Kimkim Trip Reviews for Scotland

Recently retired and wanting to travel to Scotland, but where to start? Hearing about KimKim from my sister-in-law we contacted them and them and Pauline was our personal agent and advocate! We had appointments regularly so she could glean what were our goals and desires. She listened, then researched and advised. She was SPOT ON! We wanted to experience as much as we could in the 10 day trip and looking back I would not have changed a thing!
Pauline and the team at KimKim made sure to book our hotels close to the train connections and local travel options. My husband and I along with his sister and husband traveled with ease knowing we were backed by the whole group. It made us feel more at ease when questions arose.
We were picked up at the airport and delivered to our first hotel in London for a couple of days starting with the Tower of London and a on a whim the Winston Churchill War Room exhibits. Both were AMAZING! The following day we took infamous Westminster Chapel, which left us breathless.
Off to Edinburgh by train to see the country in comfort! One of our goals was to learn about my husband's Scottish heritage. KimKim connected us to a guide who was such a gem, Alister, who gave a a driving tour of Edinburgh first and then to the family town and castle! Although the castle was in ruins, it was truly remarkable. Alister headed our wish to visits the less busy parts of Scotland and our day along the coastal towns and local cafe's made it all the more memorable.
Then Inverness the trip would not be complete without the castle tours, historical sites with fantastic guides and stories told with their delightful accent! A 12 hour bus tour to the Isle of Skye with photo stops and entertaining and historical stories from our guide, Carin, made the trip a real winner.
The last stop in the quaint town of Sterling staying in a truly landmark hotel, the Golden Lion, and the Sterling castle (which is a MUST see).
KimKim had a driver deliver us to the airport, (another Alister) who was the kindest gentleman, who navigated morning traffic through the backroads with ease to deliver us to the airport.
ALL the details matter and Pauline and her crew hit it out of the park. We are so grateful to have had them in our back pocket!

Activity Reviews

Stirling Castle Tickets

Scotland

This was the castle to see! Where Scotland has so much history.

Quality of Experience

The Isle of Skye & Eilean Donan Castle

Inverness

Edinburgh Castle Tickets

Edinburgh

Such a treat to experience REAL history.

Quality of Experience

Private day dedicated to the Lumsden Clan

Inverness

Honestly I cannot say enough about our guide, Alister. He was thorough and oh so thoughtful. His research on our family heritage and then driving us to the specific locations was so valuable. We were able to see, walk, read and touch where our family lived hundreds of years ago. We have memories that will be with us forever. Thank you Alistor and KimKim!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tickets to Westminster Abbey

London

Truly breath taking. Majestic, solemn, and facsinating. I need a full day!

Quality of Experience

Tower of London Timed Entry Tickets

London

Easy to tour on your own, they have personal audio players so you can spend as little or as much time as you like.

Although we livwd wvwrywhwre we went Isle of Sky and the coastal towns of the East Neuk were magical! We could not have had a more perfect trip! Our travel agent Tatiana was superb, “shadowing” us every day to make sure everything was right.

Hotel Review

The Dowans Hotel of Speyside

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Bespoke Private Isle of Skye Tour

Scotland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Honestly, I would not change one thing that Aleksandra set up for us. The trip was perfect and all the accommodations and tours were great.

Hello Tetiana,

Thank you for putting together this overall very memorable and satisfying trip through Scotland. We had a wonderful time and left feeling that we got a thorough impression of Scotland’s cities and breathtaking landscapes. Everything worked out perfectly, and we truly appreciated the attention to detail throughout the itinerary.

We do have a few minor comments and recommendations:

First, we were unable to go inside Edinburgh Castle because our flight delay made it too stressful on the day of arrival. However, we thoroughly enjoyed the recommended city tour and even stumbled upon Greyfriars Bobby’s grave, which was a lovely surprise for us as dog lovers. That would be a wonderful addition to your list of sightseeing recommendations.

Second, on the third day, we left Stirling Castle and drove north to the Culloden Battlefield. The drive took over three hours due to road construction and traffic, which caused us to miss our 2 p.m. tour. Fortunately, we were able to join the 3 p.m. session instead, though this meant we missed visiting Urquhart Castle that afternoon. That turned out just fine, as we later saw the castle from the Loch Ness Canal Tour the next day.

Isle of Skye was the absolute highlight of our trip. We loved Portree, the Storr hike, and the scenery filled with sheep—it all felt wonderfully authentic. We decided to skip the Quiraing hike to keep the day more relaxed and ensure we had time for the Talisker tour, which was a great decision.

On the sixth day, driving from Portree to Glencoe, we came across the Highland Soap Company and decided to stop. We recognized the brand from the products used in all our hotels—from Edinburgh to Inverness to Portree—and enjoyed shopping there tremendously. It would be a fantastic addition to future itineraries.

Overall, the trip was beautifully arranged, and we’re so grateful for your excellent planning and thoughtful touches. Thank you again for helping us experience Scotland in such a memorable and personal way.

Hotel Review

Bracken Hide Hotel

Portree

This was the best hotel on the trip, and we were so happy to be able to stay there for two nights. This hotel, and the Isle of Skye in general, was so beautiful that we could have stayed there the full week as well.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Sea Breezes Restaurant

Scotland

This restaurant was sadly closed during our stay on the Isle of Skye, so we cannot leave a proper review.

This was a dream trip for us to get a good look at the Scottish Highlands, Orkney Islands, the Outer Hebredes (Lewis and Harris) and Skye as well as a caste of the Fringe in Edinburgh and a chance to discover Glasgow. Jane and Marine-Heloise were very adaptable in their planning and set it up for a smooth experience. Well, except for driving on the opposite side of the road, which was both exciting and terrifying.
We were able to enjoy some of the Fringe activities in Edinburgh once we figured out how it all worked. Then drove north thru the Highlands for Scotch whiskey, historical sites and geologic wonders. All the while staying at a variety of lodging and enjoying the fabulous weather (clouds, rain, sun and rainbows). They really put together a great trip.

Hotel Review

Harbour House

Ullapool

This was a spectacular location on the water in a separate cottage. It was my wife's absolute favorite of the trip. It was an easy walk into town, had plenty of parking and breakfast was great. The unit was recently built and very modern inside but the view from the front patio (and large windows) was wonderful. We hope to stay there again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Welcome to the Orkney Islands

Scotland

Head immediately out for the Stenness Stone Circle and the Barnhouse Settlement, then head to the Ring of Brodgar. You will want to see them multiple times: in morning light and late afternoon to sunset. Also the village at Skara Brae. In Stromness, we ate at the Ferry Inn twice, good food, nice staff and good conversation. If you get to Kirkwall, eat at Lucano. Best Italian food on our trip and a good wine selection. Next trip we are likely to head on to the Shetland Islands for more exploring.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Breakfast/service at Stromness Hotel was only OK

Transport

Ferries were great, we were driving a rental car.

Three Isles Tour – Mull, Iona & Staffa

Oban

Beautiful trip out of Oban. We enjoyed the ferry crossing and bus trip across Mull - great scenery from the upper level! The ride out to visit Fingal's Cave was pretty choppy and the wave action was too strong for us to put ashore and walk to the cave. But staying safe was the first priority. Visiting Iona was the best part of the trip. Walking out and exploring the Abbey then stopping for a hand pie at St. Columba Larder was an unexpected treat. Finished with a glass of wine looking out over the water to Mull on a sunny afternoon. Here's another location we will plan for visiting again.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Great bus driver!

Transport

Our trip to Scotland was magical. Kate was very attentive, always quick to respond with questions and to offer alternatives to the itinerary. The pace was perfect and we hit every sight we wanted to see, with the exception of Nessie, she was not in view the day we were at Loch Ness!

Eridon was exceptional as a driver/guide. He drove us to Portree and made a few stops en route that were not on the itinerary, places that he thought we'd like, and we did! It was a long day, but one of the best ones. He was lovely and very knowledgable.

All the hotels were great, but Taransay House stood out. Our stay there included breakfast and dinner each night and the food was delicious. The rooms were immaculate and very spacious and comfortable but what stood out the most is how hospitable Murdo and his family are, he was there at the door to greet us upon arrival and we immediately felt like old friends. He helped us with mapping out routes, and finding a driver for us, by calling in a favor, when he learned that we had no transportation reserved.

As a note - in many of the more remote places in Scotland, Uber is not available and taxis need to be reserved (well) in advance. We didn't understand this and were caught out more than once when there was no transportation available. It would have been better (and easier) for us to have that done in advance, whether by Kate or on our own, as it was a bit stressful on the day to learn that we couldn't move forward with our plans due to lack of transportation.

Hotel Reviews

Prestonfield House

Edinburgh

What a special experience! We felt like we had stepped back in time to another, more civilized, era, but with all the modern amenities and comforts.

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Taransay House, Small Hotel

Portree

Taransay House is a gem. Only four rooms, run by a family, includes breakfast and dinner. We have stayed at 5 star resorts all over the world, and Taransay House is on par. The rooms are immaculate, large and very comfortable, and the food is wonderful. The family that runs it are very special, we felt welcome immediately and when our stay was over, I didn't want to leave. It was one of the highlights of our trip.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walking distance to the center of Portree, overlooking a waterway.

Staff

Murdo and Scott are fantastic!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Virgin Hotels Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Fabulous location, right on "Diagon Alley" and walking distance to everything in Edinburgh. The staff was very helpful and very welcoming. Rooms were comfortable and clean.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Edinburgh: Harry Potter Magical Guided Walking Tour

Edinburgh

Even my husband, who is not a Potter fan, thought this was so much fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The trip was overall great. It was planned too full do the activities,iand our distillary day was disappoitment (the local guide was great, but it was poorly planned).

Hotels and local guides were amazing, and I can't wait to get back to Scotland!

Hotel Reviews

Cameron house

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Monkstadt 1745

Linicro, Isle of Skye

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rocpool Reserve Hotel

Inverness

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Townhouse Aberfeldy

Aberfeldy

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

N°11 Boutique Restaurant and Rooms Hotel

Edinburgh

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Loch Ness and Caledonian Canal Cruise

Inverness

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Speyside Distillery Tour from Inverness

Inverness

It was planned in a way we didn't have even have enough time to complete the tours, and not option for lunch or even a snack all day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wild Brown Trout and Grayling Fishing River Tay

Scotland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Edinburgh Old Town Tour

Edinburgh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kate from KimKim connected us with drivers and guides that were just good people with local knowledge and an interest in helping us have a positive experience. Numerous times during our trip, my wife and I commented that the support from Kate made this a comfortable and stress free trip.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel du Vin & Bistro Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Authenticity & Character

Unique property, in a good sense.

Location

Staff

Wonderful welcoming staff. Made us feel like we were appreciated.

Cleanliness & Comfort

River Ness Hotel, a member of Radisson Individuals

Inverness

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Marmalade Hotel

Portree

Nice property in a very convenient location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Front desk staff was not overly friendly. All other employees at the property were great.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Inverlochy Castle Hotel

Fort William

Our time here was impacted by a major wind and rain storm. The staff rose to the occasion and did their best to pamper us and help make it a positive staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Views are amazing.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cameron house

Lovely property and welcoming staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Holyrood Distillery Tour

Edinburgh

Was looking for a whiskey tour. This tour focused more on their other distilled spirits. Was not a fan of their whiskey.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The Vaults Tour

Edinburgh

If you have limited time, don’t think this needs to be a priority.

Quality of Experience

Probably the least favorite guide we had while in Scotland.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Edinburgh Old Town Tour

Edinburgh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Glen Affric, Culloden, and Clava Cairns Tour

Inverness

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Inverness Walking Tour

Scotland

Our guide was knowledgeable and engaging.

Talisker Distillery

Scotland

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip to Scotland to drive the North Coast 500 was a journey filled with stunning landscapes, quaint villages, ancient castles, historic landmarks, pubs, distilleries, friendly people and terrific accommodations.

Shout out experiences: the Croft Cafe and the Highland Cows, The Royal Yacht Britannia, Culloden

Everything about the trip from beginning to end was wonderful! Comfortable shoes in London and Scotland are most definitely a must as they are both walking destinations! (Of course as much or little as you want) but so much to see within close proximity that walking is easy. Pauline was awesome ! Such a bubbly personality with a true desire to listen and book the kind of vacation you are looking for. It was so reassuring to have someone so competent managing the helm! I would give her and her team 5 stars!

Lily, from KimKim, did an outstanding job planning our Scotland Adventure. There were 4 of us. The guys wanted to golf, and we wanted our own excursions.

Hotel Reviews

Cameron House

Alexandria

Wow! This hotel is amazing! It sits on a beautiful property that overlooks Loch Lomond! It’s also a castle! The staff were exceptional, and very friendly. The restaurants on the property were great! We rented bikes there and rode 26 miles through the countryside. Also had a boat ride on Loch Lomond.

Authenticity & Character

Part of a castle. Wonderful indoor pool and hot tub.

Location

Overlooks Loch Lomond. Nice walk through the property.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds were very comfortable. Room service exceptional

Rufflets St Andrews

St. Andrews

Very charming and elegant. On the outskirts of St Andrews. Had an English Tudor feel. The gardens were amazing. I could have stayed a lot longer here!

Authenticity & Character

The gardens in the back says it all!

Location

Was easy to get into St Andrews

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Scotsman Hotel

Edinburgh

Perfect location. Easy to walk to many areas in Edinburgh, including the Royal Mile and the Edinburgh Castle and the Palace. Hotel room was very comfortable. Excellent room service.

Authenticity & Character

The building itself was very elegant with a lot of charm.

Location

Easy to walk to many areas of interest.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Edinburgh Food Tour - With Locals - Private

Edinburgh

Had many authentic Scottish tastes, including Haggis and local Whiskey

Quality of Experience

Authentic food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Edinburgh Castle Tickets

Edinburgh

The Edinburgh Castle was very interesting to explore.

Private Walking Tour of Edinburgh with a Top Local Guide

Edinburgh

Private tour of Edinburgh with our guide. He had so much knowledge about the area, and history of Edinburgh and Scotland.

Quality of Experience

All hotels were the perfect match for us.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip went smoothly overall and all of our accommodations and private guides were exceptional. Shawna did a fabulous private tour of Old Town Edinburgh with us. She recommended a wonderful place to eat in Old Town and we ended up eating there again on our last day when we returned to Edinburgh for our flight home the next day.

We had an issue with Ian, our driver (son of Brian of BW taxis) on our transfer to Inverness from Portree-he didn't seem to know where he was supposed to take us and insisted that he had let you know that he could not do Culloden, Cairngorms and Clava Cairns on the same day ; I let Kateryna know and she fixed the issues promptly (on a Sunday!) and arranged for a driver on Monday who was outstanding (Jim). He and Kateryna made sure that we were able to do the activities that we were supposed to do on Sunday even though it made a very long day for both Jim and ourselves. (It was almost dark and we were the only ones left when we left the Culloden battlefield!) If the driver on Sunday had followed the itinerary we would have been able to see all the places on our itinerary before it became so late. I would suggest that you do not use ian again. Constantine, our driver from Edinburgh to Loch Lomond was very accommodating - he stopped at Balloch Castle and took us into Luss. Our driver from Loch Lomond to Portree (Eri) was also great. The driver who picked us up at the airport did not meet us in the airport as we expected but sent me a WhatsApp video of where we should go to find him. We weren't able to follow his directions very well and he had to come and find us after all. I understand that he was not supposed to leave his car in the place that he had parked but this disconcerted us as it was the first thing we encountered upon our arrival.

Kateryna's suggested activities were perfect for us! We were able to see a lot in the 9 days that we were there. We ended up doing the Mary King's Close tour on the last day that we were in Edinburgh which was not something that we booked with you. It really was a spectacular 9 days. The only other thing I want to mention (I've mentioned this to Kateryna) is that we have used agencies for several other international trips in the past and we have always been able to view a detailed list of expenses for drivers, hotels and excursions. I'm not sure why you do not wish to make this information available to your travelers but my husband prefers this transparency. Even though Kateryna did a wonderful job for us, he would be hesitant to use your services in the future for this reason.

We had a wonderful trip. Each and every stop was unique and interesting. From urban settings to small towns and even the seldom traveled Shetland Islands, the scenery was beautiful. We found out many new and unknown facts about England and Scotland and their rich and interesting history. Our guide Paul, in London was very knowledgeable about all things Beatles. When we got to Edinburgh Robert gave an excellent walking tour of the city and told us many stories of unknown facts about events that have occurred in the town. From there we headed out into the country where we received gracious hospitality at all of our lodging stops. We were especially happy with our stay on the Isle of Sky and also the Shetland Islands. When we arrived in Lerwick Lara gave a wonderful and car tour of the town and some other historical sites on the Island. She was interesting, knowledgeable, and accommodating. We all enjoyed the day with her.
After the Shetlands we head back to London for some more rich history tours with Angie and Tracy. The walking tour to the Buckingham Palace was interesting and Angie was full of fun facts about the Royal family and the traditions. Tracy took us on a Black cab tour of London. Tracy was also interesting and knowledgeable. She took us to some local shops and eateries unique to London. She was great as well and we enjoyed our day with her. We could not have had more fun. Stephen you kept us busy and entertained. It was better than I imagined it could be. Thank you for the great planning and great guides!

Great trip to Scotland! It was great to have all our activities and lodging planned by KimKim, and then presented to us for review and approval before committing to the trip. At every activity and lodging spot we just gave our name and the reservation was waiting for us. Dinner at The Witchery was truly special, all our lodging was top-rate, our Old Town Edinburgh guide (Katie Rae) was awesome, and our distillery tour driver (Jimmy) was very good.

Hotel Reviews

Cameron house

Cameron House was quite impressive with its grand resort-like feel. The architecture is stunning, almost like staying in a castle.

Townhouse Aberfeldy

Aberfeldy

Beautiful place with elevator access, great staff, and awesome food.

Authenticity & Character

Hi character, but modern features

Location

walking distance to the rest of this pretty village

Staff

Helpful and pleasant.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Exploring Edinburgh Castle

Scotland

Due to travel logistics and scheduling conflicts, we were unable to visit Edinburgh Castle at the initially scheduled time of 2:30 PM on the first day. The entire group couldn't arrive in time due to varying flight schedules, but I was able to switch the tickets to the next day. Coordination with all parties' flight schedules would improve the ease of executing these plans.

Loch Ness and Caledonian Canal Cruise

Inverness

One of my favorite activities! A beautiful 2-hour, relaxing and informative ride.

Speyside Distillery Tour from Inverness

Inverness

Our driver/guide (Jimmy) was very good. The tours and tastings at the distilleries were fun and informative.

Wild Brown Trout and Grayling Fishing River Tay

Scotland

Great ghillie and guides but didn't catch any fish.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Edinburgh Old Town Tour

Edinburgh

The tour was great, and Katie Rae was awesome!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Everything worked perfectly as planned The accomdations exceeded expectation The variety of food in Scotlant leases something to be desired.

Tetiana, thanks for everything,. You are very good . Russ

The overall trip was great, the stops wonderful, the accommodations were very nice, and for the most part our private transfer was efficient.

The tour of old town Edinburgh was just about right with Chris our tour guide entertaining and informative.

We spent three days with John Patience for a tour of Stirling, Bannockburn, Wallace Monument, Inverness, Loch Ness and Saint Andrew’s. As we are not golfers, Saint Andrew’s was not our favorite but could appreciate the town and local university. John, our guide and driver for this part of the trip was fabulous, informative, funny and a gentleman beyond compare. We actually met a student from Michigan which was a nice touch. Go Green, Go White. Seeing the standing stones and Clava Cairns was an unplanned stop which still might be this reviewer’s favorite.

Newhall Mains was fantastic! The restaurant, coos and the sauna were perhaps our best overall accommodations. We had to skip the Urquhart Castle because of limited time.
Having a local guide ( J P) with this much knowledge made a long day in a van most enjoyable. Talisker Distillery was fantastic and a source of many souvenirs. We said goodbye to our best guide John at the drop off at the Edinbane Inn, a great establishment with local relaxed flavor and great food.

Our vehicle was cramped for the Edinbane to Kilt Rock, old man of Storr, tour and hike but Ian our Driver made it fun.

Caroline picked us up from Inverlochy Castle Hotel ( Beautiful Accommodations) to the Ferry for the whisky tour segment of the trip though we never had time to explore Glencoe.

The ferry was fun and efficient though our Driver from the ferry doc at Port Askaig was slightly late and uncommunicative so that was a bit disconcerting.

The Machrie was a welcome shift to a more relaxed pace, our taxi Driver to Port Ellen was great. ( Arthur, Bodachs Islay taxi) He saved us later in the day as we stumbled back from our three distillery tour.

Loch Lamond and Cameron house was beautiful but we needed more time, only one quick night and a couple of meals there to remember. This needed two to three full days.

Eri our Driver to Glasgow and later to the airport was very nice and informative. Our last night at the Kimpton was good but again felt very hurried. The spa experience however was welcome and helped to relax us.

My wife and I had a great trip to Scotland! Our driving around the country included several days in each town: Edinburgh, St Andrews, Pitlochry, Inverness, Portree, Banavie/Ft Williams, and Luss. It was great to have KimKim's agent's experience helping decide on the route and destinations. All great choices! In the towns, the boutique hotels were intimate and in the heart of town. The selections kept us from competing with large tour busses and we felt more a part of each towns than in more corporate hotels. Once we drove to each town, we could then walk to everything we wanted. The highlights were four rounds of Golf scheduled by kimkim, and lots of hiking & biking on our own. Beside the Golf, we were set up with a few tours; two distillery tours, a private Edinburgh walking tour, Urquhart castle tour, and a ferry-bike ride loop at Loch Katrine. Those events provided a good mix with our desire to explore on our own.

Tetiana helped us plan an amazing two week trip through Scotland. It was seamless working with her remotely, as she helped plan and book our activities in Edinburgh, the Highlands, Oban, and Isle of Skye. She listened to our interests, and had great insight into the activities that we would find interesting. Additionally, she was easy to contact and very responsive, checking in with us several times during the two weeks in Scotland. One of our favorite days was in Edinburgh, where she scheduled us with a private guide to take us to Rosslyn Chapel and Glenkinchie Distillery. Both activities were very enjoyable, and she found a great guide for us. I would not hesitate to use Kim Kim for our travel plans in the future.

Salomé planned the perfect trip. There were a lot of moving parts--8 different hotels in 8 different cities over 3 weeks, lots of activities, and a traveler who is post-joint replacement, so ability was unknown.

The trip she planned was everything I'd hoped it would be and more. I can't recommend Highpoint Travel enough and the only reason I found them was Kimkim.

Hotel Reviews

Tigerlily

Edinburgh

The reception desk was hard to find. The vibe was for a much younger crowd than us. We had room 16. The lampshade was broken. The lights weren't dimmable so they flickered. One of the chairs had a broken bottom. The mini-bar was ridiculous. And worst of all, we were charged double for our stay. This was the only hotel I wouldn't stay at again. The high points were the breakfast staff, housekeeping, and the bartender.

Authenticity & Character

As i said, the vibe seems more for 20 and 30 year old folks. It's fine

Location

It's in the New City. If you want to go to the Old City, it's a hike up the hill.

Staff

As i said, the breakfast server was outstanding, the bartender was new but very nice, and the housekeeping staff was great. The night porter though, charged us double for our stay. We were checking out, we said our travel agency already paid and were calling them when he said, "It's all taken care of." We took that to mean he'd found the travel agency payment. When we got home, after a 26hr day, we realized that he just charged our card on file. It took 4 days to get the $800 we were overcharged back. This caused a huge hardship for us as that was the money we'd set aside to restock our house with groceries when we got back.

Cleanliness & Comfort

It was clean. The bed was comfortable. The furniture was in disrepair.

The Castle Hotel

Conwy

This one was my favorite. We had a suite and our windows in the sitting room looked out on High Street while the windows in the bedroom looked on the castle and the old church. Lots of stairs, be warned. 100% worth every bit of it. We were here for 4 days; I wanted to move in permanently.

Authenticity & Character

This building was built for temporary housing, being an old coach inn.

Location

We were cattycorner to Plas Mawr! You can't get more central than High Street.

Staff

Good folks, incredibly helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ooh, that tub!

Clayton Hotel

Glasgow

We had one night here. I would've liked more. It's directly in the city center, right off the river. You can walk to lots of things and the train is an easy walk.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Central to everything

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Bosville Hotel

Portree

Parking was incredibly difficult but worth it. They did an amazing job with the remodel. Again, you're going to have stairs and there's no getting around that. The food was fantastic, so make reservations for dinner ahead of time.

Authenticity & Character

Three 16th C cottages made into an inn.

Location

Smack in the middle of town. Excellent location.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Royal Hotel, Ullapool

Ullapool

We had only 1 night here. I wish we'd had more. We had room 3, on the corner with the most amazing view. Do check out Highland Pottery just up the hill.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Lots within walking distance

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hawthorns Bed & Breakfast

Thurso

I felt like I was staying with friends. The Hawthornes are incredibly kind and welcoming people. Please do ask to meet the canine family members. They're lovely.

Authenticity & Character

It's a home.

Location

Just down from Castle Mey and the gardens.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lochardil House Hotel Inverness

Inverness

It's a great old house with a wing where you can get a ground floor room-- no stairs! The real jewel here is the staff. They are warm, lovely people who make you feel very welcome.

Authenticity & Character

Location

You kinda have to drive to get to anything in Inverness.

Staff

This is what makes this hotel stand out.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cairngorm Hotel

Aviemore

There will be stairs. You can't get around them but they're worth it for the excellent service and great food. The location is directly across the street from the steam engine trip and within walking distance of everything.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Secrets of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile - walking tour with castle tickets

Edinburgh

We had fun on this one. Our tour guide, Veni, was great. After 2.5 weeks of tromping up and down castle stairs and hills and so forth, I was able to keep up. I'm definitely in better shape now than I was before this trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

A little difficult to find if one doesn't know what Merkat is, or was.

Transport

Full-day Best of Snowdonia Day Tour

Conwy

This was not exactly what I thought. I thought we'd be going to the top of yr Wyddfa, but this was a van ride around the area, hitting 4 castles along the way. By this time, I was pretty much castled out, having realized that unless you were into castle design, one castle was pretty much the same as another. However, this one had a Welsh designed castle which was very different and the guide was very nice.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Loch Lomond Cruise

Scotland

Scotland is just a ridiculously beautiful country. Point your camera anywhere and you'll get a beautiful photo. Loch Lomond was no exception. We went to the church yard to see the Viking burial. That was very cool.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Talisker distillery tour

Scotland

I like whiskey so I truly enjoyed this. My husband is more a rum drinker. Our tour guide was great, I loved the look behind the scenes, and the whiskey was good.

Summer Isle Tours

Ullapool

We missed the Summer Islands. A road closure/construction in Castletown made us look for an alternate route. The GPS, bless it, sent us down a two-way one lane road for 80mi. One we realized we weren't going to make it, we called and canceled (no refund) and relaxed and took our time. We ended up at Dunrobin castle in Goldspie. Sometimes going off script is better. Once you get to Ullapool, check out Highland Pottery.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

My driver (my husband) seemed terrified the entire 80mi. He rode too far to the left and didn't seem to understand the rules of the road. He improved after mile 40 or so. LOL. Seriously, though, I recommend a T sign for the car and maybe a "So you want to drive yourself around Scotland, do ya?" pamplet to teach Americans how to properly use those one lane roads and round abouts.

Transport

The car was excellent. Thank goodness we didn't get unsold to the bigger car. The Kia Nero was just fine.

Orkney Day Trip

Scotland

See the Welcome to Orkney review.

Welcome to the Orkney Islands

Scotland

Christina: Kieran was an amazingly knowledgeable and personable guide. I can't recommend him enough. There was so much here! Skara Brea was closed for high winds so we went to Gurness instead and I'm glad for it. We saw the Italian cathedral which showed the incredible talent of the Italian prisoners of war, and this is where I saw the Highland cows in person. We went to St Magnus Cathedral and it's as fine as any other I've seen anywhere.

Quality of Experience

I want an entire week here, maybe 2.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kieran. Book him.

Transport

This is about Northlink. We arrived at the time we were told to arrive. What we didn't know is that there was a half mile hike to get to the check in point and parking was £15! Since I couldn't run because of the knee surgery, we were late. These folks are getting the 3 stars bc they held up the ferry for us to get there. That was kind of them and they didn't have to. We appreciate that part. The ferry itself was nice, no complaints there. I looked into what it would've cost to bring the car over instead and wow! Ridiculous! What's truly ridiculous is that they charge for the car and then again for each person! That's crazy. So, my suggestion is to look into other ferry companies especially if you have mobility issues.

Boat Ride Around the Canal & Loch Ness including a Visit to Urquhart Castle

Scotland

We got there late for our original boat ride so the folks there worked out something better. We did the cruise and then got tickets for the castle at our own pace. It took of all of the pressure to do the castle within the time allotted.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Culloden Battlefield Visitor Centre tickets

Inverness

It's a necessary trip. Consider it a a pilgrimage, even if it is sad. It's a beautiful field watered with a lot of blood over a family feud between cousins.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

National Wallace Monument visit

Scotland

Lots of narrow spiral stairs. Beautiful view of Stirling Castle and the river.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Take the bus. The driver is hilarious.

Transport

Stirling Castle Tickets

Scotland

This was a great way to start our trip.

We loved Scotland and were very appreciative that we got to see so many things in our 10 days. My feedback is solely on our challenges with accommodations scheduled.

At our first location (Glasgow) - the hotel and our guide from our roadbook were inaccurate relative to when meals (specifically breakfast) was. It caused us some stress as we tried to figure out where to have breakfast before very early tour dates. I wish it were more accurate.

We LOVED the Rocpol hotel - the hotel was fantastic! However, included with our rooms were 3 things each day - tea at 3pm; glass of wine/champange at 5pm; and spoons and a drink at 6pm. We only were able to enjoy tea at ONE day, wine never, and spoons one day. It would have been nice to not have the tours end so late that we couldn't enjoy Inverness nor the hotel and the amazing services. I felt like we didn't get value from what we paid for the hotel. Additionally, at least one of the suggested things to do in Inverness were not doable due to Sunday start date.

The final accommodation Frazer Suites was not good at all. First, they are apartments that have mini-kitchens and we didn't need that. Second, the facilities were really dated and bathroom was gross. Third, we had to ask for towels and our room was cleaned 1 time (not really well) in our stay. Finally, the hotel staff was just OK. After the experience at Rocpool, it was such a disappointment. Finally the location - while close to Edinburg Castle - nothing else was nearby - meaning most of the shops and attractions closed by 7pm and all that was there was restaurants. I am not sure why we stayed at that hotel at that location - as we didn't get very much out of it - a rather gross hotel in an ok location.

My last recommendation is that on future tours, you have people start with the hop on/hop off tours - which provide a really great way to learn about each city and gives you a good idea of places to visit etc

Hotel Reviews

Fraser Suites Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rocpool Reserve Hotel

Inverness

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clayton Hotel

Glasgow

I liked rooms; I wish they were more clear on services like breakfast times

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Edinburgh Castle Tickets

Edinburgh

Quality of Experience

Loch Lomond, Kelpies & Stirling Castle Tour

Edinburgh

We had sufficient time to review the castle - it was great but Stirling castle is very commercial

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Outlander tour from Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Amazing - I didn't watch Outlander but our Rabbie driver made it come alive and explained things She was amazing!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Scotch Whisky Experience Tour and Tasting

Edinburgh

I learned a lot but I think the Johnnie Walker tour might be a better one for you to consider (we didn't do it but heard from others on our Rabbie tour that it was much better)

Private transfer in town

Scotland

Great driver

Loch Ness Cruise, Outlander & Whisky Tour

Inverness

I lvoed that we had enough time at the castle to really explore

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The best driver!

Transport

while older vehicle - it was actually more comfortable

The Isle of Skye & Eilean Donan Castle

Inverness

I felt very rushed going thru the castle - we didn't get enough time for the admission price Also I felt like many of the stops were "tourist traps" that Rabbie's gets paid to take people - not really much to see - more "buy stuff" Also lunch was stressful at Skye as so many people - we had very little time to find lunch and walk around

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

the driver was a bit harsh - driving and yelling at other drivers - it was a lot

Transport

The Rabbie buses are hard for tall US invidivuals - very little leg room

Uilebheist Distillery Discovery Tour

Inverness

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Oban, Glencoe, Highland Lochs & Castles

Glasgow

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport