Tailor-made trips to Scotland

Scotland as
you imagine it

From the Highlands to the Hebrides, our Edinburgh-based team designs every itinerary with you. Hand-picked accommodation, back roads we drive ourselves, real conversations with the people who live there. Self-drive across Scotland, or a private day tour from Edinburgh.

★★★★★ 4.9/5 on Google · 500+ trips since 2018
Explore
Edinburgh
Local team since 2018
500+
Trips delivered
100%
Tailor-made
Travelife
Partner certified
Old Man of Storr Isle of Skye Scotland panorama
Our philosophy

A trip designed for you, not for everyone

We live in Edinburgh. We drive these roads year-round. That's how we know the family-run distillery tucked in a glen, the B&B where the host keeps coffee on at 7am for early hikers, the wild coastline only the locals walk.

Every trip starts with a conversation. We listen first, then we build the itinerary around your pace, your interests and your budget.

Our approach
Meet the team

The Edinburgh team behind your trip

Nicolas - founder of The Kilted Unicorn
Nicolas
Founder · Whisky
Emily - Scottish tour guide family specialist
Emily
Family trips
Alison - Scottish tour guide off-the-beaten-path
Alison
Off-the-beaten-path
Angelina - qualified Edinburgh guide
Angelina
Qualified guide
Anastassia - Edinburgh private tour guide
Anastassia
Edinburgh guide
Marie - professional Edinburgh tour guide
Marie
Trip designer
Get to know each of us
Our tours

Three ways to see Scotland

Every trip is private to your party, and every itinerary starts as a conversation. Pick the format first, or start with our Scotland planning guide: the rest we shape together. Nothing quite fits? We'll design one for you.

Self-drive tours

You take the wheel. We book the car, every night and every ferry, and write your travel book.

  • 7 to 14 days
  • You drive, car hire included
  • Nights and ferries booked by us
  • Entry fees to the sites included
All seven self-drive tours
The Highlands at your pace 12-day self-drive tour - Glen Etive, Scotland - The Kilted Unicorn 12 days Self-drive Staff pick

The Highlands at your pace

Edinburgh · Perthshire · Cairngorms · Loch Ness · Glencoe

The classic Scotland loop, done properly. Two nights in most places.

  • Year-round
  • 600 miles / 965 km

From £3,500 per person

Isle of Skye & the wild islands 9-day self-drive tour - Quiraing, Scotland - The Kilted Unicorn 9 days Self-drive Islands

Isle of Skye & the wild islands

Skye · Small Isles · Applecross · Torridon

Skye's ridges, then a boat to Rum, Eigg or Canna.

  • Best Apr–Oct
  • 500 miles / 800 km

From £2,600 per person

Family Scotland 10-day self-drive tour - Achmelvich Bay - The Kilted Unicorn 10 days Self-drive Families

Family Scotland

Edinburgh · Highlands · Isle of Skye

Shorter driving stages, castles children remember and hikes for shorter legs.

  • Apr–Oct
  • 500 miles / 800 km

From £2,900 per person

Private guided tours

A driver-guide who lives here does the driving. You watch Scotland go by and ask every question you like.

  • 7 to 8 days
  • A driver-guide drives
  • Private to your party
  • Nothing to organise
All three guided tours
Scottish Escapade 7-day private guided tour - Edinburgh Old Town - The Kilted Unicorn 7 days Guided Staff pick

Scottish Escapade · Highlands short break

Edinburgh · Doune · Glencoe · Loch Ness

Two nights in Edinburgh, then the Highlands with your driver-guide.

  • Year-round
  • Private, up to 8

From £4,000 per person

The Whisky Grand Tour 8-day private guided tour - Speyside and Islay - The Kilted Unicorn 8 days Guided SMWS-led

The Whisky Grand Tour · Premium

Speyside · Islay · East Coast · Leith

Private cask samples, meetings with distillers and an Islay warehouse tasting.

  • Best Apr–Oct
  • Private, up to 8

From £4,900 per person

NC500 Highlights & Edinburgh 7-day private guided tour - Sutherland - The Kilted Unicorn 7 days Guided Edinburgh + NC500

NC500 Highlights & Edinburgh

Edinburgh · Wester Ross · Assynt · Sutherland

Two nights in Edinburgh, then the North Coast 500 with a driver-guide, in a week.

  • May–Sept
  • Private, up to 8

From £4,400 per person

Day tours from Edinburgh

Private days out from Edinburgh with a local guide, back in town for dinner.

  • Full day or 2 hours
  • Pick-up in Edinburgh
  • One price for 1 to 8
  • Entry fees paid on the day
All six day tours
Scotland in miniature private day tour - Loch Katrine steamship - The Kilted Unicorn Full day Day tour Staff pick

Scotland in miniature

Stirling · Doune · Aberfoyle · Loch Katrine · Luss

Two castles, a steamship on Loch Katrine, then Luss on Loch Lomond.

  • 8:30 to 18:00
  • Entry fees extra

Flat rate £650 1 to 8 travellers

Outlander filming locations private day tour - Midhope Castle - The Kilted Unicorn Full day Day tour

Outlander filming locations

Midhope · Linlithgow · Blackness · Culross · Falkland · Doune

Lallybroch, Castle Leoch and Outlander's Inverness in one day from Edinburgh.

  • 8:30 to 18:00
  • Entry fees extra

Flat rate £650 1 to 8 travellers

St Andrews and Fife fishing villages private day tour - The Kilted Unicorn Full day Day tour

St Andrews & Fife fishing villages

St Andrews · Anstruther · Pittenweem · Crail

St Andrews, then the East Neuk harbours of Anstruther, Pittenweem and Crail.

  • 8:30 to 18:00
  • Entry fees extra

Flat rate £650 1 to 8 travellers

How we work

From your first idea to your Scotland trip

Three simple steps between the moment you get in touch and the day you fly home from Edinburgh. Nothing signed until you are certain.

01
Tell us your idea

Tell us about your trip through our short form, or book a 30-minute discovery call on Zoom or WhatsApp. No commitment. We just want to understand what your Scotland trip should be: your pace, your priorities, your budget.

Free · about 30 minutes
02
We design your itinerary

Once we have spoken and the trip is confirmed as feasible, we send you a detailed proposal within three to five business days: day-by-day itinerary, hand-picked accommodation, prices in GBP with multi-currency equivalents. Free iterations until you say yes. No pressure.

3-5 days · Free iterations
03
You travel with confidence

Once booked, we send your digital travel booklet two weeks before departure with maps, contacts, driving notes. During the trip, WhatsApp support seven days a week in Scottish business hours. You are never on your own.

Ongoing · 7 days a week
Start with step 1
Why The Kilted Unicorn

What makes all the difference

🗺️
Local Edinburgh agency

Our team lives in Edinburgh. No middlemen, no outsourcing. We know every road, every accommodation, every restaurant because we visit them ourselves all year round.

📞
One dedicated contact from start to finish

You deal with the same person from trip design to your return home. No call centre, no team rotation. Your adviser knows your trip inside out and is personally committed.

🏡
Places you won't find in any guidebook

Castles turned into hotels, family manors, fishing lodges on the shore of a loch... Our partner accommodations have been visited in person and appear on no comparison site.

⚙️
Tailor-made, not off the shelf

Every itinerary starts with a conversation. Duration, pace, budget, interests, mobility. We adjust everything. No two trips we've planned have ever been the same.

🛡️
7-day support during your trip

An emergency number active every day during your stay. You're never on your own when the unexpected happens. Registered tour operator.

🌿
Responsible tourism

We favour independent accommodations, local producers and itineraries that spread tourism beyond overcrowded hotspots. Travel better, not necessarily less.

Testimonials

What our travellers say

★★★★★
4.9/5· 62 Google reviews
★★★★★
"

Absolutely perfect. A trip planned to the last detail. A team who listens to what you want and does not hover once you are on the road, though always reachable. That is what you want from a travel agency. They love Scotland, and you can feel it, hear it, see it.

T
Thomas
Scotland trip · May 2026
Google review
★★★★★
"

We came home delighted with this trip taken with friends, and we thank Anastassia especially, who took us along Scottish roads, paths and trails and introduced us to the country with real passion. Thanks too to Nico for the perfect organisation of our stay.

P
Philippe & Brigitte
Scotland trip with Anastassia · 2025
Google review
★★★★★
"

A well-organised trip with many essential sights, magnificent and stunning. Good choice of meals, we always ate well. Our guide Alison's kindness was beyond our expectations, and we were treated to lovely Scottish stories.

A
Annie
Scotland trip with Alison · June 2026
Google review
★★★★★
"

It started with Nico, who answered every question right up to our departure and put together a very detailed travel booklet. In Edinburgh, Emily brought the city's history alive. Then Angelina, known as Angie, drove us through the country. A careful driver and a real storyteller. Full days without ever feeling rushed. Angie, we will not forget you.

R
Reine, Martine, Nathalie & Roselyne
Group of 4 · Edinburgh & Highlands · June 2026
Google review
★★★★★
"

A trip we will remember, put together by Carole. We chose the self-drive option and it suited us really well. Quality accommodation, an itinerary built to our own taste. The Edinburgh tour with Marie was a lovely stop. We always had WhatsApp support with quick, useful replies. You never feel on your own. I can only recommend the team.

S
Stephane
Self-drive tour · Edinburgh & Skye · June 2026
Google review
FAQ

Your questions, our answers

We answer the most common questions from our travellers before and during their Scottish adventure.

Ask us your question
What is the average price of a self-drive tour in Scotland?
+

Our self-drive tours start from £2,000 per person per week, based on two travellers sharing. Longer trips, higher-end accommodation and peak season scale from there. This price includes all nights, car hire, entry fees to the sites in your itinerary and our tailor-made planning service. International flights and most meals are not included unless otherwise stated.

Do you drive on the left in Scotland? Is it difficult?
+

Yes, you drive on the left in Scotland. The vast majority of our clients get used to it within one to two hours. Scottish roads outside the cities are quieter than you might expect, which makes the transition easier. Our travel booklet includes a practical illustrated guide to driving in Scotland with tips on roundabouts, single-track roads and right-of-way rules.

What is the best season to visit Scotland?
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Scotland can be visited all year round, but each season is a different country. May and June offer the longest days and nature in full bloom. July and August are the warmest but also the busiest, with midges along the coast. September and October bring the best autumn light. Winter (November to March) brings snow-capped landscapes, fewer tourists and lower prices.

Do you offer family-friendly trips?
+

Yes. Scotland works well for families. The castles, legends and landscapes engage children and adults alike. We adapt itineraries to families by avoiding long driving days and including activities such as wildlife watching, child-friendly castle visits and accessible nature walks.

Is Loch Ness worth visiting?
+

Yes. But not for the monster. Loch Ness is worth visiting for its impressive size (the deepest lake in the UK), the atmospheric ruins of Urquhart Castle on its shores, and the road along the loch towards Inverness. It's often the first great Highland loch travellers see, and the impact is real. The chances of spotting the monster, however, remain slim.

Do I need a visa or a UK ETA to visit Scotland?
+

Most visitors from the United States, Canada, Australia and the EU do not need a visa for a holiday in Scotland. Since 2025, however, they do need a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before they travel. You apply online through the official UK government app for a small fee, and approval usually arrives within a few working days. We flag the requirement in your travel booklet, though the application itself is yours to make directly with the UK government.

Planning your trip

The earlier we talk, the better your trip

We take on a limited number of trips each month, so every itinerary gets real attention. For summer departures, June to September, the best accommodation fills months ahead. Talk to us early and you get the widest choice of dates, houses and day tour slots. Leaving it late? We still help where we can, and we will always be honest about what is realistic.

Start planning your Scotland trip →
Your journey starts here

Let's talk about your Scotland

A 30-minute chat with one of our specialists is all it takes to sketch the outline of your next adventure. No commitment, no pressure.