Kimkim Trip Reviews for Scotland

Beautiful inside and out

The place is beautiful and the people and food were just amazing. Don’t rent a car and drive it to this location without a parking permit.

Only there one night but it’s a beautiful place

Beautiful place

We slept and ate here between our adventures

Beautiful

Loved the historical nature of this inn. While it had been renovated to allow for modern conveniences, the historical nature of the building and the coziness of the pub were delightful. Alex, who welcomed us to the inn, was extremely helpful and charming.

The cabins were adorable and the kitchen was well equipped. Both of our cabins were clean and comfortable and the staff were most helpful.

The staff was fabulous and extremely helpful. Our bed was a king-sized bed. I am a 5 foot 10 inch tall woman and my feet hung off the bottom of the bed unless my head was touching the headboard. It was an uncomfortable bed, but the front desk had housekeeping provide us with a bed topper to alleviate the lumpiness of the bed. Other than the bed issue, everything was clean and comfortable.

Our driver was extremely helpful and informative. He stopped occasionally to allow us time to experience some of the sites en route to our hotel.

Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and fun. She dressed in Regency attire and paced the tour in a manner that allowed for all members of our foursome to keep up.

I loved Stonehenge and the exhibition hall and buildings were truly helpful in imagining what it was like for the people from back in time to live and celebrate around Stonehenge.

Wonderful demonstration on how the sheep, the dogs, and humans interact with each other.

If you can make this happen, it is a must for the Scotland experience. The plane uses Lock Lomond to take off and land, but the tour is about 140 miles of the Scotish coastal towns and inlets from the Atlantic ocean. The plane is a Cessna Caravan turbo prop, average altitude 1400'. Trust me, you can see a lot from 1400'.

Great last day to wind down and get ready for the trip home. Shop all the stores on Rose Street and restaraunts are too many to count.

Incredible day with an incredible historian. If I had more time, we would have spent another day with him. We loved it

Wonderful, helpful, pleasant staff. These folks were a pleasure to stay with for a couple days. The lobby, room, and hallways were good, but could use some light maintenance. The bed was great, very comfortable. In all, the accommodations were above average, but nothing extraordinary. The provided breakfast was also good, fresh, well-kept, and nice variety. A little trouble with the coffee machine. Maintenance? Planning? At any rate, staff was patient and attentive in addressing the issue. We would recommend this hotel.

Wonderful hosts. Beautiful location. Very pleasant and comfortable room. Nicely prepared and tasty breakfast. We loved this stay. Highly recommended.

We loved this. A highlight. Helped us stay awake after arriving.

The tour was wonderful and the driver was a character with a big personality. There was a minor miscommunication where he thought we were golfers but it turned into a funny moment. The whiskey tour was particularly enjoyable, and the guides made it fun and informative for everyone, even the non-drinkers in our group.

The beer tour was a fun experience for our group. The guides were accommodating and understanding about the non-drinkers in our group, offering them alternatives and still making the tour informative for them as well. The whole experience was enjoyable and well put together.

The tour to the Giants Causeway was absolutely incredible. Our driver was wonderful and the scenery was breathtaking. It was a fantastic way to spend our day and we couldn't have been happier with the experience.

The Irish House Party - one of the highlights of our trip. Initially, we were hesitant to attend due to its location and our fatigue. However, it turned out to be a blast! Although the food before the show was average, the music and dancing were amazing. We left feeling very happy and glad that we went there.

We really appreciated the downtime in our schedule. Our group made the most of it and explored attractions that weren't initially on our itinerary. It provided us with the flexibility we desired and allowed us to experience the city at our own pace.

The tour to the Cliffs of Moher was a great experience. Our driver was fantastic and the views were stunning. Initially, we were unsure if it would take too much time away from exploring Dublin, but it was well worth it. The only drawback was the large tour group, which we weren't expecting, but everyone was fun and we enjoyed the company.

The dinner was good and the event was fantastic. This is a must to do!

convenient to our walking tour and the train station. Rooms were great. The staff was helpful in selecting restaurants and directions

Across from the train station and ferry terminal, an easy walk to the town center and distillery. Staff was very helpful

used by the hikers in the area. The location was convenient near the waterfront and easy walking distance to the town center. There was no lift and our rooms were on the top floor, so a bit inconvenient for us, but not for the hikers

a classic old pub with rooms overhead. food in the pub was great and the service even better. Old stairs to get to our rooms as there was no lift, but very manageable

our guide was very knowledgeable and kept it funny with the history of Glasgow.

One of the highlights of our trip. Everything was well coordinated, the boat shuttle to Staffa was wild as the ocean was a bit rough. Staffa and it's caves and rock formations were unique. Iona was totally different as we spent our time at the Abbey (founded around 600 AD)

Fun and informative

weather was a wee bit rough but enjoyable trip. We went by a muscle farm and salmon farming. also saw a group of dolphins and some seals

this was fun as they described the history of the Loch Ness Monster legend plus the history of the area

we had a private tour with a guide that used to have a home in the area of the battlefield before it became a memorial. She was very knowledgeable and adaptable to our schedule as our previous event ran a bit long

our guide was friendly and helpful. Very knowledgeable

this was better than expected. The Sheppard and his dogs were fun to watch

It was a private tour and he adapted it based on what we had already seen. Very knowledgeable and friendly

Such a delightful experience. I loved the coffee/tea/wine room that we often met in to discuss our day and plan the next. The staff could not have been more welcoming and helpful. The rooms are smaller but bathroom was great. We had delicious breakfasts. But we overwhelmed by the cupcakes/cookies/ice cream available! What a SWEET place. The location was fabulous.

I loved this hotel. It had so much character, especially in the Irish owners and their children who helped with breakfast and bussed tables at night. They were all so kind to us and willing to help us out with any questions or needs we had. We wanted something other than a generic hotel and this was great for that. We ate there both nights. The food was excellent.

This hotel was such a wonderful place to stay. Lovely rooms, great baths, incredible garden with a view of the water. It was luxuriously comfortable. And Tony, the owner, could not have been more accommodating and helpful. This was the best hotel of our whole stay in Scotland. The food was outstanding as was the service in the beautiful dining room.

This was a good place to stay. We had to ask for help to get our bags up the stairs (we were on 3rd floor). It was a bit cramped but once again, the people at the bar/restaurant who deal with the hotel were welcoming and helpful.

We had great rooms with a wonderful view of the harbor. But the staff seemed cold and perhaps a bit overwhelmed. A cruise ship was in and the whole town seemed overwhelmed by the number of people crowding the streets and restaurants and other shops. It's important for people to know they must make reservations for dinner.

Andrew was so nice and so ready for us. He went out of his way to find a person for us to talk to about the church our grandmother came from. He worked hard to find our grandmother's street. And his recommendation that we go to the People's Palace to see the housing exhibit about the 19th century was perfect. We also enjoyed seeing the University of Glasgow. He made the day very convenient in our walking certain parts and having his car at other parts. Andy is charming and fun to be with.

Loved it! Breakfast was excellent. The room was comfortable and roomy. There are stairs!

Charming hotel, fantastic breakfast. We just didn't stay long enough.

Great hope. Lots of stairs. Parking was good. Breakfast was good!

Fantastic!

Not to sound boring, but another fantastic hotel with a great breakfast and friendly staff.

Loved this hotel! Breakfast was excellent! The location was perfect. It was a beautiful home. as well.

This hotel was wonderful. The dinner was superb, but you do need reservations! The view of the Castle and the Ferry from our window was spectacular. STEPS! Parking was super easy next to the hotel.

The young man in charge was wonderful. The location is good which is down the street from the train station and wonderful restaurants and pubs. The down side is there is very little to no parking. We were there of the Beyonce concert and droves of girls were going to the concert via the train down the street. Since there was absolutely no parking, we decided to return the rental car and take an Uber the next day to the airport. It was easy to do that. We did not eat breakfast. This is a charming hotel with a cute lobby and bar area. We were on the top floor and there was no elevator. LOTS of stairs. Beautiful hotel.

This also is a must and the high tea is an experience that you do not want to miss!

Keith was fabulous. This is a wonderful tour and I would do it again in a heartbeat!

This is a MUST tour! Our guide was knowledgeable, friendly, and we had a great time.

Do not miss this! It is a highlight and will be a meal and more for you.

Fabulous castle! Do not miss it!

We love this relaxing boat ride. We saw grouse , castles, homes , etc. It also is a must do.

Keith was wonderful, Again, This is a must for your trip to Skye!

This was okay. Not fabulous, but a fun thing to do.

For us, this was a good rest day not to drive. We enjoyed the scenery and the train was wonderful.

Amazing, Loved it!

This could not be further away from Hilton or a major hotel chain. This hotel is on the 6th floor of a building in center city. It is not appealing from the street, but inside it is extraordinary. It is immaculately clean with a simple, tasteful decorations. The staff is lovely and friendly, and the big surprise is a daily supply of freshly on-site baked goods and homemade ice cream. Breakfast is served in a cozy breakfast room with staff cooking in the visible kitchen. The entire experience provides a sense that you are visiting an older relative who is delighted you are there and she would do anything to make you feel welcome and at home. I would definitely return. It was the best first impression of Glasgow.

3.5. My sisters and I stayed on the top floor in a “family suite.”It consisted of one room with a king bed and a twin bed. Next door was a small room with a bunk bed. Both rooms were separated from the hallway by another door. There was one en-suite bath for us to share. There were three big negatives to this arrangement: Three guests sharing one bathroom. Poor air circulation NO LIFT… and the hotel staff was actually the wait staff in the pub on the first floor. The rooms were clean, and the location was good. The food in the bar downstairs was satisfactory , but not great. The wait staff was very friendly. We did ask for assistance with carrying heavy luggage up the stairs. Our ages range from 73-80 so this was a challenge. The pub staff helped, but they were not available when we had to depart on a train before 7:00 am . I liked the concept of rooms over the pub , but the poor air circulation and the luggage on stairs made this an Inn I would not rebook. Inverness is a town with many tourists. I imagine other hotels may be more comfortable.

We loved staying at the Manor House. The rooms were clean and more spacious than some we experienced in Scotland. The check in process is through the bar. One of the co owners checked us in. The owners, a husband and wife team, were eager to please and fn to talk with. Mary Ellen graciously offered to wash dry and fold our laundry for 5 £ each. I originally asked about sending it out to a laundry service. This is the kind of place Manor House is. They do everything that can to please their guests. Leo, Mary Ellen’s husband is a co-owner and an entertaining and charming bar tender. Their sweet children perform Hotel duties, including wait staff and trouble shooting. Sally, their sweet black dog lives attention and is a balm for guests who have left their pet at home.

This was the only lodging during our trip where the staff seemed overwhelmed and not very friendly. I almost forgot I was in Scotland. No one tried to engage us in conversation or inquired about our needs. No lift. No offers to bring luggage upstairs in spite of our obvious advanced age. The toilets in the lobby had signs saying they were only for residents’ use. Even as a guest, I had to get a key from the reception desk. The bathrooms were tiny and hard to use. The best part of this hotel was the location. It was easy to walk throughout Portee., and the view over the water was gorgeous. We never went into the restaurant for dinner. It was unappealing. No customers. Uninviting smell. The room itself was not inviting. The bed was comfortable, but one window did not open , making it hit and uncomfortable.

Pennygate Lodge is fantastic. Beautiful setting. Beautiful interior. Immaculately clean and tastefully decorated. Large guest rooms and bathrooms. Comfortable beds. Excellent linens. So appreciated a top sheet! Lovely Highland Soap toiletries. Fabulous shower. Tasty local cookies in the room. Glass bottles of water and milk in a hall refrigerator. Impressive attention to the environment. The owners and hosts are a couple who renovated this old manse to create a graceful and welcoming home to travelers. Fiona was out of town during our stay, but her husband Tony was an outstanding host, going out of his way to provide transportation to the ferry and Castle Duart. He was clearly invested in our enjoying our holiday. In addition to the lovely guest rooms and a comfortable lounge/ sitting room, Pennygate Lodge has an excellent restaurant on site owned and run by a husband and wife team. They serve an order- from-the-menu breakfast every morning that far exceeds the customary hotel breakfast fare. Dinner, which requires reservations, is a night out — without leaving your your guest house. The atmosphere is simple yet elegant. The co-owner and chef’s wife is the sole wait staff, who is obviously devoted to impeccable service. The meal begins with a complimentary creative starter. We ate there two nights. We would have made it three nights, but they do not open for dinner on Sundays. Each night, all three of us were delighted with every course. The website says there is a fixed price for 3 courses. This is not current. Diners can order just a starter or as many courses as they chose. This is fine cusine. Mull is not a bit fancy nor highly populated, but this restaurant would be successful in an foodie city.

There was nothing wrong with this hotel except it was highly generic. One exception: the interior decor was positively ugly. It had the feeling of any chain hotel in the US. It is owned by the same company that brought us generic middle of the road Holiday Inn

Andy was well informed, friendly and fun to be with. His most amazing feat was finding Geraldine Bird, a parish historian at the church my grandmother and her family attended in Rutherglen. He did not seem to do any preliminary work to check out the address where my grandmother and her family lived in Rutherglen. I did not expect to see the flat where they lived, but I did expect him to do his homework. With us, he used his GPS seemingly for the first time to find the location. He drove us through Govan and Gorbals with some history of the area. His own experience as a Glaswegian was a real bonus. Honestly, his personal charm and general personality was very appealing to us on our first full day in Glasgow. His personality gave us an excellent impression of Glasgow and its residents.

No problem other than the cycling race in Glasgow which blocked the street in front of our hotel. No way to avoid this — except the company could have texted us in advance.

Excellent walking tour guide. Very well informed. A good mix of straight history and local tales. Good sense of humor. Flexible. Willing to stop when we were hungry. Found a good place to eat. Passionate love for Caithness, which was contagious.

Angela was an excellent guide. She was so personable that we felt as if we had known her for a long time. Her love of Caithness was palpable. Having her respond to people who spoke to her as we toured made the experience feel so genuine. Angela was extremely tuned in to showing us what we wanted to see. I told Stephen I wanted to see Highland Cattle and she took us to her neighbors’ land where we could see them up close without crowds. She herself is a “wild swimmer” — meaning she swims in the cold sea by her home. She has relatives who surf near her home. It all felt so genuine. It’s hard to get this level of insight on vacation.

Excellent. Very informative guide with a deep knowledge of the Jacobite rebellion. She clearly separated myths from history for those of us who had some background information upon arrival. She was very pleasant and easy to listen to and follow. Seeing this site and realizing the impact of this battle that lasted less than an hour Had quite an impact on us.

Fabulous experience. The guide is amazing. I could have listened to him for a week. He had a beautiful speaking voice and perfect delivery of history and tales. He also read his audience well. Gods use of traditional Scottish music to enhance the tour. Great opportunities to get out, walk, and experience Skye. Lovely lunch in a cafe in route. Bull, our guide was a consummate professional. I would recommend him without reservation.

The tour of Mull given by a former Mull high school teacher was good. It did not have the same thrill or love of the area that other tours had. The Mull tour did not include Castle Duart, which we did the day before in our own. Our host at Pennygate Lodge drive us there at no cost to us. As MacLean descendants, we lived the castle and we were thrilled to meet the current clan chief, Sir Lachlan MacLean. He was such a kind gentleman and interesting to talk with. The gift shop on site was the only place where I made purchases. Both my daughter and granddaughter have McLean as their middle names so this was especially interesting to me. We had a driver who drove us to the ferry to get to Iona. He was my least favorite driver. He was less informative, and his driving was too aggressive and made all 3 of us nervous.

Comfortable, spacious 2 bedroom apartment. An elevator would have been nice since our apartment was on the third floor, but we managed.

A quaint Villa in the heart of Pitlochry.

Please don’t advertise “free parking”. There was only 8 “free” parking spaces. Difficult to find any parking.

A quaint Inn with comfortable rooms. It was warm and the staff provided a fan to help us sleep comfortably. The staff were friendly and very service oriented!

Gareth was amazing. He was very knowledgeable, provided a lot of history and great info.

The driver was very helpful and patient. It took awhile to get the car that we needed and he waited with us until everything was finalized.

We played the castle course which was the hardest of all the St. Andrew’s courses. It took 5 hours to play and we had to use a push cart. It was a beautiful course! Recommend reserving a cart, but not sure if any are available on this course.

Great guide and tasting at the end of the tour.

Our guide, Steve Reddick, was amazing. Very knowledgeable and passionate. He took us to all of the habitats and we saw many birds and animals. He was a joy!

Our guide was really just a taxi driver. He was very polite and courteous but he did not tell us about the area or provide insight or history.

I expected the trip to be longer and see more. It basically was a quick trip to an area where we saw a few porpoises and supposedly a whale or two. The entire trip took less than 1 hour.

Our guide was knowledgeable but he wasn’t the individual who I believe was originally booked (he said he was asked to step in because the original person was not available). The tour lasted about an hour, much less than what was listed in the itinerary.

there is nothing like watching the close working relationship between a dog and the shepherd. We had the most amazing time with our host. After the demonstration, we got to play with all of the border collies for about an hour. Even my most apathetic teenager had a huge grin on his face.