Excellent experience with Emily and Kimkim
Scotland
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Apr 27 - May 12, 2024
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
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.
Beautiful place, amazing breakfasts, wonderful staff.
Excellent hotel - amazing room that we could have spent two weeks in. Highly recommend.
Activity Reviews
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Hi Lesley and Tom!
Thank you for your review! I am so glad you had a fantastic trip!
Thank you for your feedback, we will take it all into account! Great to hear that you enjoyed Knockinaam Lodge! It really is a special place, and often overlooked area of Scotland, making it such a wonderful, quiet and untouched spot to spend some time!
If you do wish to plan another trip, you know where to find me!
Hope to work with you again in the future!
Best wishes,
Emily