The Hairy Coo

  The clocks have just changed in Scotland which means we are well on our way to shorter days and longer nights. For many of us, this is the time to start planning our summer holidays for next year. Whilst sitting inside on a cold, dark night we can dream of warm sunny days.  So whether you are in Scotland or further afield in mainland Europe or even India, Canada or the USA, can we tempt you with a fun tour of Scotland? At The Hairy Coo, we are one of the few tour companies that welcome children from the age of 7 on many of our tours.  Your children won't get bored as all of our tours have an entertaining Scottish tour guide and we have many stops so they won't be stuck on a coach for hours on end. Our tours, especially the multi-day tours, are popular with solo travellers.  On our tours, you will feel safe and will have the opportunity to meet like-minded travellers.  If you want a whistle-stop tour of Scotland in just 1 day we would suggest our Loch Ness Tour .  If you have

The truth is that we do love Scotland every month of the year but October is a strong contender for one of our favourite months.  In reverse order: 4. No Midges Most visitors on a Hairy Coo tour will not come across midges but every now and again we get that perfect midge weather in the summer and you will see us flapping about chasing them away while trying to tell some of our lovely visitors about the surrounding scenery.  Midges love still, damp days.  They are tiny flying insects that can bite.  For most people they are just annoying, a few people may end up with little red marks where they have bitten you, and occasionally some people react to the bite in a similar way to a mosquito bite.  However, they aren't dangerous and an anti-histamine will help if you get an itchy bite. By October, the midge season is over so we don't have to deal with them at all. 3. Quieter Roads Outside of the central belt of Scotland, most roads are narrow and have a single carriageway.  Many ar

As an amateur photographer, you may choose to take a photographer's tour or course that takes you to specific places to practice your photography.  Or you may have particular places that you wish to visit, so hire a car and go there yourself.  The benefits of these options are many.  You can stay as long as you want if you go yourself or you can get practical tips on a course.  However, at The Hairy Coo we offer something a little different.  Our 2 Day tour of Scotland is perfect for landscape photographers who don't want to stay at any 1 location for hours. We will take you to see some of the best scenery in Scotland where you can practice your craft and not have to worry about driving or parking your car.   After beautiful St Andrews where there are many photo opportunities, we stop at The Hermitage. The Hermitage is a National Trust for Scotland protected forest with a river and waterfall. You will also find Ossian's Hall which has a stunning view of the waterfall. I p

  Scotland is known for being rugged and beautiful. It is also widely known for tartan, whisky, and shortbread.  But it is worth visiting and is it safe to do so as a solo traveller? Scotland is a small country with most of the population living in the central belt, in or near the largest cities, Edinburgh and Glasgow. As soon as you travel to the Borders, Highlands or Islands it becomes much quieter and sparsely populated. Many travellers, especially young people, will be travelling around Europe and will often only spend a couple of days in Edinburgh. This is a great thing to do and it will give you a flavour of Scotland. You will see Edinburgh Castle and the beautiful old buildings, and the hills beyond.   Edinburgh is the capital city but it is also quite a small city on a global scale. Travellers will feel safe here.   It is not perfect but it is safe to walk around by yourself, even at night. Unlike other European cities, it is not known for pickpockets, and tourists can wand