Going on Tour from Edinburgh: Why to choose a MacBackpackers Tour

So you’re looking into Scotland tours leaving from Edinburgh? Well then we’re sure you’d love to know all about us.

MacBackpackers has been running tours of Scotland for over 25 years. But there’s loads of tour operators out there, so why should you choose a MacBackpackers tour over anyone else?

We want to make Scottish travel affordable

Scotland was once a holiday destination for the royals and upper society, and while Queen Victoria did popularise visits to the Highlands, we think a country as beautiful as ours should be accessible to everyone. Our tour company was born out of a desire to help backpackers and budget travelers experience Scotland. This all started in 1990 when we opened High Street Hostel in Edinburgh’s Old Town to create an affordable home-away-from-home for backpackers from around the world. Our focus on value hasn’t changed since as we offer budget accommodation along our route, a discount on 3 Edinburgh Hostel stays and the cheapest tour we can put out on the road. We’re a small team running on small margins to make Scotland more accessible for all.

Our tours are aimed at 18-39 year olds

We set ourselves apart from our competitors by offering a true youth tour. Our tours have a strict age limit of 18-39 which creates the best atmosphere and helps create long lasting friendships. We often have groups keeping in touch even years later!

Our age limit also helps us create a more active, less serious tour itinerary and offers our guests a bit more flexibilty on their tours. If you had a hike in mind or really wanted to swim under a waterfall, then just ask! And because our tours attract young adventurous people we’re happy to cater to whatever the group wants. You won’t just see Scotland from afar, we let you get right into it on every single tour. That’s the MacBackpackers promise!

This focus on our target demographic has lead to us being known as one of the most fun tours on the market and it’s a reputation we’re all too happy to maintain!

We spend 36 hours on the Isle of Skye

A lot of tour companies offer a similar tour route, with some even copying our exact tour names (but we know imitation is the sincerest form of flattery), but they can’t offer you the same amount of time on Skye. Many of our competitors stay just over the bridge on the mainland or even as far afield as Inverness, and this just means you spend more time commuting to Skye. Time that we use instead to get you to the best spots on the island before the tour buses can even cross the bridge. Staying on the isle really helps us see more than any other tour company and give you more time out of the bus to explore!

Our 3 Day Isle of Skye and 5 Day Skye & Highland Fling offer you 2 nights on the Isle of Skye for the maximum time to see the Misty Isle.

Our tours leave from Edinburgh

Scotland has really taken off as a destination and there’s now a huge amount of travel options to the starting point of our tour. Flights from all over the world arrive here daily, there’s a direct train from London (4 hours 20 minutes from city to city), buses and even the odd cruise ship. Getting to Edinburgh has never been easier. This combined with the great affordable accommodation options (some of which you get a discount for with your tour booking) is a huge reason our tours leave from Edinburgh rather than Glasgow or Inverness.

You’re even able to secure your pre and post accommodation in the top hostel in Scotland when making a booking on certain tours, so you can plan all (or most) of your visit to Scotland through MacBackpackers.