FAQs

All tours depart from our hostels in the Old Town of Edinburgh: Castle Rock Hostel, 15 Johnston Terrace, Edinburgh, EH1 2PW Always check your email confirmation for exact departure location.

During the winter season (Standard Time - usually November to March) our tours depart at 8:00am and return between 4:30pm and 6:00pm.

During the summer season (Daylight Saving Time - usually April to October) our tours depart at 9:00am and return between 5:30pm and 7:00pm. 

Always check your email confirmation for exact departure times. Please be aware that we can not be responsible for any onward travel arrangements that you may have

It is important to come prepared for what we get up to on tour. We like to get out and about and get in about nature, and you need the right gear to do that - a flipflops won't see you through a hike.

 Therefore, we recommend:

• Sturdy walking boots or trail shoes from a reputable brand
  • A good pair of walking shoes is the difference between a nice relaxing hike and being hugely uncomfortable - Nobody likes blisters and twisted ankles.

• A lightweight waterproof outer layer
  • Scotland's weather can be changeable, and when clouds get trapped in the mountains that means rain. We recommend a shell-type waterproof outer layer for keeping the rain out that can be worn over your existing attire. Remember: Water resistant is not the same as waterproof.

• Cold weather clothing
  • Nobody wants sniffles so be prepared to wrap up warm, especially in the winter months. It will be cold - This can be as simple as a hoodie or sweater. 

• A small backpack 
  • Ideally with a waterproof lining or cover, this is for your daily adventures with enough room for the essentials like food, water, cameras, medicine, waterproofs, dry socks, warm gear, etc. 

• Spending money
  • Be it whisky, food or souvenirs for people back home: you'll need spending money. When you go to your local Bureau de Change you may be issued with 'Bank of England' notes - Don't worry, these are perfectly acceptable. 

• An open mind
  • Travelling is all about seeing new places, meeting new people and trying new things - Make the most of it.

Our 3 Day Tours leave on Fridays over the winter months (excluding tours running over the festive period). 

We do not currently organise accommodation in Edinburgh but if you would like to book accommodation in Edinburgh then please visit our hostel website to check availability and book www.scotlandstophostels.com.

All of our hostels provide dormitory accommodation, in rooms of between 6 and 12 beds. A dorm bed will be held automatically for you for each night of your tour (not including Edinburgh).

Unless otherwise stated e.g. seasonal packages, accommodation is not included in the price of the tour, but is guaranteed for you whilst on tour. You will therefore be asked to pay on arrival at the hostels and the cost is between £25 -£30 per person per night, this includes breakfast.
You can pay for your accommodation with either cash or credit/debit card at the departure point (Castle Rock Hostel)

You also have the option to pre-pay for your accommodation on 3 & 5 day tours by utilising the Express Check-in option at the point of booking.

All passengers MUST be aged 18 and over.

MacBackpackers tours are designed for 18 to 40 year old backpackers and the style of tour reflects this. The language used may not be appropriate for those under 18, whilst a certain level of physical fitness may be required for the hikes you'll go on. You should also expect to be staying in hostel style dormitory accommodation with your fellow passengers.  

We design our tours for 18 to 40 year olds. Most people are travelling on their own and are looking to meet new people and have fun on their trip. There are only ever 29 people (at the most) on the bus and we do our very best to ensure that everyone enjoys the tour. 

Each tour has an itinerary which you can find by choosing a tour on the website and then clicking on the ‘itinerary’ tab,  just above the map. The tours are quite flexible and so your guide will take you to the most interesting, beautiful and inspiring places, giving you plenty of memories to take home with you.

As long as possible! For example, if you drove from Edinburgh directly to Inverness it would take about three hours but we do it in nine hours so at the very least half the day is spent off the bus visiting historic sites, going on walks through forests and climbing hills (where possible) and listening to dramatic stories about Scotland.

Our fleet of modern Mercedes Benz and MAN 16-29 seat mini-coaches have everything you would expect; heating, air conditioning, reclining seats, seat belts and plenty of Scottish music! They are safe and modern and are low emission Euro 5/6 compliant. PLease note there are no toilet facilities on the coaches, though we do make frequent rest room stops.

The buses are small so that we can take you to the places that the big coaches can’t go. This means the storage is reduced too and so we would ask that you just bring what you need for the trip. If you have really big bags or large suitcases and you are staying at one of our 3 Edinburgh hostels before your tour then please ask the staff if you can leave it in the luggage store until you get back. If you are not staying in one of our hostels then please arrive slightly earlier for your tour and ask the staff in the hostel you depart from to keep it in the luggage store for you.

The price of the tour doesn’t include food. However we make supermarket stops every day and each of the hostels has a well equipped kitchen for our guests to use. There will also be pubs and restaurants near each hostel if you feel like eating out in the evening.

You should try to be prepared for all types of weather on our tours as it can be quite changeable. We would suggest that you bring warm clothes, a waterproof, sturdy boots/shoes and swimming gear!

Covid-19 update on refunds

We recognise that this has been a difficult time for everyone, therefore we have revised our cancellation policy.

-Refund policy... For our standard three and five day tours, should you need to cancel, up to 7 days prior to departure we will refund 75% of the cost of your tour and carry forward the other 25% towards the cost of a new tour which can be booked directly with the booking team within 12 months. If you wish to change to another date instead, we can do this free of charge up to 48 hours prior to departure. However, if this change of date is cancelled then no refund applies. Should you wish to cancel within 48 hours then no refund will be due however we can reschedule your date for an additional charge of £50.
Deposits are non-refundable.

-Refunds for cancellations made as a result of an Act of God, eg ash cloud, at the discretion of MacBackpackers. In the very unlikely event of a tour cancellation by MacBackpackers we will refund the customer, on a pro-rata basis, up to the full amount of the price paid by the customer for the tour only.
-MacBackpackers cannot accept responsibility for losses relating to travel to and from tour departure/return points, or losses relating to accommodations booked before and after the tour date, unless these items have been specifically purchased through our own website.
 

Bookings may be transferred to another tour (of the same or lesser value or to a more expensive tour if the customer pays the difference) for free as long as they are requested more than 48 hours before departure. Any transfers requested within 48 hours of departure will be given for a charge of £50. Special conditions may apply to non-standard departures (e.g. Festive & Easter packages). To transfer your booking contact the booking office directly at info@macbackpackerstours.com