These Terms and Conditions (“Terms”) set out the agreement between WOW Scotland Tours Ltd (“WOW Scotland”, “we”, “us”, “the Company”) and you (“the Customer”).
By making a booking, the lead passenger confirms that they have read and accepted these Terms on behalf of everyone named on the booking.
We have tried to keep these Terms as clear and easy to read as possible. If anything is unclear, please contact us before booking.
Tour
When you cancel
Refund
Scheduled Shore Excursions
Up to 24 hours before departure
Full refund
Less than 24 hours before departure
No refund
Ship unable to reach port
Full refund (we will do this automatically so there is no need to contact us)
All Skye Tours
Up to 24 hours before departure
Full refund
Less than 24 hours before departure
No refund
Private tours
More than 30 days before departure
Refund minus 25% of tour price
30 days or less before departure
No refund
We cannot make exceptions to these rules, as it would be unfair to treat customers differently
IMPORTANT – If you cancel outside of the free cancellation window and we can resell your place on the tour, we may able to issue a partial refund (not guaranteed). So please still let us know, even if it is at the very last minute!
SEAT UPGRADES: Any fees paid for seat upgrades are non-refundable if you cancel, regardless of reason or timing, unless the tour doesn’t operate
2. Who we are and how these Terms work
These Terms, together with any other written information we give you before we confirm your booking, form the contract between:
WOW Scotland Tours Ltd (Company No. SC398846); and
You (all persons named on the booking).
“Tour(s)” in these Terms means any tour or holiday experience we provide.
We try to ensure that all information and prices on our website and in any brochures are accurate. However, mistakes can occur. We therefore reserve the right to correct prices and other details if necessary. You should check the current price and details of any tour before making your booking request.
All tours are sold subject to availability.
None of these Terms are intended to contravene or contradict:
The Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992 (as far as applicable to your booking); or
The Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999.
Your statutory rights under any such legislation are not affected.
Your booking is not confirmed and we have no contractual obligation to you until:
We have received full payment; and
We have issued your booking confirmation.
Once we send your booking confirmation, a binding contract comes into existence.
We cannot be held responsible if the tour you wish to book becomes fully booked or otherwise unavailable before full payment is received.
4. Pricing and what is included
Unless clearly stated in the specific tour description, the tour price does not include:
Admission fees
Meals
Accommodation
Anything not expressly listed as “included” should be assumed to be at your own expense.
5. Private bookings
A “private booking” is a tour booked exclusively for you or a group you organise.
Please contact us to discuss your requirements and obtain a tailored quote.
If we quote a price based on a specific group size, and the group size later increases or decreases, we may adjust the price accordingly.
Once a booking confirmation has been issued, any changes will be treated as requested changes (see Section 6 – Changes by You).
We may request a deposit for private bookings. We will advise the amount and conditions at the time of booking.
6. Changes by you
If you wish to change a confirmed booking:
You must notify us in writing (for example, by email) as soon as possible.
The request must come from the lead passenger named on the booking.
We will try to assist, but we cannot guarantee that changes will be possible.
If a change is possible:
An administration fee (as advised by us) will be payable.
You must also pay:
Any additional costs incurred by us; and
Any costs or charges imposed on us by our suppliers as a result of the change.
If a change is not possible and you do not wish to travel on the original booking, this will be treated as a cancellation by you and cancellation charges will apply (see Section 8 – Cancellation by You).
6.1 Transferring your booking to another person
If you can no longer travel, you may transfer your booking to another person, provided that:
You notify us in writing at least 7 days before departure;
An administration fee per person transferring (as advised by us) is paid;
You and/or the new passenger pay any extra costs incurred by us and our suppliers; and
The new passenger agrees to these Terms and all other parts of the contract.
No transfer is confirmed until full payment of all applicable charges has been received by us.
7. Changes by us
We will always do our best to run your tour as advertised, but we reserve the right to alter the itinerary, transport or other tour details if required.
Most changes will be minor and we will inform you as soon as reasonably possible.
If we must make a significant change to a material part of your tour:
We will notify you as quickly as possible and you will have the choice to:
Take an alternative tour of equivalent or superior quality (if available); or
Take a substitute tour of lower quality (if available), in which case we will refund the difference in price; or
Cancel your booking and receive a full refund of all monies you have paid to us for the tour.
Please note: Travel involves unpredictable weather, traffic and road conditions, and we cannot guarantee exact departure or arrival times at any point of the itinerary.
8. Cancellation by you
If you wish to cancel a confirmed booking, you must notify us in writing (for example, by email).
The effective date of cancellation is the date on which we receive your written notification.
Cancellation charges will apply as set out below.
8.1 Invergordon and Portree Shore Tours (scheduled)
Cancellation 24 hours or more before scheduled departure:
Full refund of the tour price.
Any seat upgrade fees are non-refundable.
Cancellation less than 24 hours before scheduled departure:
No refund.
If we are able to re-sell your place, we may issue a partial refund (not guaranteed).
Please let us know if you need to cancel, even at the last minute.
If your ship cannot reach port:
If you need to cancel because your ship cannot reach port, we will refund the full cost of your tour (tour price paid to WOW Scotland).
We cannot make exceptions to these rules, as it would be unfair to treat customers differently.
8.2 Scheduled Skye Tours from Inverness
This applies to:
Ultimate Isle of Skye Tour
Skye Explorer Hiking Tour
Skye Fairy Pools Discover Tour
For all of these tours:
Cancellation 24 hours or more before scheduled departure:
Full refund of the tour price.
Any seat upgrade fees are non-refundable.
Cancellation less than 24 hours before scheduled departure:
No refund.
If we are able to re-sell your place, we may issue a partial refund (not guaranteed).
Please let us know if you need to cancel, even at the last minute.
We cannot make exceptions to these rules, as it would be unfair to treat customers differently.
8.3 Private tours from Inverness, Invergordon and other starting locations
Cancellation more than 30 days before scheduled departure:
You will be charged 25% of the tour price.
If the full price has not yet been paid, you will forfeit your deposit (which will be at least 25%).
Cancellation 30 days or less before scheduled departure:
No refund.
If we are able to re-sell your tour, we may issue a partial refund (not guaranteed).
Please let us know if you need to cancel, even at the last minute.
9. Cancellation by us
We will only cancel a tour if:
Unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control occur; or
We reasonably believe that operating the tour would jeopardise your safety.
If we cancel your tour, we will:
Refund you in full for all sums you have paid to us for that tour.
We will have no further liability for additional costs such as travel or accommodation that you have booked independently.
10. Missed departures
You are responsible for:
Having all necessary travel documents (passports, visas, etc.); and
Being at the correct departure point at the correct time.
If you miss your departure or any part of the tour:
We cannot accept responsibility for any losses, costs or expenses incurred by you.
This will be treated as a cancellation by you.
No monies will be refunded for missed departures or unused services.
11. Refusal of travel
We may refuse to carry any person who:
Behaves in a way that is likely to cause offence, distress or upset to other passengers; or
Has medical symptoms that are likely to pose a risk to the health of others.
You must ensure that you are fit to travel on the departure date.
If we refuse travel on these grounds:
Full cancellation charges will apply; and
We will have no further liability to that passenger or to anyone travelling with them.
12. Our liability and the actions of suppliers
Some parts of your overall holiday experience (of which our tour may be one part) are provided by independent suppliers (for example, other transport providers).
We are not liable for the acts or omissions (whether negligent or otherwise) of such suppliers or persons providing services in connection with a tour, unless they are employed by us or under our direct control.
This does not affect your statutory rights under the Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992, where these apply to your booking.
Where these Regulations do apply:
If we or our suppliers breach the contract or negligently perform or arrange services we are obliged to provide under your booking confirmation, we may be obliged to pay you reasonable compensation.
Any compensation will take into account all relevant factors, including how much the problem affected your overall enjoyment of the tour.
It is your responsibility to show that we or our suppliers have breached the contract or been negligent.
If we are found liable to pay compensation:
The maximum amount we will be liable to pay for any claim will be limited to twice the price paid by the affected person, in total.
This maximum will only be payable where you or your party have received no benefit from your booking.
This limitation does not apply to claims relating to:
Death or personal injury;
Fraud; or
Any other type of claim that cannot legally be excluded or limited.
You must notify us of any potential claim as early as possible.
We will not be responsible for, and will not pay compensation for, any loss, cost, damage or claim resulting from:
Any act and/or omission by you;
The act or omission of any third party who is not connected with the provision of the services contracted for and whose actions were unforeseeable or unavoidable;
Unusual or unforeseeable circumstances beyond our (or our suppliers’) control, the consequences of which could not have been avoided even if all due care had been taken; or
Any event which we or our suppliers could not, even with all due care, have foreseen or prevented.
We cannot accept responsibility for any costs relating to travel arrangements or other services that you purchase separately from us.
13. Special requests
Please advise us of any special requests (for example, seating preferences or special occasions) at the time of booking.
We will try to meet reasonable special requests, but we cannot guarantee that they will be fulfilled.
Failure to meet a special request will not be a breach of contract on our part.
We cannot accept bookings that are conditional on any special request being met.
14. Disabilities and medical conditions
Some tours may not be suitable for customers with certain disabilities or medical conditions.
If you or anyone in your party has a disability or medical condition that may affect your ability to travel on our tour, you must provide full details at the time of your booking enquiry so that we can advise on suitability.
If you do not provide this information at that stage, we cannot be held responsible for any cost or inconvenience if we are later unable to accommodate you.
If, acting reasonably, we conclude that we cannot meet the needs of the person(s) concerned:
We will not confirm your booking; or
If we only find out after confirmation, we may cancel the booking and apply the relevant cancellation charges.
15. Children
Children are welcome on our Invergordon and Portree Shore Tours (shore excursions). However, some excursions may not be suitable for very young children, so please check the tour description and contact us if you are unsure.
For Scheduled Skye Tours from Inverness (including the Ultimate Isle of Skye Tour, Skye Explorer Hiking Tour and Skye Fairy Pools Discover Tour), children under 6 years of age are not permitted.
For the Skye Explorer Hiking Tour specifically, the minimum age is 10 years. Children under 10 are not permitted on this tour due to the nature of the hiking involved.
We do welcome children of all ages on our private tours (tours booked exclusively for your group or family), subject to the suitability of the chosen itinerary for the age and ability of the children.
If you are travelling with children, please tell us before booking, as some tours and activities may not be suitable for young children or for children of certain ages.
Where applicable, and where required by law, we must provide the correct child seats. It is the responsibility of the parent or guardian to ensure that children are seated in the provided child seats at all times.
16. Luggage
For scheduled coach tours:
You may bring one small piece of hand luggage per person.
Additional luggage may be carried in the hold at our discretion and only if you contact us in advance to check that there is space.
For private tours:
Passengers are generally restricted to:
One large suitcase; and
One carry-on bag per person.
All luggage:
Is carried free of charge, but entirely at the passenger’s own risk.
Must be fit for travel, sturdy and waterproof. It is your responsibility to ensure this.
17. Smoking
Smoking is not permitted by law on any of our vehicles.
18. Complaints
We welcome feedback about:
Our own services; and
Services provided by our suppliers (for example, coach providers).
If you have a complaint during your tour:
Please inform your driver or tour guide as soon as possible so that we can try to resolve the problem immediately.
If your complaint is not resolved locally and you wish to take it further, please email us at info@wowscotlandtours.com with all relevant details.
We kindly ask that complaints are raised within 28 days of the end of your tour, as otherwise our ability to investigate properly may be affected.
19. Insurance
We strongly recommend that all passengers arrange suitable travel, medical and cancellation insurance.
20. Data protection
To process your booking and ensure that your travel arrangements run smoothly, we need to use certain personal information, such as:
Your name and contact details;
Your address; and
Any special requirements you tell us about.
We may also:
Use your details to keep in touch with you and inform you about our products, services and special offers from time to time; and
Pass your information to relevant third-party suppliers (for example, transport providers or accommodation) so they can provide the services relating to your booking.
We will not pass your information to anyone who is not involved in providing or arranging a product or service related to your booking.
Unless you tell us otherwise in writing, we will assume that you do not object to us using or disclosing your information in this way.
You are entitled to see a copy of the personal information we hold about you. Please contact us at info@wowscotlandtours.com if you wish to do so.
21. Force majeure (events beyond our control)
Unless these Terms state otherwise, we will not have any liability to you if we are prevented from fulfilling our contractual obligations as a result of any event beyond our control or beyond the control of our suppliers. Such events may include (but are not limited to):
War or threat of war;
Terrorist activity or the threat of terrorist activity;
Civil commotion or riot;
Any action taken by a governmental or public authority;
Industrial disputes;
Collapse of buildings, fire, explosion or accident;
Traffic conditions, road conditions or road closures;
Technical or mechanical breakdown;
Adverse weather conditions;
Natural disasters; and
Any similar events or circumstances.
22. Enforceability
If any provision of these Terms is found to be illegal or unenforceable, this does not affect the validity and enforceability of the remaining provisions.
23. Governing law and jurisdiction
These Terms are governed by and shall be construed in accordance with Scots law.
Any disputes or claims arising out of or in connection with these Terms shall be dealt with only by the Scottish courts.
24. Company details
WOW Scotland Tours Ltd
Company registered in Scotland No: SC398846
Registered Office: Birkenshaw, Tomatin, Inverness-shire, IV13 7XY
