What are the pros and cons or both, let’s jump straight in there!
Firstly a bit of background. I worked as a kilted driver / guide on the big bus tours for two years and from my perspective I thoroughly enjoyed my time entertaining a large diverse crowd with my 12 hour show. This included a specifically curated soundtrack to align with the scenery, drone photography, folklore, humour and historical narratives. Of course every guide does it differently depending on their own personality, energy levels or taste in music, however my show amassed over 700 reviews in 2023 and it gave me the push to go it alone and bring my vision to the table.
The big bus tours offer terrific value for the budget minded traveller and serve a very important purpose. Tourists visiting Inverness can get to Skye and back in a day, which is great if you just want to see what the island looks like and you’re happy to travel with over 30 other people, but not so ideal if you are more into photography, like to hike or maybe you’re a bit spiritual like me and want to forge some sort of long lasting connection with the island.
So there are two very clear differences which reflect in the price, big bus tours are a generally a crowded hop on/hop off experience whereas a private tour is much more a small group experience off the beaten track and more flexible in respect of the itinerary depending on the group and/or the weather. The type of transport you will travel in will also be substantially different, a bus versus a small executive tour vehicle.
When I set up Luke Tours small group tours to the Isle of Skye, it was so much more than offering a more intimate tour. It used to frustrate me sometimes that the photographs tourists were trying to take of some of these ethereal locations such as the Old Man of Storr were from the roadside over a mile away. At that time I instantly knew that I wanted to offer an experience where I could combine my passion for photography and hiking, by taking people right up to, in and amongst the rocks themselves like you see in all the incredible photographs and reels on social media. Check out mine on Instagram @luke.tours.
One other thing that is massively overlooked by the tourist when planning a trip to the Isle of Skye is Portree. Its exceptionally busy during the high season, with places to eat being sometimes very hard to find particularly when all the one day big bus tours arrive in Portree around 1pm. As a result of this I decided to implement an earlier 7am departure from Inverness so that we gain an extra hour.
Not only that but on our 1-day tour we only make a 15 minute photo stop at Eilean Donan Castle, whereas the big bus tours spend at least an hour there. Luke Tours 1-day tour to the Isle of Skye requires additional time to take into account our hike to the Old Man of Storr, so with the earlier start and less time at Eilean Donan Castle this means our arrival into Portree is at least an hour and a half before the big bus tours all arrive, meaning that when we arrive at Portree you can spend your time exploring this wee quaint town rather than spending all your time in queues. n.b. we do visit Eilean Donan Castle for 1 hour on our 2-day Isle of Skye Tour of Dreams.
So there’s some things to take into consideration, it’s horses for courses that ultimately will come down to whether you are price conscious or not, but hopefully this gives you a further insight if you were unsure of the differences.
As an executive small group experience I also personally like to offer a few luxury extras such as free drone photography, bottled water, complimentary drams of whisky here and there, on-board complimentary ipad, tartan blanket and air conditioning that works, not things you would find on a big bus tour.
Finally the Isle of Skye is a once in a lifetime adventure, I absolutely guarantee you that if you choose a 1-day tour (whether its a big bus or small group) you will come back for more, because you can spend seven days on the Isle of Skye which I have done several times and its still not enough. That said, two is better than one so check out Luke Tours Isle of Skye Tour of Dreams (2 days) departing from Inverness Mondays and Wednesdays at 7am, this tour goes off the beaten track and takes in a remote ferry crossing plus three hikes covering the very best of Skye.
Whatever you choose enjoy the Isle of Skye when you get here, its an island built for hiking and exploring and will remain in your heart forevermore.