Lochs and Glens Holidays

What Lochs and Glens Holidays does

Lochs and Glens Holidays is a family-owned coach-tour holiday operator founded in 1979 by the Wells family, headquartered in Gartocharn, Dunbartonshire, and trading through the legal entity M F Wells (Hotels) Limited. The company sells all-inclusive coach holidays to Scotland, primarily targeting UK adults aged 55+ and notably solo travellers, with packages that include return coach travel from over 600 UK pickup points, hotel accommodation, full Scottish breakfast, three-course dinner, daily excursions and evening entertainment. Its differentiator is vertical integration: the company owns and operates six Scottish Highland hotels (Ardgartan, Loch Tummel, Highland, Loch Awe, Loch Achray and Inversnaid) and a fleet of fifteen modern coaches, enabling direct control over quality and pricing while eliminating third-party hotel commissions.

The business runs a direct-to-consumer distribution model with no resellers, accepting bookings via its website, phone line (01389 713 713) and printed brochure requests. Pricing is quote-based, with a £30 per person deposit and a policy of no single-room supplement — a deliberate feature aimed at solo travellers. Revenue is generated principally from coach holiday packages and secondarily from on-site bar and ancillary hotel spend. Marketing is multi-channel, combining the website, email newsletter, printed brochures, word-of-mouth referrals and a national TV campaign launched in 2024. Consumer protection is provided through membership of ABTOT and the Bonded Coach Holiday Group, and the company is also FCA-registered as an appointed representative of ITC Compliance for arranging insurance.

The company has been self-funded throughout its 45-year history, with ownership stating outright ownership of all hotels and coaches and no bank loans. Leadership currently comprises Chairman Michael Wells OBE and Managing Director Neil Wells (his son). Recent strategic moves have emphasised marketing reach (national TV) and adjacent product extension (self-drive holidays, specialist Edinburgh Tattoo packages, group bookings for parties of 48+) rather than expansion of the core hotel portfolio, which last grew with the 2012 opening of Ardgartan Hotel.

Name

Lochs and Glens Holidays

Legal name

M F Wells (Hotels) Limited

Website

https://lochsandglens.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Lochs and Glens Holidays is a family-owned, UK-focused coach-tour company selling all-inclusive Scottish Highland holidays from 600+ UK pickup points, primarily to over-50s and solo travellers, using six owned hotels and fifteen owned coaches.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Escorted Coach Tour Holidays

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520), Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Mountain & Adventure All-Inclusive Resorts (THAGAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mountain & Wilderness Lodges (THAAAHAE)

Keywords

• Coach tour holidays
• Scotland tourism packages
• Highland hotel accommodations
• Uk coach travel
• Scenic tour packages

Headquarters

HQ city

Clydebank

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Coach Holiday Packages: The primary revenue stream is all-inclusive coach holiday packages sold to individual travellers and groups. Packages include UK pickup point collection, return coach travel, accommodation at company-owned hotels, breakfast, three-course dinner, and included excursions. Pricing is per person based on double/twin occupancy with single rooms available at no supplement.
2. Bar and Additional Services: Secondary revenue from bar sales, premium drinks, and additional services at company hotels. Bar prices are described as reasonably priced with selection of Scottish whisky and local ales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Lochs and Glens Holidays sells all-inclusive coach-tour holidays to Scotland. Packages include return coach transport from one of 600+ UK pickup points, half-board accommodation at one of six company-owned Highland hotels, full Scottish breakfast, three-course dinner, daily included excursions, and evening entertainment. The company owns a fleet of 15 modern coaches and six Highland hotels, and additionally offers specialist packages such as Edinburgh Tattoo breaks and solo traveller options with no single room supplement.

Product overview

Lochs and Glens Holidays is a coach-tour holiday company operating a unified offering built around six owned Highland hotels (Ardgartan, Loch Tummel, Highland, Loch Awe, Loch Achray, and Inversnaid Hotels) and a fleet of modern coaches. The core product combines coach travel from UK pickup points with half-board accommodation, all advertised excursions, and evening entertainment at the hotels. The company also offers specialist packages including Edinburgh Tattoo packages and solo traveller options without single supplements. All holidays are bonded through the Confederation of Passenger Transport.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Coach Holidays All-inclusive coach tour holidays to Scotland that include return coach transport from one of over 600 UK pickup points, half-board accommodation at a company-owned Highland hotel, full Scottish breakfast, three-course dinner, included daily excursions, and nightly entertainment. Targeted at UK leisure travellers, primarily those aged 50 and over.
• Ardgartan Hotel Flagship hotel of Lochs and Glens Holidays, located on the shores of Loch Long with panoramic views of the Arrochar Alps. Used as accommodation for the company's coach holiday packages.
• Loch Tummel Hotel Custom-built hotel situated on the banks of Loch Tummel in Perthshire, offering views of the famous Queen's View and used as accommodation for the company's coach holiday packages.
• Highland Hotel Victorian-era hotel in Fort William, originally built as a railway hotel, with views across Loch Linnhe and the Sunart hills. Used as accommodation for the company's coach holiday packages.
• Loch Awe Hotel Historic hotel built in 1881 on the shores of Loch Awe with views of Kilchurn Castle, retaining its own scenic train line to Oban and Glasgow. Used as accommodation for the company's coach holiday packages.
• Loch Achray Hotel Hotel situated in the heart of the Trossachs on the shores of Loch Achray, overlooked by Ben Venue. Used as accommodation for the company's coach holiday packages.
• Inversnaid Hotel Historic hotel on the north eastern banks of Loch Lomond, originally a Duke's hunting lodge built in 1820, located on the West Highland Way route. Used as accommodation for the company's coach holiday packages.
• Edinburgh Tattoo Packages Special event break packages that combine coach travel and tickets to the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, for customers attending the annual event.
• Private Group Coach Holidays Private coach holidays for groups of 48 or more passengers, with ability to customise the itinerary and assign a dedicated private coach. Booked through a dedicated group bookings line and email.

Quantifiable outcome

• Most customers are aged 55+
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ABTOT (Association of British Tour Operators)coreOthersABTOT membership provides consumer protection scheme for package holidays, ensuring client monies are protected through bonding.
• Confederation of Passenger Transport UK Ltd - Bonded Coach Holiday GroupcoreOthersGovernment-approved consumer protection scheme ensuring client monies are protected in the event of member insolvency.
• ITC Compliance LimitedcoreOthersFinancial Conduct Authority authorised firm that Lochs & Glens Holidays acts as an appointed representative of, permitted to advise on and arrange general insurance contracts as an intermediary.
• Cruise Loch LomondminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSpecialised ferry operator that provides water transport services to/from Inversnaid Hotel on Loch Lomond, sub-contracted after Lochs and Glens' own ferry operations ceased due to increasing regulations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• HF Holidays: UK-based holiday company operating country houses and walking tours targeted at the over-50s. Comparable on demographic, owned-accommodation model, and all-inclusive structure, though walking-led rather than coach-led.
• Titan Travel: Escorted touring company with strong over-50s customer base offering UK and European coach and air-inclusive holidays. Comparable on escorted touring format and senior demographic, though larger and more tour-air focused.
• Leger Holidays: UK escorted coach holiday operator running tours to UK, Ireland, and Europe with similar door-to-door pickup service and senior demographic focus. Comparable on coach-led escorted touring model.
• Caledonian Travel: Specialises in coach holidays to Scotland, the Highlands, and UK destinations with bundled excursions. Directly comparable on Scottish focus, coach-led distribution, and over-50s appeal.
• Alfa Travel: UK coach holiday operator focused on the over-50s market with owned hotels and a fleet of coaches. Closely comparable business model, demographic targeting, and bundled all-inclusive structure.
• David Urquhart Travel: Family-run Scottish coach tour operator offering all-inclusive holidays across Scotland with similar pickup-point logistics and Highland hotel partnerships. Directly comparable on geography, customer demographic, and product format.

Broad incumbents

• Saga Holidays: Long-established specialist in over-50s travel including escorted tours, cruises, and holidays. Comparable on demographic focus but operates a much broader portfolio including cruises and insurance, putting it firmly in incumbent territory.
• TUI UK: Largest UK tour operator offering package holidays, cruises, and escorted tours. Broad incumbent with overlapping UK and European coach tour products but vastly larger scale and broader demographic.

Regional players

• McKinlay Kidd: Scotland-focused self-drive and tailor-made holiday operator. Comparable on Scottish destination expertise and independent-traveller customer, though operating in a different distribution model (self-drive rather than coach).

Emerging players

• Rabbie's Trail Burners: Small-group Scotland tour operator running mini-coach itineraries across the Highlands. Comparable on Scotland focus and demographic but uses a smaller-group, more independent-traveller format that may overlap with Lochs and Glens' solo-traveller niche.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/lochsandglens
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lochs-and-glens-holidays

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lochs and Glens Holidays