Kimkim Trip Reviews for Scotland

It was a great trip that included a bit of the Isle of Skye but mostly focused the Western Isles (Outer Hebrides). These are beautiful locations but a bit tricky to navigate on your own. Without Kimkim, it would have taken me forever to figure out all the buses and ferries. Aleksandra designed a perfect trip for me, balancing travel, my favorite activities at the locations and time to just be there and explore on my own. She also picked great places for me to stay: it was a good mix of homely and comfortable. I liked every single one of them, though they were very different in their vibe. Staying in the Lewis Castle in Stornoway was probably the most memorable one; the Edinbane Lodge that dates back to 1543 (no kidding, for real, it's an old building re-furbished into a top-notch accommodation with superb dining experience) was also quite an experience. My B&B host Elizabeth from Barra was absolutely lovely (but she wants to retire, so I was lucky I guess).

Olha was a constant support over WhatsUp, which was great because changes of weather meant some of the activities had to be adjusted short-notice. Every single person I got to interact with was kind and open. I felt truly welcome in every location. All my drivers (Alan, Murdo, Roddy, Alasdair, Brian) told me stories about the place and its people, all of them were native Gaelic speakers so I got to pick and practice a few words: that was important for me. I learned so much about the history and the contemporary life on Skye and Western Islands. Murdo is a musician and a very authentic, fun person to be around. As a bonus, I got to hear a Gaelic song he wrote and performed! A surfing lesson with Eli (I probably misspell the name here) was amazing - the location and the weather made it a very special experience. Kayaking on Barra with Ben and Chris was also fun and relaxing. We got to see many seals who would just pop out of the water near the kayak and stare at us for a few seconds before diving back.

I would definitely go back to Eilean a' Cheò and na h-Eileanan Siar again and would definitely ask Kimkim team again to help plan it. These places are treasures for those who love nature and who appreciate simple, kind, honest and trusting communities with deep roots and oral history of resilience. The trip has left me with many cherished memories, stories to share, a sense of healing and a deep appreciation of true Island hospitality and kindness. Mòran taing.

Hotel Reviews

The Bracken Hide

Portree

It's a lovely location on a slope overlooking Portree, with a view to the harbor. I loved having my own pod that was warm and cozy. The days were rainy, but the pit-pat of the rain on the roof made it even more cozy to be inside.

Authenticity & Character

I loved staying in a pod. The inner decor was very cozy.

Location

The view

Staff

Very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

I loved the warm floor! :-) makes a huge difference when you come back cold and soaked with rain. The place was warm and dry and the wet clothes would dry quickly as well

Lews Castle

Stornoway

Where do I even start :-))) You get to stay in a real castle! My room was under the roof and looked out over the roof tiles to another tower. The refurbishment is very modern, of course. There is a shower, a bathtub, a fridge a coffee machine and a tea kettle. But somehow it still feels like a castle. That's how a modern castle room should look like :-) I particularly enjoyed opening the front door of the castle with my own key when I came back form my daily explorations. It felt like a lot of fun just doing that. And then you get inside, there is a hall, a staircase and the place is your temporary "home."

Authenticity & Character

It's a castle! Does not get any more authentic than that :-) During the day it's a museum. You can do a tour of the rooms with augmented reality app - I highly recommend doing that

Location

Stornoway center is a walking distance. But the castle itself is surrounded by a forest with many paths - great for walking, biking, exploring, relaxing...

Staff

There is always someone in the building but they give you your own space and are only there if you need help. Very friendly, gave me plenty of good advice on the first day and then just let me be - exactly what I wanted.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless clean, spacious, my room was full of light and sunshine, the bathroom was always warm, which was important because the weather was a bit chilly. Great comfortable bed, tea kettle, very relaxing atmosphere, could also hear the sound of rain on the roof (which I love)

Carnan B&B

Castlebay

The host greeted me with tea and chocolate cake! She is lovely, but she wants to retire, so I think we should leave her alone :-))) Her little pet dog is very friendly and fun - we became best buddies.

Authenticity & Character

It's a lovely house. A real house where a real family lives. Gives you a sense of home

Location

It has a great view to the castle in the bay.

Staff

Elizabeth is very welcoming, kind, attentive and good-natured. She gave me lots of good advice where to go and what to see.

Cleanliness & Comfort

A very comfortable home away from home

Edinbane Lodge

Edinbane

This place is very special. It dates back to 16th century and looks very picturesque. Once you step into your room, you are amazed at the level of luxury. You could watch TV while taking a bath, if you wished. My room also had a patio with a gas fireplace that I enjoyed for a few hours in the evening. It's very atmospheric: great combination of old and modern. Their dinners are famous. If you stay at this lodge, I highly recommend booking a dinner experience as well. Also, check the pottery workshop nearby: you won't be able to go away without a souvenir.

Authenticity & Character

A lodge that has been a lodge since 16th century. It has all the character that comes with the time it's been around

Location

It's a tiny place. Very quiet.

Staff

Friendly, helpful, graceful

Cleanliness & Comfort

I loved sitting by the fire in the patio. I also loved the tea set from the local pottery workshop. It's beautiful and great to see they support their neighbor's business.

Activity Reviews

Isle of Lewis Heritage: Private Day Tour from Stornoway

Scotland

My driver and guide, Murdo, was just great. He is very authentic, a local through and through who told me so many interesting stories about the Isle of Lewis, it's history, it's people. And these stories did not feel like stories from the book. They were real stories, lived by the people or passed by the people from one generation to another. The Callanish stones are a very special cite to visit. The Black Houses were also very interesting to experience.

Quality of Experience

The bridge over the Atlantic! :-)

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Gaelic heritage, knows every road and path and settlement, great sense of humor, honesty

Transport

Taxi to Surf Lesson

Stornoway

Alan MacKenzie is a great travel companion, equally good at sharing and listening. I am very grateful he was the one to welcome me to the Western Isles. I think it sat the tone for the rest of my stay and travel.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Attentive, tactful

Transport

Lewis Surf Lessons

Scotland

This was my first ever surfing lesson and I am glad it took place on Lewis. We had the whole huge beach to ourselves, since you are going to get wet anyways, you don't need to worry about the rain and it being not exactly the warmest day :-) It was very atmospheric, you could feel the power of the sea (which you have to respect). I think if I did not have a one-on-one lesson and a lot of support from the instructor, I would never manage to get as far as I got. She was great - very encouraging and easy going. It was pure fun but also a good challenge (did I feel it the next day :-))) ). There are also caves on that beach that can only be visited at low tide - we took a short stroll after the class to check them out.

Quality of Experience

the location is amazing

Guides, Drivers and Staff

easy-going, attentive, fun

Sea Kayak Trip

Barra

I had two sessions. One was a one-on-one trip with Ben. It's very relaxing to be on the water and take it at your own speed. We did a good round and saw lots of seals. We also did a round around the castle in the bay. The other one was with Chris and his daughter (sorry, can't remember the name). They are all a great family - all very friendly, experienced and attentive. The second was with a group on a sunny day - so that was also a lot of fun and very picture-pretty, but no wildlife.

Quality of Experience

We swapped a few stories while on the water. Ben is a great companion. He was guiding, spotting wildlife, telling about me about the local traditions, good advice on where to eat and what to try, some funny stories. Felt like a great day on the water with a good friend. The group trip was great too, people watched out for each other, everyone was a good sport.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Easy going but attentive to detail, good fun

Taxi

Scotland

Brian told me a few stories while on the road. Also gave me the advice to use the opportunity and have dinner at the place where he dropped me off. Thank you. I would have missed an amazing dining experience, if not for this advice. That was a perfect ending to my perfect Islands getaway.

Quality of Experience

In general, all the taxi pickups and transfers were hassle-free, all of them were super friendly

Guides, Drivers and Staff

very genuine. I don't know how to explain it, but it's just that they were all very friendly and somehow very "authentic" welcoming locals.

Transport

always clean, always comfortable, always warm on cold days

Nothing but a positive experience for us working with Marion and the team at KimKim! Her knowledge of the area on the front end helped plan a most wonderful vacation for our family! While on our trip, the team was very quickly responsive if we had any questions or needs. I highly recommend their services if you're planning your next dream vacation :)

Hotel Reviews

Eden Locke

Edinburgh

Beautiful place and location is perfect for exploring Edinburgh on foot, or by other transportation means.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lodge on Loch Lomond

Luss, Argyll & Bute

BEAUTIFUL hotel and location! Staff was friendly and efficient. We would go back, given the chance, and stay a few nights longer to really savor the grandeur of this location!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Whispering Pine Lodge

Spean Bridge

Amazing hotel right on the water! Quiet location, great food in the restaurant with a good variety and the rooms were spotless. Would stay there again!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Royal Hotel Portree

Portree

This hotel was "tired" and not the cleanest, BUT the location is perfect for your Portree visit and met our basic needs for sleeping there as we explored the Isle of Skye.

Authenticity & Character

Old hotel, tired, and could use a bit of an update. Floors looked and felt dirty, could probably use replacement.

Location

Located right on the water, and in the heart of everything you could want to do and see in Portree.

Staff

The morning breakfast manager was amazing, but the rest of the staff was short and definitely overworked. Their tiredness made you feel as if you were troubling them to give your food order, or mention something that needed to be cleaned in your room that was missed by the cleaning crew.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bed was comfortable, bathroom was clean, just tired fixtures, etc. The flooring could use updating as well.

River Ness Hotel, a member of Radisson Individuals

Inverness

Beautiful hotel in a central and historic area of town. Nice and quiet for resting, super clean as well.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Park Plaza London Riverbank

London

Great location and service. Clean hotel with friendly and prompt staff. We enjoyed our stay here very much.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Two hour cruise on the Canal and Loch - Loch Ness

Inverness

This cruise was so nice! Very knowledgable speaker who gave the two hour tour. Loved seeing the Loch and learning all about it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hop-on, Hop-off Bus

London

A really fun activity to do while you wait for your hotel room to be available, like we did. Saw a lot of great sites around London from the comfort of our double decker bus top row seats :)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Harry Potter Studio Tour from London (with transport)

London

AMAZING location and tour for Harry Potter fans! Exceeded our expectations by a mile! SO many props, costumes and sets... a great experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The bus transport was great - just a bit hard to find. Don't hesitate to ask other bus drivers where your specific bus is parked.

Changing of the Guard Guided Tour

London

We absolutely loved this tour! Our guide, Simon, was fun and knowledgable and kept our small group together through the crowds. We learned a TON and will always remember this activity.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the Kelpies

Scotland

GREAT site to see! Enjoyed it with our whole family :)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Caledonian Sleeper (Scotland Version)

Scotland

LOVED, loved riding on and sleeping on the Caledonian Sleeper to London! The club car was fun and had massive windows for taking in the sites. Our room was comfortable and gets very dark when you're ready to sleep. Breakfast delivered to your room was tasty as well.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our family trip to Scotland was a complex undertaking, as we were a large group of 20 people of varying ages. I can well imagine that many hours were spent on our behalf to make the trip so wonderful. Everything went smoothly and I can not think of a single negative issue . Our driver, Ricky, and guide Keith took care of so many details behind the scenes, and delivered an exceptional experience.. The hotels and restaurants chosen were all beyond our expectations. We did so very many things that were enjoyed by all. The Reindeer Herd excursion was one of my favorites. The scenery on the hill was spectacular. We also very much enjoyed the Family Highland Games at Rothiemurchus Estate, even in the pouring rain we managed to have great fun together. We had two very unique and special requests that went off without a hitch. The first was a professional photoshoot in front of Cawdor Castle. Karen Thorburn went above and beyond to provide us all with wonderful professional portraits. And also, we were grateful for the special effort made by our guide Keith, to visit the house in which my husband was born, and for us all to snap a photo at the door. Thank you for all you did to manage this trip for us. You will be highly recommended.

The trip itself was excellent, the local guides were top-notch and the recommendations for sites to visit, activities, etc. were great. We really loved the trip, especially the local guides for Edinburgh, Inverness, the Aviemore nature trip and Culoden Battlefield.

The planning for the trip could have been better. Some activities were originally scheduled too closely together to be logistically feasible, the arrival date was incorrect on the itinerary despite us clearly indicating the correct date, and there seems to be some issues with reflecting hotel stay dates accurately in the itinerary. Re the trip itself, the only disappointment was the hotel in Aviemore, which was dilapidated, inconvenient (no elevator…) and uncomfortable (very tight room).

Emily and Romane planned a terrific trip for our family to beautiful Scotland. This was our first major family trip and we wanted it to be special. They delivered! The activities planned were exactly what we wanted. Highlights for us included making it for two nights on the incredible Isle of Skye at the Bracken Hide hotel. So magical! Cain was our local guide there and did a terrific job even in classic Scottish rain. Our days in Fort William were filled with outdoor adventures tailored to each person.
We hope to go back very soon and can't thank Emily and Romane enough.

Hotel Reviews

The Bracken Hide

Portree

This place was stunning inside and out. Absolutely worth visiting. The staff was also incredibly warm and wonderful.

Authenticity & Character

You stay in your own little hut - like a Hobbit hole!

Location

Just outside of Portree, but about a 20 minute walk.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Eden Locke

Edinburgh

Modern and well appointed rooms with small kitchens. The beds were very comfortable and the cafe was amazing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Corriegarth Hotel

Inverness

Good location in INverness, but older building. Be prepared to bring your luggage up a few flights of stairs. The neds are older and not very comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

If you like older buildings this might be for you.

Location

Staff

It was understaffed with just one over worked person to deal with everything.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The stove broke so no hot breakfast was offered. Beds are not comfortable.

Garrison Apartments

Fort William

Excellent space and amenities for a short or longer stay. Full kitchen and space for a family to spread out.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Gorgeous view of the river from the balcony!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Colessio

Stirling

Incredibly beautiful building. It looks like a museum from the outside.

Authenticity & Character

It has excellent rooms and a very nice bar.

Location

Right near everything in Stirling. Walk to the Castle and to shops and restaurants.

Staff

Very thoughful, friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Apex City of Glasgow Hotel

Glasgow

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right on a central street making sight seeing easy.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Two hour cruise on the Canal and Loch - Loch Ness

Inverness

This was a relaxing fun way to see the Locke

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Funny and insiteful

Transport

Private guided tour with driver/guide in Skye

Scotland

Cain was a wonderful driver. He was helpful in planning our day and was very kind as the day turned quite rainy. He helped us make the best of it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Guided Hike of Ben Nevis

Scotland

Peter was a super experienced climber and wonderful guide. He climbs this mountain 3-4 times a week so he knows it well. He helped me with aprehensions I had as this was the first major hike I'd done since major ACL surgery. I could not have done it without his encouragement!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the Kelpies

Scotland

This was a bucket list item for me on this trip and my whole family enjoyed it. You can spend about 45 minutes and these sculptures are an engineering marvel! What a treasure!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We began planning our trip about a year ago. It was a large group of 20 family members, with many logistical challenges. Marion and Celina did a wonderful job securing our guide, Keith, and driver Rickie. They certainly went above and beyond our expectations. Our photographers, Karen and Mark, also exceeded our expectations with a wonderful professional photo shoot at Castle Cawdor. The pictures were beautiful. I had a very specific itinerary in mind when I contacted KimKim and I know that they worked very hard on our behalf. The trip went along seamlessly, was all we had hoped for and more. It was a wonderful experience for us all! Well done!

Activity Reviews

Culloden Battlefield private tour

Inverness

The Beastie Boats - Inverness

Inverness

This was great fun for a family outing. Our family enjoyed the guides comments as well as a fast ride on Loch Ness.

Quality of Experience

Our entire trip was delightful and I believe gave us all a taste of Scotland.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide, Keith, was just a great person to travel with. He did well anticipating our needs, was informative, and flexible.

Transport

We loved our driver Rickie. He gave us a comfortable ride, and we felt safe on those narrow winding roads.

Private visit of Mary King's Close

Edinburgh

A great tour to give you an understanding of historical Edinburgh.

Visit to Urquhart Castle

Scotland

This is a beautiful place, but the castle staff are cautious regarding over crowding, so were not able to go into the castle as planned. We did go to a viewing area and were able to get some great photos of the exterior from across the water.

Exceptional Visit and Tasting at Blair Athol Distillery

Pitlochry

This was an enjoyable experience for all and a great way to learn about Scottish Whisky.

"A la carte" activities at Rothiemurchus estate

Aviemore

Unfortunately, on this day it was pouring rain and cold. But we had an amazing time regardless. Our two guides made it a fun experience for the entire family

Dinner Reservation on Skye

Scotland

Eat Walk Glasgow

Glasgow

This was a great way to see Glasgow, learn about the city, and taste amazing local foods.

One way to Mallaig on the Jacobite Train (of Harry Potter fame)

Scotland

Our family enjoyed the train trip, a relaxing way to travel and see the Scottish countryside.

Hill Trips Cairngorm Reindeer Herd

Scotland

This activity exceeded our expectation. There is a hilly walk to the reindeer which is very scenic in itself. The Reindeer were so beautiful to see up close. We learned about the herd from our guide and were allowed to feed them. The scenery on the hill was beautiful as well.

Isle of Skye Whisky immersion at Torabhaig

Scotland

A great way to learn about Scottish Whisky.

Private guided tour with driver/guide in Skye

Scotland

Our guide gave us a wonderful day on the Isle of Skye considering, it was cold, windy, and rainy, and we were traveling on a tour bus that could not access all the areas.

We really appreciate Emily and all she did for us - we had a wonderful trip that we wouldn't have been able to plan on our own so her expertise was very much appreciated.

The Kimpton Charlotte Square Hotel in Edinburgh was a beautiful hotel with great breakfasts; Calton Hill and snacks and cocktails at the Dome were a wonderful way to start our trip. Highly recommend all three. The Palace of Holyroodhouse was awesome, the Afternoon Tea was nice (food was amazing, but we probably wouldn't do it again - we ended up with a table right by the door and had to squeeze in to not be in the way) and the History Lovers walking tour was awesome - we can't remember her name but our guide was excellent. The Underground Graveyard tour was not something we would recommend; the guide was nice but it wasn't anything special.

Our rental car experience went perfectly, all the way through, although our GPS took us to the wrong drop off location at the airport in Inverness (apparently drop off used to be just off-airport; now it is at the drop-off area at the entrance to the airport).

The Knockinaam Lodge Hotel was a reason itself to come back to Scotland - what a wonderful place, people and service. We can't say enough good things about it; suffice it to say we might plan another trip back just to spend more time there. Our only request would have been for a better room. We should probably have asked to move, but we didn't think about it until we were already unpacked and had used the bathroom to clean up. Small issue that did not take away from the absolute enjoyment of staying there.

The Mull of Galloway Lighthouse was awesome, as was all the other sights we visited while in the area.

The Hotel du Vin in Glasgow was another excellent place to stay - we very much enjoyed it as well as dinner at Cail Bruich. The walking around Glasgow and the Kellingrove museum was very nice.

Victoria Square hotel in Stirling would not be somewhere we would stay again; it was nice and quiet for the room, but nothing special, nor was breakfast. It was a great location, but not the nicest place for our tastes. The tours and everything about Stirling was very nice though - we enjoyed everything with only one exception. Our PHD level guided tour of Bonnockburn did not live up to our expectations. The tour guide was nice, and he obviously knew his history, but as we had read books on the battle, and knew a lot about it, we expected to be able to walk through the battlefield and have pretty good descriptions of how it progressed, but he wasn't very good at really getting the vibe across and we didn't really get to see what we thought we would be able to.

Our private transfers and train ride, the recommendations (House of Bruar was awesome; Aran Bakery was closed on Sunday; Brodie's Tea Room in Moffat was amazing, plus we bought something nice in one of the shops there) were spot on and everything went smoothly. Again, we can't thank you enough Emily for helping us out and getting everything organized to make our trip go seamlessly. We appreciate the work and will look back to Kimkim next time we are traveling!

Tom & Lesley Hall

Hotel Reviews

Knockinaam Lodge Hotel

Portpatrick, Stranraer

Excellent. Amazing. Stay here if you can, we will probably come back to Scotland just to stay here again. Awesome service, unbelievable location and amenities, excellent food.

Authenticity & Character

Drinks and snacks by the fire in the lounge while you read or chat is a must do - beautiful lounge.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kimpton Charlotte Square Hotel, an IHG Hotel

Edinburgh

Beautiful place, amazing breakfasts, wonderful staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

One Devonshire Gardens - Hotel du Vin

Glasgow

Excellent hotel - amazing room that we could have spent two weeks in. Highly recommend.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Afternoon Tea at the Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh

Having afternoon tea at Edinburgh Castle was a delightful experience! The tea itself was excellent, and the food was top-notch. It's one of those things that I'm really happy we did once, even though we probably wouldn't do it again. The atmosphere and the setting made it feel quite special, and it's definitely worth trying at least once.

History Lovers Old Town Walking Tour

Edinburgh

The History Lovers Old Town Walking Tour in Edinburgh was fantastic. Our guide was super energetic and knowledgeable, taking us through little corners and showing us special spots around the town. She was still a student in her senior year but did an amazing job. This tour was definitely one of the highlights of our trip, and I'd highly recommend it to anyone visiting Edinburgh.

Underground Vaults and Graveyard Ghost Tour

Edinburgh

The Underground Vaults and Graveyard Ghost Tour was a bit of a letdown. It felt pretty touristy and gimmicky, with not much to see. The tour guide was great and the people were nice, but the tour itself just didn't have much substance and felt a bit disjointed. Maybe families or kids would enjoy it more, but it wasn't really for us.

Cail Bruich Fine Dining

Glasgow

Dining at Cail Bruich in Glasgow was an excellent experience. The food was phenomenal, and the ambiance was just perfect for a fine dining experience. It's definitely a place I'd recommend to anyone looking for a special meal in Glasgow.

Visit the Kelpies

Scotland

Visiting the Kelpies was really cool. The history behind them was quite interesting, and the tour was well worth it. It was a unique and fascinating experience.

Stirling Castle Tickets

Scotland

The Stirling Castle tour was another highlight. The castle itself is beautiful and rich in history. We really enjoyed exploring it and learning about its significance.

Phd level guided tour of Bannockburn

Stirling

The PhD level guided tour of Bannockburn was disappointing. Although the guide was knowledgeable and a great guy, the tour felt disjointed and didn't meet our expectations. We were hoping for a more detailed walk around the battlefield with specific insights into where events took place, but it didn't quite come together.

Stirling Old Town Jail

Stirling

The Stirling Old Town Jail tour was very enjoyable. It was really cool to be able to walk around on our own and explore the jail. The tour was well put together and informative.

I will review these five days trip by each day. Day 1: Edinburgh Castle and old town tour was enjoyable and amusing with our knowledgeable tour guide Kieran Begg . Dinner at The Witchery as you recommend, the structure of the hotel and restaurant definitely impressive to us, wish I can say the same with the server we had, whom was not very attending and polite. Day2: Rabbie's tour was entertaining with Kelly(?), Alnwick Castle was amazing, Bamburgh Castle was last minute changed on the schedule my husband was little disappointed on his wish list, however the tour guide did stop by far away in a parking lot, and took a picture for everyone. Day3: Redcliffe Hotel was a charming apartment with everything we need and most of all good location to the town and bus station by walking distance. Loch Ness Cruise and Urquhart Castle tour were most wonderful. Thank you, Aleksandra! Day 4: Isle of Skye and Eilean Donan Castle tour, the weather was not the best to view their beauty which we heard so much and looking forward to it, but the tour bus was the worst experience for us, and I am sure for the same fellow travelers that day. Nonetheless, thank you, Kateryna prompt respond for this matter! Day 5: The Kelpies tour was a plus for the end of the trip. Thank you, Aleksandra!

Hotel Reviews

Redcliffe Hotel

Inverness

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Residence Inn by Marriott

EDINBURGH

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Edinburgh Castle & Old Town Private Tour

Edinburgh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Alnwick Castle, the Northumberland Coast & the Borders

Edinburgh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Loch Ness Cruise and Urquhart Castle

Inverness

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Isle of Skye Tour including the Eilean Donan Castle, Portree and other attractions

Inverness

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Kelpies Guided Tour

Scotland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Everyone was super nice in St Andrews! Stevie was a cab driver that picked us up at the airport and took us back. He also ended up driving us on Sunday for our day trip because the guide was sick. Stevie is the best!!!!!! So nice and very accommodating and sweet to my 83 yr old mom who went with us. We had a couple of issues but the Kim Kim team was on it and fixed them fast! It was a great trip and I highly recommend using them.

Thank you for everything!

Margaret

Katerina was amazing. She was always prompt with her replies and followed up on all our suggestions and questions.
Will definitely use her on our next trip her.
All of our transitions were smooth except for checkin to apt. in Edinburgh on June 18. We had nor received any checkin details for keypad. Fortunately we did make contact with her and got in. The email with those details had not been received on our end. All lodging was most acceptable.
Our Orkney guide Ann was excellent as was John on Shetland and Nicholas for Cairngorms. He also helped us with transportation to Ayr to ride the amazing Clydesdales!

Hotel Reviews

Wilde Apartments Grassmarket

Edinburgh

Our stay at Wilde Apartments Grassmarket was mostly pleasant, but we had an issue with the taxi driver dropping us off at the wrong place. It was a minor inconvenience, but worth mentioning.

Destiny Scotland - Hill Street Apartments

EDINBURGH

Destiny Scotland - Hill Street Apartments was one of the best places we've ever stayed. The only hiccup was the lack of communication about the key code to enter the apartment, which caused a bit of a panic. However, once that was sorted out, our stay was perfect. The apartment itself was fantastic and made our stay in Edinburgh truly memorable.

The Kirkwall Hotel

Kirkwall

The Kirkwall Hotel was an excellent choice. The staff was fantastic, and the accommodations were comfortable and met all our needs. The service was impeccable, making our stay there truly enjoyable.

Activity Reviews

Edinburgh Old Town Tour

Edinburgh

The taxi service to our hotel was prompt, but the Edinburgh Old Town Tour was a bit underwhelming. Our guide, Christoph, was lovely but had a heavy accent that made it hard to understand him, especially with the Plexiglas barrier in the taxi. An open car might have made the experience much better. Despite this, he took us to Calton Hill, which we thoroughly enjoyed.

Shetland Tour

Shetland

The Shetland Tour was a highlight. We had a fantastic guide who took us on a driving tour through some breathtaking scenery. It was truly an unforgettable experience, made even better by the knowledgeable and friendly guide. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting the Shetland Islands.

Cairngorms National Park Wildlife Tour

Edinburgh

Nicholas, our guide for the Cairngorms tour, was absolutely wonderful. The tour was well-organized, and Nicola's knowledge and enthusiasm for the area made it an exceptional experience. I couldn't have asked for a better guide or a more beautiful setting.

Wonderful trip that met all of our expectations! Seamless travel, checked off all our boxes in terms of time available, budget and goals.

Hotel Reviews

Angel's Share Hotel

New Town, Edinburgh

Great location - we walked everywhere and had no difficulty using the tram to and from the airport. Interesting boutique hotel with good size rooms and a great breakfast in their elegant bar. Helpful staff, happy to store luggage. Great treats, water and hot drinks in rooms. Although displayed with the complimentary water, the Pringles will be charged. The Rod Stewart room needs a new mattress.

Inver Lodge

Scotland

Elegant, spacious hotel with lovely mountain and loch views. Excellent restaurant and service.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Heathmount Hotel

Inverness

Comfy, pretty hotel with friendly, helpful staff and a good breakfast. We loved the 15 minute walk to the town center.

Authenticity & Character

Comfy lounge and bar area, pretty decor

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Seaview Hotel

Wick

Rustic hotel in a very sparsely populated area. Excellent service and a great restaurant. Tired, old room but adequate.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean but old and worn out

The Royal Hotel Portree

Portree

Great location overlooking the pastel buildings on the harbor. Adequate room and breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Garrison

Fort William

Great location, parking at back of hotel, very small but comfy room, with great breakfast/bar area with good espresso machine available 24/7.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Stirling Highland Hotel

Stirling

Nestled below the incredible Stirling Castle and near to some great restaurants, interesting comfortable hotel in old grammar school, easy courtyard parking, breakfast room busy and a tad cramped.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Edinburgh Castle Tickets

Edinburgh

Blair Atholl Castle Entrance tickets

Pitlochry

Two hour cruise on the Canal and Loch - Loch Ness

Inverness

Not the prettiest scenery but searching for Nessie is a must. We visited the quaint village of Dores, enjoyed lunch at the Dores Inn, and got to meet Steve Feltham who has lived in a caravan next to the Inn. Looking for. Eddie since 1991.

Evening cruise on Loch Linnhe

Fort William

Such a beautiful area and the light through the clouds was breathtaking. Knowledgeable commentary on Black Houses, tides and local culture

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Inverness Bike tour

Inverness

Alison our tour guide was very experienced and knowledgeable. It was hailing minutes before our ride, but she assured us that she had checked the radar and it would be fine, we enjoyed biking through the Ness Islands where we met the grumpy anti-biker lady that Alison had been trying to appease for many years, biked along the Caledonian Canal to the locks, and then through a nature reserve alongside the Beauly Firth

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Smoo Cave Tours

Scotland

Even a small amount of rainfall results in the inner cave tour being cancelled. One can still enjoy the view of the waterfalls at the entrance and the stunning beauty of the surrounding cliffs.

Day out on the Jacobite Train (of Harry Potter fame)

Scotland

A steam train ride through beautiful scenery. We were expecting some kind of narration about Jacobite history and Harry Potter settings. There was no narration or written history offered. Perhaps it would be better to catch the regular train to Glenfinnan, hike to get a great view of the aquaduct , and get a wonderful video of the steam train crossing. Then take the regular train to Mallaig for lunch in a pretty harbor town.

Champagne Afternoon Tea at the Ivy

Edinburgh

We had two friends join us and the staff were flexible and worked this out for us. Lovely champagne high tea in a beautiful setting, but pricey.

Fishing Villages of Fife & St Andrews from Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Great day trip with Peter, an entertaining and knowledgable tour guide/driver. Taking a regular train to St Andrews and stopping off at a fishing village would be a far more affordable option.

Working with Kat made our trip go seamlessly! Every detail was taking care of and we had an amazing time in Scotland. We had the pleasure of experiencing private tours of the Highlands which made for an unforgettable time.

Marion was great, super attuned to custominzing the trip for the perfect mix of hiking, history and culture to fit our interests…

My husband and I had a great time touring Scotland on our own via car. Justine worked with us to customize our trip and made all arrangements including the rental car and transfer via train to Manchester, England on our final day.
In the Trossachs National Park we stayed at Cameron House on Loch Lomond. We explored the nearby conservation village of Luss and despite the rain, enjoyed a beautiful view of the lake while dining at Colquhoun's.
The village of Glencoe and Eilean Donan Castle were interesting stops enroute to the Isle of Skye. We loved our two-night stay at Ullinish House with views of Loch Bracadale and the Cuillin Mtns. Blue skies prevailed for our exploration of the Trotternish Loop which included a whiskey tasting and sunset on the black sand, Talisker Beach.
During our drive to the Cairngorms National Park/Fife Arms at Braemar, we stopped at the amazing Clava Cairns, a prehistoric burial site just outside of Inverness. Two highlights of our time in Braemar are a four-mile hike on the "Braemar Circular via Queen's Drive" and a leisurely afternoon stroll around the grounds of Balmoral Castle.
Our final destination in Scotland was Edinburgh. We started with a fantastic private walking tour of the city with our guide Robert; he was exceptional! In the evening we enjoyed the Johnnie Walker Tasting Experience followed with dinner in their 1820 Rooftop Bar with wonderful views of the city and Edinburgh Castle. After touring the historic castle the next morning , we departed Scotland on our Manchester bound train. Our Scottish Adventure was perfect!

Hotel Review

Ullinish House

Isle of Skye

Wonderful hosts! Helpful and accommodating. Our room was perfect and the breakfast was very tasty. A beautiful and relaxing rural experience with views of Loch Bracadale and the Cuillin Mountains.

Authenticity & Character

You feel like you are a guest in someone's home.

Location

It is located off the beaten path and has beautiful views of the countryside, the lake, and the mountains.

Staff

Both hosts - wife and husband

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our room was clean and the bed was comfortable.

Activity Reviews

Private Walking Tour of Edinburgh with a Top Local Guide

Edinburgh

Robert was an exceptional guide! He asked us a couple questions about our backgrounds and the customized the tour to include our interests... and still shared the traditional sites of the city with their interesting stories. In my opinion, Robert should be your go-to Edinburgh guide.

Johnnie Walker Tasting Experience - Whisky Explorers

Edinburgh

Interesting and Entertaining!

Overall, the trip was very good. there were a few missteps that could have been avoided.
I suspect that Cat or Phil will share some of them with you already. Instead of reiterating what i believe they have already shared with you, i will add another concern. I take some of the blame. I should have figured out that we had STANDING tickets for the ABBA Experience. You listed the tickets with a seat number, but it did say "Standing." I just could not believe that they were in fact tickets for us to STAND throughout the video. I expected to be seated. I thought we would be seated. I was surprised we did not have seated tickets. I would have preferred a ticket to a show in which we could be seated to enjoy the performance.
Besides that, it was the little things that should not have been an issue but did disrupt the trip. There was a mix-up with the location of our Tea in London. We were seated in coach instead of first class on the train through the Chunnel. The ground transportation from the Airport in Amsterdam was a problem. Little things like these, made the drop from 5 stars to 4.

Overall decent, with a couple of hiccups. Firstly, there were some issues booking the hotel so we ended up getting charged at the hotel, which we got refunded for. Secondly, there was an event we were not sent the tickets/confirmation email for and we were charged 50% when we asked about it. Moral of the story - keep an eye out when booking trips and make sure everything has been confirmed a couple of days prior.

My husband and I are not guided tour travelers, but I was concerned about the timing of our trip and worried we were too close to Scotland's tourist season. After searching some possible ideas, I came across Kim Kim and I was hooked up with Neil West. Neil is absolutely the best. He quickly understood the type of travelers we are and what we wanted to see and do while in Scotland. Neil put together a wonderful self-guided driving tour along the North Coast 500. We were able to stop where we wanted while still visiting the places Neil recommended. We especially loved Inverness (loved the Ness Walk hotel there - excellent choice) and the Isle of Skye. We also found the Granary Lodge, where the Castle of Mey is located such a wonderful hidden gem, and we were so glad we got to tour the castle and meet the woman whose family has taken care of the castle for five generations. We loved every minute of our trip to Scotland. It was everything I thought it would be - and more! We are already thinking about a return in the near future. We were also very happy that we got to meet Neil in person upon our arrival in Edinburgh, which helped set the tone for our three weeks in Scotland - thank you, Neil!

Hotel Reviews

Ness Walk

Inverness

The Ness Walk hotel was definitely one of my favorites. The staff was exceptional, our room was wonderful and the hotel's Afternoon Tea a delight. The hotel is perfectly situated on the river and easily walkable to other places around town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very attentive staff; catered to our every need

Cleanliness & Comfort

Summer Isles Hotel

Ullapool

This hotel was, simply put, awful. Our room smelled like the sewer, it was very cold as the heaters did not work, and the worst part was when I went to make a cup of tea in the room, I found a pubic hair in the tea mug.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Location was perfect; the hotel was not.

Staff

The restaurant staff was the only thing great about this hotel.

Cleanliness & Comfort

See above.

The Granary Lodge

Thurso

We arrived at this hotel quite late at night after having difficulty finding it. We were hungry and not in a mood to try to find somewhere to eat. The manager on duty was so kind and went into the kitchen and prepared a wonderful, little tray of food for us. She set the tone and it was wonderful. When we woke the next morning, we had no idea we were staying right next to the Castle of Mey. What a treat that was! Our only regret is that our stay was just for one night. We would have loved to stay a couple nights longer.

Authenticity & Character

Location

We loved this hotel, but it was extremely difficult to find as our car navigation could not get us there.

Staff

As noted above.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Duisdale House Hotel

Isle of Skye

On the surface, it is a lovely hotel. The location is good, the grounds are beautiful, excellent front desk staff (especially the blonde woman, but did not get her name) and we especially liked the two bartenders in the bar, who recommended the gins for us to try. Where the hotel fell short were the hotel rooms. The rooms would be very nice if not for the constant loud hum from the kitchen. We liked the hotel, but would not stay there again because of the hum. The excellent woman at the front desk told us she has brought up the issue with the owners many times, as guests have complained. If we were to go back to this hotel, we'd stay in one of the few cottages/guest houses on the property.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easily accessible

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Garrison

Fort William

This is a tough one. The location of the hotel is great. One can easily walk through town to restaurants, shopping, places of interest, etc. But the hotel itself is not that great. Playing off the fact that the building was once the "jail" is the draw, but it doesn't work. Our suite looked out over the back parking lot. We had to lug our bags up three flights of stairs. If you just need a quick hotel for one night, it's probably fine. But it wasn't our cup of tea.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pine Trees Hotel

Pitlochry

Loved the Pine Trees Hotel - and Pitlochry! What a wonderful town. Would definitely go back to Pitlochry and stay at the Pine Trees Hotel. We had the master suite, which was absolutely wonderful. Again, we were in Pitlochry for only one night and wish we could have stayed longer. It's definitely a longer-stay hotel. The staff was wonderful and very accommodating. Plus, a (very short) and nice walk into town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kimpton Charlotte Square Hotel, an IHG Hotel

Edinburgh

As "tourist" town hotels go, it's location is great and easy to walk to everything around Edinburgh. We've stayed in better Kimpton properties.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Glass-bottom Boat Trip by Isle of Skye

Scotland

We went into this thinking - "it's a glass-bottom boat tour; we're from Florida, no big deal." However, I am so glad we did this boat trip. As we were driving to the Isle of Skye thinking that we'd have plenty of time to check into our hotel and relax, I received a text from the owner of the boat asking us if we could make it for the 2 p.m. cruise instead of the 4 p.m. cruise as we were the only two people booked for the 4 p.m. cruise. We knew we'd have to hustle, but I told her we would try to get there. Long story short, we made it there before 2 p.m. and as it turned out there were only three of us on the boat cruise. It was wonderful! We had the whole boat to ourselves and had wonderful conversations with the co-owner and the captain. We would not have had this much interaction had the boat been full. It was a wonderful boat cruise and visit to a ship wreck and salmon farm.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Evening cruise on Loch Linnhe

Fort William

There was torrential rain the evening of this cruise and were unable to do the cruise.

Private guided walk in Glencoe

Scotland

Loved every minute of our guided walk. David, our guide, was absolutely wonderful. Very knowledgeable and helpful. Stunning scenery. Would love to go back to the Glencoe area.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Blair Atholl Castle Entrance tickets

Pitlochry

Very stunning and interesting castle.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Walk up Calton Hill

Edinburgh

Definitely worth the walk up Calton Hill.

Quality of Experience

In almost all ways working with Emily was an extremely positive experience: she is knowledgeable, responsive, and very gracious. All the aspects of planning the itinerary were handled thoughtfully and in a timely fashion. There were two hiccups that kept me from giving five stars both for the experience and Emily herself: the tour and hotel bookings were handled by another specialist, who put them in her (or possibly a third sub-contractor's) name, so we didn't receive important communication from the hotel (like the number of the apartment) and the tours didn't have our names when we arrived to register. Everyone was extremely responsive and resolved the issues quickly, but they shouldn't have happened in the first place. Second--and this relates to the KimKim experience--there's no transparency around the charges. I don't know what the upcharges were on your end--but once we found out the price of the individual tours and the cost of the hotel (by looking online) we realized that they are probably significant. I realize we are paying for the service--but I want to know what % of my costs were service charges. If it was any more than 20%, then I will look elsewhere before booking with KimKim again.

Hi Luigi,

Thank you for planning a wonderful trip for us. Overall, working with you was great and we had a wonderful time with a couple of exceptions that I mention later. Your itinerary gave us a Scotland experience we would never have come up with on our own. Your daily updates during the trip helped set the context for the day, and our guides were knowledgeable, personable, and accommodating. We feel like we came away with wonderful memories and a more tangible feel for Scottish history, culture, and the landscape.

All the scheduled activities and sites were amazing, and I could write about each one. In the interest of brevity, I’ll keep it to a couple.

The Farm of Kinaldy Shetland and Valais sheep was a highlight. Julie was a wonderful host and was happy to answer any and all questions. She let us interact with the sheep, wander around her field to take as many photos as we like, and even try our hands at sheering. The sheep are very people-friendly. We also got to see two highland cows she acquired recently. I would recommend this experience to anyone interested in sheep if they don’t mind getting their shoes a bit muddy.

Cawdor Castle was another highlight. The gardens, in particular, were spectacular, bursting with spring colors. Given all the blooming flowers, we spent more time than I expected in gardens during this trip. I recommend people intentionally allocate time for gardens when touring in late May.

The main issues we had during the trip were with two hotels. The first was Inverlochy Castle. A pipe broke and flooded our room around midnight. We had to call the front desk multiple times before they sent anyone to help us because the night porter could not reach the manager. After much insistence from me, they moved us to two other rooms. This process took about an hour because we had to dress, pack, and move to rooms across the site in the main building (our original room was in the old guard house by the road). We did not sleep well that night. When we checked out the next morning, I thought they would compensate us somehow, but the manager did not even mention the incident. When I brought it up, they said they had moved us to new rooms, so they viewed that as sufficient. This was a shocking response from a supposedly 5-star hotel, given what had happened. I would not recommend this hotel.

The second hotel issue was more minor. Our breakfast was not included in the Waldorf stay, and we had to pay for it, even though the itinerary said it was included.

If there is a way for us to be compensated for either of the hotel issues, please let us know.

I hope this information is helpful. Again, thank you for helping us with a wonderful trip.

Sincerely,
Jack, Pei, and Nolan

This trip was truly a once in a lifetime vacation. Neil planned everything for us and we could not have asked for a better itinerary. It was everything we could have asked for and more!

We loved all our castle tours and even had an extra day where we added in the Stirling Castle (which ended up being my favorite)

Loved all the history of the Jacobites and the Culloden battlefield tour.

Our favorite town was Portree I think I would have liked an extra day there...so much to see and do. We loved the Highlands and Isle of Skye.