Frequently Asked Questions

You can book all our tours securely online via the booking form on our website, all you need to worry about is where to travel in Scotland!

You can also call us on +44 (0) 131 226 6066 between 07:00 - 21:00 daily and book your tour with one of our friendly Reservation Team members securely using a debit or credit card.

In Glasgow you can also make bookings at the Visit Scotland iCentre, 158 Buchanan Street, Glasgow, G1 2LL.

In Inverness you will be able to book our tours at Edinburgh Woollen Mill, 28-30 High Street, Inverness, IV1 1JQ

Hotels, hostels and apartments: you may also be able to book our tours at the reception in your accommodation. Check with them for details.

Seating: Please note seats are unreserved, we do recommend reaching our Departure Point as early as possible to get your choice of seats on the coach!

The Edinburgh departure point is:
The Ensign Ewart pub, 521-523 Lawnmarket, Edinburgh, EH1 2PE. This is very central, close to Edinburgh Castle and only a 2 minute walk from our shop on Castlehill.
You can view our departure point via the following links: http://goo.gl/maps/pxVLl or https://w3w.co/spirit.alive.card
You can also reach us by public transport; to find your route please click on the following link: Edinburgh Public Transport

The Glasgow departure point is:
19 Killermont Street, Glasgow, G2 3NX - located outside the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.
The departure point is very central, near George Square and Queen Street railway station.
You can view our departure point via the following links: https://goo.gl/maps/yfVSoBUGrVK1EFYF8 or https://w3w.co/loaf.data.arch 
You can reach us via public transport; to find your route please click on the following link: Glasgow Public Transport

The Inverness departure point is:
Railway Terrace, Inverness, IV1 1NW.
It is very central and a short walk from Inverness Train Station.
You can view our departure point by clicking here, or via the following link: https://what3words.com/town.float.flock 
You can reach us via public transport; to find out more about this, click on the following link: Inverness Public Transport

Please note:

There is currently a shortage of taxi and private hire cabs in Edinburgh, which may make it harder to get one if you need one to reach the departure point. As part of our policy, we do not offer refunds for missed tours and so we urge you to allow for more time to reach the departure point in the morning and look into public transport options as a back up. 

The tour price includes the services of a friendly, knowledgeable and experienced driver-guide, and transportation on one of our modern, air-conditioned coaches.

All optional extras – attraction entrance fees, loch cruises, accommodation, food and drink etc – are not included in the price of your tour. This is to allow our guests the freedom to choose which optional extras and what type of accommodation, they would prefer. We can help organise your accommodation for you, and for attraction tickets, you can select which attractions you would like to visit through our online booking system or by chatting to our friendly Reservations Team.

If you have any questions about this please contact our Reservations Team on +44 (0)131 226 6066 - open 07:00 - 21:00 daily.

Most attractions no longer require pre-booking, if they do you can find a link to book on your confirmation email. 

We can book your accommodation for you, or you can choose to book your own, as long as it is centrally located at the overnight stop location.

Accommodation is not included in the tour price as we prefer to let you choose exactly what kind of accommodation you want, depending on your budget. At the time of booking your 2 or 3 day tour, you will be asked what kind of accommodation you want:

• Youth Hostel: Shared rooms from £25 to £35 per person per night*
• Bed & Breakfast: From £55 to £75 per person per night (shared), or, £65 to £115 per night (single occupancy)
• Hotel: From £75+ per person per night*
• Ensuite: This means you will have your own private bathroom/toilet/shower in your bedroom
• Standard: This means there will be a communal bathroom/toilet/shower that you would share with a few other guests

Once we have this information from you, we are happy to reserve your accommodation for you if you wish. We use only local, recommended accommodation on our tour routes, so that you get to meet local people and contribute to sustaining their communities. We make your reservation for you, and you pay for the accommodation directly when you arrive there. Your guide will take you to the accommodation and collect you the following day.

If we book your accommodation for you, we will aim to make that within 2km of the town / city centre. At particularly busy times, this may be extended a little further, but we will always do our best to minimise distance. If you have mobility limitations or concerns, please make this known to our reservations team or alternatively, you can of course book your own accommodation - if you choose to do this, we offer a discount on the price of your tour. 

*Please note that all accommodation costs depend on availability and season. Also, please be advised that most accommodation providers only accept cash payments, and do not accept debit/credit cards as method of payment.

In large bookings, unfortunately we cannot guarantee all accommodation will be in the same B&B, Hostel or Hotel. Please contact us for further information.

To help you find accommodation on Skye, we recommend using Skye Connect, which is a not for profit community company working on behalf of Skye to help preserve the island. The website contains many different accommodations of all different categories and may help you find the perfect one to suit your needs.

We welcome children over 4 years old on our tours, and children aged between 4-16yrs are eligible for the concessionary rate. We regret we are not able to carry children under the age of 4.

The minimum number of passengers necessary for a tour to operate is 6. This helps to minimise our impact on the environment.

On the rare occasion a tour you have booked doesn’t meet the minimum requirements, we can transfer you to another tour of your choice on the same day (or different day) for no extra cost, and if that doesn’t suit we will give you a full refund. 

 

Yes, all our tours are in English.

Your tour will be taken by an experienced, knowledgeable and friendly English-speaking driver-guide.

If you require a written translation of the tour, just let us know at the time of booking and we’ll arrange one for you. Written translations are available on all tours in the following languages:

• French
• German
• Spanish
• Portuguese
• Italian
• Russian
• Chinese (Mandarin)

If you choose to take a private tour we can also arrange for a foreign speaking guide to take the tour in your chosen language.

As we like to give you as much time off the coach as possible, give you the opportunity for walks, and to not be hindered by on where to travel to in Scotland, we recommend you bring warm and/or waterproof clothing, wear comfortable shoes, and take a sun-block or a hat for sunny days.

Since we unfortunately cannot allow hot food on our buses you could bring a cold packed lunch with you in order to make the most of your time at each stop - this would be particularly time-saving in the busier months!

And don’t forget your camera to capture all the lovely scenery and wildlife you’ll encounter on your tour!

It is very important that you arrive in plenty of time before your tour departs, as our coaches must leave on time and are unable to wait for late-comers. This is for the benefit of all customers, and allows us to explore all stops for the full amount of time, offering you the most out of your tour.

We are not able to give refunds if you arrive late for the tour, for these reasons we always insist that you arrive when check-in opens 15 minutes before the published departure time as check-in will close 5 minutes before the published departure time.

(If you have travel connections before or after a tour we strongly recommend that you give yourself sufficient time in order to travel to make your connection. The company does not accept liability for any loss or inconvenience caused by illness, climatic conditions or road and/or traffic conditions. Please check our Terms & Conditions for details.)

If you are aged between 4-16yrs, are a student (international and UK), or are aged 60+yrs then you are eligible for the concessionary rate.

Unfortunately our coaches are not wheelchair accessible at present. Guests are free to store a foldable wheelchair in the hold of the coach, however when accessing the coach there are 2 to 3 steps.

Please contact our Reservations Team for more information.

Please note - Some cruises along Loch Ness are not suitable for wheelchair users or people with restricted mobility. Please click here to learn more.

Unfortunately we cannot guarantee return times due to potential traffic and/or road maintenance delays.

Please bear this in mind when arranging ongoing travel connections.

In addition, we cannot be held responsible for delays due to external mitigating circumstances in returning to Edinburgh/Glasgow/Inverness post tour.

We strongly advise procuring travel insurance in the unfortunate event that you are unable to reach connecting travel arrangements.

If you are worried about your travel connection, please contact our Reservations Team.

You can find our Terms and Conditions via this link.

You can find our brochures via this link.

You can book accommodation in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness here.

Lothian Buses have up to date timetables and bus tracking information via their website. Edinburgh has a very compact city centre which is also cycle-friendly. There are many traffic-free routes in and around the city centre, such as old railway lines and canal paths. You can find out more about popular cycling routes here and also hire a bicycle here.

Please note seats are unreserved, we do recommend reaching our Departure Point as early as possible to get your choice of seats on the coach!

If you book together you will be in the same bus but if you are touring as part of a group who have booked separately under other name/s, please let us know by using the comments box during your booking or give us a call on +44 (0) 131 226 6066 to ensure we allocate the group to the same vehicle!

Our pricing is split between low, mid and high season, much like other travel companies! Seasons are below:

• Low season: November, December (excluding Christmas and New Year), January, February
• Mid season: March, April (excluding Easter), May, October
• High season: June, July, August, September, Easter, Christmas and New Year

Unfortunately we're unable to take more than one item of medium sized luggage per person on tour. If you would like to store your luggage, you can do so through Unbaggaged. 

The team at Unbaggaged will collect your luggage at a time and place convenient to you, and when you return from your tour, you can arrange a convenient collection time, too! 

No, at the moment none of our coaches have toilet facilities.

However, on our tours, we ensure there are plenty of rest breaks to keep you comfortable along the way.

Cash: By cash in our many associated resellers including Edinburgh Woollen Mills, and Visit Scotland iCentres in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness.

Credit Card: All major credit and debit cards are available via our website and secure payment service provider, Adyen.

We also support payments through both Apple Pay and Google Pay, and a "buy now, pay later" service with Klarna.

Timberbush Tours Limited (SC279983). Registered address: 19 Rutland Square, Edinburgh, EH1 2BB.