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Ceud Mìle Fàilte - Turas a 'Chluarain

Thistle Tours Invite You To Share Our Beautiful Highlands

THE LAND OF ANCIENT RITUALS AND LONG-RULING CLANS

THE HIGHLANDS OF SCOTLAND WELCOME YOU WITH THISTLE TOURS

Clans and Bagpipes, Kilts and Tartans, Gaelic and Tweed, Whisky and Porridge, Heather and Thistles, all originate in the Highlands and enrich the popular picture of Scotland throughout the world, Fàilte air a ‘Ghàidhealtachd.

We invite you to Thistle Tours to share with us our beautiful Highlands and Islands, to sample the amazing Highland scenery and to smell the purest air, to taste Scotland’s finest Whisky and to hear the Legend of Loch Ness Monster known locally as Nessie. There is even more for you to discover with Thistle Tours as Scotland has been known to have the richest history, which is connected with such names as Bonnie Prince Charlie, Robert Burns, Mary Queen of Scots, William Wallace and Robert the Bruce, to name but a few.

Have you ever dreamed of coming to Scotland? If you have, then at Thistle Tours we can turn your Scottish dream into a Scottish Journey. Through Thistle Tours you can learn all about Scotland’s history and heritage, about the Flower of Scotland – The Thistle (The Emblem of Scotland), The Highland Kilt and the full Jacobite Kilt called a féileadh-mór, The Tartan that represents each Highland Clan of a Scottish Family and many ancient Castles that are situated in and around our beautiful country.

SPIORAD NA GÀIDHEALTACHD

SPIRIT OF THE HIGHLANDS

We are based right in the heart of the Highlands, as true Highlanders who will not know better than Thistle Tours about Highlands & Islands’ hidden gems: lost in time, secret locations away from the crowded tourist paths, historic Castles and Clan Lands, local Folklore & Legends and more special undiscovered Highlands which other travellers would not see.

Thistle Tours long-standing relationships with the best hoteliers and proprietors, Highland Clan Chiefs and Pipers, the castle keepers and storytellers, restaurant chefs and ferry drivers ensure that our guests are met with the warmest of welcomes and cared for with a generosity of spirit that reflects the great tradition of the Highland people.

After your travels with us, please feel free to leave your message in our Guest Book as your feedback is so important to us. At Thistle Tours we are here to help you at all times, please do not hesitate to Contact Us any time if you have any questions you need answered.

TRAVEL SCOTLAND THE HIGHLAND STYLE WITH THISTLE TOURS

KEEP CALM & TRAVEL ON WITH THISTLE TOURS

WE LOOK FORWARD TO WELCOMING YOU TO THE BEAUTIFUL HIGHLANDS

The fire’s lit & the kettle is on, the Highlands are calling! So, leave your problems behind and escape into another world! Let us show you Scotland’s unique and beautiful landscape, travel in comfort with Thistle Tours and let us do the work while you enjoy an unforgettable journey into the real Highlands of Scotland. We thank you for choosing Thistle Tours and we wish you well for the remainder of your holiday in Scotland. Travel Scotland the Highland Style with Thistle Tours!

Highland Escape Trail

Highland Escape Trail

This corner of the Highlands is world famous for its dramatic scenery and the beautiful Loch is shrouded in mystery! Discover the world-famous Loch Ness, along with its Legend of the Loch Ness Monster, soaring between the ghostly ruins of 13th century Urquhart Castle by walking with Thistle Tours through 500 million years of Loch Ness history & mystery.

Glenfinnan Trail

Glenfinnan Trail

Small group tour starting from Inverness.

Highland Shopping Trips

Highland Shopping Trips

Small group shopping tour starting from Inverness.
Brodie castle, Johnstons of Elgin, Campbells of Beauly and Glen Ord Distillery.

Bruadar of The Isle of Skye

Bruadar of The Isle of Skye

JOIN US AND CREATE STORIES FOR LIFE ON A HANDCRAFTED HIGHLAND JOURNEY AND EXPERIENCE FOR YOURSELF
The Roads, The Views, The Lochs, The Castles,
The Bridges, The Towns, The People, The Distilleries, The Ferry, The Food,
and did we mention… The Scenery.
THE BEST OF THE ISLE OF SKYE

Highland Outlander Trail

Highland Outlander Trail

Join our Highland Clan in the Heart of The Clan Fraser of Lovat Lands on a Time-Travel Journey through the 18th-Century rural Highlands and experience for yourself, with the eyes of the locals the unique Outlander-inspired Trail, featuring all Top Filming Locations used by Starz and Outlander secret historic sites.

Shore Excursions

Shore Excursions

Discover the Land of Ancient Rituals and Long-Ruling Clans, the Highlands of Scotland with Thistle Tours off-the-beaten-path experience. Thistle Tours long-standing relationships with the best hoteliers and proprietors, Highland Clan Chiefs and Pipers, the castle keepers and storytellers, Whisky Distilleries, restaurant chefs and ferry drivers ensure that our guests are met with the warmest of welcomes and cared for with a generosity of spirit that reflects the great tradition of the Highland people.

The Northern Trail

The Northern Trail

The Northern Tour is a one day guided tour by mini coach, travelling north in the Highlands and visiting two popular destinations – the Royal Burgh of Dornoch with the stunning 13th century Dornoch Cathedral and the majestic Dunrobin Castle, which is the most northerly of Scotland’s great houses and dates back to the 1300s.

Highland Whisky Trail

Highland Whisky Trail

Highland Whisky known as the Water of Life or Uisge Beatha, is a drink cherished for its complexity, tradition, and depth of flavour.
DISCOVER
Speyside Water of Life
Isle of Skye Water of Life
Northern Water of Life

Luxury Highlands

Luxury Highlands

TAILORMADE GROUP TOURS -
MULTI DAY LUXURY PACKAGES -
HANDCRAFTED ITINERARIES

Regan & Todd Ebert

We had a wonderful four days with Graeme touring the Scottish Highlands and Isle of Skye. Graeme did a great job making us feel comfortable right from the start. With him driving us, we could relax and take in all of the beautiful scenery, and learn about the history of what we were seeing from him.

Graeme was prompt every day, and went above and beyond several times adjusting our itinerary on the fly so we could add an extra stop on several of the days.

I would definitely recommend using Thistle Tours to friends who visit Scotland.

Regan

United States

George & Kathryn Horan

Larisa was wonderful and helped us out of a jam with our travel agent in the states. She was incredibly kind and very knowledgeable, providing so many recommendations.

Chicago, United States

Christy Ball & Family

Lisa and Graeme went out of their way to provide a perfect day for my family, touring the beautiful Scenic Highlands, including Urquhart Castle. It was very easy to connect with them outside of the Invergordon Port and they catered to all of our needs, including our 92 year old mom,. I would highly recommend Thistle Tours for a personalized tour – they will go out of their way to make your trip a magnificent one.

Louisiana, United States

William & Maggie Holcombe

We had a lovely experience with Graeme. For a relaxing, tailor-made day where you can avoid large tour groups and go at your own pace, we can’t recommend Thistle Tours highly enough. Thank you, Thistle Tours!

United States

Lisa Osterman

Larisa and Thistle Tours,
I want to thank you so much for a lovely “Outlander Inspired Tour” from Invergordon Scotland that we took in August 2022. We got to see so much of the region, of which you are rightly proud. I can’t believe how much we saw in 8 hours and enjoyed your commentary including Beauly Priory and the Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness. We were so lucky to see the Clava Circles they were an amazing site. I really enjoyed the visit to Inverness and to realize how the city has changed over the last 200 years. Finally, the visit and tour of the Culloden Battle field site was very moving. As a history buff, I thoroughly enjoyed the tour and seeing some of the real-life sites associated with the pertinent history of the books. I highly recommend Thistle tours. I will have very fond memories of my visit to Northern Scotland, and I have you to thank.

United States

John & LiLi Baird

We went on a Loch Ness tour with Graeme and Lisa on August 12th. Our cruise ship arrived in Invergordon at 2:00 pm and they were the only tour company I could find that would take us on a tour for 1/2 day and not charge us for a full day. We went to Urquhart Castle and went on a Loch Ness boat tour. They even found us some ‘heeland coos’ to photograph. They were excellent tour guides. Always concerned about whether we were seeing what we wanted. And got us back to the ship in time for dinner. Would highly recommend them and would certainly book with them again if we are back in Scotland. Great job!

Canada

Michael & Joy Harmon

We cannot say enough wonderful things about our experience with Thistle Tours. Graeme and Larisa were highly recommended to us by dear friends who were previous guests of Thistle Tours. They exceeded all expectations and made us feel like we were their personal guests. We had a small party of three adults (husband, wife, adult son) for our “Multi-Day Scottish Whisky Experience”. We had two days of tours and experiences in Edinburgh with knowledgeable and engaging tour guides. These included the Edinburgh City Hop On Hop Off Majestic Tour which was perfect “go at your own pace” for arrival day after a very long flight. Other excellent experiences in Edinburg included the Walking Tour Secrets of the Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle, and The Spirit of Scotland Show (dinner and show). The remainder of our six touring days included the Royal Burgh of Stirling with an excellent walking tour with a knowledgeable and passionate local guide, Jane, the National Wallace Monument, touring the Highlands to include the Kelpies Complex, Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, Loch Ness and Caledonian Canal, Eilean Donan Castle, Isle of Sky Ferry and more. Along with several distillery tours and tastings we so enjoyed the absolutely stunning panoramic drives through the Highlands and our “to short” stay in Inverness. We packed a lot into our visit, but it just left us with wanting to return to this beautiful land and people.
Graeme and Larisa were the ultimate, professional but warm and personable hosts. They made us feel more like family than tourists. They obviously are professional and are certainly knowledgeable and passionate about sharing their homeland’s history with visitors. They are excellent hosts and guides. Larisa is full of knowledge and stories of her home’s history. Graeme made us relaxed and welcome as he drove us around and shared the beautiful Highlands with us.
We just cannot recommend Thistle Tours with Larisa and Graeme highly enough!
The Harmon Family.

United States

John & Denise Woodworth

Graeme,

Thank you so much for the time you spent with us on our time in Scotland. It was a lovely and enriching visit to your beautiful country. The Highlands was the best and most memorable part of our trip. Thank you!

Virginia, United States

Jill & Mike Meeks

Our experience with Graeme and Larisa from Thistle Tours was exceptional. We were arriving via a Cruise Ship, so our time was limited to one day. The entire process, from the initial contact, to the timely drop off at the port, was positive. They created a custom itinerary, based on our input and their recommendations. Graeme was our guide, he was extremely accommodating throughout the day, always ensuring we were comfortable and informed about the details of our stops. He added to the experience by providing local insight and spent extra time driving through areas off the beaten path, that he felt were worth seeing…he was correct. We highly recommend Thistle Tours!

United States

Wilson & Brown Family

Thanks to Thistle Tours for a memorable few days in the Highlands. The speed boat on Loch Ness was a thrilling experience! Stunning views from the Gondola at Nevis Range plus the walk onto Aonach Mor! T.T. were really good with organising our holiday that was tailor made for us, we would definitely recommend Thistle Tours to anyone who is looking for the best way to see and enjoy the Scottish Highlands.

New Zealand

Bertram & Dennise Dubois

Our trip to Scotland was a very special experience. Excellent meals and great locations. Unlike other tours, there was no wasted time. You could not have done a thing to make the tour better ‐ it was perfect! Merci Beaucoup!

France

Mr & Mrs Davies

Thanks for such a great Hogmanay celebration in Edinburgh! You were a terrific host, scheduling was not only for the Scottish New Year, but also good restaurants, reliable and personal transportation along with a perfectly located elegant boutique hotel. WOW. You have earned another committed client in us for future excursions. We have already recommended Thistle Tours to several friends…

Wales

Emma, Liam and Sophia

Just a brief note to tell you how much we enjoyed our tour to the Scottish Highlands! It seemed to Liam, our daughter Sophia and I that you did everything possible to make it as enjoyable as possible. Thanks so much. It was truly unforgettable – a dream come true. As a rule, we are not group tourers, but we will seriously consider doing another tour in Scotland with Thistle Tours, and would recommend to others.

Toronto, Canada

Jane & George Spencer

George and I expected a quality private tour of the Scottish Highlands to spend our long weekend break, and we were not disappointed. Thistle Tours was very knowledgeable and well prepared. This was a great experience and looking forward to our next tour with you later in 2019. Thank You.

Surrey, England

Huber Family

We were very pleased with the service from Thistle Tours. Our eyes opened up to parts of the Highlands that we never knew existed. We would recommend T.T. to anyone who is looking for a custom made holiday away from the crowed tourist paths.

Germany

Mr & Mrs Arakida

Enjoyed the scenery. enjoyed the golfing, enjoyed the whisky and enjoyed Thistle Tours! Dunrobin Castle and Gardens was a beautiful day! Thank you Graeme and Larisa.

Japan

Svetlana Andreichenko

Graeme and Larisa! Спасибо Вам огромное за волшебное путешествие! Получила массу положительных эмоций, узнала много нового и была совершенно очарована суровыми красотами Северной Шотландии!

Thank you very much for the magical trip! I received positive emotions, discovered new horizons and was absolutely thrilled by the stunning beauty of the Scottish Highlands! A Big Thank You for everything, with Love from Russia! 

Saint-Petersburg, Russia

George King & Friends

My friends and I had an amazing few days in the Scottish Highlands hunting and shooting in the most fabulous shooting range that I have ever seen, then tasting the local whisky, all thanks to Thistle Tours. Our hunting days was carefully planned, well organised and tailored to our needs. Our tasting of the “Scottish Dram” was well rewarded after our stag hunting, we had a brilliant time! Wonderful scenery, great company and lovely food, thank you Thistle Tours for the experience!

USA

Suresh, Asha and Sai

The 3 days we spent together with Thistle Tours are some of the BEST ever travel schedules and hospitality extended for a tourist for a visit to Inverness and it’s countryside. Highly appreciate all the gestures that you made to keep us absolutely pampered and comfortable. It does mean a lot to us, and we cherish all the days with utmost Joy and Happiness and reverence. Thanks would be an understatement. Gratitude folks and for the people you are, we take a bow. Thanks once again for all the fond memories we wove together at Inverness. With Lots of Love.

India

ANAIL A GHAIDHEIL, AIR A MHULLACH! THE GAEL’S BREATHING PLACE, ON THE SUMMIT!