Booking Terms

About these terms

Highland & Isle ("we", "us", "our") plans and arranges private, tailor-made journeys in Scotland. Our business address is Codebase, Argyle House, 3 Lady Lawson Street, Edinburgh EH3 9DR, United Kingdom. You can reach us at [email protected].

These terms apply to every journey we arrange. Please read them before you confirm a booking; by confirming, you accept them on behalf of everyone travelling with you. If anything is unclear, email [email protected] before you book.

How we work

We are an enquiry-led, tailor-made travel service. Nothing on this website is a booking engine or a binding offer. You tell us what you would like, we prepare a proposal, and we refine it with you until it is right.

Enquiries and quotes

A quote sets out the itinerary, the services included and excluded, the price and the payment schedule. Quotes are based on availability and supplier prices on the date they are issued and are valid for the period stated on them. Services are not held for you until your booking is confirmed.

This website does not show prices. The price of your journey is the one set out in your written quote, which is prepared for you after we have discussed your plans.

Confirming your booking

Your booking is confirmed, and a contract between you and us comes into existence, when you have accepted your quote in writing, we have received your deposit, and we have sent you a written booking confirmation. The person who makes the booking must be at least 18 and is responsible for making payments and for passing on all information about the journey to the other travellers.

Deposits and the balance

A deposit is payable to confirm your booking. The amount, and the date the balance is due, are shown on your quote and booking confirmation; some suppliers, such as internal flights, helicopters, small lodges or permits, require full payment at the time of booking, and we will tell you when this applies. If the balance is not paid by its due date, we may treat the booking as cancelled by you and apply the cancellation charges below.

Changes you ask for

We will always try to help if you want to change your arrangements after booking. Changes depend on availability and may involve an administration charge and any costs our suppliers pass on to us, which we will confirm before making the change. Changing names on flight tickets or permits may not be possible.

If you cancel

You may cancel at any time by writing to us. Because we commit money to suppliers on your behalf, cancellation charges apply, increasing as your departure date gets closer, up to the full cost of the journey. The charges that apply to your booking are set out in your quote and booking confirmation. We recommend insurance that covers cancellation from the moment you book.

If we change or cancel your journey

Travel in Scotland is shaped by weather, seasons and local conditions. Ferries, flights and boat trips depend on wind and sea, and operators such as CalMac, NorthLink and Loganair cancel or retime services at short notice; we build in buffer nights and rebook for you where we can, but a missed crossing can change the order or length of a stay. Minor changes, such as a different vehicle, a revised route or a change of guide, are part of travelling well and do not give rise to compensation.

If we have to make a significant change before departure, such as a major change of itinerary, date or accommodation standard, we will tell you as soon as possible and offer you the choice of accepting the change, taking an alternative journey, or cancelling with a full refund of the money you have paid us.

We may need to cancel your journey if it becomes unsafe or impossible to operate, for example because of official travel advice, natural events, civil unrest or other circumstances beyond our control. In that case we will refund all money you have paid us, or offer you an alternative if you prefer. We are not responsible for costs you incur that are not part of your booking with us, such as flights or visas you have arranged yourself.

Travel insurance

Comprehensive travel insurance is a condition of travelling with us. It must cover cancellation, medical treatment, emergency evacuation and repatriation, and any activities in your itinerary, such as hiking, riding, boat trips, flights or adventure activities. Please send us your policy details before you travel.

Passports, visas and health

It is your responsibility to hold a passport valid for the whole journey (many countries require at least six months' validity beyond your return date), any visas, entry authorisations or permits needed, and to meet the health and vaccination requirements of every country on your itinerary. We are happy to share general information, but requirements change and depend on your nationality, so please check official government sources and take advice from your doctor or a travel health clinic in good time. We are not liable if you are unable to travel, or incur costs, because you do not have the right documents.

Please tell us before booking about any medical condition, disability or reduced mobility that may affect your journey, so that we can check the arrangements are suitable for you.

Your responsibilities while travelling

Please follow the reasonable instructions of guides, drivers and suppliers, particularly on safety, and respect local laws, customs and the places you visit. We, or a supplier, may end your arrangements without refund if your behaviour puts others at risk or causes serious disruption or damage.

Our responsibility to you

We take care to choose reliable suppliers and to arrange your journey with reasonable skill and care. Where we are responsible for a failure in the services we have agreed to provide, we will offer appropriate help and, where due, compensation.

We are not liable where a problem is caused by you or anyone travelling with you, by a third party not connected with the services we provide, or by unusual and unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control. Where international conventions limit the compensation a transport or accommodation provider must pay, our liability is limited in the same way. Except for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, or where the law does not allow it, our total liability to you is limited to the price of your journey. Nothing in these terms limits rights you have under the laws that protect consumers in your country of residence.

If something goes wrong

If you have a problem during your journey, please tell your guide, the supplier concerned and us straight away, so that we can try to put it right on the spot. If you are still unhappy, write to us at [email protected] within 28 days of your return, and we will reply as quickly as we can, normally within 28 days.

Law and disputes

These terms are governed by the laws of the country in which Highland & Isle is established. Any dispute will be dealt with by the courts of that country, unless the law of your country of residence gives you the right to bring proceedings there. We will always try to resolve a complaint by agreement first.