Ray Allwood

Ray was great, excellent driving getting us places. He was a stabling element.
Sometimes he could have shared more information, a rundown of what to expect, length of trails etc. Maybe he did and I was out of range.

Ray Allwood is a fabulous guide ... and person ... he is unerringly polite, fun, knowledgeable, timely, empathetic ... a joy to be with and around!

We cannot say enough good about Ray. He was so knowledgeable about the history and legends of Scotland which he shared with us. We were 3 generations with kids 6, 9, and 11 years- and Ray chose hikes that challenged but did not defeat them. His good cheer and fantastic smile were with us all the way-he joined in the kids' games that kept us all amused in the car. And he is an excellent driver to boot- even while guessing what animal a kid is thinking of.

We could not speak more highly about Ray. He read the group perfectly. He arranged all our walks to see the best of Skye, Harris and Lewis. It is true (as previously cited in his info) that he can read the weather. For our holiday he also managed to arrange some of the best weather Scotland may have seen for a while! The walks matched the ability of the group well, stretching us but not pushing us and facilitating us to help and support each other. At all times we felt completely safe. It was obvious from the start that he is a very experienced walker and leader of groups. Having established our particular interests (fauna and flora, history, religion, folklore etc) he was very knowledgeable and stopped and pitched his considerable knowledge appropriately. This made our walks and tours really interesting.

The group was gregarious and sociable and we all got on very well. Ray was endlessly patient with the constant talking between us all. He joined us for our meals and we all enjoyed his company. He was keen to promote the enterprises on the Outer Hebrides and we greatly supported this and his enthusiasm for the Islands, and those living and working there. The trips to see Tweed making and Whisky production were excellent. We enjoyed learning about the Black Houses, visiting St Clement's Church and the Stones at Callanish, Flora Macdonalds's grave and many other sights along the way.

The 8 course taster menu dinner at Flavour was a fitting ending to a wonderful week, and a fantastic show case for Harris. What a fantastic idea to surprise us with that. A great treat.
This was our first walking group holiday. You have set the bar high! We will be back on more Wilderness Adventures.
A huge thank you to Ray, to the all of you and to the welcoming and generous people of the Hebrides Islands.

Excellent leader, kind, taking great care of all of us, well informed and not taking too long on describing what was needed. He got it just right.

Ray was fantastic. Knowledgeable about history and the trails. Obviously did some research ahead of time. An excellent companion.

Ray Allwood was excellent. He was very thoughtful with some hikes that he added to our itinerary and was very knowledgable. He took very good care of us and we enjoyed him immensely and would love to have guide us when we return!

Ray is ever so wonderful. He is profoundly attentive to individual needs, deliberately accommodating our different trekking styles and abilities. He chose incredible routes, each showing different aspects of the topography, and worked with us to best enjoy them. He has a special gift for forecasting the weather, adjusting the plans for an hour delay or an early start to maximize the daily challenges we faced in that department. One day late in the tour the weather turned miserable and several of us opted to turn back, while Ray took the remainder through very fun, but challenging conditions over the mountain. We had such a fun group, and Ray, with his laidback personality and quiet magic, helped knit it together beautifully. He also is very knowledgeable about the history of the area, as well as the flora and fauna, and it was great fun to learn from him. So grateful that he was our guide and that we meshed so beautifully with the others on the trip.

I struggled a bit so know just how good the leader was in "managing" where everyone achieved what they needed to do without compromising the itinerary or general enjoyment

Ray Allwood is fantastic humble confident reliable quiet interactive with great sense of humor

Ray was fantastic. Very responsive and knowledgeable. Tailored the hikes to everyone’s comfort level and ability. Very patient. He was the ideal guide!

Ray was wonderful! He really gauged our group and provided a magnificent experience!