Exploring Scotland Over the December Holidays
Scotland
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Dec 22 - Jan 1, 2025
We had an outstanding Scottish trip over the December holidays! Stephen and Marine provided wonderful support in planning a 11 day trip that took us on a loop from Edinburgh to the Highlands (Glencoe and Skye).
In Edinburgh, our local guide, Gareth, was phenomenal. He maintained a captivating discussion of the city over over three hours! The Wee Touring Menu at Wedgewood was a huge success with the entire family. The Mary King's Close Tour was a wonderful addition to the trip and well worth the time.
Once we left Edinburgh, hiking in Glencoe, Pitlochery, and Skye was pretty outstanding as well. While it was always a little but rainy (as expected), we really enjoyed the views, the streams, and waterfalls.
Hotel Reviews
Very comfortable, quiet accommodations in the heart of Edinburgh. Very spacious, strong WiFi, and is a place that a large group could stay for several days. The single blip with York Place Apartments was the check-in process. This was nobody waiting for us and there is no desk--so we were somewhat stuck outside this apartment without a way to get inside the apartment.
The Glencoe Inn is very comfortable and tucked away in the mountains. From a location perspective, Bellachulish was just beautiful and had great places to hike. The Inn's accommodations were limited during our stay. Upon arriving, we were told that the main restaurant and bar were closed for renovations and there was limited staff available. The Inn provided a limited menu and limited bar during our stay.
A solid place--the staff was very friendly, the rooms were clean, and comfortable, and the hotel is in a great location.
The location was wonderful and provided a unique experience for the family. The rooms were clean and comfortable. The biggest questions were based on the New Years' celebration events. While we initially believed there would be options to eat locally or eat within the hotel at the bar, the only option was to buy tickets for a New Years Dinner.
Activity Reviews
Just a fantastic way to understand the city's history and how lower class people lived.
Possibly the highlight of the trip, Gareth was interesting and informed. This felt more like a 3 hour discussion between Gareth and our family of 4 than a simple tour were you are blasted with facts and figures.
Again, a strong contender for being the main highlight, Stirling castle was a great experience. The parking was easy, Stirling is a central city to Scottish history, the castle is well-maintained, and the tour guides were great. I was surprised when my teenage daughters wanted to keep exploring after 2 hours!
The Wee Tour of Scotland tasting menu was a good culinary experience. We enjoyed a set course meal of five or six dishes, offering a nice variety of Scottish cuisine. It was a solid four out of five experience.
