McKinlay Kidd Traveller Reviews

For many years I sang Scottish songs at meetings of our local Caledonian Society. To see the places in real life was a surreal experience: Skye, the Cuilin Hills, Lochaber, the lochs and so much more. The arrangements were smoothly done and the accommodation was luxurious.

Our guide on Skye was an elderly gentleman called McLeod, I think his first name was Donald. He gave us a wonderful tour of the island. I have a fair knowledge of, and interest in, the history of the area, and a great interest in languages, so he, as a native Gaelic speaker born on Skye, was the ideal person for me. He was able to fill in so many historic and linguistic details. It was a magical tour in spite of the rain and cold!

We visited Scotland, using the Grand Tour Of Scotland by Rail option of McKinley Kidd. First visit to that part of the world and thoroughly enjoyed it. Well organized. Excellent small tour operatives. Truly felt welcome and at home in all the accommodations. Train trips were wonderful.

Everything well organized. All glitches addressed. We felt spoiled and well cared for, even when we never met the operators in person.

I couldn't speak more highly for our trip to Edinburgh & Outer Islands which was organized by McKinlay Kidd.

The entire trip was really wonderful due to the way everything went so smoothly from the flights to the ferries and the excellent accommodation.

A fly drive first to Orkney where we stayed inKirkwall for 5 nightand travelled all over the island visiting all the major sites. Then to Shetland two nights in the south, four nights near Lerwick and then another 4 nights near Brae. Again using the car to visit many sites. All this organised by McKinley Kidd. Evereything went smoothy hotels/BB's excellent, advice given very relevant and all paperwork very detailed.

From the outset, very helpful and all details catered for. Changes were made very easily and all bookings were spot on. Flights, car hire and accomodation bookings excellent. A very detailed itinery was sent before we left home, extra information regarding places to eat and visit were excellent.

Went up the west coast driving a recommended route stopping for meals and accommodation at McK-K organised locations.

Very friendly and supportive. Kept in touch with us while we worked out a solution to arriving late due to train delays, and being unable to pick up the hire car as it was out of normal business hours when we finally got in to Glasgow.

Should be on everyone’s bucket list. The Islands North to South are so very different and beautiful in their different ways. Apart from stunning scenery you are rewarded with a deep and long sense of history imprinted on the land and the sea, through the many surviving Neolithic and Bronze Age sites and the stories of the Hebrides more recently. Many of these poignant and moving reminders of history from the clearances on. So many places to visit and enjoy. McKinlay Scott took all the angst out of organising where to stay and ferries etc. And their online guide was really useful. The places to stay and eat are mixed because often there are few choices in a sparsely populated chain of Islands - but some are exceptional and all are friendly and welcoming, if a tad past their best. South to North works because you start remote and end up in Stornoway which, by then, feels like a metropolis! Alas the weather (which was Hebridean) denied us St Kilda but also leaves destined to return. If we did I think we’d make a beeline for Harris and Uist - our favourites and very different. But Barra has a lot of charm. Though the Callanish stones in Lewes are an absolute must - the ‘secondary’ sites being the most remarkable because you will probably walk around them alone and be transported back into long forgotten times, places and rituals - which seem to echo and sum up all that is the Outer Hebrides. A special place. Or rather several special and quite different places. In spite of the weather? Or perhaps because of it? It seems fitting that the sun rarely seems to shine and whilst the sea looks inviting it rewards only a quick dip unless perhaps you are a seal (of which there are many).

Took all the pain and hassle out of organising what was a wonderful trip down the Hebridean spine.

We loved this McKinlay-Kidd holiday and felt we were given a good idea of Ireland and its beautiful countryside, its people, its history, and some of Irish life in general (such as singing in the pubs - the locals often invited us to sit with them and join in). :) Our trip took us right around Ireland and Northern Ireland, much of it by train which was very easy and stress free. Where there was no train going to where we were, we were met by a driver to take us to the town/hotel we were going to. The trip allowed us to see famous Irish sights as well as places less well known. Most of our guides/drivers were so friendly and full of information which they were keen to pass on to us; one even sang us an Irish song as we drove along. It was a wonderful holiday in the true sense of the word. We fell in love with Ireland and could not have been happier with this trip.

McKinlay-Kidd offer very interesting and comprehensive trips. They provide all the information you need, and more, in easily accessible formats with full details for each day. Their Vamoos app is brilliant - you don't need internet or wifi to access it so you can check details wherever you are. If you have a query it is very easy to call them and someone is there to help you. McKinlay-Kidd is also very flexible in helping you to design the trip you want and have no problems in varying the trips they advertise on their website - adding or subtracting days, places you want to visit, or don't. The accommodation they book for you is excellent - conveniently located, allowing you to mix with locals if you wish. The activities they include are so interesting and allowed people like us visiting Ireland from Australia to learn so much about Ireland, its people, countryside, history.

MK organised every last detail of our holiday - Slowly through the Outer Hebrides. It was relaxing and the accommodation was all excellent. Great value for money too.

See above

Our primary purpose was to see all things associated with King James VI of Scotland, who authorized the creation of the King James Bible (the greatest Bible ever). We were blessed with amazing weather, good connections with other brothers and sisters in Christ, and no hiccups with travel or accommodations.

McKinlay Kidd Holiday Tours is a great outfit. They are very accommodating, cooperative, pleasant to deal with, always ensuring all your travel needs are met and satisfied. They are also very easy to contact and willing to assist (Lucy in particular), without having to go though an automated answering system or answer bot.

We spent just over three weeks in these islands. It was helped by the weather which was great and supplemented by the welcome we got from the people we met and stayed with.. It started in Barra landing on the beach and ended in Shetland. We hired cars, travelled on ferries and fly to Orkney and Shetland. All of this was organised by McKinley Kidd .

McKinley Kidd organised the whole trip for us. Not only that. they sorted out a ferry for us when a flight was cancelled due to bad weather. They chose our hotels, B and B and car hire all of which suited us well. Any pre trip questions we had were answered fully and they provided a set of recommended places to visit en route as well as at our destinations.