Scotland Travel Agents

My husband and I wanted a special trip for our 40th anniversary. That same month, we were going to be in London and I found that on our anniversary weekend, The Highland Games were set for in Pitlochry, Scotland. With that goal in mind, we let Carolyn, and her team, plan our trip. From our personal guide, Donald, in Edinburgh, who made the country’s history, culture and language come alive (he met a Free Church pastor on the way and they immediately switched to Gaelic), to the Highland Games that we could walk to from our hotel, the Blair Atholl Distillery, and the incomparable Island of Skye; we fell in love with Scotland. Our accommodations were not only of the highest quality, but also very Scottish. There was a bottle of Prosecco waiting in our first hotel from our travel group, and other hotels followed in placing desserts and cards in our room to celebrate our anniversary. All our tickets were in a downloadable packet, but we were also presented a zip-up case, in London, with our itinerary and printed tickets and reservations. I never had to worry if my phone battery couldn’t hold up and deliver my tickets, because I had them in my case. Thank you for being so diligent in making our adventure so effortless.

This was our 4th kimkim planned trip - and as with our other trips, we had a great time. As before, our local specialist worked with us to understand us and what we hoped to achieve with the trip, what we liked and didn't like with travel, and then how to fit as much in as made sense for us... all within the time we had allotted for the trip. I believe by the time we actually left the US for Scotland, we were on v4 of our travel guide.

And unfortunately, as with a previous trip, the weather and airport issues created a last minute problem with air travel such that we were delayed leaving the US and even had to be rerouted on another airline. We contacted our kimkim local specialist (Tetiana) via the app - at what was likely midnight in the UK... and Tetiana made sure that our airport pickup was changed and that our hotel knew of our now very delayed arrival.

On one other occasion we had an unforeseen issue (no breakfast provided at a guest house - where it should have been)... Tetiana again immediately figured out the issue and solved. I mention these two unpleasant events first - as they both illustrate the value of having a professional help plan your trip, and then being available to manage problems.

Now to the good stuff... Scotland is a wonderful place to visit. We spent a few days in Glasgow, then by train to Fort William / Glencoe, and then by car to the Isle of Skye... where we spent 5 days. We ended our excursion with 3 days in and around Inverness, and lastly... 3 days in Edinburgh. Highlights for us on Skye... not just the main tourist sights, but finding hidden treasures off the beaten path (mostly on single lane roads). Tetiana found one for us... Waternesh Farms...

We found Inverness to be more than a place to spend the night while we explored the highlands... it's a really nice town. We loved our B&B (Bluebell House) and morning walks along the river (which take you thru the Ness Islands). We lucked out on our last night, with a reservation at the Highlanders... seats at the table closest to the stage - with a night of traditional music and pub food.

In Edinburgh, we really liked the neighborhood of our B&B (within New Town) as we were adjacent to a street filled with restaurants, and bus stops and a tram stop that made travel within Edinburgh easy. For those who enjoy B&Bs, we want to recommend the place we stayed... The Ben Cruachan Guest House. And for hidden gems, the two adjacent modern art museums (located in the West End... and just minutes off the tram).

Cathy was fantastic when it came to putting together a trip to western Scotland for 4 people whose ages spanned more than 25 years' difference. From arranging transportation within and in between all of our destinations (we didn't need a car the entire 10 day trip) to coordinating lots of movement between 4-5 destinations as well as scheduling enough (but not too many) varied activities to squeeze all we could out of our short time in this amazing country. Cathy was always very quick to respond to our questions and comments when it came to trip planning and maintained her efficient communication even while we were on the trip when some last minute questions came up. We would recommend each and every accommodation she arranged to any one looking for a guide. And there was not one dud among all of the tours/activities/guides that we participated in. Thank you Cathy for helping us make memories to last a lifetime!

Hotel Reviews

Angel's Share Hotel

New Town, Edinburgh

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were quite warm, even with provided fan and windows open. Also, no USB or USB-C charging ports in our room.

Bridge of Orchy Hotel

Bridge of Orchy

Authenticity & Character

Location

The location was perfect for what we wanted to do during our time here but if you are looking for anything within walking distance (other than hiking or the train station) you need to stay elsewhere

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kings House Way Inn

Glencoe

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Blackwater Hostel

Kinlochleven

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Need to pay extra for towels but other than that, all was very comfortable and clean.

The Garrison Hotel

Fort William

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Argyll Guest House

Glasgow

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Edinburgh Castle Tickets

Edinburgh

Liked this experience more for the views from the castle than for the castle itself. LOTS of people, even midday on a weekday.

Quality of Experience

Private Guided Walk in Glencoe

Scotland

Dave was a fantastic guide. He took our input for what we wanted to get out of the half day hiking and made plans from there. Although our first idea for hiking was a bit ambitious (blurb about the Lost Valley hike in our provided itinerary was very misleading about the skill level required for this trail) and we needed to change plans, Dave was able to pivot very quickly and still provide us an amazing guided walk/hike in an area that was beautiful and we had all to ourselves. He made this experience one worth having!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dave was fantastic!

Transport

Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park

Scotland

Dave was prompt, friendly, VERY knowledgeable, engaging, dedicated to giving us a quality experience for 9 straight hours, and gave us such a comprehensive, personalized tour of Scotland---we will be forever grateful for our time with him!

Quality of Experience

Can't say enough for how fun and special this whole day with Dave was

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Dave is what made this a trip highlight for us--amazing in every way!

Transport

Car was clean and comfy. The microphone and speaker system that was used was such an important detail that we were so grateful was thought of

Eat Walk Glasgow

Glasgow

While a couple of the restaurants weren't the most unique or charming locations, the food was the reason each stop stood out and was worth visiting. The comprehensive and detailed information that was shared about Glasgow's history, current events/happenings, and its food scene were such treats to enjoy. Lei was a fantastic guide we were lucky to have!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Walking Tour of Edinburgh with a Top Local Guide

Edinburgh

Gareth's knowledge of Edinburgh, both historical and current, was truly impressive. We covered a lot of ground, both literally and figuratively, during our 3 hour walk but we were engaged the entire time as Gareth is committed to providing lots of information but in a way that kept us all tuned in and curious.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The High Point of your Holidays

Scotland

Great section of the West Highland Way. It was not as strenuous as we were led to believe by some locals so we were able to complete this hike in about 3.5 hours, which gave us lots of extra time in Kinlochleven to enjoy the scenery.

Quality of Experience

Evening cruise on Loch Linnhe

Fort William

Sunset on the loch was not just beautiful and relaxing but full of lots of information about the local area and its history. We loved our time out on the water!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tetiana was INCREDIBLE to work with. Excellent communication.

We gave her very basic ideas to start and she completely nailed it. Her recommendations created a trip we could only have dreamt of. I appreciated all her insight and wisdom she shared. So many happy memories made because of her thoughtful planning.

Although I didn’t plan the itinerary, everything was described in detail and organized on the App. Any questions were answered and resolved very quickly. The guided tours and the drivers were very friendly and knowledgeable. Great overall experience.