Kimkim Trip Reviews for Scotland

A 13 day trip around Scotland means one thing, we've got to go back for more. AMAZING. Oou guide around the Isle of Sky, Donald, was amazing, funny, and kind. I can't say enough good things about JUSTINE. She looked after us our whole trip. Checking on us, making changes due to our health problems. My only regret is not being able to give her a hug and say Thank You.

Our trip to Scotland was a wonderful experience filled with beautiful scenery and many memories. Our specialist Kat at Kim Kim was a great resource and very helpful in the planning of our trip. The time difference between the USA and Europe did cause some issues with booking(s). However we planned and executed the trip in less than 3 weeks. From that aspect it was very helpful having someone book excursions and hotels.

My son and I recently made a trip from our home in the US to Scotland. As someone without much experience traveling abroad I contacted kimkim and our specialist Kateryna did an absolutely outstanding job of helping us with the logistics and planning of our trip. We had a few unforeseen obstacles leading up to our departure and she did an excellent job guiding us through them to modify our plans accordingly. All of our hotel accommodations were comfortable and conveniently located, and there was a nice balance of planned activities and flexibility in our itinerary to allow us to explore the recommended sights. To top it off, Kateryna made dinner reservations on our last night for a wonderful meal with a spectacular view of Edinburgh Castle. It was a trip we will never forget!

Hotel Reviews

Barony Castle Hotel

Peebles

Comfortable country hotel with plenty of charm - staff could not be more friendly and accommodating.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Leonardo Royal Hotel Edinburgh

Edinburgh,

Comfortable, conveniently located hotel. Newly remodeled, with an excellent breakfast!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

The Vaults Tour

Edinburgh

Fascinating history of a part of Edinburgh you would never see unless you were on this tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Edinburgh Cab City Tour

Edinburgh

Comfortable driving tour around Edinburgh with a friendly and knowledgeable local!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Marion organized our recent trip to the Scottish Highlands and Isle of Skye. My wife and I hiked part of the West Highland Way (Bridge of Orchy to Ft. William). It was a great 3 day hike through amazing scenery. Our accommodations were great, and luggage transfer service worked out perfect. We then did a rest day (mid-trip) in Ft. William. A nice town with lots of shopping, restaurants, and pubs. We then got our rental car and went on to Isle of Skye for 3 amazing days. We finished up in Inverness, which was an enjoyable small city in the Highlands. We loved Scotland and definatley want to go back someday! Marion was patient with us as we built our customized itinerary and everything was well organized and went smoothly!

I was impressed with the responsiveness of our Kim Kim representative, Kateryna. Her knowledge of the area was very helpful. The accommodations in Inverness and the Isle of Skye were magical.

Activity Review

The Vaults Tour

Edinburgh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Had a wonderful trip despite the cold, wet weather. Alex was very helpful planning and then making sure things on our trip went as smoothly as possible. I really appreciated the fact that she kept in touch during the trip and continued to help us with reservations. Our guide Craig was amazing. He was extremely knowledgeable, flexible to meet the entire groups needs, and had a great bedside manner. Would definitely use both of these fine people again!

Alex was great in planning our trip and taking care of all the details. We truly just walked off the plane and met our guide and had nothing to worry about until we were driven to the airport for our return trip.
Craig was a wonderful guide gave us many options on what we would prefer to do and shared his knowledge of his country’s history with a refreshing passion.
Our accommodations were all very good and each one was unique. Our favorite was the Broad Bay House.. Very picturesque, quiet and the food was amazing!
Overall I wouldn’t change a thing about the trip.

The weather was typically Scotland and Ireland. Wet! We had a wonderful time and our guides were wonderful and knowledgeable. We missed one excursion because of time. The trip was great and the accommodations and people were wonderful. Thanks for all your support and hard work.

In all fairness, it seemed Stephen, not Sarah, did the planning. Unfortunately we encountered many issues with our itinerary. We were in frequent communication with staff since Stephen was on holiday during the majority of our trip. A few issues included tours ‘not paid for’, car rental issues ( wrong car, no gas in car), insufficient coordination time between tours. The staff worked feverishly to make course corrections but this is not how an expensive trip is coordinated and managed, it created much stress for the 4 people traveling. In addition, we were 2 couples traveling and there was significant disparity in rooms. We consistently had a lower quality and level of room and to date no compensation has been made from the tour company. In fact, all communication since the tour ended have gone unanswered. Very dissatisfied and I would not recommend the local company nor will I use kimkim again, which is quite disappointing since I really thought they had a good business model.

Hotel Reviews

Redwood House Hotel

Greshornish

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Angel's Share Hotel

New Town, Edinburgh

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Malmaison Aberdeen

Aberdeen

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Royal Highland Hotel

Inverness

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Albannach Suites

Lochinver

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Royal Hotel Stornoway

Stornoway, Isle of Lewis,

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kinghouse Hotel

Glen Coe

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Glasshouse Hotel

Edinburgh

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cruise of Mull, Iona and Staffa Islands

Scotland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wildlife Spotting Boat Tour

Lochinver

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Full day from Stornoway - Westside Historical Circle and Uig and Bernera District.

Stornoway

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Secrets of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile - walking tour with castle tickets

Edinburgh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The Military Tattoo Show

Edinburgh

Quality of Experience

St Andrews Walking Tour of the Old Course

St Andrews

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dunnottar Castle Tickets

Scotland

Quality of Experience

Cairngorms National Park Wildlife Tour with a Specialist

Scotland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Culloden Battlefield private tour

Inverness

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We got to go all over Scotland for nearly two weeks with Marion's help. We saw some very beautiful areas and toured a lot of castles and whisky distilleries. My husband and I had a great time and all of our scheduled events and hotel bookings went through as planned. We never to reach out to the agency for any booking issues.

I would have appreciated perhaps a bit more communication - our dinner reservation with Three Chimneys had apparently been overbooked and they said they had sent an email about it to us, but it wasn't our email on their contact so we arrived at the restaurant expecting the kitchen tasting menu, but we had the normal four course dinner instead. This wasn't a big inconvenience or anything, but it did result in some confusion. We also did not receive any emails from the hotels regarding restaurant times. Redwood Hotel on Skye was not open every evening for dinner and because it is such a difficult drive to get to the hotel, I had hoped not to go out again that day. When I asked the receptionist about it, he said that that information should have been given to me in an email, which we did not receive.

Those were our biggest issues. And perhaps we might have appreciated another night in Edinburgh instead of the two initial nights as we were too tired to do anything the day we came in and we had to leave immediately after the first full day to go to Stirling Castle, which was a little out of the way since we ended up going back there towards the end of the trip.

My biggest tip for anyone booking in the future is to really look at the hotels and locations on Google Maps and see if you feel comfortable driving on Scotland's roads (they can be narrow or only have one lane with lots of sheep and potholes). We saw so many train stations and buses while we were traveling, and I wish we had used public transportation to avoid the stress of driving.

Overall, it was the trip of a lifetime and I'm so glad that I had Marion's help to plan this trip. She's very responsive and easy to work with and the KIm KIm interface is very intuitive and I really appreciated having all of our trip information in one place.

Truly enjoyed our experience with Kim Kim. I was delighted to experience the different locales and different types of hotels/inns/cabins. The various guides and transfer drivers were, as a whole, delightful and informative.

The only drawback was our guide on the Isle of Skye. He didn't seem to know that we would rely on him to recommend places to see. He expected us to outline specifically what we wished to see. When we informed him that we would like to visit the Fairy Pools, he was adamant that we wouldn't be able to do it in the allotted time frame. Overall, our experience of the Isle of Skye was tainted by his lack of knowledge and enthusiasm.

Hotel Reviews

Blackfriars Hotel

Inverness

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.

Authenticity & Character

It is just like the pubs one has read about with the accommodations located above the pub. Great food and charming location. Note: given the historical nature of the inn, it does not have an elevator. However, Alex offered to take our bags up to our rooms.

Location

Easy walking distance from the train station.

Staff

Friendly. Helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

House Of Juniper

Broadford

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

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Leonardo City Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ben Nevis Hotel & Leisure Club

Fort William, Inverness-shire

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

No.32 Hotel

Edinburgh

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Z Hotel

Bath

Authenticity & Character

Z Hotel is a more modern hotel. If that is what you like then this hotel is for you.

Location

Because of road closures in Bath, the hotel was difficult to locate.

Staff

The staff was helpful and truly tried to meet our needs. When we arrived, We realized that our bed was only accessible on one side. While they did not have an available room that had access on three sides, they worked to set us up with another room for our second night.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Best Western Chiswick Palace & Suites

London

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.

Authenticity & Character

Location

This hotel is in the west portion of London and further out than we realized to the various sites we had planned to visit. It was within walking distance of the tube, but our particular tube station was closed due to a mini-strike. However, the hotel staff helped us to negotiate around this incovenience.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private transfer in town

Scotland

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.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Other than the one guide at the Isle of Skye, all other drivers and guides were great.

Transport

The rail system in Scotland is amazing. We did learn that we did not take into consideration how much time we needed to get from location to location and thus did not have enough time in Inverness, Edinburg and Bath to take in all that we wanted to see.

Literary tour of Bath

Bath

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.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon Tea at the Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Stonehenge Half Day Tour from Bath

Bath

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.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

London Eye timed entry tickets

London

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private transfer in town

Scotland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hop-on, Hop-off Bus

London

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Scotland - behind the scenes.

Using kimkim and @Luigi Pasiani is the only way to travel to any country and get to see things that you would NEVER pick out on your own. Our trip was spectacular. Luigi planned all of the hotels which were all awesome in their own right. The trip plan had more than we could do at our pace so we ended up cancelling some of the events he had scheduled for us and had to catch some at the end of our trip rather than the beginning as planned. Some of the most unique people and places were scheduled by Luigi, including a short meeting with a Tartan expert which turned out to be most interesting. Sheep dog trainers in the most remote locations. I will say again, you will not see the real Scotland without the help of people like @Luigi Pasiani and the kimkim team.

Hotel Reviews

The Balmoral Hotel

Edinburgh

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fonab Castle

Pitlochry

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Victoria Square

Stirling

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rusacks St Andrews

St Andrews

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kimpton Charlotte Square Hotel, an IHG Hotel

Edinburgh

Authenticity & Character

Location

If you are arriving by car, park on Rose Street and walk to the hotel entrance. They will get your luggage and park your car from there. There is no parking in front of the hotel.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Discover traditional herding

Scotland

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

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Drove a rental car to the address, no problem finding the place.

Contemplate the Highland nature

Pitlochry

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Highland chocolate tasting experience.

Scotland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

David seaplane experience

Scotland

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'.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Uncover hidden gems of Edinburgh

Edinburgh

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.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had an incredible experience and Luigi was a dynamic, passionate and spectacular guide. He had the most remarkable ideas and highlights for us to experience. Some of his unique ideas that we experienced:
1. Meeting Dr. John Sadler (an historian) and walking through ruins learning about them as well as all of Scotland
2. Flyfishing in unspoiled waters with the local Fisherman
3. Oh the STORYTELLER!! Did I mention her? She was just absolutely amazing and we had an incredible visit to a castle with her.
4. High Tea...WE LOVED IT
5. Seeing Edinbugh through and through, with lots of Hidden Gems
6. Visit to an incredible castle and meeting an remarkable heraldry artist
6. We had actually hidden gems all throughout our trip (Including a highland festival!)

Every day Luigi would send us a comprehensive summary of our day that we read each morning to our family which boosted our excitement for what we were going to see and experience. Everyday was unique and special for us.

Luigi was also incredibly accommodating and we worked with us to adjust and modify our schedule when we needed. He was always available, attentive and responsive.
I cannot recommend Luigi enough!

Thank you Luigi of the White Rose Guild for the experience of a lifetime!

Hotel Reviews

Holyrood apartHotel

Edinburgh

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cuil an Daraich Guest House

Pitlochry

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bed & Breakfast Drum Farm

Denny

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Waterfront

Anstruther

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Get passionate to Scottish history with an Historian

Scotland

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

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

River Tweed Fly Fishing

Scotland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Get fascinated by a Storyteller's stories

Scotland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Contemplate the Highland nature

Pitlochry

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Experience the intricate nature of a Heraldry Artist

Scotland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Admire the majestic falcon

Scotland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

First, our local specialist was Stephen Molloy, not Isabelle. And, if I could have given a 4.8 rather than a 4, I would have. Most of the planning process was excellent, with Stephen responsive to, and patient with, our revisions in itinerary. Perhaps twice I wished for more prompt responses to questions, even if the response was, "I'm going to need a few days to sort that out". Having said that, Stephen helped us come up with an outstanding experience. With only one exception the accommodations were very good to excellent. That exception, the Stirling Highland Hotel, has already been communicated to Stephen.
Our guide, David, that helped us with a hike at Glencoe was wonderful; supportive, knowledgeable, personable, and easily adjusted to our needs.
Scotland is a beautiful and interesting country. We are grateful to have had a glimpse of its history, its highlands and coastline, and its warm and generous people. With Stephen's assistance we planned a trip that allowed us to travel about 700 miles in 15 days. More than once we asked each other whether we could stay in a place for two or three weeks more.
This was truly more wonderful than we imagined. Thank you Stephen for helping us to plan and for checking with us several times to make sure the trip was going well.

I had an general idea of where I wanted to go but Neil ( our Kimkim guide) added a lot more depth and culture to the trip. he organized a guide for one of our trip suggested and brought tickets for a number of other stops that we would not have found on our own. The hotels were all nice and conveniently located. Two pieces of advise I would give to travelors - 1) be prepared for how long it takes to get anywhere by car ( Narrow roads and lots of campers means google is always wrong on ETAs). Also most places to eat close their kitchen at 8, even in the big cities so be prepared.

Great overall trip.

Hotel Reviews

Kingsmills Hotel

Inverness

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Balmacara Hotel

Ross-Shire

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cruachan Hotel

Fort William

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cairngorms National Park Wildlife Tour with a Specialist

Scotland

1 Hour Cruise on the Loch Ness from Fort Augustus

Scotland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Stirling Castle Tickets

Scotland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

did the audio tour and it was a big hard to follow the order after the chapel.

Edinburgh Castle Tickets

Edinburgh

Stephen prepared a great trip for us, taking all of our feedback and crazy ideas. Everything was laid out, easy to understand, follow and share. Got a few pro-tips for the cities we were visiting which helped a lot.

Activity Reviews

Afternoon Tea at the Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh

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

Private Excursion from Edinburgh - Highlands, Whisky & Castles - V2

Edinburgh

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.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Glasgow Beer Tour

Glasgow

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.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day tour to the Giants Causeway

Belfast

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.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Irish Dancing - The Irish House Party (Dinner & Show)

Dublin

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.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Free time in Dublin

Dublin

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.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cliff of Moher tour from Dublin

Dublin

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.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The entire trip was fantastic. The attention to detail was on point for the entire trip. Considering we were in 4 different cities with multiple guides and side trips through Scotland and Ireland, all went smoothly.

Our guide, JP, in Belfast was fantastic. He took us through the Highlands on a private tour. All our guides were good and each one made the event/side trip worthwhile.

Activity Review

Irish Dancing - The Irish House Party (Dinner & Show)

Dublin

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

Quality of Experience

Food

Stephen was great to work with as he adjusted our trip to meet our interests. all the connections and events went smoothly with no hitches. Scotland was wonderful, each stop was unique and every guide or tour was outstanding

Hotel Reviews

Motel One Glasgow

Glasgow

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

Authenticity & Character

Location

close to train station and town senter

Staff

very helpful as it was our first time in Scotland

Cleanliness & Comfort

Perle

Oban

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

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful old hotel with great view of the harbor

Location

across from train station and ferry terminal

Staff

Very helpful in assiting us with our needs

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Garrison

Fort William

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

Authenticity & Character

Location

location was great for our water tour and walking to the local restaurants and town center

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Blackfriars Hotel

Inverness

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

Authenticity & Character

Location

walking distance to bus station.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Small Group Walking Tour of Glasgow

Glasgow

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

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

our guide was outstanding, very funny

Transport

our transport from Edinburg went smoothly

Cruise of Mull, Iona and Staffa Islands

Scotland

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)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Oban Distillery Tour

Oban

Fun and informative

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

walking distance from our hotel

Evening cruise on Loch Linnhe

Fort William

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

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Two hour cruise on the Canal and Loch - Loch Ness

Inverness

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

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Culloden Battlefield private tour

Inverness

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

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private day with a driver/guide from Inverness

Scotland

our guide was friendly and helpful. Very knowledgeable

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sheep dog demonstration

Inverness

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

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Walking Tour of Edinburgh with a Top Local Guide

Edinburgh

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

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Both guides we had in Thurso (Don and Angela from the company Above and Beyond) were terrific. We felt so at home at the Manor House with hosts Leo and Mary Ellen. They are so welcoming. I loved Thurso!
Also our guide for Glasgow: Andrew. He was so knowledgeable and had gone out of his way to find a historian of the church we were seeking.
The Skye in a Day Tour was excellent. The driver/guide, Bill, was a great storyteller and had a wonderful calming voice.
The private tour of the Culloden battlefield was very interesting.
The driver from Mailig to the ferry to Tobermory was outstanding. So kind, so knowledgeable, so proud of his area.
So much more--wonderful people, the scenery was gorgeous.

Hotel Reviews

Grasshoppers

GLASGOW

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.

Authenticity & Character

The staff and the fresh sweets and a hotel that is only on one floor above the train station.

Location

Center City, close to so many great places to eat

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Manor House

Thurso

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.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Leo and Mary Ellen, the owners who are so kind.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pennygate Lodge

Craignure

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.

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Blackfriars Hotel

Inverness

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.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Not far from the train station.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Royal Hotel Portree

Portree

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.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Bespoke tour of Glasgow

Glasgow

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.

Our Scotland trip ranked as one of the best ones we have taken. KimKim, William, Stephen and the whole staff were excellent. No detail was forgotten. The excursions that KimKim planned from the food tour to the distillery tour to the Skye Tour were excellent. We think that we saw a lot on our two week trip. Definitely, we will use KimKim to plan another trip.

Hotel Reviews

Old Waverley Hotel

Edinburgh

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

Authenticity & Character

Location

Location was great. Drug store, souvenir store, convenience store and the Hop on Bus were in close walking distance.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Albany Hotel

St Andrews

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

Authenticity & Character

Location

It was close to the pubs and restaurants and the golf course.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Heathmount Hotel

Inverness

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

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Royal Hotel Portree

Portree

Fantastic!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Isles Of Glencoe Hotel

Ballachulish

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

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Perle

Oban

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

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Castebay Hotel - Isle of Barra

Isle of Barra

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.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

No.32 Hotel

Edinburgh

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.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Edinburgh Castle Tickets

Edinburgh

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

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Edinburgh Food Tour

Edinburgh

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

Quality of Experience

The guide was wonderful , the food incredible and the walking was wonderful.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Walking Tour of Edinburgh with a Top Local Guide

Edinburgh

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

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Afternoon Tea at the Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh

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

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Blair Atholl Castle Entrance tickets

Pitlochry

Fabulous castle! Do not miss it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Two hour cruise on the Canal and Loch - Loch Ness

Inverness

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

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private guided tour with driver/guide in Skye

Scotland

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

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mallaig Wildlife Boat Trips

Mallaig

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

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

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

Scotland

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

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Oban Distillery Tour

Oban

Amazing, Loved it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We didn't need transport since the distillery was in walking distance from our home. Loved Oban!