Incredible Scotland

Scotland | Jun 17 - Jun 26, 2026

Salome at High Point Holidays helped me plan an incredible trip to Scotland. We visited cities and villages we had not visited before and had wonderful excursions and experiences. On our arrival day in Edinburgh, tour guide Chris Walker met us at our hotel and took us on a walking tour of the Royal Mile. Chris was full of great stories and information about the Royal Mile and was an absolute delight. He even called a local restaurant and arranged a dinner reservation for us. We elected not to rent a car so Salome tailored our itinerary so we could take advantage of the excellent rail services. All of our tickets were purchased for us and all the details were included in our Road Book. It was much easier than we expected to travel by rail. St. Andrews was our first stop. We stayed at the lovely Albany Hotel steps away from the cathedral ruins and the castle. The shopping and dining options abounded even for someone like me who eats gluten-free. In Pitlochry, we enjoyed the Black Spout trail and waterfall. Next, we had a 5 star falconry experience at the Bird of Prey Center in Loch Lomond. We had a whole hour with a falconer and three different gorgeous birds. The center is an absolute treasure for educating the public and conserving the world's birds of prey. Our final city was Sterling. We enjoyed visiting the Wallace Monument and climbed all the way to the crown! Our visit to Sterling Castle was grand. The history of this majestic palace and military stronghold is so impressive. Edinburgh Executive Travel handled our incoming and outgoing airport transfers in plush comfort.

Hotel Reviews

The Frederick House Hotel

Edinburgh

Comfortable and classic. Clean and well maintained.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to the old city

Cleanliness & Comfort

Modern bathroom, beautiful linens, clean

The Stirling Highland Hotel

Stirling

This hotel is advertised as a 4 star property. Our bedroom at this hotel was dark, rundown and not well maintained. The draperies were hanging askew, the linens and towels were not as nice as all the other places we stayed, and the carpet was stained. The bathroom was particularly disappointing. The wooden panel fronting the tub was chipped and unsightly. On the positive side, the buffet full English breakfast was very good.

Authenticity & Character

As a former high school, the building has tons of character.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our bedroom at this hotel was dark, rundown and not well maintained. The draperies were hanging askew, the linens and towels were not as nice as all the other places we stayed, and the carpet was stained. The bathroom was particularly disappointing. The wooden panel fronting the tub was chipped and unsightly.

Activity Reviews

Private Walking Tour of Edinburgh with a Top Local Guide - Two hours

Edinburgh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Chris Walker is personable and so knowledgeable. He went above and beyond by suggesting a restaurant and calling to make a reservation for us.

Sea Safary around the Isle of May

Scotland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pedro was an amazing source of knowledge about the birds and seals.

Transport

The boat trip was just super fun.

National Wallace Monument visit

Scotland

Quality of Experience

The monument is awe-inspiring. Just do it--climb the spiral staircase and visit the history on each level. The crown is incredible!

Private transfer in town

Scotland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Comfort and professionalism. It was such a welcome luxury to begin and end our trip with this service.

Loch Lomond Bird of Prey Centre Flying Experience

Scotland

We had an incredible hour with our guide. It was just the two of us, our falconer and three gorgeous birds. We learned so much about the birds and had plenty of time to admire each one up close.

Quality of Experience

The staff is amazing and dedicated to educating the public. The center is so clean and well-maintained. It is so obvious the birds are receiving the best care.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The staff at the center are taking excellent care of the birds and the facility