McKinlay Kidd Traveller Reviews

This was our first experience of a rail touring holiday interspersed with rest days of some organised trips and some touring by ourselves. Our hotels selected after careful discussion with "Tom "ranged from very good to exceptional. People en route were considerate and helpful. We have clear ideas about what we expect from a holiday and this one provided many satisfied smiles. A wonderful reintroduction too to the beauty of Scotland,

Initially prepared to listen to a brief description of our likes/dislikes re food and hotels. These were the basis for our personal tour/holiday. We then always felt any problems during the holiday would be instantly addressed. Personal care seems to be a key philosophy of this efficient company.

Never met, but did everything we wanted and answered inquiries promptly and with solutions.

We spent 12 days touring Edinburgh, Pitlochry, Inverness, Skye, Spean Bridge and Glasgow by train. The scenery was beautiful and the accommodations were amazing. Robert seemed to know, after speaking with Bruce, exactly the type of trip we would like.

McKinlay Kidd is well organized and thorough in their scheduling and arrangements.

I travelled by self drive car around the very north of Scotland. MacKinlay Kidd organised train connections, car rental and accommodation. i had a great time staying in some truly lovely places in excellent accommodation and it was exceedingly professionally organised with intimate knowledge of the area and what it has to offer. i would not hesitate to recommend their services.

They were exceedingly knowledgeable and professional and the arrangements were excellent.

Exploring Scotland's Highlands for 14 days via trains and ferries was a great experience. The accommodations were lovely with inn owners and staff consistently going above and beyond.

The logistics of this trip were extremely well organized by McKinlay Kidd. The independent self-guided tour approach was like adult backpacking with all of the details taken care of (places to stay, train & ferry reservations already handled, taxi services arranged, customized tours in locations such as Skye & Orkney.)

A self drive holiday touring in Northumberland and the Yorkshire Dales. Stayed at small comfortable accommodation. We intended to take a boat trip to the Farne Islands but this had to be cancelled due to bad weather at sea. Instead we went across the causewayto Lindisfarne Island and enjoyed walking there. Finally we were in the Yorkshire Dales and sampled the Settle to Carlisle railway stopping for a closer look at the Ribblehead Viaduct from below. With another day trip to the Ingleborough Cave, a truly wonderful experience. We also visited Durham and the Beamish Living Museum.

Very helpful and approachable for fielding my many queries.

Despite the weather(it could have been better!) we had a great time. From the beauty of Barra and Vatersay with it's turquoise sea and white sands and its Airport on the beach to the dark beauty of Harris and Lewis where we saw Black houses, White Houses, peat cutting, and learnt about Crofting, the Machair and so much history. I think the weather actually helped us understand why this is such a fascinating place and we are very glad we came. Our wellingtons and waterproofs were essential enabling us to get out and walk the Luskentyre beach, examine the Callinish Standing Stones, and breathe the unpolluted air. Oh yes and the Tweed! Magic to meet a weaver in his home, examine his loom and see the finished cloth,and buy a Gentleman's gilet from the shop at Grosebay. Very special and I only wish I could have afforded the beautiful ladies coat in purple tweed edged with velvet and lined with silk......next time maybe when I've saved up!

Very helpful and polite. Never pressured us into anything and were very responsive to the suggestions I made as to how they could improve the problem of finding places to have an evening meal when you didn't know which places were best and everywhere seemed fully booked. All ferry bookings worked like clockwork and the accommodations booked were excellent.

The holiday was a huge success because the operators had done their research well. They chose interesting off the beaten track locations , provided us with information that was valuable and varied for us to use and all the itineraries worked .

very efficient and user friendly

I traveled on my own and McKinley Kidd had everything set up to make my travel easy. The places I stayed at were very nice. The travel tips gave me more than enough to do. I had great service and met friendly people everywhere on the trip. It was great to travel in the first class car on the Jacobite Train. Overall, this trip has a lifetime of happy memories.

McKinley Kidd had everything set up for me so that I had nothing to worry about. I am so happy with how it all worked out. I could enjoy the trip without worries about lodging and transportation. The lodging was great and the train/ferry/car trips fun.

We had a driving weekend in the Grampians - taking in the delightful scenery, the local amenities and the local produce. We had a great hotel ( The Station Hotel, Rothes), newly refurbished to a high standard and really friendly and informative staff. Food was great. We visited the Glen Grant distillery, the Grampian Motor museum and the Speyside Cooperage. All very interesting and informative.

McKinlay Kidd provided interesting driving routes for both enthusiastic and leisurely driving, highlighting key landmarks and stopping places. The choice of hotel was excellent, conveniently placed for both walking to the Distillery and Gardens and a good centre for trips to the coast and other scenic routes. All the arrangements for the visits we made worked well.