Jane and her team did a fantastic job organizing our 17-day honeymoon to Scotland. They handled countless details, and they were readily accessible 24/7 for any hiccups. They very clearly outline every detail for every day with times, directions, ticket confirmation #s, and the tickets to anything pre-booked.
They picked almost all B & Bs which is the best way to experience the culture of the country you're in. Everything was paid for prior to arrival which made it so much easier. We did...
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Jane and her team did a fantastic job organizing our 17-day honeymoon to Scotland. They handled countless details, and they were readily accessible 24/7 for any hiccups. They very clearly outline every detail for every day with times, directions, ticket confirmation #s, and the tickets to anything pre-booked.
They picked almost all B & Bs which is the best way to experience the culture of the country you're in. Everything was paid for prior to arrival which made it so much easier. We did have one hotel claim it wasn't paid so they made us pay again, but Jane/team quickly handled it and we got a refund ASAP.
Our trip had several tours booked but plenty of free time to explore, which was a perfect balance. We love exploring nature and they had a lot of suggestions for things to do. It can be overwhelming going to a place you've never been to, not knowing where to start. They give a lot of great recommendations of things to check out which was really helpful.
Jane/team were very responsive and flexible when changes needed to happen. There were a couple of hiccups with tickets for distillery tours, but we got them figured out.
It's important for all travelers to set proper expectations when hiring a travel agent. No one knows exactly what things you like to do, what accommodations you consider to be perfect, what cuisine you like, etc. Some of these reviews from people are complaining that a travel agent can't read their mind, which is unreasonable. Everyone needs to be flexible and go with the flow. You will enjoy your trip by setting proper expectations that international travel (or travel anywhere) is never perfect. Delays happen, weather happens, people are people - go with the flow and you will enjoy your trip so much more that way.
I would hire Jane/team again in a heartbeat and will be reaching out again for our next trip.
Hotel Reviews
Bridge of Orchy Hotel
Bridge of Orchy
Very busy hotel because it's on the West Highland Way, so lots of backpackers passing through. Great way to meet a lot of non-native travelers from other countries. Beautiful setting with a really nice restaurant/bar. Super friendly staff. This is essentially the only hotel for 20+ miles and you are in the middle of paradise. 15 min drive to Glencoe where you will see the most incredible scenery on planet earth.
The Whispering Pine Lodge
Spean Bridge
Incredible views right off the deck of the loch and mountains. The staff is extremely service-oriented. Not owned by native Scots (the entire staff is Indian), so there are lots of Indian food offerings on the menu (which were absolutely fantastic). Just a few Scottish food items on the menu. Not much to do in town but a great location for hiking and sight-seeing.
Authenticity & Character
Not authentically Scottish
Cleanliness & Comfort
Room was quite comfortable
Greshornish House Hotel
Edinbane
One of our favorite hotels. Unbelievable setting, very quaint older house with a fantastic restaurant. Very comfortable bar lounge with a real fireplace, books, chess, and snooker table.
Location
There's a 10 min drive on a single track road in order to get to the B & B so make sure you know the rules of the road on single track. Many sheep roaming which may slow you down :)
Staff
Staff was very friendly
Cleanliness & Comfort
Room is tiny but who cares? It's an absolutely fantastic place to stay!
Glen Mhor Hotel
Inverness
Great location, attached to a bar/distillery. Room was very comfortable and quite spacious. Bathroom was excellent. Included breakfast is a buffet which was mediocre but good enough to tide you over until lunch.
Very high end hotel. You will absolutely feel like royalty here. Parking lot full of Bentleys and Porches. Bring cash because you will need to tip people (doorman, concierge). Unbelievable views from the deck at the bar. Breakfast was good, service not so much. Restaurant is good but expect everything to be very expensive. The room was about 90 degrees F when we entered and there is no AC. We sweated that night but the bed was comfortable. The bathroom is incredible with the best towels and robes you'll ever use. They made us pay for the room on departure even though Jane/team had already paid, so we ended up having to get a refund.
Staff
Restaurant staff gave poor service especially given the prices you are paying. Bar staff was nice.
The Kings Arms Hotel
Melrose
Room was extremely tight but functional. Restaurant attached was great and so was the bar/beer garden. Free parking on the street and easy to find a spot.
Best traditional breakfast we had on the entire trip. Super kind staff, had a quaint little hotel bar we could visit at night. We had an issue with their shower that didn't really get handled which was unfortunate, but no big deal. Location is a 15 min walk to downtown but manageable and in a quiet part of town.
Location
Not optimal for doing anything in the city as it is a 15 min. walk to the nearest car park. However, once you realize you will do a LOT of walking on your trip, it's less of an issue. We just parked our car and left it there for 2 days and walked everywhere.
Staff
Absolutely wonderful staff.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Shower didn't drain and they couldn't fix it so water would just overflow onto the floor after 30 seconds. We went 2 days without a shower which was disappointing. On the last day they finally allowed us to shower in another room.
Motel One Glasgow
Glasgow
Smallest room we had but functional. Great continental breakfast included. Great location.
Authenticity & Character
Locals employed
Activity Reviews
Evening cruise on Loch Linnhe
Fort William
We ended up not making this tour so I can't really comment.
Glass-bottom Boat Trip by Isle of Skye
Scotland
Guide was very knowledgeable on marine life. We saw a few seals but really nothing else. Luck of the draw, I suppose. Not really sure we'd do this again.
Quality of Experience
It's got to be hard to plan for people to see things that are inconsistently present. However, we saw almost nothing on the tour which was disappointing. They might need to rethink their tour strategy.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Guide was incredibly knowledgeable and tried to make the best of a situation where there was nothing to really look at.
Isle of Skye Raasay Whisky, Gin and chocolate tour
Scotland
Really great experience. You need to take a ferry to the island, and it's a 10 min walk from the ferry to the distillery.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Strathisla Distillery Tour (Home of Chivas)
Scotland
Fantastic tour through a very old distillery with lots of history
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Uilebheist Distillery
Inverness
Interesting distillery that is only a year old, so they don't actually have any of their own whiskys yet (other than blended whiskys from other distilleries).
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Guide was OK but we had better experiences at other distilleries
Lochleven Castle
Scotland
Great experience with the small boat that gets you to the island. Wish we had more time to explore but it was the end of the day so we had to turn around quickly.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
10 min small boat ride
Visit the Kelpies
Scotland
We ended up driving past them but didn't have enough time to tour them. It's quite a walk from the car park (15 mins).
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Edinburgh Castle Tickets
Edinburgh
A must-see castle. I would highly recommend paying for a tour guide because otherwise you're just wandering around and looking at things you really don't know anything about.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Wish we would've hired a tour guide
Secrets of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile
Edinburgh
Extremely educated and knowledgeable tour guide! Tons of history given and his enthusiasm was second-to-none. 10/10 recommended and a fantastic way to see a large city in a short amount of time.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Best tour guide we had the entire trip
Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour
Glasgow
Highly recommended as a great way to get around the city for very little money. Two tiered bus with upper tier having some covered and some uncovered seats. Bus comes every 15 mins to every stop until about 6p.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Tour guide was lovely and we met some really great people from South Africa. Great way to tour the city and try local foods/beers. Highly recommended.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
N/A - it's a walking tour
Local specialist: Jane Davey