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Second time - also a Charm!
Scotland | Jul 19 - Jul 31, 2024

Michael
Michael W.
Raleigh, NC | Reviewed on Aug 01, 2024

This was our second time booking a trip through KimKim - our first time working with High Pointe Holidays and Pauline. The trip was expertly planned, perfectly paced and hit all the right notes for us. The team was incredibly proactive and responsive when we did have questions. In the one instance where an accommodation fell short of our expectations (not KimKim's fault!) they more than rectified the situation. We would absolutely book through KimKim/High Pointe Holidays again.

Hotel Reviews
Apex City of Glasgow Hotel
Glasgow

Might have been our favorite hotel of the trip. Perfectly located for our activities. Center center, but away from the more busier, touristy sections of the city. Comfortable rooms. Great breakfast. Very helpful, friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character
Apex always delivers, in my experience. Everything you need. Nothing you don't.
Location
Close to the action of the city, but not too close to the busier, more touristy sections of town. Quiet. Comfortable. On par with the other Apex hotels I've stayed at.
Staff
Staff was incredibly helpful with recommendations and very accommodating.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Rooms were very comfortable. Quiet. Generously proportioned.
3 Oban Self catering Apartment with seaview
Oban

Wish we had more time here! Perfect for us. 3 bedrooms. Full kitchen. Washer. Very walkable to all activities, shops in Oban.

Authenticity & Character
Beautiful, charming building. Generous sized rooms. Nice kitchen. Good place to stay for a few days and use as a base of operations. With the Tesco Superstore nearby wish we had more time to have used the kitchen.
Location
Staff
Self-catering, no staff.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Very clean and comfortable apartment.
The Garrison
Fort William

Another stand out amongst many. New-ish hotel. Great location. Friendly and helpful staff. Well located in Fort William. Minor complaint - small rooms if you are traveling with a child and need a rollaway bad or sleeper sofa. Great breakfast and bar.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Perfectly located. Fort William is very walkable. Key for us - onsite and free parking.
Staff
Friendly and helpful
Cleanliness & Comfort
Very clean and very cozy rooms
Rosedale Hotel
Portree County

Do not stay here. Location is great. But, little to no parking. If you are on a long trip and traveling with family/kids + have bags - can be a bit of a challenge. Front desk staff were rude and unfriendly. Asked for passport number and future travel plans. Terrible experience would not recommend.

Authenticity & Character
This hotel/property has a lot of potential. It needs some work. Rooms are very generous, but feels/smells musty. As mentioned, very nice location, but just didn't hit the mark for us.
Location
As far as location gets in Portree - only thing I can give high marks on.
Staff
Outside of the restaurant staff at breakfast, which were nice/helpful (but very slow) - front desk staff were terrible. Wouldn't give me room keys without providing my passport number (very, very odd) as well as asking me where we were traveling to next, so they could document it electronically.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Smelled musty. Rooms felt dirty.
Malmaison Edinburgh City
Edinburgh

Very well located in new town. Very nice, generously sized rooms. Incredibly helpful staff!

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
River Forth & Bridges Boat Tours
River Forth & Bridges Boat Tours
Scotland
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Loch Lomond Cruise
Loch Lomond Cruise
Scotland

We really enjoyed this activity. Small cruise, not a lot of people. Felt more intimate, which we liked and prefer.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Great commentary - quite funny.
Transport
Visit the Glenfinnan Monument
Visit the Glenfinnan Monument
Scotland

Please guide appropriately on timing - how early to arrive. At least an hour early if your tour is scheduled close to a train crossing time.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Edinburgh Castle Tickets
Edinburgh Castle Tickets
Edinburgh

When possible, I'd recommend to folks try to get the first tour of the day, especially during summer (peak season). It was uncomfortably full of people at 3pm and was hard to enjoy the tour. If you can't get an earlier tour due to travel schedule, I'd probably skip if you don't like walking shoulder to shoulder and being cut off in line constantly by unaware tourists.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Boat tour from Oban - see the coast of Mull
Boat tour from Oban - see the coast of Mull
Oban

we unfortunately had to skip this activity as our son was sick. Imagine it would've been pretty awesome.

Local specialist: Pauline Mathieu
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