Outlander effect helps Edinburgh-based luxury travel firm Lindsays Highland Tours boost turnover

Edinburgh-based Lindsays Highland Tours saw sales of £264,811 in the year ending January 31, up from £132,159 in the prior year. Pre-tax profit more than halved to £13,274 from £35,143 on the back of “significant” investment in staff, vehicles, and a website revamp.

The family-run operator specialises in bespoke luxury tours around Scotland, and says it has been buoyed by the increase in demand from holidaymakers from the US, with visits to the Isle of Skye and Loch Ness proving the most popular, along with Outlander tours.

MD Steven Lindsay set up the business five years ago with his father George, and said: “As proud Scots, we found that the true essence of our homeland was lost in oversized tour groups and generic itineraries. We know the real magic of Scotland lies in its intimate tales, hidden trails, and majestic landscapes that can only be appreciated through a tailor-made journey.”

He added: “Our mission is to showcase Scotland as the ultimate travel destination – 90 per cent of our customers are from the States and there’s no doubt they now have their appetite back for travel and are coming back to Scotland in their numbers. That is reflected in our latest set of results. We have reinvested heavily to set us up for continued growth, and we’re very confident for the year ahead given the bookings we already have confirmed.

“There are a lot of organic bookings, which is reassuring and a big endorsement of our offering. Given the upward trend of the bookings, the plan is to add to our staff later in the year.”

VisitScotland at the start of this year said international tourism in Scotland was recovering at a stronger rate than other parts of the UK. It cited data showing that in the third quarter of 2023, there were about 1.4 million such visits north of the Border, a 6 per cent year-on-year increase, with Scotland the only UK region to record an increase in visitors from North America.