We’ve butted our horns together and managed to come up with a full list of Frequently Asked Questions that we often receive from those interested in our tours. Can’t find the answer you’re looking for? Please contact us!
Thinking about booking?
All of our tours are bookable right here on our Hairy Coo website! Simply head to the page of the tour you are interested in and click on the ‘Book Now’ button to be taken to our secure portal. You can also search by date and view available tours using the booking tool.
Please note, advance booking is strongly advised as our tours often sell out. If you would like to join spontaneously in the morning, tickets (if available) can also be purchased from our Check-In team by the departure point the day of the tour.
All of our tours depart from outside Hotel Malmaison, 22 St Andrew Square, EH2 1AY. Please view our ‘Departure Point‘ page for further information and any relevant updates.
This is central location, a short walk from both Edinburgh Coach Station and Waverley train station. There are buses, trams and trains within walking distance from the departure point.
Please note that we are unable to arrange individual pick-up locations with guests on public tours, due to the impact on the tour and our drivers.
We are more than happy to welcome groups onboard, however, we will not do so to an extent that may disrupt the rest of the passengers. Our tours are fun, welcoming and most importantly a chance for travellers to meet and speak to one another – we feel larger groups detract from that slightly. Our maximum group size is 8 passengers per group. We ask that you do not make multiple bookings to exceed the maximum group size.
Should you make multiple separate reservations in order to book on a party larger than what is permitted, your driver-guide reserves the right to refuse your group on the tour. Refunds will not be issued in this instance.
If your group is larger than each of our maximum size, please do contact us. We will be happy to discuss the option of a private tour with you!
Due to safety regulations and insurance, we operate a minimum age requirement for all tours.
The minimum age for all of our tours, including private excursions, is 7 years old and we are unable to make any exemptions on this matter. Your child must be 7 years old at the time of departure and we cannot take children on board who will be turning that age while on tour.
Please note that we cannot allow children under the age of 8 on the 1-Day Whisky, Scottish Highlands, Glencoe & Loch Ness Tour, as this is the minimum age to enter Deanston distillery.
Should your driver-guide be unsure of the age of your child, you may be asked to produce a government-approved photographic ID, such as a passport, in order to verify their age.
Additionally, we have to ensure that our seat belts fit all passengers properly and as such we are unable to accommodate anyone under 1.2 meters in height. This means that even if your child is 7, they must meet this minimum height requirement.
The safety of all passengers on board is the responsibility of your driver-guide and, as such, if they are not 100% content that your child meets these requirements you will be unable to travel. Refunds will not be issued in this instance.
ABOUT OUR TOURS
The tour price includes the services of a friendly, knowledgeable and experienced driver-guide and transportation on one of our luxury, modern, air-conditioned coaches.
All extras such as accommodation, whisky distilleries, boat trips and castle entry fees are not included in the price of your tour.
You are not required to pre-book any of the additional activities prior to your tour and your driver-guide will be sure to give you all the necessary information needed before you make your decision.
Please note that many visitor attractions and accommodation providers may not accept credit card payments and so we always advise you have adequate cash with you on the day.
Gratuity is also, of course, encouraged and welcome if you would like to thank your driver-guide for the time they have given you on tour.
All our tours are delivered by English-speaking driver-guides. All stories are delivered verbally through a microphone which is heard via speakers throughout the vehicle.
We do not supply any printed information to our guests while travelling due to the fact each of our driver-guides presents their tours in their own personalised manner.
Safety instructions will be given verbally by the driver-guides before departure. If anything is unclear, please bring this to their attention.
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. We recommend that you stay within walking distance from our meeting point in the relevant towns for your chosen tour.
Further accommodation information can be found near the bottom of each tour page.
Despite offering tours of Scotland all year round, there are of course a few attractions or locations we are not able to visit in the winter because of varying reasons.
We are committed to giving tours we believe are of good quality, no matter what time of year it is. Tours that are too affected by venue closures or limited light in key locations are omitted from our winter scheduling, such as the Alnwick Castle and 5-Day Tour.
The rest of the year, we stick to advertised routes as closely as possible. On occasions outwith our control, such as roadblocks or scheduled events, we may have to take diversions and omit stops. Please be assured, all of our driver-guides are experienced and knowledgeable about the routes they are on and will always strive to offer you the best experience whilst on tour.
The reason we feel The Hairy Coo do tours differently is because of the unwavering trust we put in the knowledge and expertise of our driver-guides.
While our website aims to be as descriptive as possible regarding what you will see on tour, it is not possible for us to issue ‘full’ or ‘itemised’ itineraries, simply because they don’t exist. Our driver-guides are trained extensively on the roads they will travel on tour, the destinations they need to go and the allocated appointments they have at attractions. Other than that, it is at their discretion how long they spend at each stop.
Should you be considering one of our tours, we encourage you to read the relevant tour page on this website in full. If you have any questions afterwards, then we are happy to answer these via our contact form. Please note, to meet demand and to prevent overcrowding in smaller Scottish towns, our busier tours may at times use a reversed or altered itinerary. We will still make the same stops, but may use a different order.
ABOUT BOOKINGS
If you are booking a tour with us on a discounted rate – i.e. Student or NHS – then you must ensure you have a valid photo ID card proving your status in order to qualify. We are happy to accept Student ID from institutions all over the world.
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. We recommend that you stay within walking distance from our meeting point in the relevant towns for your chosen tour.
Further accommodation information can be found near the bottom of each tour page.
1-Day Tours
All of our 1-Day excursions require notice of cancellation at least 24 hours notice 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.
Multi-day Tours
All of our multi-day excursions require notice of cancellation at least one week/7 days 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 have any questions about cancellation please contact us.
Our tours tend to fill up quickly and far in advance, especially in Summer, meaning your preferred tour may not be available.
We do not operate a waitlist for any of our tours, nor are we able to reserve spaces on any of our tours without payment.
Should passengers cancel their booking within the permitted cancellation period, we will reload their spaces back onto our system immediately to allow others to book. We recommend returning to our site regularly to check the tour you would like to join!
Our tours are operated in various sized buses depending on the capacity of the tour and range from 9, 16 and 34 seat coaches.
Entry and exit from each bus is via the front left passenger door. There are three steps up into the bus each approximately 30cm in height. There are grab handles on both sides to assist guests and the step edges are clearly marked in yellow. The seats are on one level and all have full three-point seatbelts which must be worn when the vehicle is moving.
Our coaches are not wheelchair accessible, however, we have luggage compartments which may easily take a folding wheelchair or walking frame. This will be easier to accommodate on our 1-day tours as the multi-day overnight tours will have customers travelling with luggage and space will, therefore, be limited.
Our staff are not able to offer any physical assistance when boarding or disembarking from the buses or at any point during the tour. Guests should be comfortable getting on and off the bus on their own or with the assistance of a travelling companion. Please advise us about any special requirements before you book your trip.
It is essential you give prior notice if you are bringing a wheelchair or walking frame etc. If we are not informed, we cannot guarantee travel or be held responsible for any cost or inconvenience incurred if we are unable to accommodate you or any member of your party.
We have to ensure all seat belts on our coaches fit all passengers properly and as such we are unable to accommodate anyone under 1.2 meters in height.
Please note that there are no toilet facilities on any of our buses and that although we try to offer comfort breaks as often as possible, there will be instances where requested additional stops will not be possible due to local infrastructure.
All information surrounding accessibility on tour can be found on our Accessibility page.
We do not allow any animals onboard our buses, due to health and safety concerns for fellow passengers. This applies to guide dogs, assistance animals and emotional support animals.
As we like to give you as much time off the coach as possible, we recommend you bring warm and/or waterproof clothing, no matter what the forecast appears to be…Scotland’s weather is very unpredictable!
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.
Food is readily available at the majority of stops on tour, but you are absolutely more than welcome to bring snacks and a cold packed lunch on board. Hot drinks and soups are permitted but only if they have a secure lid.
To make the most of your time at Loch Ness, you might consider bringing a packed lunch if you are taking our 1-Day Loch Ness tour. If you are not able to prepare one beforehand, there is a small selection of cafes, pubs and take away’ in Fort Augustus for you to choose from.
Finally, we must remind you that while picturesque and quaint, some of the suppliers in smaller towns across the Highlands do still prefer cash payments. We’d recommend that you consider what you might purchase on the day (such as souvenirs or food) and bring enough cash along with you.
All of our tours depart from outside Hotel Malmaison, 22 St Andrew Square, EH2 1AY.
This is within walking distance from the tram, Edinburgh coach station, Waverley train station as well as multiple bus stops.
The closest tram stop is “St Andrew Square“, just a couple of minutes away from our meeting point. Many buses will stop on Princess Street or George Street, please use the Journey Planner for Lothian Buses to find a suitable bus.
You can also view our ‘Departure Point‘ page for further information and any relevant updates.
If you are planning to rely on taxi or ride hailing services such as Uber, please allocate extra times in case of delays or cancelled rides. At times it may be difficult to get a taxi when you need one make your way to the departure point. Our tours cannot wait for late arriving passengers and missed tours will be non-refundable. We urge you to allow extra time to reach the departure point in the morning and explore public transport options as a back up.
Our tours depart promptly due to our action-packed itineraries and we cannot wait for late-comers.
If you miss your tour departure you will be unable to catch up on the day and we will be unable to seat you on any of our other tours. If you are booked on a multi-day tour, it will be your responsibility to make your own way to the first overnight location and join the tour on Day 2.
Please pre-plan your route to your departure point far in advance. The city has many one-way systems and relying on a taxi to get you there on time may not always be the best decision. If using ride-sharing or ride-hailing services such as Uber, please bear in mind that these can have limited availability and has an increased risk of cancellations.
If you are travelling to Edinburgh overnight, you must ensure that you arrive in the city in plenty of time and that you get to the departure point 15 minutes prior to your tour’s departure.
We are unable to process a refund for those who have missed their scheduled departure.
In the spirit of being as fair as possible, we do not offer the option to reserve a particular seat on tour.
As our driver-guides often arrive at the departure point after guests have begun waiting, they will have no way of knowing who was there first. In this instance, we hope our guests are friendly and courteous to one another. Anyone forcefully pushing in front of other guests will immediately be asked to wait until the end to take their seats and, in extreme cases, will be unable to join the tour.
Often people cite motion sickness as a reason to have the first pick of their seat, which is, of course, a completely valid reason. However, that may be the case for many guests on the same tour and so we cannot offer any preferential treatment.
One instance where we will make an exception is in the case of limited mobility. If you would like to discuss this with us, please contact us.
The main thing to remember is our vehicles have huge windows, equal legroom throughout and speakers above all passengers….so every seat is the best in our opinion!
You are more than welcome to bring along a carry-on bag on the tour which can be packed with essentials for the day. This bag will be stored either in front of your seat or in the overhead compartment. We would advise keeping this bag as light and small as possible to maximise your comfort on board.
Especially on our multi-day tours, we would expect everyone to also bring 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 passenger. While we do not have specific measurements available, a medium suitcase is generally considered to be between 63 to 67 cm in height (25 to 26 inches). As long as your luggage isn’t significantly larger, it should be fine to use on tour!
The luggage restriction has been included 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.
Our luggage restriction is in place to ensure that all passengers will be able to bring along the things they need during the tour. As our vehicles have limited storage capacity, we kind ask that you try other options instead of bringing excess luggage with you.
If you are staying in a hotel before and after the tour, you may want to check with them about storing your luggage as some hotels offer this service to returning guests. If not, there are multiple facilities for excess luggage storage around Edinburgh, for example in and around Waverley Train Station and Princes Street. There are also lockers available in Edinburgh bus station. Some of the most common service providers are Unbaggaged, Stasher, Bounceand CitySpareSpace, but there are other alternatives as well.
When storing your luggage with Stasher, book with promocode: THEHAIRYCOO10for 10% off your luggage storage service.
We do not offer individual pick-up or drop-off locations on any of our public tours. All tours depart from the same departure point, unless otherwise stated.
In support of Edinburgh’s scheme to reduce the number of vehicles in the City Centre, we strongly advise that you explore all public transport options available to you.
If you really must bring the car, we suggest you utilise the ‘Park and Ride’ scheme in which you park your vehicle in the outskirts of the city and then jump on the local buses that run on a regular basis.
Alternatively, there are car parks available within walking distance to the departure point at St James Square. You can search for one that suits your need here. The closest options are atSt James’ Place and Hill Street North Lane.
During Your Tour
It doesn’t matter when you are travelling, the weather in Scotland is incredibly unpredictable and sometimes you can even experience several seasons in one day!
As a result of this, we would always encourage our guests to wear waterproof shoes and clothing, ensuring they have several removable layers. You are more than welcome to leave jackets/jumpers on the coach at each stop if you find that the weather is nice when you are due to get off.
To help you out when planning, please feel free to check the weather of various of our destinations here:
To allow for as much freedom as possible on tour, we are very flexible with what you choose to do when you depart the coach. Due to the fact guests may go their separate ways, your driver-guide will always emphasise the allocated time you have at each location.
We must remind guests that we are trying to fit as much on tour as we can and our driver-guides are doing their best to stick to a schedule. That is why we ask guests to be as courteous to the group as possible and return to the coach when your guide requests. If you are unsure of when you are to be back, please do ask your driver-guide before you get off!
Please note that continued lateness will have a huge impact on the tour and could result in some stops or activities being omitted from the day. If your party are repeatedly late back to the vehicle, your driver-guide reserves the full right to eject you from the trip and you will not be entitled to a refund.
We do not have toilet facilities on any of our vehicles. We make regular comfort breaks throughout the day, and try as best we can to ensure one at least every hour.
Unfortunately, we are unable to provide WiFi on our coaches.
We recognise that USB charging ports are now very desirable and try to ensure that all of our newer coaches are fitted with this feature however, it is ultimately luck on the day as to whether your tour is conducted on a vehicle that has USB ports – it is not something we can guarantee at this stage.
If this is something you are worried about, do bring along a portable charger just in case!
We always aim to stop for a visit of our local, beloved Hairy Coos on our tours! However we cannot guarantee Highland cows, as we are not in control of their movements or placements. This is not applicable to our 1-day tour to Alnwick Castle, Holy Island & the Scottish Borders, as Highland Cows are less common when travelling south.
Please note that in the winter months (Mid November – March) some farmers decide to move the cows indoors or to other field for the winter so they are unavailable during this period.
You can find more information on where to see the hairy coos around Scotland on Visit Scotland’s website.
The Scottish Highlands have plenty of winding roads full of twists, turns, as well as breathtaking views!
We do not reserve seats on any of our tours, but will try our best to make all passengers comfortable during their trip with us. If you suffer from motion sickness, we recommend that you take preventative measures such as anti-sickness tablets, patches and motion sickness acupressure bands. Please visit your closest pharmacy if you are unsure of what would be the best option for you.
Unfortunately, due to insurance reasons we are unable to allow passengers to remain unaccompanied on our buses at any stop on tour.
In addition, for Health & Safety reasons our driver guides are required to take legally set breaks whilst on tour and they cannot remain with the vehicle at this time.
At the end of your tour
All tours conclude back at the Edinburgh meeting point: Outside Hotel Malmaison, 22 St Andrew Square, EH2 1AY.
All arrival times are approximate, and can be impacted by traffic and other delays outwith our control. We recommend leaving at least 2 hours between the planned arrival time and any onward travel or reservations in the evening, in the event of delays.
We are unable to arrange personalised drop-off locations with guests.
You are free to depart your tour at any point, as long as it is at a planned stop. Please note that you will not be eligible for a refund for leaving the tour early.
If you’re planning to depart the tour before we return to Edinburgh, please let us know by emailing contact@thehairycoo.com.
Not only do we permit our driver-guides to accept tips/gratuity, but we encourage our guests to do so if they feel their day has exceeded expectations.
Our driver-guides are the hardest working employees in the business, often working long hours through testing environments.
They talk for pretty much the entire duration of their tours, study their own facts and stories, maintain their coaches to an impeccable cleanliness standard and share pieces of their lives with guests every day.
AFTER YOUR TOUR
We’re pretty confident our driver-guides mentioned leaving us a review once, twice… or maybe even twelve…times while on tour because they are so very, very important to us.
As an independently owned business, the only way we have managed to get our name out above the other tour companies is because of word of mouth. It’s likely that before you booked your tour with us you even had a wee skim and noted our overwhelming number of 5-star reviews.
If you could, we’d really appreciate it if you could take a few moments to leave us a review in one or all of these places. Furthermore, be sure to include your driver-guides name so that we know who’s getting some extra carrots in their stocking at Christmas time!
Review us on:
‘The Herd’ is the phrase we like to use when referring to the collective group of people who have been on tour with us and who like to stay connected long after, either through sharing photographs or talking to one another about time spent in Scotland.
You can join us on all social media platforms and we encourage you to share everything about your trip. Don’t forget to tag #thehairycoo!
When departing your coach at the end of the day, you will be repeatedly asked to ensure you have all your personal belongings with you.
Should you realise you have left something on board, we would ask that you contact us as soon as possible after the conclusion of your tour in order for us to locate your item and arrange a time for you to be reunited with it. Please include a description or picture of the item, to help us locate it.
We will first and foremost try to reunite it with the owner on a collection basis from the departure point the next morning. If need be, we may be able help arrange for items to be shipped to you but will ask that the cost of postage is covered by the owner of the item.
Lost property will be kept aside for 2 weeks before being disposed of or donated to charity.
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