A Spotlight On: Macs Adventure
We work with a wide range of specialist walking holiday companies that supply our guidebooks as part of the full package they offer to their clients. I caught up with Fran from Macs Adventure to find out more...
Walking a long-distance trail is a hugely rewarding experience, and there are any number of trails out there to suit everyone's requirements. Whilst many people are happy to arrange their trips independently, a growing number of walkers and cyclists are joining up with specialist companies, like Macs Adventure, who will help with luggage transfers, booking accommodation and provide guidebooks and detailed route notes.
"We are passionate about our trips (and indeed we only create tours which excite and inspire us), but our favourite part of the job is reading our travellers' reviews and seeing the photos and stories they share. We are so proud of the experiences we create, enabling people to see the world on foot or by bike, making memories, enjoying cultural exchanges, tasting new foods, and getting to know new landscapes.
Exploring under your own steam us such a great way to travel, and even the wrong turns and “lost in translation” language mishaps make for the best memories! Although of course, due to our trips being self guided we offer comprehensive pre-departure information, maps, route notes, baggage transfers, and anything else our clients may need to make their trip easy and straightforward, plus we’re always on hand to assist with any questions.
We have 45 members of staff, plus a network of local partners in our destinations. One of the best parts of working for Macs Adventure is of course getting to know the trips. Our staff are an active bunch who walk the walks and pedal the paths whenever we can, whether researching a new area, writing route notes, or simply trying out the experience in order to make sure we understand it fully and can answer all our clients’ questions and offer personal recommendations."
"We really should start totalling up our walking and biking miles, between us all we must have literally walked the world!"
We began with a mixture of guided and self guided walks in Scotland’s Highlands, and one of our first tours was a guided climb of Ben Nevis with Neil, our Chief Adventure Officer, as an expert guide. We quickly realised that self guided travel fitted in best with our ethos and with our clients’ preferences as a great way to experience a trail at your own pace, making your own discoveries. Whilst we no longer offer single day climbs like Ben Nevis, the West Highland Way was one of our first trips and is our most popular today as a self guided holiday. Other top selling trips include the Tour du Mont Blanc for a trekking challenge, the Danube Cycle Path for a leisurely tour of Europe by bike, and the Camino de Santiago for the experience of a lifetime.
Rail and hike is a great new format, joining up fantastic hikes with some epic views from a train carriage has a particular appeal (including the West Highland Line in Scotland, and the Alpine mountain railways of Switzerland).
Plus, the world’s love of cycling just keeps growing and growing. We’ve got lots of exciting plans for helping more and more people see the world by bike. People are becoming more active. Cycling offers a different vehicle of discovery. You get to see town, village and country life all in one day.
We’re also expanding our road cycling trips. There is an appetite for challenging trips, across classic road cycling routes but wrapped in the comfort of boutique accommodation with time to discovery Tuscan gastronomy or Provencal vineyards.
We pride ourselves on our company culture, after all we’re all about adventure and fun, and all work and no play just doesn’t suit that ethos!
We get out and about walking or cycling in Scotland as much as possible, we host a Friday team quiz which can be on any topic from geography to musical theatre (and shows up the competitive streak in some of our team!), we eat a lot of cake, and we are moving to a purpose-designed new office soon."
