Departing at: 8:15 AM / 10 AM
Returns to Edinburgh: approx. 6 PM on Day 5 
Duration: 5 days 
Group size: Up to 16 passengers
Minimum age: 7 years old 
Distance: 920 miles / 1480 km 
Hairy Coos: Meet Highlands CowsThe 5-Day tour is our crowning jewel; if you want to fully explore the country. Our group size is limited to only 16-guests on our 5-day tour to allow us access to even more remote locations. Your knowledgeable, passionate and experienced driver-guide will be there to take the strain out of such a journey, leaving you free to relax and enjoy.
On this tour, you won’t just visit the essential tourist locations, but also towns and landmarks you’ve never heard of or knew you were missing on your bucket list. You can tour a whisky distillery, explore ancient castles, decide where in Scotland truly does the best seafood and ‘monster hunt’ at Loch Ness. If you don’t spot Nessie, it won’t get in our way… During the summer season (April-October) we’ll also take you on a seal spotting cruise along the coast of palm-tree lined Plockton on Loch Carron. Yes, you read correctly – palm trees!
You’ll learn about Jacobite Rebellions and the lasting legacy of Culloden Battlefield, while stepping foot on film locations used for ‘Outlander’. Further along the Hollywood trail, you’ll see locations used for ‘Harry Potter’, ‘Monty Python’, ‘Braveheart’ and ‘James Bond’ to name a few.
Much more than that, you’ll really start to feel like a local. By the end of the trip you’ll know your ‘ayes’ from your ‘naws’ and when to ‘hud yer wheesht’. You’ll experience Scotland in a way that very few do and see what talents or stories make every corner of this country so ‘braw’.
During your unforgettable tour, you will spend one night in Oban, another in Portree on the Isle of Skye and two nights in the Capital of the Highlands, beautiful Inverness.
Itinerary
Due to weather and/or road conditions during the winter season the route may change at the driver/guide’s discretion. Arrival times are estimated and can be impacted by traffic and other delays outwith our control. Please note that some stops may involve walking on uneven terrain, which may not be suitable for guests with limited mobility.
WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE PRICE?
- Experienced ‘Hairy Coo’ Driver Guide providing live commentary and storytelling throughout.
- Travel on one of our luxury, modern, air-conditioned coaches.
- Regular Comfort Breaks
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED?
- Food & drink
- Accommodation in Oban, Portree & Inverness (4 nights required in total)
- No toilets onboard
- Gratuities for your Driver Guide.
- Optional Activities are purchasable while on tour, we recommend paying by cash.
All optional activities are subject to availability, prices subject to change.
EDINBURGH DEPARTURE
BY THE BURNS MONUMENT
We meet in front of the Burns Monument, 1759 Regent Road, Edinburgh.
Google Map
GLASGOW DEPARTURE
We depart from Buchanan Bus Station in Glasgow, at stance 23. Please double-check departure boards at the station for stance.
Google Map
DEPARTURE AND DROP-OFF
EDINBURGH DEPARTURE
Check-in: 8 AM
Departure: 8:15 AM
GLASGOW DEPARTURE
Departure: 10 AM
We recommend arriving 15 minutes before departure.
Seats are unreserved. We are unable to wait for guests who are late and no refunds will be issued in this instance.
TOUR RETURNS TO EDINBURGH ON DAY 5
Drop-Off: 6:30 PM
The tour concludes back at Regent Road, Edinburgh on the fifth day. If you are travelling to Glasgow after the tour, please see the below for further details.
Please note that return times are approximate and may be impacted by road conditions and weather. We recommend allowing at least 2 hours for any onward travel or reservations in the evening, in the event of delays.
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If you’d like to join the tour from Glasgow, please ensure that you book the 10am departure from Glasgow.
This tour will not return to Glasgow, all passengers will be dropped off in Edinburgh City Centre at the end of Day 5. If you are looking to return to Glasgow after the tour, there are usually plenty of trains and buses available from Edinburgh to Glasgow. You can find train times here and bus times with Citylink, Flixbus and Megabus.
DEPARTURES & DROP-OFFS DURING THE TOUR
We use central meeting points in Oban, Portree and Inverness for both drop-offs and departures. Your driver-guide may instruct new departure times, please ensure that you take note of the departure times communicated during the tour.
Please bear in mind that arrival times are estimated and can be impacted by road conditions and weather. We recommend allowing at least 1 hour for any reservations in the evenings.
Seats are unassigned, and we encourage swapping seats during the tour.
OBAN
We meet by the bus stops outside Oban Train Station, 1 Station Rd, Oban, PA34 4NU.
Day 1 Drop-off: 6:30PM
Day 2 Departure: 8:30AM
Google Map
PORTREE
We meet by Somerled Square, Portree, IV51 9BS, in the middle of Portree.
Day 2 Drop-off: 6:30PM
Day 3 Departure: 8:30AM
Google Map
INVERNESS
We meet on Ardross Street, close to the north entrance to Inverness Cathedral.
Day 3 Drop-off: 6:30PM
Day 4 Departure: 8:30AM
Day 4 Drop-off: 6:30PM
Day 5 Departure: 8:30AM
Google Map
Accommodation on tour
This tour requires a 4 nights of accommodation: A 1-night stay in Oban, a 1-night stay in Portree and a 2-night stay in the city of Inverness.
Accommodation is not included in the price of your tour and all guests are required to book their own due to the small nature of our team. Recommendations of where to stay will be listed in your confirmation email once you have booked your tour.
We recommend staying withing walking distance from our meeting point above.
We suggest that you book accommodation with a flexible cancellation policy for your own piece of mind. Booking directly with the accommodation provider as opposed to via a 3rd party can help ensure you get the most competitive rate available and is of great help to local businesses. We encourage that you mention you are on a tour excursion when you book as most accommodation providers will be happy to provide your party with an early breakfast.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you can find the answer on this page or in our general FAQs, please don’t hesitate to reach out!
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Accommodation is not included in the price of your tour and all guests are required to book their own due to the small nature of our team.
We are happy to recommend places to stay, but you are also free to choose any accommodation that you find suitable. You may also want to ask your accommodation for early breakfast options.
You will need a 1-night stay in Oban, a 1-night stay in Portree and a 2-night stay in Inverness during this tour.
It is our advice to always book directly with a provider, rather than using a large online booking site such as booking.com. These companies charge small businesses such a large amount of commission and we love to support them where we can!
If you would like to research places to stay or if our recommendations are fully booked, we would kindly ask that you use our meeting points listed above as reference when you look at accommodation options.
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You are more than welcome to bring along one smaller bag to use while on the bus, as well as one medium sized piece of luggage, suitcase or backpack, which we will put in the hold of the bus during transit. This can weigh up to 15kgs (33lbs) per passenge. We’re usually happy to allow larger/heavier bags when shared between multiple passengers.
The luggage restriction has been set to ensure that not all guests join the tour with excessive luggage as our vehicles do not have the space to hold too much. Because of this, we would kindly ask that you try other options instead of bringing all of your luggage with you. Please see our FAQ’s for recommendations on where to store your belongings.
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It doesn’t matter when you are travelling, the weather in Scotland can be incredibly unpredictable and sometimes you can even experience several seasons in one day!
As a result of this, we would always encourage our passengers to wear waterproof shoes and clothing, ensuring they have several removable layers. You are more than welcome to leave jackets/jumpers on the coach during stops if you find that the weather is nice when you are due to get off.
To help you plan ahead of the tour, please feel free to check the weather of some of the destinations for this tour here:
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We always do our very best to stop for a visit of our local, beloved Hairy Coos on our tours!
On our 5-day tour, we stop for a Highland Cow meet and greet on Day 4 of the tour.
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We recommend you bring warm and/or waterproof clothing, no matter what the forecast appears to be… Scotland’s weather is very unpredictable! And don’t forget your camera to capture all the lovely scenery and wildlife you’ll encounter on your tour, which you can later share with us online!
We encourage wearing comfortable and flat footwear. While there are no mandatory longer walks or hikes, some stops will involve uneven ground and optional walks on natural paths.
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Food will be available at some of stops on tour, but you are absolutely more than welcome to bring snacks and a cold packed lunch on board.
There are often alternatives suitable to most diets, but options may be limited so if you have dietary restrictions we recommend that you plan ahead.
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We suggest paying for tickets to the optional extras in cash, please see the cost listed above under “What is not included”.
We must also remind you that while picturesque and quaint, many of the suppliers in smaller towns do still prefer cash payments. ATM’s are located at multiple stops along the route, and currency exchange services are available in Inverness.
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We do our best to catch the Jacobite Steam Train (also sometimes called the Harry Potter train) crossing the Viaduct when we can. Please note that the the train runs seasonally.
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Our 5-day excursions require notice of cancellation at least one 7 days/1 week prior to your scheduled departure in order to be eligible for a 100% refund. Should you book your tour within this period, your booking will be immediately non-refundable.
If you made your booking through an agent site, please contact their customer services for support.
You can find further details in our FAQ’s and Terms & Conditions.
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As we are quite far north, the amount of daylight varies during the year. This means that we enjoy bright evenings during the summer, but have early sunsets during the winter months. This can of course have an impact on your experience on the road, and is one of the reasons why we use seasonal prices for all our tours.
As an example, we’ve looked at the estimated daylight times in Inverness, to help you understand what to expect.
During spring equinox (mid March):
Sun rises around 6:30am, sets at 6:30pm. It will usually be dark from 7:15pm until 5:45am.Summer solstice (mid June):
Sun rises around 4:30am, sets at 10.30pm. It will usually be dark/darker* from 11:30pm until 3:15am.
*For a time, at the height of summer, Scotland does not experience astronomical twilight.Autumn equinox (mid September):
Sun rises around 7:15am, sets at 7.15pm. It will usually be dark from 8:30pm until 5:30am.Winter solstice (mid December):
Sun rises around 9am, sets at 3.30pm. It will usually be dark from 4:30pm until 8am.Please note that visibility and light can also be impacted by weather, and that it is best to look at the daylight time and weather forecast for your specific tour date for further details.
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If you need to change which city (Edinburgh or Glasgow) you’ll be joining us from, please reach out to us and we’ll change the booking for you. Our team is available over email at contact@thehairycoo.com and over the phone on +44 131 212 5026 (Mon-Fri, 9am to 5pm).
You can also amend the booking through your confirmation email, if booked directly with us.
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You are free to depart the tour early, we only ask that it is at a planned stop as we do cannot offer individual drop-off points.
Please let us know when you are looking to leave the tour, so that we can inform your driver-guide. The easiest way to contact us is by emailing contact@thehairycoo.com.
Feel free to also speak to the guide during the tour, to ensure that they do not report you as missing from the the tour.