Our agent Stephen made everything run very smoothly. Highly impressed!
Scotland
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Jun 17 - Jun 25, 2025
I had dreamed of doing a trip to the Orkney Islands, the Isle of Skye, and Iona for years and tried to organize it myself, but it proved to be too complex. Stephen and his colleagues at Kimkim blew us away with how well they put it together They patiently worked with us, custom-building the trip of our dreams. Over a period of months we went back and forth making adjustments and Stephen was very patient with us. Eventually we had a complex package involving flights, taxis, tours of multiple sites, hotels, and car rentals. Things went very smoothly. We received a detailed itinerary and downloadable tickets that made the trip a breeze. We would arrive at a site, or a ferry, show the staff our ticket either printed or on phone, and they would wave us through. At each car rental and hotel, we just gave our name and everything was ready. My brother and I have travelled all over the world, and have rarely been so impressed.
A couple of highlights stand out: We had an Orkney Wildlife Sea Tour with Ocean Trek out of Kirkwall and our host was a fellow named Jimmy. A small boat, but Jimmy was very friendly and knowledgeable, so it was a special delight. He made it feel like we were just friends out for a day on his boat. We saw a castle, seals, and many different kinds of birds. Another highlight was the Tarbet Hotel on Loch Lomond. It was one of the most comfortable and elegant places we’ve ever stayed. Old-world elegance, and dog-friendly.
I hope to make use of Kimkim on future trips. They custom-designed the trip, making everything simple for us so we could focus on enjoying the wildlife and archaeological sites we came to see.
Hotel Reviews
Arrived 5:00 pm. Were made welcome. Rooms and amenities were fine, but we were leaving early in the morning, so we didn't have a chance to sample food. They put together a bag breakfast for us to take on the road, so we were impressed.
Nice rooms, Victorian decor, friendly staff, good food. However, in the four days we were there, they didn't clean our room. A bit unusual, but we didn't suffer for it. Also, guests should be aware this is a 'no alcohol' hotel. Meals in the dining room are a bit expensive, but there are other restaurants, take-away places, and a grocery store within a couple of blocks for cheaper options.
Rooms were comfortable. Breakfast dining room staff were great, and the food was excellent. However, in a separate dining room for supper, the service was terrible. Bored teenagers waiting on us; waited 20 minutes to be noticed and then had to walk over to the counter and ask for a menu. After that another staff person came and told us that they only had 2 cooks on that night, so we would have to wait about a half hour for our food. Not impressed.
One of the nicest places I've ever stayed, and I've travelled all over the world. Warm, old-world elegance; friendly staff, choice of 3 lovely lounges. Didn't care for the loud music being played in two of them and the lobby, but one lounge was kept as a quiet space, so I survived. A dog-friendly establishment and was delighted to meet the desk clerk's dog on one occasion. We were leaving early, so they packed us a bag breakfast. There is a nature-trail area across the street, and Loch Lomond is just across the street. The road it's on is a bit busy, but wasn't a problem. We elected to eat in a lovely former church down the street about half a kilometer, called 'Kirk o' the lochs'. Nice decor and good food to be found there.
Activity Review
This was one of the true highlights of the trip. Jimmy was our host, and he has a very small boat; can only take 3 guests, so it is very up-close and personal. Jimmy was very friendly and was a fountain of knowledge about the area. He asked what we wanted to see and took us to places to see it. We saw castles, seals, and numerous kind of seabirds. By the end of the tour, it felt like we were just friends out on a boat together. The only thing was that I was expecting a larger tour boat, and he was off to the side of the marina, so it was a bit of a challenge to find him. However, it was well worth it. I highly recommend hium.