Private Tours Edinburgh

What it is and where it operates

Private Tours Edinburgh is a small operator of private driver-guided day tours from Edinburgh, owned and led by David Rankin, a photographer the site describes as having "40 years experience in travel and editorial photography." A blog author page says the company has "been providing five star tours of Scotland for 12 years" and that David is based in Falkirk; the about page gives an Edinburgh EH2 postal address and says he lives near Polmont. Tours run from Edinburgh to the Kelpies and the Falkirk Wheel, Stirling, Linlithgow, castles across central Scotland, Outlander filming locations and the Highlands, and the company also runs shore excursions for cruise passengers. The about page describes the format as private tours for small groups of up to 4 people.

The range of tours

The tour list leans on film and history. The about page says the Outlander tours visit locations including the Bruce Fountain in Falkland, Doune Castle (Castle Leoch), Linlithgow Palace (Wentworth prison) and Blackness Castle (Fort William), and that Midhope Castle, which played Lallybroch, is 25 minutes from Edinburgh; David writes that Lallybroch is the first stop on all his Outlander tours. The FAQ also mentions tours for Outlander Blood of my Blood. The four castles tour takes in Stirling, Doune, Drummond and Blackness castles; reviews also describe a five castles version, a Scottish Whisky and Castles tour with the Deanston Distillery, and a full-day Braveheart tour. A Linlithgow and Stirling tour combines Stirling Castle, the Kelpies and Linlithgow Palace, the birthplace of Mary, Queen of Scots. Other themes include Game of Thrones locations, Highland cows, the Kelpies, which the site calls the largest equine sculptures in the world at 100 feet high, and half-day Kelpies and Falkirk Wheel trips. The site says it can customize any tour and offers bespoke private tours of Scotland.

Photography runs through all of it. The site pitches its custom tours as "the perfect option if photography is a priority," with stops chosen for viewpoints. David's credentials are laid out in detail: the about page says he has been published in numerous newspapers and magazines, that IMDb has published his pictures of Outlander filming at Doune Castle, that he set up a castle pictures website in 2000 covering over 50 Scottish castles, and that he photographed rock bands in the 90s. It also says he has had "10 million views of his pictures on Google Photos and half a million views of his videos on Youtube," and that the company's YouTube video of the Falkirk Wheel has 312,000 views. He also sells fine art prints of Glencoe, Eilean Donan Castle, Buachaille Etive Mor, Black Mount and the Kelpies. The about page names its core audience as visitors from the USA, Canada and Australia, fans of Outlander, Braveheart, Game of Thrones, James Bond and Monty Python, and couples, families and small groups.

How tours work on the day

The FAQ lists what a tour includes: a professional driver-guide, an air-conditioned sedan car and 3 USB charging points. Entrance tickets, lunch and gratuities are excluded. It says the driver-guide gives "a running commentary on points of interest" and details on the history and filming at each stop. Castle entry is not in the price, and the FAQ recommends the Historic Environment Scotland Explorer Pass, which covers HES castles including Edinburgh, Stirling, Doune, Linlithgow Palace, Blackness and Craigmillar for 7 or 14 days.

Reviews on the site, the company's own selection, describe pickups at hotels and Airbnbs, a cruise passenger whom David picked up after the docking information changed, and flexible stops on the castle tours. One couple describes a snowy four castles day that ran from Blackness to Linlithgow Palace and then Stirling, with lunch at the Unicorn Cafe, and another says David pointed out the Kelpies and the William Wallace Monument between castles. A blog post covers the four Edinburgh shore excursion ports, including South Queensferry. The FAQ makes a practical case for a driver at some sites: Doune Castle's car park is small and restricted, and the roads into Midhope Castle are winding, narrow and in places single-lane. The site does not state the languages offered, accessibility for travelers with limited mobility, or a minimum age.

Booking, payment and cancellation

Bookings go through the online booking page, the contact form, Facebook Messenger, or by phone and WhatsApp on +447305294773, which the site says is answered seven days a week, and WhatsApp bookings are possible up to 24 hours before a tour starts. The FAQ says "All of our standard tours have fixed price and fixed schedules," but that customers can request changes as long as they are made in advance, subject to a small fee. The FAQ asks for at least one day's notice where possible and says the company has 25 tours of Scotland available all year round, plus bespoke tours designed by the customer. The FAQ gives one priced example as a special offer: a Lallybroch (Midhope Castle) tour for £160, running twice a day from Edinburgh at 10 am and 2 pm with free pickup and drop-off, or £275 with two more Outlander locations, Fort William and Wentworth prison, added. Elsewhere the FAQ says the cost of an Outlander tour depends on the number of locations visited and gives Edinburgh to Lallybroch, Fort William and Wentworth Prison "from £175." Other tour prices are not shown. The site promises a "Lowest Price Guarantee" and says booking direct saves 30% compared with the same tour bought from other online travel agents such as Viator or Tripadvisor, with no booking fees.

The footer links to a cancellation policy. The about page adds that the company "reserves the right to cancel tours in circumstances deemed solely by the company to be exceptional or outside their control," but the tour pages do not set out the refund windows for customers who cancel.

Recognition, gaps and who it suits

The about page says the company is a member of VisitScotland's Quality Assured Tour Providers and of the Scottish Independent Tour Operators, is listed on Visit Scotland for its four castles and Outlander tours, and is listed on Tripadvisor and Viator with five star reviews, several of which it reprints.

The gaps are prices for everything beyond the Outlander examples, which need a booking or a message, and the customer cancellation terms. The FAQ says the cars take private groups of up to four passengers, so larger parties would need to ask what can be arranged. Private Tours Edinburgh suits couples, families and small groups of up to 4 who want a private car and a guide who knows the film locations and castles well, cruise passengers who want a day out of Edinburgh with a pickup at the port, and photographers who want time and advice at each stop.