Orkney Islands Private Full Day Tour

We booked the Orkney Island tour with Experience Orkney and had a disappointing experience. The booking stated the tour started at 8 AM but our driver Ebonezer texted that pick up was between 9 and 10. Very challenging since we did not have a pick-up time and it was windy and cold waiting on the pier. Also, the booking stated we had private tour which was reflected in the price. Once our driver arrived for pick-up 75 minutes late, he informed us that he was picking up a second group of 4 at second location. The second group was also under the impression they had booked a private tour. At the end of the tour the driver said he would look into a discount since we paid for a private tour. After speaking with him he made a lot of excuses and only offered a slight discount which he has not honored to date. I am certain there are a lot of reputable tour guides on Orkney islands that offer fantastic tours.

This tour was organized by a 3rd party, Top Private Tours UK. I was very happy with communication overall. I did get very nervous when I was told they were overbooked and having a hard time finding tour guides, especially after I had paid for the tour in full months ahead of time. They did manage to get us a private guide and he was absolutely fantastic in every way. His name is Ewan Clouston with adventureorkney.com. He was timely, thoughtful, and as a native Orcadian, was full of incredible information. His Volvo was clean and comfortable and held the 4 of us (average size) easily. We were able to see everything as promised with time to spare. It was refreshing to hear about what it's like to grow up and live in the Orkney Islands. The country side and coastal edges were just beautiful, even on a windy and rainy day. This was perhaps one of the highlights of our British Isles cruise trip. Thanks, Ewan, for making this such a memorable experience for my family!