Frequently Asked Questions

For the J&C Tour you will usually stay in three places, with a minimum of 2 nights each. That gives you time to settle in for a bit. We choose hosts because of their affability and high standards of accommodation (4* standard, or equivalent). We have had great feedback over the years about our choices. I book all the accommodation.

On tour, we pick up and drop guests at the tour designated accommodations each day.

Pre and post tour accommodation:The night before the tour begins and the final night of the tour are not booked for you, to allow you to make your own travel plans. However, before the tour, you will be sent the meet point for the tour along with some accommodation recommendations so that you can stay close by the start / end point of the tour if you wish.

On the J&C Tour and other longer tours:
See: What's Included

• Food Costs: Depending on your appetite, the food cost for a week will be around £200 per person for lunches & evening meals. You make your own menu selection and only pay for what you've ordered.
• Two lunches of the seven on the J&C Tour are provided and paid for by us as packed/picnic lunches (weather permitting).
• All breakfasts are covered in your accomodation cost.
• Some evening meals will be group dinners. We arrange these social occasions and you make your own menu choices and pay directly for your own meal. Our group meals will be at various eateries from the simple to fine dining.
• On independent nights your B&B is situated within walking distance of local eateries from which you may choose. Our guests like to dine with each other in small groups on independent nights and solo travellers will never be short of a dinner companion, unless they want to be!

OTT two day tours:

• Lunch and dinner are not included in the quoted price. We do stop for lunch at a local eatery which you pay for directly. The tour completes before dinner time each day.

You will commonly find vegetarian options in most restaurants and cafes for lunch and dinner.

Gluten free requirements are understood by cafes and restaurants in Scotland. Some have choices specified on the menu. Other times you will ask and the staff will offer you something suitable.

If you have food allergies many eateries are willing to take a special order.

Food standard in Scotland is excellent, with much influence from Europe and India and many awarded chefs. Some of the best beef in the world comes from Scotland. Enjoy the variety of our cuisine. We give no help to the un-adventurous and picky eaters.

All tours have the same baggage allowance, drawn from years of experience, as to what makes good travelling. Each person is limited to ONE piece of luggage.
Maximum luggage size is 50 linear inches total (Example: 22" high + 14" wide + 10" deep = 46" linear inches).
Note: Laundry service or self service is available about half way through most week long tours.
You must be able to lift your own luggage in and out of the vehicle trunk and carry it up 2 flights of stairs. There are no elevators, tour guides or porters to carry your luggage for you. The photo to the right shows the appropriate luggage.
A small day/book pack may be substituted for a purse (no more than 16" tall) and must comfortably sit on your lap in the vehicle to hold your wallet, camera, etc. This daypack should NOT be used to hold additional luggage items.
You will be sent a document of a suggested packing list after you complete your sign on and balance payment. It has been compiled from my own and our guests' experiences.

We normally use 9 seater MPV vehicles (one or two) like the one shown here. Their size allows us to go into remote parts of the Highlands unavailable to large coaches.

However, these vehicles have limited luggage capacity, hence the personal luggage allowance.

Guests must be able to take turns in front, middle AND back seats. We switch around regularly. They must be able to sit comfortably in the seat without encroaching upon the seat of other guests. If you suffer from travel sickness and can only use the front seat, then you have two options:

• Before booking, find a sea-sickness remedy that works for you and will allow you to travel in the back seat of a vehicle. Sturgeon brand tablets are used by some sailors; ginger capsules have some efficacy; pressure point wrist bands help some people.
• Book a private tour with us and arrange the seating as you like amongst your party

We certainly have done in the past, however, we now only do it by request as an extension to your tour (before or after the J&C Tour or Outlander TV Tour).

It is by-request and called A. Malcolm & the Edinburgh Enlightenment which covers the return of Claire to Jamie at "A.Malcolm, Printer" and the places they visit in the old town (including some used by Starz).
It is ALL on foot and all up very steep hills as Edinburgh is built on a now retired volcano. This one day tour also opens up the fascinating charms of the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh, showing the context in which Jamie operated his printing business during the Scottish Enlightenment (1750-1800). We look at how Edinburgh became "The Athens of the North" leading the world in scientific, intellectual and humane accomplishments and why they needed printers.

To keep the price down, we suggest you have 6 guests in your party. However, we can provide it for fewer guests with a coordinating price which will be a bit more per person.

Ha ha! No! There's nothing there to see. Black Jack's Fort is a traffic intersection round-about and a supermarket carpark! We'd rather spend the time on things from the books that you will not want to miss.
However, now that Starz has chosen a castle not unlike the old Fort William, we do go to this filming location on the (Starz) Outlander TV Tour for those interested in the filmed version of the books. It is nowhere near Ft. William.

All J&C tours of Scotland visit genuine standing stones and circles, including Clava Cairns. There are no stone circles in Scotland exactly like the one described by Craig Na Dun - there are plenty of stones and circles to see though. We'll normally visit two sets.
Note: The stones shown in Starz were temporarily constructed of man-made materials for the series.

Remember, it took Claire and Jamie the better part of their first year to make their initial journey just in the first book. Even with modern transport, the order of the locations in the book would literally have us going up/down/up and around in a couple of circles, and would not be practical or possible in one week! What we do, whenever possible, is to go to the locations of the first book early in the tour and Culloden later in the tour. There is a logical flow to our tour.

Go to the tour page you're interested in. Look for Itinerary & Experiences. This is what your tour will cover. We do not publish a day by day, hour by hour schedule. Why? Because we like to keep elements of surprise and, frankly, you don't need one. You're on holiday, so kick back, relax and enjoy the view while WE make sure we're on schedule! Each evening we will go over the next day's plan so you can prepare the appropriate clothing and have something to chat and dream about. The Itinerary & Experiences are printed on the contract as well.

Scotland tours begin & complete in Edinburgh. Private tours can begin and complete anywhere you wish by arrangement.

On the J&C tour, we often give you a half day (usually in Inverness), for sight seeing along the river, picking up laundry and catching up on your journal or just meandering. On other days from about 9 am we guide you through the whole day, afterall you are paying for a guided tour! During theses days, there are some places we go where you can explore at your own pace away from the guide and group for a bit before we journey to our next destination.
You'll also have some independent evenings to eat where you choose and free time in the evenings to explore.
On custom tours, you can choose how much free time you want.

For the J&C Tour:
Click on this link and scroll down the page to the sections Intinerary and Experiences.

All of our tours have a house style. We are known for the following:

• More Foot Than Wheel ~ We tend to spend more time out of the vehicle than in, walking, hiking, exploring. If you like to see scenery from the comfort of a coach seat, this is not the tour for you! We drive about 90 minutes a day on a majority of days once at our furthest locations, and 2 to 3 hours spread across one day to get into or out of the Highlands on the J&C Tour. The longer drives are interspersed with activities including site visits, hiking and exploring time away from the vehicle.
• Back Roads & Hidden Gems Because we're in vans and not huge coaches, we can venture through the backroads and see lovely parts of Scotland that most people don't get to see.
• Small Group The group size is fourteen maximum.
• Storyeller to Clan Maclean One of your guides, Scot, is a genuine traditional Highland storyteller, with harp. He's also a Highland historian. You can hear his musical work at www.ansgeulaiche.co.uk.
• Real Guiding ~ We guide you in each place, (with the exception of some self guiding / free to roam places), opening up and interpreting sites for you, not just transporting you from one stop to another and waiting at the vehicle. We're not simply drivers!
• Relevant Locations ~ We don't take you 'off book' to another part of the country or unrelated castles etc., then call it an "Outlander Tour". These tours are built upon Jamie & Claire's experiences, Diana's work and locations that pertain to the Jacobite history. This is not a generic Scotland tour re-branded.
• Real Highland Hospitality ~ You get lovely, homey B&Bs to stay in with fabulous breakfasts and countryside hospitality. Each place is hand picked. We don't block book impersonal hotels.
• Great Activities ~ We prefer you to experience in preference to see Scotland. Depending on the tour your special activities can include boat trips, Wilderness Skills event, meeting Highlanders, live traditional music sessions, ale and whisky tasting and pony trekking (all when available - and they usually are).
• Local Eateries & Fine Dining ~ Because we're a small group, we can eat in local cafes, pubs and restaurants that serve cuisine we like with choices galore. We even venture into some fine dining for a bit of fun and fancy.
• Gàidhlig lessons ~ You'll get lessons from Scot and a few pointers from Samantha as we drive along.

We simply can not have smoking on the tour at any time or place. Scotland has strict No Smoking laws. It is now illegal in/around accommodation and within public interiors. For ease of rules and everyone's comfort, we do not allow smoking at any time on the tour, even in the off hours, as the smell of smoke clings and can be carried into the vehicle, accommodation, restaurant, etc., making it unpleasant for others to sit next to that person.

All MacKenzie Adventures tours have a house style - small, genuine, well thought out, high standards... but we have a few different kinds of tours which we offer according to our whim.

• Jamie and Claire Tour: For readers and viewers of Outlander and their partners (readers or not).
• Starz Outlander filming locations, which are short tours of one or two days.
• The Connoisseur's Tour range: For those keen to see the other fabulous places that few overseas travellers go. These tours are usually populated by our alumnii guests and their friends.
  In some years we offer "The Romantic Borders" or "Journey to the Western Isles". We would not go here if we didn't like them so much! These tours are hosted by Scot AnSgeulaiche. Visit his website to see the current offers or to request a special tour Scot AnSgeulaichce's connoisseur's tours.
• Slow Scotland: inspired by the Slow Food movement (opposite of fast food) where we base ourselves in one rich area and take trips out and back via foot, cycle, sail, canoe, horseback - nothing fast. This is a private / custom tour and it works well for parties of family or friends. Use of motor vehicles is kept to a minimum. A style of tour where you really get to know a small region of Scotland in incredible depth. We often arrange 'holiday let' accommodation for you so you only need to unpack once over a 6 or 7 day period.
  Again, these are hosted by Scot.

"The Romantic Borders" or "Journey to the Western Isles" are two examples of the Connoisseur's Tours.
These adventures have the hidden gems, the roads less travelled, the well kept secrets, the "Oh my goodness why don't more people know about this" places! These adventures are designed for those who...

• Want to see some of the well hidden and "best of" an area, often outside of the Highlands and who realize there's more to Scotland than Loch Ness!.... ahem, cough cough.
• May have visited before, be it Scotland, England, Ireland, Wales, France, to the popular tourist sites and on a repeat visit wish to go deeper into the land and culture of the place, to wonderful places that they have probably never heard of.
• Are perhaps Outlandish Spirits alumni and have been on The Jamie and Claire Tour or any of our other adventures because the aching in your heart to return just won't go away.
• Guests who trust that we know our country, love these places and that they are worth sharing.
• Guests who understand when we shout "No! We don't go to Edinburgh Castle and Fort William on this tour!" and understand we'll take them to places much better.

These tour offerings change every year and are hosted by Scot. The current tours can be seen on his website www.ansgeulaiche.co.uk

We have had guests with health issues on our tours, so having an issue does not necessarily preclude joining. However, some health issues might prevent full participation. Equally importantly, your guides need to know your health conditions in case of emergency. Make sure you include these fully in your booking form.

Things to list on your booking form
Please list all medical conditions or recent operations, including but not limited to knees, bladder issues, joints, back, respiratory, cardiac, vertigo, claustrophobia, sleep, nutrition. Do you have any conditions that would affect others on the tour? Including chronic coughing / sneezing, uncontrolled body movements / sounds, etc.

This personal information will not be passed on to anyone outside of MacKenzie Adventures tour guides.

Private Tours

On Private tours, the activity level is dependent upon your abilities, communicated to us during the booking process.

Scheduled tours

Physical ability requirements for tours:
A general guideline: If you are the kind of person who takes the stairs rather the elevator, walks in preference to taking the car, or does regular cardiovascualr exercise sessions and has a BMI of about 29.5 or less, then you're probably in the right range of fitness for your own comfort with our activity levels. If not, these may not be the tours for you. Remember, age is not a factor. We've had 70+ year old active guests out-walking 40 year olds! After all, Look at Mick Jagger. And yes, he can join us on a tour any time! If you're not sure, contact us.

Why is BMI important? BMI (Body Mass Index) gives a surprisingly good indication of the mobility, health and physical abilities of a guest. A guest with a high BMI is usually not comfortable with the amount and pace of brisk walking or hiking that we do. Yes, there is the occasional exception, like the farm girl who was over the BMI but had no problem with the hill hikes because she did heavy duty farm work and mucking out stables every day. And then there was the body builder! However, for those not in these physically demanding life styles, being left behind is not fun. You're here to experience Scotland from its purest beauty spots and we want you to enjoy it by our sides.

8 Day Tours (J&C, Borders etc)
Here's a list of things you'll need to check you're not 'alergic' to:

• Walking at a brisk* pace, keeping up with the guide and group
• Hiking on or off trails and up mountain and hill paths
• Standing for periods in museums, castles, exhibits
• Riding in front, middle AND back of the tour van for 1 to 3 hours on some days, sometimes on winding roads
• Being without toilet facilities for up to 3 hours (other than Mother Nature's faclities)
• Moving your own luggage into and from accommodation and up stairs
• Climbing narrow stairs briskly in castles etc
• Being in company of others for most of the time with a friendly persona
• For Optional Pony Trekking, be under 180lbs or 12.8 stone (according to the ponies and their carers).
• A BMI of about 29.5 or less for your activity enjoyment and comfort for everyone in the vehicle.Check your BMI here

* FYI - What is a brisk pace?
A translatable measure is this: Time your 1 mile walk on the flat.
If your mile is under 20 minutes, you should find no problem with the activity level on any of our tours.
If you can walk a 21 to 24 minute mile, you're almost there; start walking daily now to reach a 20 minute mile.
If you take a solid 25 minutes or more on your timed mile, then it's best to contact us before booking on.
Please be aware that gym treadmills are often not accurate and can give you a much faster speed than the reality of walking outside.

A pandemic brings great uncertainty to planning a vacation. The situation varies widely across countries. Here are the guidelines if you come on our tour:

• We follow government guidelines. Currently there are no travel, gathering or other restrictions in place.
• If the government puts precautions into place again such as mask wearing you agree to follow the rules put in place while on tour.
• If you book a trip that is then cancelled by a government lock down or travel ban, you will be offered an alternative date if possible or you may choose a refund.
• Note: It is advised that you have travel insurance that covers your inability to join the tour or the need to leave a tour before it’s complete for any reason.

All our pre-scheduled tours are small and have up to 14 guests max. The transport is not a 'touristy' looking coach but 9 seater vans and 5 seater cars. Private tours and can cater for smaller groups.

The minimum age for guests on our public tours and private tours is 18 (18 to 21 year olds must be accompanied by a relatively older adult (ideally 30+).
There is no maximum age limit. Prior tours have had guests aged 75+ on the same tour and some of these phenomenal 'older' people hiking ahead of the 40 year olds! After all, if Mick Jagger can do it, anyone can. Please see fitness for all age levels.

Pony Trekking and Horse Riding are great ways to see a bit of the countryside and woodlands. This is an optional extra available on many tours, depending on our route. It lasts about one hour and costs around £35. Prior riding experience is not always needed. Safety helmet is supplied by the stables. Highland ponies are traditionally smaller so there is a weight limit for riders of about 180 pounds / 13 stone / 80 kg.
Those in the group not riding are usually guided on a pleasant walk.

Flights should only be purchased after you have received word that the tour is 'set to go'. This happens when there are a minimum of 6 guests registered and you will be notified as soon as it happens (at least 3 months before the tour start and of course sooner if 6 guests sign on before that).
You will arrange and purchase your own flights to/from Edinburgh or alternate airports when appropriate.
We advise you to avoid flights that change in Newark NJ or in London Heathrow.
A great route from the north Americas into Edinburgh is via Schipol (Amsterdam) in the Netherlands, or via Mancherster England or Shannon Ireland.

I remember my first time abroad. I wish I knew then, what I know now! So, as part of your booking process, you will receive a suggested Packing List, Edinburgh Hotel suggestions for pre/post tour and information covering everything from currency exchange to local transport, etc. We try to make your first or return trip to Scotland as informative as possible.

One of the easiest and cheapest ways to get Sterling cash is to use a debit card in the ATM at Edinburgh airport arrivals lounge. You can't miss the ATM (aka Cash-Machine, Hole-in-the-Wall)
Be sure to ask your bank to unlock your cards for use in the U.K.
Note that Amex cards are rarely accepted in the UK.
We talk about additional expenses (like gifts and meal prices) in a document after you sign on.

It's easy! We pick you up (and drop you off) at a location that is :

• Near to Edinburgh airport
• On the tram and train lines just minutes from the Airport, Edinburgh city centre and 45 mins from Glasgow
• There are hotels right there that we can recommend.

For accommodation, you will have your own room. Usually within our small groups (up to 14 people) there is a natural camaraderie that happens. I do help this along and I remain aware of any single travelers and do my utmost to make everyone feel part of the group. But it is a two way path and each traveller, single or in couples or groups, needs to meet us part way! Scot and I are part of the group too! So we socialize with everyone.

Yes, absolutely. If you arrive the day before a tour, you don't have to worry about your flight being late and you can ease through any jet lag so you're rested for the first day of the tour. If you are late for the meet time, we cannot wait.
The documents you receive after booking will have a few suggestions for Edinburgh accommodation and transport.

Global warming is here, one way or another. As such, seasons are not predictable or consistent. However, here is an overview of our seasons:

• The pre-spring and spring months of March, April and May are/were historically drier. May is filled with flowers, light green leaves. The days can be cooler and get comfortably warm as well. There are fewer travellers, so you can enjoy sites at ease.
• Summer can have warmer temperatures quite often. We visit gardens in full bloom, but it tends to rain a bit more, historically speaking. There are more tourists about.
• The autumn months of September/October have the added value of the autumn sun that casts a lovely glow over the landscape - artists love this time of year. The heather turns from purple to a deep rusty red in later autumn that covers the hillsides. The weather is mixed (like summer) and there are normally fewer tourists around.
• See this link for the climate profile for Edinburgh: www.myweather2.com (for Edinburgh) and choose your tour month from the tabs.

The deposit for a public tour is normally £100. GBP. The cancellation policy for public tours is in the T&C page and on the booking form.
Note: Private/custom tours are priced individually.

The cancellation policy for public tours is given on your tour booking form and any confirmation emails. It is also found on the T&C page should you wish to check it before booking. Note: Private/custom tours have their own cancellation policy.

For The 8 day Jamie & Claire Tours: As long as it reads, "Open for booking" by each tour date on the web site, you may sign on. However, keep in mind that a tour can fill up many months earlier, so it is best not to wait very long. Most tours are filled by 4 or 5 months before the date. The Sooner you sign on to a tour and the tour is filled the sooner we can establish your preferred room type and any special events, etc.
For the 2 day Outlander TV Tours: If the date is posted on its page, there is still space avaiability.

Everything is communicated by email with clients and all payments are made on line. We no longer use snail mail for any step along the way. If this is difficult for anyone to do by themselves, they will need to seek assistance from someone they know at their end.
Click on the "Book Your Tour Here" button within each tour's page.
Deposits: Payments are made securely via a web payment service (Stripe.com) and this is the only payment you may make with your debit or credit card. We do not accept cheques, bank drafts or cash or cards directly.
Balances: We use Wise.com (formerly Transferwise). Wise does not accept Card payments. It is a fund transfer, bank to bank method. They are much cheaper than a bank or PayPal, and are secure & contactable by phone. Instructions will be available once your deposit is paid. You pay your balance to show acceptance of the tour agreement. This is required within 4 weeks after booking/paying deposit.
Note: Sadly, we can no longer accept 'scheduled multi payments'. The Terms and Conditions of the deposit, cancellation etc are found on the T&C page.

All tours have a minimum guest number to make the tour viable. It is usually 6.
A reminder: Do not book your flights until the tour is guaranteed to go. You'll be informed of this as soon as that happens, which is often several months in advance. If a tour is cancelled due to low numbers, it is at least 3 months in advance. Your booking can be transferred to any other available tour. If you choose not to transfer, your deposit and balance will be returned in full. Though we have never had to cancel a tour so far due to low numbers, it is best to side with caution.

If you have trouble with the booking process, you can email me by translating this email address
Samantha @ JamieandClaireTour 'dot' co 'dot' uk
OR
Telephone from outside UK: your country exit code* +44 7789 398833
(Remember the time difference! *US/Canadian exit code is 011)
Within the UK 07789 398833

They'll be published as soon as I have them, normally between July & October for the year following. Have patience! You can also follow me on facebook and /or join the email list (which is only used to announce dates). See the contact page.

Yes we do, but because our tours are small, we do not pay commission. We can offer custom / bespoke itinerary based on our tours as part of a private tour that you programme for your client. See Custom Tours page.

If you have trouble with the booking process, you can email me by translating this email address
Samantha @ JamieandClaireTour 'dot' co 'dot' uk
OR
Telephone from outside UK: your country exit code* +44 07874 004192
(Remember the time difference! *US/Canadian exit code is 011)
Within the UK 07874 004192