike and Aury are locals they have the knowledge of what attractions are over-rated and what not to miss. Best of all, Secret Scotland encourages you to get off the highway and explore the scenic back roads. The accommodations they recommend are spot on- affordable, but unique. Secret Scotland has visited these hotels and B&Bs giving you descriptions that will best suit your needs. I can’t recommend Secret Scotland enough for your self-driving itinerary in Scotland.

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Hi Anne, Thanks for feedback, we hope you like the new look Secret Scotland website.

Sally Chitty 5 years ago

Fantastic experience: I cannot express just how helpful Mike has been in helping us put together a short tour of scenic Scotland. I have pestered him with questions all of which he has helpfully answered. Our 4 day tour that we bought comes as pdf and is 100 pages long with incredible detail. We are really impressed with Secret Scotland. They really do go above and beyond!

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Hi Sally, Thanks for the review. Don't worry about "pestering" us, the after sales support is part of the package. Hope you like the look of our new website.

Christina Palmer 5 years ago

Fantastic experience: The tour we used was fantastic! All the tips and hints were great. One of the highlights was the side road up the mountain to see the view of the loch and the Three Sisters. We never would have found such a beautiful spot by ourselves. We also loved the fairy hills on Skye, another special place. Thanks for all the great ideas!

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Glad you enjoyed the tour and the suggestions for driving up the side roads that most other visitors miss.

Dennis & Georgia Boatman 5 years ago

Fantastic experience: We used Secret Scotland services to plan and experience our 1st trip to Scotland. We're not fans of the canned, guides tours that people can pursue - we like to be in charge of our itinerary and to be able to explore those little known and out-of-the-way places that don't get the attention they deserve. Secret Scotland provided us with exactly what we were looking for. Their guides gave us lots of choices, had clear directions and suggestions, and proved to be very accurate. We stayed in 5 different b&bs during our 19-day stay - the recommendations were spot-on. We are absolutely convinced we would not have had as much fun and fulfillment during our journey if we depended upon other sources of information or were left to our own devices. Secret Scotland receives our highest recommendation (5+ stars!). Worth every dollar/pound (which weren't many!)! We will use them again on our next foray to Alba.

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Thanks Dennis, We hope you'll also like our new website which should be going live very soon.

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Amalia Sancha 5 years ago

Fantastic experience: Mike and Aurey from Secret Scotland prepared a fantastic itinerary for us. It was a huge ingredient in the success and huge enjoyment that we got from our trip. It was absolutely worth every penny and there is no way we could have seen so much and so well without their itinerary. We felt like we belonged in Scotland, we knew what we were doing and what it all meant at every step. We recommend their services wholeheartedly. Scotland is such a marvelous place. Thank you Mike and Aurey... and we will be back!

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Thanks for your feedback. Making you feel like you "belonged in Scotland" is a lovely compliment that we really appreciate.

Elizabeth Mclean - gmail 5 years ago

Fantastic experience: Secret Scotland was such a great help in planning our first trip to Scotland. It gave a complete itinerary as to what to see and not to see. The guides are jammed packed with directions and stops so much so we couldn’t see them all, so we had to go back to Scotland for a 2,3 and 4th trip! Highly recommend! Elizabeth

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Thanks Elizabeth, we look forward to helping you with the 5th trip!

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Sharon Snow 5 years ago

Fantastic experience: We have used Secret Scotland multiple times to custom build our itineraries for driving tours of Scotland. Mike & Aury take all the stress out of planning a self-drive tour so you can focus on enjoying your trip. They provide step by step driving directions to allow you to take in the gorgeous country, give suggestions for fantastic photo-ops, let you know of great places to eat, and things to do and see. Add to that a list of suggested B&B's for all of your overnight locations, I can't image traveling around Scotland without their itinerary in hand. The best part is knowing that Mike & Aury have "been there/done that, eaten the food, driven the route, ", etc. I completely trust their opinion & advice! The question is - why wouldn't you use one of their guides if you are planning a trip to Scotland?

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Thanks Sharon, Taking the Stress out of Scotland Tours is what we aim for!

Prasanna Basavaraju 5 years ago

Fantastic experience: They are super awesome. I purchased flexi scenic tour and also Accommodatio guide from the website.The itinerary was very informative and proved invaluable in planning my trip which turned out to be a fantastic trip.This was few years ago and we are planning another trip to Scotland and would definitely refer back to Mike's awesome tips. Surely an absolute favourite if you are planning a self drive road trip .

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Hi Prasanna, Thanks for the feedback. We hope you like the new features in the guides. We've added in some suggestions to help with the scheduling of all the different day trip options and route legs.

Wendy Martin 6 years ago

Fantastic experience: These guys really are the best. We used Mike's Flexi Days East to West itinerary last July and it was truly indispensable. His itinerary is full of detail, including driving directions and options. Mike is also very responsive if you have any questions. We had such a wonderful time we are going back again this year, and we will be using his itineraries again for our planning. I would also recommend his accommodations guide.

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Thanks Wendy. Feel free to contact us if you need any more travel advice to help with the tour planning.

Janet Wannop 6 years ago

Fantastic experience: Secret Scotland is EXCEPTIONAL in providing guidance for itinerary planning and accommodation referrals for those wanting a self guided driving vacation in Scotland. We purchased and downloaded Scotland West to East along with the accommodation guide. We spent 3 weeks exploring much of this beautiful country off the beaten path and away from heavy tourist sites. There wasn’t much we didn’t see and experience. “Simple to use. Thorough in suggesting ‘must see’ venues. Complete - sites, restaurants, pubs and experiences.” That is how i would describe what they do and provide. Exceptional accommodation recommendations. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Thanks Janet it really means a lot to us to know that we've helped to make your experience of Scotland so enjoyable.

Jordan Johnson 6 years ago

Fantastic experience: Secret Scotland's itineraries, accommodations guides, and other resources are an incredible value with great attention to detail. Their owners, Mike and Aury, are experienced and honest, and they helped us so much as we attempted to narrow down a very long list of things we hoped to do during our time in Scotland. I feel so much more prepared for our trip and can now just look forward to our approaching vacation!

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Hi Jordan, thanks for the feedback. We're working on some new ideas to make the guides even more useful.

Saskia Carter 7 years ago

Fantastic experience: How does this not have more reviews? Over 3 years after our trip, we're still raving about the guide. I still remember the day we sat down in a little Starbucks in London, trying to piece together a unique Scotland tour for our upcoming road trip. We wanted everything: epic battlefields, abandoned ruins, castles, scenic drives, hidden hikes and more, but we soon realized how insanely difficult this was. We only had 4 days! And didn't know Scotland at all. I convinced my other half to get the Scenic Tour 4-5 Days guide (even though he very much wanted to do it all himself), and it was the best experience ever. In fact, ever since this trip, we're trying to re-create the experience. Of course, Scotland can hardly let anyone down, but this guide truly made it an adventure. We found so many hidden and not so hidden gems, and everything was perfectly laid out for us so that all we had to do was decide how much time we had and what we wanted to see next. I can't recommend it enough and wish more guides like this existed!

Secret Scotland
Secret Scotland

Thanks Saskia, that's a really lovely bit of feedback. We'd love to be able to do guides like this for other countries, but the reason we can do a guide like this for Scotland is that we live here and are always touring around the country. Maybe if cloning technology develops we could do some other countries. :)

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