Stunning trip to Scotland- October 2026
Scotland
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Sep 30 - Oct 6, 2026
Our trip to Scotland, booked through kimkim and organized by Kateryna, was a delight from start to finish. We are a group of 4 friends (2 couples) with busy lives, none of whom had traveled to Scotland or even been abroad in years. Kimkim and Kateryna planned a 6-day trip for us that managed to hit all our highlights and left us all with the desire to return. Planning the trip was easy- I put our priorities and parameters into the kimkim survey, and Kate came back with a plan for our trip that included all our hotel stays, private tours, castle and historic site visits and lots of local flavor. Kate answered all of our questions quickly and efficiently, and when we decided to add a day to our trip she altered our plan, and even switched up a few of the hotels based on our preferences.
Once our flights and the trip were booked, we kept in touch through the kimkim chat and emails, downloading the kimkim app a few weeks before departure. The app had all our hotel, tour and other tickets contained right within it, usually including map and website links, so no searching through emails or looking up directions. We used the app every day during our trip!
When we arrived in Edinburgh we were met by a driver who kept in touch via text while we went through immigration and collected our bags. The driver (Nikolin with Eagle Transfer) was friendly and on the drive to the hotel gave us a lot of local tips as well as much-needed driving advice (we picked up a rental car after 2 days in Edinburgh). It was great to not have to struggle with our bags on a train, or figure out how to book our own taxi.
Two days in Edinburgh were not nearly enough, but we had other places to go! In Edinburgh we had a fantastic 2.5 hour walking tour of the city with Jack, an amazing Scottish tour guide who met us at our hotel, took us all over the city, also gave us great recommendations, and escorted us back to the hotel at the end. Definitely one of our trip highlights!
From Edinburgh we drove to Loch Lommond, then to Oban, Inverness, Stirling and finally back to Edinburgh to catch our flight home. We managed a flat tire when almost to our hotel in Loch Lommond, which threw a wrench into our plans. Reaching out to Kate via the kimkim app was easy and she helped get us connected with our tour guide in Oban. They adjusted the time of our driving tour the next day which allowed us to do a 3-hour (plus!) tour with John, another highlight. John saw that we had covered a lot of our planned tour with him on our drive to Oban, so he adjusted and gave us an entirely different tour that covered so much local history and sights- even letting us stop at a pub for a quick refresh! At the end he took us to Dunstaffnage Castle, a stunning ruin with so much history. From Oban we headed to Inverness, then the next day from Inverness to Stirling. At every stop we were able to experience the vast history of Scotland, and our own ancestral connections to it. Once we got the hang of the driving even that was a delight, with so much stunning scenery everywhere we turned. We were incredibly lucky with the weather during our trip, with only a little bit of rain (which treated us to no less than 3 rainbows) and very mild temperatures.
To anyone planning a trip to Scotland- especially if you have never been- we highly recommend the service, professionalism, expertise and guidance of Kate and the whole kimkim team. We can't wait to go back to Scotland, or to have kimkim help us plan another trip abroad!
Hotel Reviews
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.
Activity Reviews
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!
