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

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.

MacBackpackers tours are designed for young travellers and backpackers and the style of tour reflects this. We spend as much time out of the bus as possible seeing Scotland up close and personal, so a certain level of physical fitness may be required for the hikes you’ll go on. We also  stay in hostel style dormitory accommodation each night and promote ourselves as a tour where you can make new friends your own age. That’s why we have decided to limit our age allowed on our tours, in order to help create the fun, active, friendly and memorable tours our guests expect when they book.

Unfortunately, this means if you’re under 18 or over 39 you will not be able to book any of our tours. We reserve the right to cancel a reservation if you are outside of this age range and ask anyone outside of this age range to please look at one of the many other bus tour companies in Scotland for their tour.

We pre-book accommodation for every person on tour so you don’t have to! Our tours stay at a range of hostels across the Highlands and the accommodation fee of £32 per night is payable when making a booking or upon arrival at our departure point (Castle Rock Hostel in Edinburgh). The cost of accommodation includes breakfast for each morning of the tour (excluding the first morning)

You can learn more about where we stay on tour by going to our Where We Stay page on the button below!

Unless otherwise stated e.g. seasonal 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 £32 per person per night, this includes breakfast.
You can pay for your accommodation with either cash or credit/debit card at the departure point (Castle Rock Hostel)

You also have the option to pre-pay for your accommodation on tour by utilising the Express Check-in option at the point of booking.

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

3 Day Isle of Skye tours run every Friday throughout the year.

3 Day Skye & Loch Ness runs on Wednesdays from the end of March to the end of October.

4 Day Skye Spectacular select Mondays from the end of March to the end of October.

5 Day Skye and Highland Fling select Mondays from the end of March to the end of October.

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 whisky, 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.

We design our tours for 18 to 39 year olds. Most people are travelling on their own and are looking to meet new people and have fun on their trip. There are only ever 29 people (at the most) 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’ tab,  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.

As long as possible! For example, if you drove from Edinburgh directly to Inverness it would take about three hours but we do it in nine hours so at the very least half the day is spent off the bus visiting historic sites, going on walks through forests and climbing hills (where possible) and listening to dramatic stories about Scotland.

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 rest room 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!

While its not mandatory, it would be most welcome by our drivers, as they work their butts off to deliver you the best tour possible!!

As of 09/07/2024
All requests for cancellations must be made by the lead customer on the booking and be made in writing to info@macbackpackers.com. All deposits are non-refundable. Where only the deposit has been paid, no refund applies. Where payment has been made in full, the following conditions apply:
● More than 14 days prior to departure; a refund of 75% will be issued, alternatively you may transfer your booking to a date within the next 12 months for a £50 rebooking fee. Should you wish to transfer to a tour of a greater value, you must pay the difference. Please note that any changed date will not be applicable for a refund if it is cancelled.
● 14 days prior to departure; you will no longer be able to transfer your booking and no refund will be given.

To arrange a transfer, please contact the booking office directly at info@macbackpackers.com. Transferred bookings are non-refundable and subject to availability. Where the price of the transferred tour is lesser than the original price, no refund will be issued, unless over 28 days prior to departure. Special conditions may apply to non-standard departures (e.g. Festive & Easter packages). Please note that no Covid-19 policy applies, in line with all current UK and Scottish Government guidelines.

Cancellations by the customer as a result of circumstances beyond our control e.g. travel disruptions or natural disasters are at the discretion of MacBackpackers. MacBackpackers cannot accept responsibility for losses relating to travel to and from tour departure/return points, or losses relating to accommodations booked before and after the tour date, unless these items have been purchased directly through our website. In the very unlikely event of a tour cancellation by MacBackpackers we will refund the customer, on a pro-rata basis, up to the full amount of the price paid by the customer for the tour, and any accommodation paid for in advance.

You can get hold of us for any other questions you may have by emailing us on info@macbackpackers.com