Scottish tour operator secures £2m funding

Highland Experience Tours has upgraded its fleet of vehicles after securing a £2m funding package.

Headquartered on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, the company has offered chartered trips for nearly two decades.

Starting out with just one vehicle, its leadership team has since grown the fleet to nearly 30 mini-buses and small to full-size coaches.

With the financial support from Lombard, part of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group, Highland Experience plans to purchase an additional five Grand Toro coaches – creating more than 20 new jobs.

Despite enjoying steady growth since 2005, the business faced unprecedented challenges during the pandemic and was forced to downsize its previous fleet in 2020.

Michael Bremmer, managing director at Highland Experience Tours, said: “Like many in our industry, Covid was an incredibly challenging time for us, and we had to essentially halt our services with no real idea of when we’d be able to begin again.

“This obviously took its toll, but we remained determined to come back stronger than ever and have been able to grow the business to beyond even pre-pandemic levels.

“Investing in this new fleet marks a new chapter for us, and we’re incredibly grateful for the support of Royal Bank of Scotland and Lombard in helping us reach this milestone.”

Steven Gillies, senior relationship manager at RBS, who facilitated the deal with Lombard, added: “Having worked with Highland Experience Tours since 2019, it’s been a privilege to watch the team recover from the pandemic and continue to grow their services and offering.

“Its unique approach to tourism is helping to promote Scotland’s rural landscapes to the world – bringing a significant economic boost to the communities within them – and we look forward to continuing our banking relationship for years to come.”

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