Macleod Heilan Tours Limited Reviews 9

We booked a one-day tour with Macleod Heilan Tours, and it became the highlight of our trip to Scotland. From the very first enquiry, John was quick and helpful with his responses, which gave us confidence about planning the tour around our ferry arrival.

Our guide, Roddy, was exceptional. He tailored the day to our wishes—taking us to the Fairy Pools, Quiraing, Old Man of Storr, and more—while sharing stories, history, and laughter along the way. He never rushed us, was thoughtful about photo stops, and even had a little treat ready after a long hike when I needed an energy boost.

When an accident on the road caused us to miss our ferry back, Roddy went above and beyond to make sure we were safe. He checked with locals, called ahead, and personally ensured we had a hotel room for the night. That level of care and local knowledge made all the difference.

Roddy’s passion for Skye is contagious, and thanks to him, we left with memories that will last a lifetime. We can’t recommend Macleod Heilan Tours highly enough.

We recently had a private tour in Scotland with John and the experience could not have been better! He was so knowledgeable about not only the places we went but also about the history of those places and even the folk lore about them. He was great on the fly when things needed to be changed due to unforeseen circumstances. He kept us on time without making anyone feel rushed and always gave us options to make sure the tour would be tailored to us. 10 out of 10 times I would recommend him. He did such an incredible job that our group has already had conversations to go back to do another tour with him.

We used John Sheedy from MacLeod Heilan Tours as our driver for five days for our group of eight (four couples). He picked us up in Perth, drove us through Glencoe to the Mallaig Ferry, where we crossed over to the Isle of Skye. We stayed in Portree for three nights, then travelled from Skye up Loch Ness to Inverness, where we spent an additional two days. John ferried us around in his 8 passenger van that comfortably fit all 8 of us, including 8 carryon suitcases and 8 backpacks.

John was easy to work with in the planning process. We had a couple of WhatsApp phone calls and worked out the rest via email. I had some ideas of what I’d like to do each day, but John helped me flesh that out, made suggestions that I never would have considered, let me know when we were trying to squeeze in too much (my fatal traveling flaw!) – all of which resulted in a far better itinerary than I would have come up with on my own.

John grew up on Skye and was full of local knowledge. All eight of us absolutely loved traveling with him. The entire five days was filled with stories and boundless energy in showing us around. In addition to the pre-trip itinerary help, he helped make on-the-fly changes as weather and tastes dictated, recommended fantastic little shops and food stops along the way that we never would have found ourselves, and called ahead to restaurants to ensure they had room and expected us.

Early in our trip planning, we had debated whether to do this 5-day portion of our trip with cars or hire John. By the end of our trip, all eight of us were convinced that our trip was so much better because of John’s involvement.

What I most appreciated about John is his desire to go above and beyond. Beyond the itinerary/driving/storytelling/advice that one expects from a tour guide, he did all of the little things that he could to make our lives easier: making calls for me (to schedule a taxi to the airport after we had finished with his services) so that I didn’t have to waste my touring/sightseeing time, driving us into town one night well past normal hours – all in an effort to do whatever he could to enhance our visit to Scotland.
By the end of the tour, we felt like we’d made a new friend.

I really cannot recommend him highly enough – he was a definite highlight of our trip to Scotland and enhanced our trip in so many ways.

I highly recommend John and his company for any scottish trip since he personally guides and drives his guests in an excellently maintained and equipped Van. The 4 day tour of the Isle was a dream despite the weathers best attempt to spoil it. Four days was in fact a bit too short since i didnt want to rush things and will certainly be back to cover the bases i missed. Thanks John

John of Macleod Tours did a fabulous job for us. Our group of six agreed that we didn't know how it could be done any better. John is on top of things, is well informed, and is invariably good humored. His personal experience growing up on the Isle of Skye brings additional color to the experience.

Absolutely the best in the business!! We've used John multiple times & have always been extremely satisfied! His knowledge & passion for what he does is infectious. Booking a tour with John is always the highlight of our trips to Scotland. We always come away wishing it would never end. His vehicle is excellent, luxury to be sure! His attention to detail is thoughtful & considerate! You'll never regret booking a tour with John. We highly recommend him!

Spent 3 days with John touring the Scottish highlands! He was the perfect host and shared great history about the country with such pride! Didn't have enough time to see everything so I'll have to go back. Will definitely seek John for my follow up visit!!!

We came to Scotland from the states not knowing exactly what to look for but excited to meet the people, hear bagpipes, explore the culture, heritage and history. I guess you could say we were in search of tartans, tweeds, castles, kelpies, whisky, wonderment, haggis and highland hairy cows. We found all of that in this very intimate custom tour experience that allowed us to venture far beyond our hotel in Edinburgh. The time with John (our tour guide and host) was the highlight of our trip and we look forward to coming back again and spending more time with him because, although we saw and did a lot, we just barely scratched the surface. Such a beautiful place and a fantastic experience. We can’t recommend him and his company enough.

The best day of our week-long trip! John was knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and so responsive to every request. He customized our all-day tour and then expanded it to add so many extras. We will call him first on our next Scotland visit.