Kimkim Trip Reviews for Scotland

Getting close to ending the season and you could feel it in less food selection and employees ready to go home

Owners, Stuart & Janet were great hosts-favorite place in our 2 week trip.

Big Room Honesty bar Great location overlooking harbor

Pon, manager was terrible as she forgot her job was to help us rather than us accommodate her. Breakfast had to be at 8:00 and when we asked for earlier one to catch our ferry she refused...wouldn't even provide us orange juice! So we paid for a breakfast we never got! B&B relying solely on it's excellent location

A great place to eat and wonderful staff; however, I would not recommend staying in the basement level. The kitchen is there and the music was very loud. Rooms are tiny but well done.

Wonderful stay - large, comfortable rooms, very pretty hotel. Nice pool and hot tub as well.

The house itself has a beautiful view of the loch. The rooms leave a lot to be desired. They are tiny. If there are two of you each with a suitcase, be prepared to struggle to find floor space for them. The shower is narrow, almost impossible to wash your hair without hitting your arms on the sides, one hand towel, minimal amenities. There is little to no soundproofing and it's like staying in someone's house, so you hear everything. The main room shown in the picture is beautiful but very small so if more than a couple of people want to use it, it's a bit awkward. The hotel is also very far from town, on challenging roads. There is nowhere to walk there for exercise.

Wonderful staff and well appointed rooms; food was great and the bed was comfortable. We appreciated having minifridge as well and used the hot tub which was spotless and well maintained. It is not right downtown but there are things around the Inn to do.

Very beautiful location and great staff. Comfortable rooms, well appointed.

Trevor was amazing - the best day of our entire trip. He was incredibly knowledgeable and patient with us, and worked with us to give us the best day. He thought of everything, including bringing us hot tea, towels, snacks, raincoats - you name it. Wish we had Trevor with us on the rest of the trip!

Perfectly paced trip - our guide was incredibly knowledgeable (and patient) with all of our questions.

Beautiful views and hilarious guides on the trip.

This was sold as a sunset cruise, but it was at 3:30 so there wasn't much of a sunset. You are gone for 1 hour and it's a very cursory view of the lake. The boat was very nice and the information was good to know.

A great hotel in the heart of Edinburgh New Town. The rooms are modern and comfortable, with all the amenities you would expect from a 4-5 star hotel. The staff at the hotel could not have been more helpful and accommodating, from holding our bags when we arrived early in the morning, to the most wonderful and attentive service in the restaurant (with a truly delicious breakfast service) to helping us book a taxi to pick up our rental car on the day of checkout. Even though there was road construction going on on the street in front of the hotel, we were able to be dropped off and picked up right at the door. We would definitely book here again!

Cameron House is a full-on luxury resort. We stayed in the original part of the building in a lovely ground-level room that overlooked the beautiful garden. The hotel has everything, and while we didn't have time to experience all of it we were able to see the gorgeous pool/waterslide/hot tub/spa area, the stunning whiskey bar, the fun and casual lounge restaurant, and the lovely lobby bar. At dinner at their off-site restaurant as both in the hotel were fully booked. Amazing location right on the shore of Loch Lommond. The massive, stunning buffet breakfast we had the next morning was beyond compare, with the best haggis of the trip and just an amazing selection of anything you could want. Wish we could have stayed longer!

This hotel was just lovely and we wish we could have stayed longer. Harriet (the owner/manager) was so helpful and kind, helping us with our heavy bags (no elevators in this historic property). Great location on the edge of Stirling, private car park, very pretty restaurant.

Dungallan Country house is just that- a lovely country house. The rooms are stunning and have all the amenities you could ask for- including gorgeous bathrooms with heated towel bars, robes and slippers, giant shower, etc. Homemade shortbread and Scottish tablet (a treat!) in every room. The staff- lead by manager Michele- could not have been more helpful, setting us at ease immediately upon arrival when we discovered we had left our passports in the room safe at our previous hotel. The dinner we had in their restaurant was quite possibly the best dinner of our entire trip. Lovely breakfast too.

Rated one of the most romantic hotels in Scotland- and we could see why! We stayed in the Lovat Suite- huge, truly historical feeling while still being incredibly comfortable. Our friends and traveling companions had the suite next door which had a stunning view of Beauly Firth right out their window. We arrived late and left relatively early, but enjoyed a nice breakfast and a drink in the lounge/bar the night before. Wish we had had more time to explore the history of this beautiful property.

This guided walking tour of Edinburgh was one of the highlights of our trip. Jack- our tour guide- met us at our hotel and brought us straight up to Calton Hill, an historic sight very close by. From there he guided us through New Town, Old Town, the Royal Mile, New College, Grassmarket and eventually back to our hotel, offering history, local lore and knowledge the entire way. So much nicer than a larger, more impersonal group. Jack even took us inside the Edinburgh Supreme Court building (two of our group were lawyers) which was a great addition/side note. We absolutely loved this part of our trip to Scotland.

Unfortunately we were unable to do the distillery visit as our earlier activity (driving tour) started late due to our later than planned arrival in Oban. I'm sure it would have been great.

John adjusted the timing of our tour as we were late arriving to Oban (due to our own car trouble) and took us on a lovely 3+ hour tour of the area. The original route was one we had kind of traveled on our way from Loch Lommond, so John adjusted and took us to other places- the Bridge over the Atlantic, Dunstaffnage Castle, a lovely seaside village where they hold a rock-skipping competition and other memorable spots. Due to our delay we weren't able to take advantage of the seafood tasting experience, which was unfortunate, but now we have a reason to go back to Oban!

Great room, location was wonderful, staff very helpful, food was amazing. Would stay again.

Room was beautiful. Host amazing, food incredible. Homemade jams just WOW.

This was our favorite. The view of the loch, breathtaking. Room was comfortable. Shower amazing. Great whisky bar. Staff was extremely nice. Location was a bit far from any walkable city but the view...wow.

Room was clean but so very tiny. Staff was very nice and the location was good. The shower was also so tiny.

Fun hotel. So much to do within the hotel itself. Food was good, staff was so nice. Location was great!

Tour guide was very funny. Castles were grand and lovely. Just a wonderful experience.

Again, tour guide was amazing and funny. Driving those roads, I don't know how anyone could do it. WOW. Just a beautiful place and amazing to see.

Unfortunately due to weather this was cancelled. So it is not fair to review.

Our tour guide was just ok on this tour. We had a better tour guide on the food and drink tour.

This was our fault, we missed our time window due to getting caught up at a cathedral. So can't honestly review this.

David was great, very knowledgable. Wonderful day in Oban.

Leire was just wonderful. Go do this!

Rhona was very knowledgable and fun. Great walking tour.

Well I love Oban whisky so is it fair to review this...YES! If you are in Oban for a couple day, just do it!

Perfect location in Grass Market. A short walk up Victoria got us to the Royal Mile while an even shorter walk got us to Greyfirars and the National Museum of Scotland. Rooms were comfortable and staff was helpful. The only thing lacking was a restaurant and bar in the hotel.

Chris was a great guide with entertaining stories.

It was cancelled days before for no real reason other than staff loss, so unfortunately we didn't get to take the cruise

Rachel didn't book us on the Sir Walter Scott steamship. We were instead booked on a different boat. Very disappointing. However, the boat went on did a good job and the scenery was beautiful. Another mistake made by Rachel.

The guide David was trying to get out of the tour the day before and all the way through. He seemed to be scared of light rain and wanted to change it to a 1 hour walk around the car lot. Based on that we cancelled so that we didn't waste our precious time in Scotland. We should be refunded for this.

The proprietor here (Chris) could not have been more helpful - and we were grateful that he and his friend carried our bags up the tiny (rickety) spiral staircase for us! The hotel itself was very quaint and a bit run-down, but our room was comfortable.

Lovely hotel, beautiful view, very comfortable room. However, we felt badly for the staff who carried our bags up to the top floor!

We stayed in a cottage and had to drag our luggage up the street a bit, and then up a set of stairs. In other hotels that didn't ahve a lift, there were staff who could help, but we were on our own at the cottage. The room itself was very comfortable.

Hotel was very nice, rooms were spacious and comfortable, staff was very friendly. However, the location is in a very high traffic area that was time consuming and tedious to access by vehicle. About a 1.8 km walk to Eyre Square.

We loved this hotel. Charming, had character, and on a quiet street in the heart of Dublin. Near to everything. Would definitely stay again. Staff was very friendly.

Very charming and stately hotel, very friendly staff, lovely rooms. About 15 minute walk to downtown Inverness.

The rooms were very nice. The staff seemed overwhelmed at times. Walk through one of the closes to get to Royal Mile. Very close to train station. Only one elevator operating, which was frustrating at times.

Trinity Townhouse Hotel: A A boutique hotel with nice spacious rooms. Limited on-site amenities and dining options. Very good location. Note: there are no lifts.

Kimpton Blythswood Hotel: A+ A five star hotel with everything that one would expect from same. Comfortable room and nice restaurant. Excellent location.

Ambassador Hotel: B+ A comfortable hotel in a good location. Lots of stairs but there is an elevator. A bit quirky layout with rooms laid out in a highly irregular fashion. Restaurant on-site with an acceptable menu. Our room was very nice though the bathroom was a little tight. But, for 500GBP per night I think we could have done better.

Courtyard by Marriott: F Check-in was uneventful except that whoever booked the room (KimKim) did so under the wrong name. The hotel tells me they cannot correct the error or they won’t get paid - really? So now i have to explain to everyone at the hotel that my booking name is wrong. Our room overlooks a major trash/recyling area for the hotel and we get to listen to them dumping glass and cans into the bins. Keep in mind, this goes on all day while we are stuck in our room because we are sick. And continued into the night. Last heard after 9 PM. After breakfast the first morning we returned to the room to find that our key cards would not unlock the door. I took the cards to reception which was crowded with incoming people. They asked for ID (my ID was inside my locked room). They then remembered that my name was wrong so they remembered me and reprogrammed the key. Tried to unlock the door then and it still did not unlock. Went back to reception and tried again. Key still did not work but they had sent someone to check it. He had to replace batteries in the lock. This event alone would have made us late for the tour if we were taking it. After breakfast the second day the same thing happened. Needed to get maintenance again to reset the lock mechanism. I’m getting afraid to leave the room. Showered this morning. Water pressure was very low. Shower is not enclosed and was drafty. Towels were okay for me but not my wife and compared to our other three hotels were not very quality. Very disappointing but consistent with our experience at this hotel. Toilet seems to keep running frequently. Day before check-out I stopped at reception (waited in line) to ask what if anything I needed to do to check-out the next day. The room was pre-paid and I left a credit card on file for other charges. The person who helped me said all I had to do was drop off my keys in the express check-out box. Upon leaving the next day that is what I did. As I left the hotel to get into my taxi a hotel employee chased me out of the hotel to tell me I hadn’t paid my incidental charges. He was quite accusatory and argumentative and I told him about my conversation the day before with his colleague. I was not happy. He made some vague comment about what would happen if I did not come back and pay it. My taxi was waiting. I went back and once again told them (loudly) what I had been told the day before. I paid it on my card, the same one they had on file. I advised them that this was the worst hotel experience I had had in a long time. Maybe forever and I left. Thank goodness. This was a terrible hotel experience that ranks as bad or worse than the Guiness tour.

Guiness and Jameson tours: Jameson - B / Guiness - F The Jameson tour was very well done. The man who did the presentation was excellent - informative, cordial, and humorous. The tasting was informative - it was interesting to actually see how the tastes differed based on how the products were prepared. I can honestly say that the Guiness tour was a complete and colossal waste of my time. Unfortunate because i had been looking forward to it. Where do I start? We were told by a cabby that it is the most populated tour in Europe and based on our experience it may well be. The line to get in from outside was measured in blocks - we got in upon arrival as part of a tour group (the single and only advantage of being in the group). Once inside it was so crowded one could hardly move around. The major attraction of the tour was the Gravity Bar at the top of the facility where you could redeem your tour coupons for a glass of Guiness. We were never given the coupons by our tour guide so we never got our Guiness. Also, there were so many people we could not sit or really take advantage of the view. Our guide rushed our group so much through the facility that we never really got a chance to appreciate the tour itself. I couldn’t tell you one significant thing about Guiness except that they treat their employees well (which we learned from a taxi driver on our way there). As an aside, that driver showed us around some interesting things to see in Dublin which helped to somewhat save the day for me. (Also note that we took the taxi from Jameson to Guiness because I could not make the walk). We did see the old hospital/museum and he took some pictures of us. I have to say that the guide for the Guiness tour was a major disappointment. While trying to be entertaining, he failed to be informative. The way he rushed us through the Guiness tour was appalling. I would advise some additional training or a new profession.

Wicklow Mtns, Glendalough, Kilkenny tour: C (rained most of the day) The bus was reasonably comfortable and the guide and driver were pleasant. The scenery on the tour was very nice. I was unable to walk the trails at Glendalough (the primary purpose of that part of the trip) but I did go into the visitors center (an additional 4 euro fee) while the others were walking. There was a very informative 15 min video of the history of the area that was well done. We toured the Kilkenny castle which was okay as castles go. We were limited by time and rain and were not able to see the Kilkenny town. Overall, the tour tried to do too much within the available time.

Could not attend

Roslyn Chapel: A Excellent driver and guide (Christof). Interesting place with many stories. Filming location for the ending of The Davinci Code. Glenkinchie Distillery: A+ An excellent tour with a great guide (Willie). Very informative and fun. The tasting was excellent. Lots of stairs, but I managed okay with proper motivation.

Could not attend

Could not attend

Isle of Skye tour: F and A A wonderful tour with an excellent driver (Roy Martin). The weather was an F. The isle of Skye was an A.

andor Castle: F Wife rated it an A. Culledon Battlefield: F Wife rated it a B Train to Edinburgh: Not as nice as the earlier trip, but perfectly fine until we got to Edinburgh station. We looked for a taxi and were told to take an escalator or a lift. When we got to the escalator, the up side was not working. When we got to the elevator it was not working. We were then told to walk up a long steep ramp. So two elderly people with luggage trekked up this 150 yard ramp to get to the taxis. At least the taxi driver was very helpful. I am the one with mobility limitations but my wife was hammered by the walk up the ramp to the taxis.

Loch Ness Cruise: A+ We took a bus tour to get to and from the cruise. The driver was very informative and made the trip enjoyable. The river cruise itself was very nice. Comfortable boat, excellent narration, toilets and food/drink on board. We had rare clear sunny weather and the views were spectacular. Urquhart castle: F wife rating it an A-

Private walking tour: D I was unable to finish the 2.5 hour tour and had to end it within the first hour and taxi back to the hotel. My wife did continue the tour and reported that she rated it a B+. I was concerned that they scheduled such a long walking tour for me and that it was in the morning of our arrival from the US. St Patricks: F I was unable to go to the cathedral after the aborted walking tour.

Glasgow Essentials Tour: F Once again unable to take the tour. My wife did take the tour and rated it a B.

The Whisky Vaults provides simple accommodations and has the most wonderful proprietor on Earth. Our travel agent made some questionable decisions in choosing the hotel for us but the proprietor did everything in his power and went out of his way to ensure a comfortable stay for us.

Beautiful hotel, great staff, perfect location.

Beautiful setting, great location, wonderful staff.

The private guided tour through Trossachs National Park was disappointing. It felt more like a cab ride through the park rather than a proper guided tour. There was no extra charge for this, but it lacked the research and quality I expected. It felt like the planning was a bit rushed and not well connected, which was frustrating since I rely on travel agents to avoid such issues.

The pictures we were shown were VERY outdated. The hotel is quite run down.

Each room was cute; had its own theme. The bathrooms were impossibly small. The breakfast was good.

Nice, clean rooms. Enjoyed breakfast.

Nice apartment!

Our guide Cammy was awesome! She did an incredible job explaining EVERYTHING. Glen Affric is incredibly beautiful!

Stuart was a great tour guide! Funny and informative.

This was the family's overall pic. It was an enjoyable boat ride to the castle. Appreciated the comedy of the guide on board. The castle is beautiful!

Didn't do. It would have cost 100 pounds to taxi to and from the distillery from Portree. Would recommend scheduling something else in its place in the future.

Joann, our guide, was quite enjoyable and knowledgeable. But disappointed that the "tour" was one restaurant. And disappointed that no wine was available to taste, as indicated in the write-up.

Check in gal was awesome! Very cool hotel.

The food was incredible and the owners so accommodating and friendly.

The whisky and Artisan Food Tasting was one of the highlights of the trip. Joanne, a sommelier, was extremely knowledgeable about whisky, food pairings and the history of Edinburgh. We highly highly recommend this tour with her.

We only had a one-night stay at the Rocpool Reserve. The room was very attractive and unique in that the bathroom was downstairs from the bedroom. The bathroom was the most spacious I've ever encountered! Going downstairs when nature calls in the middle of the night might not be to everyone's liking. Other rooms may not have this same configuration. It was in a convenient location for us to explore Inverness on the afternoon of our arrival. Breakfast in the morning was excellent.

Forss House is tucked away in the woods off the main highway. The main house has 4 or 5 rooms and there are also cottages, popular with the fishing crowd. Our room in the main house was spacious and comfortable. For dining, there is a dining room and a conservatory (a glassed-in porch) which was especially nice for breakfast. We had dinner at the hotel that was orchestrated very well. We began in the Bar where we were served Champagne and hors d'oeuvres. Then went into the dining room for dinner. The food was exceptional. We wandered the grounds and enjoyed the waterfall and the meandering river. The gardens around the house are lovely.

Perfectly nice hotel. Room was on the small side. Lobby and public areas make it clear that this area is ideal for fishing.

Our room was absolutely gorgeous. It felt more like a suite with a small hallway leading off the bedroom to the spacious bathroom that had both a shower and free-standing bathtub. The food is amazing. We had 2 dinners and 2 breakfasts there. Dinner is a series of small courses which can be paired with wines for each course. Unique to this hotel is that breakfast is fixed and presented as small courses much like as the dinner. but with breakfast type food/dishes. No wine at breakfast!

Broad Bay House is located 15 minutes north of Stornoway and was built to be a Bed and Breakfast rather than converting a private home to such. On our first night's stay we enjoyed a sharing platter of seafood for dinner. It was ample, attractively presented, and very good. On specific nights they serve a plated dinner but our stay didn't coincide with this option,

We had a very brief stay from early evening to early morning as we were transitioning from our stay on Harris and Lewis to heading towards the Applecross penninsula.

This was quite exceptional between the stately, elegant stone building, the carriage houses, and the property with walking trails.

As we only had one night's stay, it's a bit harder to rate this hotel in its entirety. We didn't take advantage of the spa. We had dinner in the more casual restaurant, the Deck. We did wander around the island and enjoyed the views and encounters with both farm and wildlife. Our room was a bit on the small side and quite a climb to via a steep stairway.

Our room was okay and the bathroom quite small. It took a very long time for the shower to get hot water. PIllows were not very "fluffy" but we had been spoiled by previous hotels on this trip. By the same token, the more simple accommodation was just fine and seemed completely suited to the locale and flavor of Port Charlotte in a good way.

With only a stay of about 17 hours, it is difficult to give much detail. Nevertheless, the interior had recently been updated and highlighted the interests, hobbies, and personalities of members of the Colcuhoun family who have been in the luss area for centuries.

We had good weather although the wind was blowing furiously. We were past the seabird nesting time but saw a number of seabirds flying about. It's worth the walk to see the stacks.

Single track roads galore. Two great stops: Strathnaber Museum (the story of the clearances told well) and Smoo Cave (wild to see a river disappear into a cave).

Ullapool is a nice town that occasionally gets cruise ships so the shopping along the waterfront is geared to tourism. The shops are more reasonable and of strictly local fare than some cruise ports we've experienced. From Ullapool we visited the Corrieshalloch Gorge and Nature Reserve which is a must see.

Took a look. Pretty but did not blow our socks off (even the though the wind was blowing hard enough to do so).

The Summer Isles Boat Trip had to be canceled due to rough winds and water, but we were able to go on the Whale and Dolphin cruise later in the afternoon in a high-speed RIB boat. No whales spotted but playful dolphins kept us entertained. We also saw Common Seals resting on the rocks.

This was exceptional. Our guide took us on a wonderful hike on the Shieldaig Penninsula. We learned a lot and we quite on the same page in terms of interests and what mattered most to us.

We were picked up at our B&B at 10 am and proceeded to the very northern tip of the island to see the lighthouse and the dramatic cliffs in strong winds. From there we made a brief stop at the Port of Ness, formerly a herring fishing port. Next we visited a small, but mighty museum, Comunn Eachdraidh Nis that highlights the local history. A small cafe provided a delicious lunch. Moving down the west coast, we visited the Clach An Truishal Standing Stone, The Shieling Barvas and Brue, Whalebone Arch, Gearrannan Blackhouse Village, a Harris Tweed factory, and Dun Carloway Broch.

Day 2 with our driver, Donald, we toured around the coast of Harris. Because it is so mountainous, there isn't the same level of historic sights as on Lewis. The one historical site is St. Clement's Church with 15th century carvings and graves within. The west coast of Harris offered beautiful beaches.

This was well worth a visit. We were fortunate to get good weather (meaning only a little rain). I highly recommend this reserve. As we are birdwatchers, we did have some nice birding along the Fern Walk. Combined with the path to the suspension bridge across the gorge, it makes for a long enough walk to work of that morning porridge with cream and honey.

Even though I'm not much of a whisky drinker, this tour was very well done. Very cleverly, they provide everyone (except the designated driver) a lanyard that supports a whisky tasking glass. As the tour progressed we sampled whiskies along the way.

A very nice hotel in a good location for walking to central Inverness. Our room was exotic in that the bathroom, which was large and well-equipped, was down a winding staircase from the bedroom.

One of those classic old manor houses. Our room was spacious and had a very comfortable sofa on which I could sit and relax. It's an odd omission, but there was no desk chair in the room, so my laptop computer really was a laptop computer. The staff was superb, the dinner excellent.

We very much enjoyed our stay at the Scourie House because the people were so nice. It's not fancy - a well maintained older hotel that was probably built as an inn. Our room wasn't that big, so suitcase space was at a premium. But what the room may have lacked in upscale fashion, the staff made up in friendliness. And the food in the restaurant was very good.

At every level, the Dipping Lugger is amazing. They think of everything. The room was gorgeous, the bed super-comfortable. The food was spectacular! There are only 3 rooms, but this is luxury writ large and in a comfortable, not ostentatious way. The only quirk is that they pick your meals - dinner is a fixed 7 course meal (and what a meal it is!) (the bread I will NEVER forget) and breakfast is chosen for you. It's all more than good, but maybe not what you would have picked. Just an idiosyncrasy, not a problem.

The Broad Bay House is a purpose-built small inn near Stornoway. Super clean and well equipped. Tom, the owner, has thought of everything any traveler could need. He has loads of material about Lewis and Harris, and has prepared a guide book that reflected his deep knowledge of the area. Breakfasts were excellent, esp. the porridge. And we had the seafood passed-plate meal for dinner one night. The location is right on the beach, and it's worth going for a walk past the sheep.

Grand in every regard. "Regal" might also fit. As characterful as the 1890s style would suggest, while still having every modern convenience. Those towels - so soft, so absorbent - and that shower. Ahhh, satisfaction. Both restaurants are excellent (Bo and Muc is more casual, 1889 a multi-course extravagance). Breakfasts are, as you would expect, very good, although our omelets were a bit under-done. We went hiking with the Torridon Outdoor Experience, and it was an excellent walk near the hotel. We also hiked the hotel grounds, which are extensive and very pretty.

This is an elegant old manor house on a private island. The house is charming, although our room was up several flights of stairs. The room itself was well equipped and comfortable. The grounds are gorgeous and worth more than the afternoon's walk that we took. The Terrace Restaurant was quite good. Not formal and all small plates (not tapas, just small plates).

We were in a smallish upstairs room with a fairly small double bed. There is a severe deficiency of electrical outlets for the modern traveler. We unplugged the hotels lamps and coffee pot so that we'd be able to charge phones and the like. The staff were very nice and helpful, opening for breakfast early so that we could sprint to the ferry in Port Askaig in a timely manner. The restaurant is good and locally popular. The bar, on the other hand, is a whisky lover's dream. Also popular, for good reason.

Lots of atmosphere and a great location adjacent to Luss and short walk to the Loch. Our room was up several flights of stairs, but the bellman was very helpful in carrying our suitcases up. A smallish room and smallish bed. The shower was powerful (loved that) and sprayed widely into the bathroom (which I didn't like). Lots of plugs, unlike some older hotels. The restaurant was good, and the bar was fine. You order in the restaurant and carry your whiskey to the library where there are chairs.

We were at the Marmelade Hotel so briefly that I hate to say anything negative. The room was very comfortable and well equipped, and we fell asleep almost the moment we hit it. Breakfast was fine.

We had rough seas, so the boat trip was a blend between visiting the Summer Isles and doing dolphin and seal watching. There was a guide, but she didn't speak very often, and English wasn't the boat driver's primary language.

We had a great walking tour of the Shieldaig Peninsula. The guide pointed out interesting natural features as we went. I would say his knowledge of plants was greater than birds, but he did well with both (in our couple, one of is more birder, the other more a plant person). The walk was sane topographically, and quite pretty.

Sadly we didn't go. It was raining and most of the interesting birds have flown the coop (well, the island). However, we used the day to see the spectacular Allt Chranaidh Waterfall and breathtaking B869 to Drumbeg and Lochinver. Breathtaking both in beauty and in the twisty-turny uphill-downhill single track road. That drive would get 5 stars, so our substitution was sound from my point of view.

By September, most of the interesting birds have wandered on. Better to spend time in John O'Groats and at Duncansby Head (spectacular!). I'll bet this is wonderful place to bird in Spring and earlier in the summer.

The highlights on this leg were Smoo Cave (a must) and the Strathnaver Museum in Bettyhill, also a must-see. The museum tells the story of the highland clearances in a very personalized way that provides real emotional impact. The drive from Thurso to Scourie is mostly single track roads, so be psychologically prepared. And know the rules of single tracking. Too many people don't understand it.

Our guide, Donald Matheson, was fantastic! He's a lifelong resident of Lewis, and he knew every nook and cranny, every bit of history. He was a wealth of fascinating information. This was a delightful day. We went to the north end of Lewis and worked our way back, stopping at museums, Ness Harbor, the Carloway Harris Tweed mill, black houses, and standing stones. We skipped Callanish because we had seen it the day before on our own. A completely memorable day. I highly recommend Donald as a guide.

Again, Donald Matheson was a great guide. We loved seeing Harris. Harris isn't about history the way Lewis is - it's scenery. And the scenery and beaches are beautiful. Donald was aware I'm a photographer, and he made sure to stop at appropriate places so I could take pictures. A very memorable day - one of the highlights of our trip.

it was hard to believe a canyon this deep is so close to Ullapool. We spent extra time here, birding and enjoying the scenery. We also had lunch at the visitor center cafe (shared outdoor picnic tables).

We walked through the Loch Gruinart trails a bit to quickly to find birds. Dougie knew the area well - he used to live there - and he had fascinating stories about the history. But he could have had more awareness of how birders like to walk through a preserve.

A great distillery tour! Understand that I almost never say that because all distillery tours have the same core content. You get the local nuance, but the stills, fermenters, washbacks, and the like, are pretty much the same. This tour had a great guide (Darren) who was funny and knowledgeable, and it included four serious samplings of Kilchoman whisky at key places on the tour. It made it much more fun!