I took my teen on a group tour in Scotland. I worried she'd be out of place, but she proved how grown-up she is.

Being on a group tour in Scotland made the author see her teen daughter in a new way.Courtesy of Kate Loweth.I booked a three-day small-group tour of Scotland's Isle of Skye with my 17-year-old daughter.

Initially, I worried she would feel out of place among older travelers.Instead, she easily connected with our group, often navigating unfamiliar situationsWhen I started planning a trip to Scotland with my 17-year-old daughter, I knew we wanted to spend some time in Edinburgh and then visit the Isle of Skye.The logistics of the trip were a little overwhelming — as the only adult, I would be responsible for all the driving.

And even more stressful was the thought of having to drive on the "wrong" side of the road, which I've never done before.The natural choice was to visit Edinburgh on our own, then book a group tour for the Isle of Skye. The tour we decided to join has received great reviews for its small-group experiences, but would my daughter feel out of place among what I thought would be a group of retirees?

I wasn't so sure.Our group was surprisingly diverseTurns out, I had nothing to worry about. At age 50, I was probably the oldest member of our group after our tour guide.

Joining us on this three-day tour were a couple on their extended honeymoon, a brother-sister pair who met up every year in a new destination, and a couple leaving their toddler at home with the grandparents for the first time.The author said that their tour group was filled with a diverse group of people that spanned ages.Courtesy of Kate Loweth.

The group was small enough that we quickly learned a little about one another. We shared meals, traded travel stories, and got to know each other as we drove through the Scottish Highlands. There was no pressure for my daughter to make friends, but she naturally became part of the group.

What really surprised me was how well my daughter did, chatting easily with other tour group members over shared meals, even though she was the youngest person by