Absolute Escapes Traveller Reviews

My friend and I enjoyed the stunning scenery, comfy accommodations and great food provided by our Scottish hosts all along the way. Many, many thanks to Andy Gabe and his able team for putting together a fabulous trip that went without a hitch! I cannot overstate our level of satisfaction with Andy and Absolute Escapes. Thanks for their part in a memorable holiday.

Andy went above and beyond in his sensitive response and additional efforts when I lost an item of sentimental value along the way. I'll always remember him for his empathy and extra assistance. He has not lost that personal touch, which makes all the difference!

we did four days of the Fife coastal path and had a great time. B&B was very friendly and comfortable, Information about the villages, ways and facilities good and everything worked fine. Even the wheather was perfect!

Absolute Escapes

The West Highland Way is a path which should not be walked to fast. At every meter spot there is something new to see and experience! The landscape is sometimes lovely and sometimes overwhelming. The first part from Milngavie to Drymen was a delightful walk with lots of nice things to see and do. From Drymen to Balmaha we enjoyed so much the Conic hill and afterwards the refreshing atmosphere in the Oak Tree Inn. From Balmaha to Rowardennan was on a bright and sunny day and the landscape is magic with such weather when looking through the trees into the Loch Lomond water. Unfortunately we could not walk the part between Rowardennan and Drovers Inn due to the weather and due to personal injuries. From Drovers Inn to Tyndrum was an easy walk and we enjoyed the very very nice hospitality of Glencarry in Tyndrum. Then from Tyndrum to Inveroran was an energizing walk and from Inveroran to Kings House was so spectacular: once over the top of the highest part of this walk we had a magnificent view of the Glen at Kings House: we were astonished: this almost looks like the broad valleys in the southern part of the USA - so great! From Kings House to Kinlochleven was a super experience because of the rugged hills and the beautiful view of the little town from above! The last stretch was magnificent: beautiful lonely landscapes, deserted houses, and the majestic mountains! Our stay in Fort William was a pleasure feeling proud of having walked the way and very satisfied with lots of impressions. We liked very much the treatment in Drymen, Glencarry and Fort William especially because it is so personal. Nothing bad about the other stays, but the former three were our favorites!

Absolute escapes adapted the tour to our personal demands and they did that very well. We were satisfied about the hotels and guesthouses (B&B) although there were differences in comfort. Top locations were Myrtle Bank Guesthouse in Fort William and Glencarry in Tyndrum, but Drover’s Inn and Fern Villa House in Ballachulish were from a lower quality. The people of Fern Villa were marvelous, but the room was too small for us two. On average we found the rooms to be small although we did not had any problem with it, except in Ballachulish.

Walking the Great Glen Way from Ft William to Inverness. I stayed in a variety of hostels and bed & breakfast accommodation. All were good standards for the type of accommodation. I found some of the climbs more challenging as I took new higher routes that have been developed at the request of the walkers who use the route. In one word 'excellent'.

I had very good communication with Absolute Escapes throughout the whole enquiry and booking process. Their approach was very professional and friendly. They were a pleasure to deal with, and I would recommend them to anyone contemplating this style of holiday.

Three brother in laws from Uddingston headed off to do our very first WHHW. We did it over five days and had a truly brilliant experience. There's no doubt it was very tough in parts, especially day 2 Balmaha to Inverannan. However, most of it is no bother if you are reasonably fit, have GOOD BOOTS, and a decent waterproof. The smaller things go a long way(compeed, sudacream, suncream, balaclava for Rannoch moor ha ha). It's worth all the pain to witness some epic scenery. Loch Lomond, Rannoch Moor, Glencoe are really special places that take your mind off to a different place. It was good to hear the cuckoo all the way up north from balmaha onwards. Special moments? Too many to mention but here's a few; pint of Balmaha lager at the Oak Tree Inn, pouring rain on Conic Hill, Deer at Inveronnan, Rannoch moor, a red grouse up close, sharing a hip flask atop the devils staircase....the list goes on, oh, and finishing !

Great advice given as it was our first time. Excellent transfers and accommodation. I really would recommend this operator, we had not one thing to worry about the whole trip. You can't ask for more than that.

Excellent organisation, everything went smoothly . We walked the West Highland Way with our dog Bella and loved it. We lenjoyed meeting lots of fellow walkers on the way. All in all a fabulous "escape" Many thanks Nicola Jamie and Bella Purves

Excellent organisation and communication before the trip.

We had a wonderful time walking the West Highland Way. If we did it again, we would take more days to do the walk to shorten two of the longer hiking days. We could not envision the length and difficulty of each leg from the information provided and would opt for a 10-12 mile maximum per day. Each section of the walk has its own set of challenges, some more difficult and demanding than others. We like to arrive with enough energy to enjoy the evening. The B&Bs we stayed in were mostly very nice. All of them were acceptable. Several of them had exceptional breakfasts and we had a memorable dinner in one of them. The Kings House Hotel is in a not to be missed location, but is well beyond the point where it should be renovated. We were happy with the reservations, the itinerary, the luggage transportation, contact numbers, etc. The added transportation at the end of the walk went flawlessly. Overall, we are glad we made this hike.

Absolute Escapes did a superb job of organizing the package. We would use them again.

St Oswald's Way is varied and interesting. The sea coast (we did get to the Farne Islands) is fantastic, the foothills of the Cheviots lovely and remote. Woods and farmlands in between. We were focussing on the early Medieval history (St Oswald, in fact); to be there on the ground was most evocative. Pleasant B&Bs all the way - some outstandingly good. The only thing I would add is that the last 3 days are quite a marathon the way we did them. My cousins's little machine clocked up 23.5 miles the last day, and we did not stray from the route. I appreciate the last stretch (Rothbury to Heavenfield) is short on accommodation, but it was just as well no one asked us to fight a battle when we got to the site of Heavenfield.

They told us everything we needed to know without fuss. The information came in good time and was exactly right.

My friend and I decided to book via Absolute Escapes so we didn't have to worry about our luggage and where we would sleep while walking the West Highland Way. Although this costs more than arranging it yourself, it was sooooo convenient. Our luggage arrived safely at every new hotel / Bed & Breakfast, so that was awesome. The quality of the sleeping locations was good, with some extremes to good and bad. Bad = The Kings House Hotel. This hotel's location is awesome, but the rooms themselves are quite dated, ours was a bit dirty and you could literally hear the people in the next room talking. Considering they charge 100 pounds for a night I was a bit shocked. Awesome = the bed and breakfast in Kinlochleven, Brevins Guesthouse. The amount of comfort in the room was insane and we got spoiled with all the good food. Best scone I had during the holiday was made by them.

Absolute Escapes gave us all the info we needed, including a nice book about the West Highland Way and a daily itinerary. We went into the holiday feeling relaxed: everything was arranged for us. Nothing went wrong, so nothing to complain!

1 week for walking the Hadrian Wall from Newcastle to Carlisle. Good organisation and perfect execution.

Excellent choice for Hotels and B&B (with a very special note for Leazes Head B&B and Oakwood Park Hotel). Good food, even for our French standards Good program and timing for the walk, Luggage transfer with no worries. Weather just fine !