About Us

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About Us

Extraordinary Travel in the UK & Ireland

Wilderness Private Travel is the UK & Ireland’s leading DMC in luxury, experiential travel.

With teams in Scotland, England and Ireland, our strength lies in our exceptional destination expertise. Deep local insight, combined with an extensive network of trusted partners, allows us to create meticulously crafted itineraries perfectly tailored to your clients’ interests. Every one of our journeys brings together beautiful accommodation, rare and often ‘un-googleable’ experiences, and professional guides with a natural gift for hosting and storytelling. The result? An unforgettable trip that celebrates the history, culture, vibrancy and natural beauty of the extraordinary places we visit.

With our incredible local connections, talented trip designers and expert guides, we specialise in seamless itineraries – one memorable moment at a time.

“Back in 2001 our first clients touched down on the Knoydart Peninsula. Awaiting their arrival there was an air of total excitement, tempered by a measure of disbelief that our people had actually trusted us with their holiday! What would the group make of the walks we had planned, would our lodge reservation confirmed by our temperamental dial-up (ah yes, we remember it fondly) come good and, most importantly of all, would everyone actually enjoy all that wilderness?”

Founder and CEO
| Paul Easto

Our Roots

Wilderness Private Travel traces its roots to 2001, when our founder, Paul Easto, launched Wilderness Scotland with a desire to share the beauty, culture and character of Scotland’s most remarkable places. What began as a focus on Scotland has since evolved into a deeper exploration of the UK and Ireland, shaped by a commitment to thoughtful, expertly crafted travel that reveals each destination at its most compelling. As our reputation and expertise grew, this approach led to the creation of Wilderness Ireland in 2014 and Wilderness England in 2020. Over time, we have refined our craft, built long-standing relationships and earned recognition for the quality of our journeys.

Today, Wilderness Private Travel draws on more than 25 years of experience within the travel trade, creating itineraries that combine deep destination knowledge, trusted local partnerships and a highly considered approach to design — consistently delivering travel experiences that go beyond expectation.

The Trophy Cabinet

Excellence in Wellbeing Award from the Great Place to Work awards scheme in 2020-21.
The only tour operator to receive a Great Places to Work “Best Workplaces of 2018” and “Best Workplaces of 2020” in the small business category.
Winner of the “Best Workplace for Women 2018” category.
Listed 16th worldwide (1st in Europe) in National Geographic Adventure Magazine’s list of the ‘Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth’
Winning the World’s Leading Green Tour Operator in the World Travel Awards in both 2007 and 2014
Holding a Green Tourism Gold Award by the GTBS for 15 years+ recognised as the world’s most credible Sustainable Tourism Programme
Achieving recognition twice in the World Responsible Tourism Awards
Becoming the first Scottish company to gain AITO’s 5-star award for Responsible Tourism
Named in the Guardian Ethical Travel Awards: Best UK Tour Operator
Winning the Scottish Tourism Business of the Year after 3 years of operation
Having our Outer Hebrides & Skye Walking trip and Scottish Sea Kayak Trail feature in National Geographic Traveller Magazine’s 50 Tours of a Lifetime.
Winner of the Sligo Local Enterprise Award and finalist at Ireland’s National Enterprise Awards

Your Financial Protection

As a trading name of Wilderness Scotland, Ireland and England, The Wilderness Group is a fully bonded tour operator with ABTA, under their Financial Protection Scheme, and fully compliant with the EU package travel directives. While B2B bookings made with us are not covered by this scheme, you can take confidence that we are subject to rigorous tests each year on our financial viability and security.

We are also a member of AITO, the Association of Independent Tour Operators. AITO vet their members on the basis of Quality, Expertise and Customer Protection. They also host independent reviews of our tours. View our profile on the AITO website.

Wilderness Scotland also voluntarily nominates itself to the Health and Safety Executive for their Adventure Activities Licensing Authority (AALA). This means that our equipment and practices are subject to an annual inspection by senior inspectors who are all highly qualified and experienced outdoor professionals. They have worked in the sector for many years before joining AALA and all still participate actively in adventure activities. View details of our AALA licence on the HSE website here.