The Hairy Coo - Scotland Tours
BEST FOR
Ages 7+
ENTRY
from £59
WHERE
Edinburgh
What it’s like
Full-day coach tours round Scotland's scenery and castles, aimed at kids seven and up rather than toddlers.
This is a coach tour, not an attraction with a car park and a café, so picture a day (or several) on a bus with a driver-guide talking through the microphone about the sights out the window. Tours leave from Regent Rd in Edinburgh, right by the Burns Monument, and it's an easy walk from Waverley station if you're coming in by train. Beyond that, there's no fixed pick-up point, so you need to get yourselves there.
The age cut-off is firm at 7, and 8 if a whisky distillery stop is on the itinerary, so this isn't one for younger siblings. There's also a minimum height of 1.2 metres for the seatbelts to fit properly, which is worth measuring your child against before you book rather than finding out at check-in. Once you're on, there's no toilet on board, just comfort breaks roughly every hour, so factor that in with a fidgety seven-year-old.
Money-wise it starts around £59 for the shortest day tour and climbs from there, up to £300 for the three-day version, and that price only covers the driver-guide and the coach itself. Castles, boat trips, whisky tours and anything else you fancy stopping at are extra on top, and some of those suppliers only take cash. The hairy cows the name promises aren't guaranteed either, and they're a no-show entirely over winter, so if that's the one thing your kids are after, go between spring and autumn.
Seats are first come, first served with no reservations, and groups are capped at 8, so a big family booking might need to split up or ask about a private tour. Multi-day trips mean sorting your own accommodation, though the team say they'll point you towards somewhere near the overnight stops in Oban, Inverness or Portree.
Need to know
- Best for
- Age 7 and up; under 1.2m or younger kids can't ride
- Wheelchairs
- Coaches not wheelchair accessible
- Dogs
- No animals allowed onboard
- Getting there by bus or train
- Depart from 1759 Regent Rd, EH8 8DR
- Groups are capped at 8 passengers on public tours, so bigger families should ask about private options
- No seat reservations, it's first come first served once you're on
- There's no WiFi or guaranteed USB charging on board, so charge devices before you leave
- Cancel within 24 hours of a one-day tour and it's non-refundable, longer tours need more notice
- Some stops only take cash, so it's worth carrying some
Plan your visit
How much does it cost?
The shortest day tour is £62 for an adult, with the popular one-day tours at £66. A three-day tour runs to £300. That's coach and driver-guide only, extras like castle entry or whisky tastings are on top.
Do we need to book in advance?
Booking's strongly advised since tours often sell out, but walk-up tickets are sold on the day if there's space. If a date's full there's a waitlist, and some routes only open bookings 3 to 5 weeks before departure.
What age does my child need to be?
Seven as a minimum, and they need to be 7 on the day of the tour itself. Any tour stopping at a whisky distillery like Deanston needs them to be 8. There's also a 1.2 metre height minimum for the seatbelts.
Is there a toilet on the coach?
No, but the driver-guide offers comfort breaks at least once an hour. There's no fixed schedule for these, so it's not guaranteed to be exactly on the hour.
Are the coaches wheelchair accessible?
No, the coaches aren't wheelchair accessible, though folding wheelchairs or walking frames can go in the luggage compartment, and that's easier to arrange on the one-day tours. Staff can't physically help anyone board or get off.
Will we definitely see hairy cows?
Not guaranteed. They're not around at all from mid-November to April, so a winter booking is a gamble if that's the main draw for your kids.
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