Macleod Heilan Tours

03/09/2024

Marco on an Inveraray Greenock shore excursion with Brian and family from the States.

📍Drovers Inn

📍 Inveraray Castle

📍 Loch Lomond

📍 St Conan’s Kirk

📍 Kilchurn Castle ruins

14/06/2024

Made it home in time for the game 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Mon the boys in blue. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 🇩🇪

02/06/2024

Macleod Heilan Tours first Greenock Shore Excursion of the season. Inveraray Castle, Kilchurn Castle, St Conans Kirk & Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park excursion with Driver Guide Marco leading the way. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 ⛴️ 💪⚓️ # -tours

30/04/2024

We received our armed forces covenant recognition award at Trump Turnberry last month. Trump Turnberry & 16 other businesses also pledged their support for serving members and veterans of His Majesties Armed Forces. It was a proud moment for owner of Macleod Heilan Tours, John Sheedy, who spent 14 years serving in the Royal Navy on Submarines.
https://www.ayradvertiser.com/news/24226210.trumps-ayrshire-golf-resort-signs-military-support-pact/ -tours

03/04/2024

Before the Fairy Pools were called “the fairy pools”

Research suggests the popular destination's history - and original name - could be forgotten.

02/04/2024

Top of the world with the review Sara from NJ left us from her Isle of Skye 3.5 day tour back in February. It was great as Sara was really into hiking, early mornings and the Hairy Coo which we love!! Thanks to Iain at Duirinish Croft Cafe for giving Sara a close and personal experience with these beautiful gentle beasts which was one of her highlights! Even getting to kiss kissing Kate (the cow) hopefully see you again soon Sara.

31/03/2024

The 2024 season has started and Spring has sprung! This year we have recruited the services of Marco an experienced guide who will be working with Macleod Heilan Tours this year. He just completed his first tour this week and it couldn’t have went any better. He had Denys and his family from the Ukraine 🇺🇦 on tour and they had such an amazing time. Photos courtesy of Denys and family.

14/02/2024

Some may receive flowers today being Valentine’s Day 🌹 but here in Scotland we are seeing the earliest flower of the year the Snowdrop. The snowdrop is one of our most recognised and best-loved wild flowers. It blooms between January and March, emerging from the cold earth to bring early promise of spring. Its Latin name Galanthus nivalis means ‘milk flower of the snow’ – but prettier still are the plant’s old common names. These include ‘Candlemas Bells’, ‘Fair Maids of February’ and ‘Little Sister of the Snows’.

Originally found in the forests and meadows of southern and central Europe, snowdrops were cultivated in the UK in the 16th century, and first recorded growing wild in the late 18th century. From our gardens and churchyards, snowdrops spread widely in areas with damp soil, such as riverbanks or woodlands.
Despite their delicate appearance, snowdrops endure and thrive in freezing conditions, undamaged and undaunted by falls of snow. They would be always thought pretty, but at a time when winter feels at its bleakest, they’re more than that. They remind us that spring is on its way. It’s unsurprising that for centuries these doughty flowers have been a symbol of hope.

Source: National Trust for Scotland

Our Golden Retriever Alba and son Conor enjoying the crisp winter sunshine. (Our neighbour from Puerto Rico 🇵🇷 gave Alba a groom and she came back with a pink tail, which is obviously great for Valentine’s Day. ❤️

06/02/2024

Happy Coos Day!!

Image source: www.clydesideimages.co.uk

On a recent trip to Skye we had the pleasure of meeting Brian, a Scottish photographer, who has very kindly sent us some of his photos to showcase. His work captures all aspects of Scotland beautifully, so keep an eye out on future posts for more of his shots.

Check out his website at: www.clydesideimages.co.uk

15/12/2023

We are delighted and very excited to announce our signing of the Armed Forces Covenant. We just received confirmation of our Bronze Award which we will proudly attach to our website. Being an ex Royal Navy Submariner and current Royal Navy Reservist it means a lot to support defence and ex service men and woman who bravely defend our country each and every day. We hope to inspire other organisations to do the same. We have our first engagement with a presentation at Trump Turnberry in the New Year to witness them and other organisations receive their recognition for supporting our Armed forces and also watch the charity golf tournament on the famous course.

12/10/2023

This could be interesting..

Communities have been urged to submit their choice to follow Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, and the Cairngorms.

18/09/2023

A question that often comes up on tour.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-47963208?fbclid=IwAR25ez2T7ESewZ1gIv7FDhKu8ZMI6AsI-4z8mxwQl2PRPKPGDgj7KwLnZ3M

The image of a tweed-clad laird dominated the Scottish Highlands for centuries - but a new breed of land owner is emerging.

26/07/2023

We have loved having The Kelpies as a stop on our day tours recently 🤍

The Kelpies, at 30 metres tall, are the world’s largest pair of equine sculptures; designed by Glasgow based artist - Andy Scott.

Scottish legend has it that the Kelpies are shape-shifting water spirits who inhabit the lochs and waterways of Scotland. While they can appear in human form they are said to most often appear as horses.

Towering over the Forth & Clyde canal, the inspiration for The Kelpies structure came from the working Clydesdale horses which pulled boats and cargo along the towpaths of the Forth & Clyde and Union Canals.

15/07/2023

Thank you so much for the shout out on this weeks episode Jen and Inka! Anyone who enjoys a dram or even just interested about the world of whisky, give the .podcast a listen 🥃🔥Your sure to be entertained as well as learning about one of our biggest exports. Also don’t forget to vote for them as listeners’ choice in the

12/07/2023

Morning walk below the Erskine bridge and some salt marsh flowers looking lovely - Tripolium pannonicum, called sea aster[2] or seashore aster[3] and often known by the synonyms Aster tripolium or Aster pannonicus, is a flowering plant, native to Eurasia and northern Africa,[4][1] that is confined in its distribution to salt marshes, estuaries and occasionally to inland salt works.

08/07/2023

Just completed an Isle of Skye tour sporting our new uniform complete with Macleod Heilan Tour logo. Hard to decide if we prefer the green or the black. Great quality items so we will be looking at adding some new items to the wardrobe soon. Thank you

26/05/2023

Thank you Stacy and family for a wonderful day tour. We got some great locations visiting Hamish Dubh at Kilmahog. Falls of Dochart in Killin. Majestic Glencoe, The Stunning St Conans Kirk, Kilchurn Castle and Inveraray Castle.

20/05/2023

Happy 🥃🌎
To celebrate we’re trying out our brand new Macleod Heilan Tours Glencairn glasses from
Enjoy a complimentary dram when you come on on board with us 🥃

Originally named ‘Uisge Beath’ in gaelic which translates to ‘water of life’, whisky is Scotland’s national drink.

16/05/2023

macleod_heilan_tours
We have just returned from a 3 day Skye tour and had our guests staying at the lovely Flodigarry Hotel. Famous for its connection to Flora Macdonald.

Here at this cottage on the Flodigarry estate Flora MacDonald did not just visit but it is where she got married with Alan, lived and raised 5 of her 7 children.

The cottage rooms are named after Flora’s Children, Alexander, Anna, Ranald, Charles, Francis, John and James. Spend the night at the Flora MacDonald Cottage and experience the Isle of Skye at its best. (Source - From Hotel Website) the lambs are cute as well.

We spotted a gorgeous Aston Martin through Glencoe but no James Bond..

05/05/2023

King Charles the III Coronation

So, King Charles the III is to be Coronated tomorrow, 6 May 2023, but Macleod Heilan Tours wanted to look back at previous ‘King Charlies’ and what may have been if the ‘45 Rebellion’ had went better for the Jacobites’. If the Jacobite uprising of 1745 had been successful, Charles the III may have been the Bonnie Prince himself but history cancelled out this from happening. The world would be a very different place as we know it today.

King Charles I
Born: 19 November 1600
Died: 30 January 1649 (Aged 48)
Reign: 27 March 1625 – 30 January 1649
Coronation: 2 February 1626
Successor Charles II

Famous for:
Charles I succeeded his father James I in 1625 as King of England and Scotland. During Charles' reign, his actions frustrated his Parliament and resulted in the wars of the English Civil War, eventually leading to his ex*****on in 1649. Charles married the Catholic Henrietta Maria in the first year of his reign.

King Charles II
Born: 29 May 1630
Died: 6 February 1685 Aged 54
Reign: 30 January 1649 – 3 September 1651 (Scotland)
29 May 1660 6 February 1685 England, Scotland & Ireland
Coronation 1 January 1651 Scotland
23 April 1661 England, Scotland & Ireland
Successor James II & VII

Famous for:
King Charles II was one of the most popular monarchs in British history. He ruled the kingdoms of England, Ireland, and Scotland from 1660 until his death in 1685. This is a period commonly known as the Restoration Era.

King Charles III The Uncrowned Contender

Born: 20 December 1720
Died: 30 January 1788 (Aged 67)

Famous for:
During his life Charles Edward Stuart was known as “the Young Pretender” and the Young Chevalier. After his own lifetime he is now often now referred to as the ‘Bonnie Prince’ or Bonnie Prince Charlie due to his boyish looks and alleged charm. He was most famous for the final rebellion for the Jacobite cause, which ended on Culloden battlefield on 16 April 1746. This was known as the 45 rebellion and was the most famous of the uprisings. This had huge implications for the Highlands of Scotland and almost destroyed the Highlanders identify as they were severely punished for supporting the Stuart King. It kick started the Highland Clearances which devasted the Highlands of their people.

But what if he was successful and the Jacobite army took London in 1745? The world would be a very different place. Some historians say had the uprising been successful and the Jacobites retaken the throne it is possible the American Revolution may never have taken place and that Napoleon would never have come to power in France. This could have both helped Britain's economic outlook while harming its dreams of empire.

'Peaceful relations following on from such an alliance could then have possibly led to long-term economic cooperation, though Britain would not have been able to expand its colonial holdings anywhere near as much as it did during and after the Seven Years War in 1756-63,' he added.

'France was the superpower of eighteenth-century Europe; being attached to France would in many ways have been advantageous. Think of the US: British "Special Relationship".' while Britain's empire in the Americas and India might not have become as large under this alliance, it would have also constrained a burgeoning independence movement in the United States.

'The American colonies in particular would not have been able to expand westward at the expense of the French empire - the major cause of Britain and France going to war in the Seven Years War,'

'They would also have been denied French support in the event of a bid for independence later in the century. Indeed, the French might well have intervened against the colonists in support of their British ally. So [it is] likely [there would have been] no American Revolution, or at least not in the eighteenth century.'

By comparison, it could also have hugely changed the face of Europe by preventing the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte.
'In 1759, the British Empire defeated France in Quebec, Quiberon Bay, Minden and India, to become the number one global power.
'The maximal historical change from a Stuart restoration might have meant the following.
'No 1756-63 war for global supremacy, but a more measured relationship with France, with spheres of influence developing.
'No 1776-83 War of American Independence leading to American victory as taxes would not have been raised in the colonies to pay for the 1756-63 war and the Americans would have feared the presence of French troops in French Canada and America - they would also not have been able to call on French help.'
This meant the French economy would not have been 'devastated by war costs and its morale', and in turn meant there would be no conditions for the 1789 Revolution that launched Napoleon to power.

In short, the events of 1745/46 were a critical time in world history that could have changed the world as we know it today.

04/05/2023

Stone of Scone or Stone of Destiny
With the coronation of King Charles III around the corner Macleod Heilan Tours wanted to post some interesting facts and legends about the coronation. We will start with the Stone of Scone or the Stone of Destiny as it is often referred too.

Origins - Legend traces it to Palestine 3000 years ago but scientists believe it may be from Scotland around the Scone area

Famous for – An ancient symbol of Scotland’s monarchy & for crowning Kings & Queens of Scotland and Great Britain

Current location - Edinburgh Castle/London for the coronation 06th May 2023

Material 150KG Red Sandstone

Although its true origins are debated one legend dates back to biblical times and states that it is the same stone which Jacob used as a pillow at Bethel. Later, according to Jewish legend, it became the pedestal of the ark in the Temple. The stone was brought from Syria to Egypt by King Gathelus, who then fled to Spain following the defeat of the Egyptian army. A descendant of Gathelus brought the stone to Ireland, and was crowned on it as King of Ireland. And from Ireland, the stone moved with the invading Scots to Argyll. (Or some suggest St Columba took it to the island of Iona)

When Kenneth I, the 36th King of Dalriada united the Scots and Pictish kingdoms and moved his capital to Scone from western Scotland around 840AD, the Stone of Destiny was moved there too. All future Scottish kings would henceforth be enthroned on the Stone of Destiny atop Moot Hill at Scone Palace in Perthshire.

The Celtic name of the stone is Lia Fail, “the speaking stone” or the stone which would proclaim the chosen King.

The last Scottish King to be crowned on the stone was John de Balliol in 1292 and then it was stolen from Scotland on the orders of King Edward the I of England after the Scots were defeated at the battle of Falkirk in 1296. He had it built into a new throne at Westminster Abbey in London. As part of the Coronation Chair, it was used in the coronation ceremonies of the monarchs of England and, later, Great Britain.

Fake or real? Some also suggest the real stone was hidden by the Scots from the invading English army after the battle of Falkirk. Although most doubt this to be the case.

In 1950 on Christmas Day four students from Scotland removed the stone from Westminster Abbey and took it back to Scotland where it was hidden for three months eventually turning up at the high altar of Arbroath Abbey. On removing the stone it was accidently broken into two pieces whilst they loaded it into the back of the waiting car but has now been repaired.

1996 Queen Elizabeth II commanded that the stone be returned to its rightful place and it was taken back to Scotland where it now sits in Edinburgh castle where it can be visited during the tour of the castle.

03/05/2023

One of the best ways to arrive on the Isle of Skye. The MV Glenachulish, is the last manually operated turntable ferry in the world.

Although there has been a car ferry service crossing the Kylerhea straits since 1934, the very same crossing has been in almost constant use for hundreds of years, as this is the closest point on the Mainland to the Isle of Skye.

Built in 1969 she has a length of almost 18m and a beam of 6.7m. The ferry has a capacity of 6 cars but will allow any variation of foot passengers and vehicles within its safety specifications

People travel from all over the world to visit the ferry and everyone always agrees this is the most romantic way to “sail over the sea to Skye” 🎶

Let us know when arranging your Skye tour if you would like to include this into the itinerary! You will not be disappointed ⚓️🚢

03/05/2023

Macleod Heilan Tours had the pleasure of showing Alison and Rachel from Arizona the Isle of Skye. We even bumped into some family members whilst on tour and got some local fishing stories 🐟

24/04/2023

Very interesting this one. This is an artists impression from 1771. How different does it look. The positioning of the bridge and castle are somewhat out as normally the bridge is the best vantage point to look onto the castle.

The foundation stone of Inveraray Castle was laid in 1746. Built to replace the former dilapidated fortress which stood in the field towards the river, the castle design was inspired by a sketch of John Vanbrugh's - the architect of Blenheim Palace and Castle Howard 🏰

The castle we have today is the result of a fire in 1877, which is when the top floor was added and the turrets got their conical roofs.

This painting by Lord Eldin shows what the area would have looked like in 1771 when the old castle from 1450 was still standing. You can also see the old pavilion and town of Inveraray.

13/04/2023

Our first ever customers Katrina & Linus from Sweden 🇸🇪 on the Macleod Heilan Tours 3 day tour of the Isle of Skye.

Katrina arranged the tour for Linus’s birthday and it was also a warm up for their honeymoon which is yet to come..

It was a pleasure meeting both of you and enjoy the honeymoon when it comes.

We are well underway for our first season operating as a tour provider providing tours to the Isle of Skye, Day tours around Scotland and providing a bespoke tour experience tailored to your groups needs and requirements.

Get in touch and we can plan your dream trip to Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Luxury Mercedes Benz Executive V Class with Option to carry up to 7 passengers.