Mickledore Travel Traveller Reviews

After a week in London we walked the Hadrian's Wall Path from Newcastle to Bowness-on-Solway. This was a great experience. Each section of the walk had its own delights including the initial urban and industrial landscapes of Newcastle and the beautiful lonely landscapes of the Solway at the end of the path. Middle sections over country and the high crags was a tougher on the legs but a real scenery knockout. The heritage of the wall is amazing.

We used Mickledore Travel to organise a walk across England following Hadrian's Wall. The walk went smoothly with well chosen B&Bs, baggage transfer and map directions. This was a great experience and we were very appreciative of their efficient service. It was our second walking holiday in Britain and Mickledore did not disappoint. We would use this company again.

For our first ever walking holiday we decided upon The Great Glen Way. We chose early May as we thought that the weather would be fair and the wild flowers in bloom. We were not wrong. I never put my coat on for the whole 5 day walk! We beat the midges and were heralded every day by cuckoos and sun shine. The Great Glen Way is well sign posted, has great footpaths and views and provides a variety of interesting things to see along the route. We enjoyed every single minute of it.

Mickledore were very helpful and friendly.They met all our requirements with expertise efficiency. The accommodation, luggage transfers, packed lunches and information pack were of a very high standard. We would use the again without hesitation.

We booked this route knowing some of the villages and towns en route and having driven through the countryside on previous occasions. It is a truly stunning part of Scotland as verified by many of the visitors from abroad, especially the USA, on the trip. Walking the route however, gave us a new level of appreciation of the landscape and natural life along the way. The route starts at the small town of Drymen no more than about 12 miles north of Glasgow but a short distance away from the south Eastern shore of Loch Lomond. The route basically then heads north eastwards starting with a gradual 4 mile climb on a quiet minor road to the edge of the Loch Ard Forest. Even at this early stage there are stunning views of Ben Lomond to the west and the Campsie Fells to the east. It then wends its way through the forest over the hills to the picturesque village of Aberfoyle. A night here is then followed by a walk through the Achray Forest and Loch Venachar to Callandar. Late May is a great time to do the walk. The days are long at these latitudes and there is a higher probability of decent weather. We were incredibly lucky on this trip with 3 hot days to start us off and then mainly warm dry weather thereafter. The first rain we encountered was on the final day of the walk and that light rain for about an hour. This definitely helps giving the best views of the magnificent scenery. Another boon in late May was the frequent occurrence of carpets of bluebells folding their colour through the hillsides and glens. Day 3 took us via a mainly tarmac cycle route winding its way up the western side of Loch Lubnaigwith views of Ben Ledi and Benvane to the west. The day finishes with a descent into Strathyre, where the annual folk music festival was just getting into gear. After a very comfortable night and a Michelin Star grade meal at our excellent guest house we set off refreshed for Killin. The route takes you close to Balquidder and a diversion walk of about a couple of miles if you want to visit the grave of Rob Roy McGregor. We resisted this conscious of the walk ahead and continued on climbing up to Craggan with views over Loch Earn. Proceeding into Glen Ogle we made our way across the viaduct crossing the A85 road and then through a stretch of forest descending into the village of Killin guarded by the lovely Falls of Dochart. Killin is a climbers paradise with several of the 'Munroes' easily accessible although it is also a magnet for tourists who want a more sedentary holiday. Day 5 took us northwards up through forest and above the tree line with views over LochTay to the west. Into more stark hillsides with magnificent views we walked. The route became more boggy on top before finding a more solid path down to Ardeonaig. After a brief stop for a welcome cold drink at the hotel there on a hot day we made our way along a narrow single track road skirting the eastern edge of Loch Tay before reaching the days destination, Ardtalnaig. Our company then organised a taxi back to Killin for this nights accommodation, returning us to the same point the following day. This penultimate day begins with a climb above the attractive village of Kenmore and then views over Taymouth Castle and the River Tay. The highlight of another fine day is the descent into Aberfeldy through the 'Birks'made famous by Scotland's national poet. Towards the lower reaches of the gorge is a statue of Rabbie Burns, seated at the point where he is reputed to have crafted his verse.. The final day continues the journey north over the hills above the River Tay for much of the route. There was a point where we had to fight our way through the gorse but the views at the top were again inspiring. The route then drops through forest leaving the Tay and eventually revealing the town of Pitlochry nestled in Tummel valley. The town provides a fitting end to a memorable walk. Some walking purists say that too much of the route is on minor roads and tarmac tracks and therefore doesn't compare to a route like the West Highland Way. This misses the point. The route provides access to some of the most outstanding scenery in this part of Scotland. I would also say that it is a physical challenge, which should not be taken too lightly. Although 66 years of age, I am fit and a veteran of 19 marathons, one only 3 days before we started this walk, and I would not describe it as easy challenge.

The tour operator provided; - An accurate description of the route and the challenge - Excellent preparation material including 4 Ordnance survey maps 1:25,000. and a superb rucksack guide to augment it - Very good accommodation along the way. I would rate 2 of the venues as outstanding and 3 as very good with the other good - The luggage transfer service worked perfectly to the extent that we did not even think about it after day 1 - I think we made a good decision to get a taxi back to the start at Drymen. It costs more but worth it - The hospitality of the guest houses along the way was excellent as was the friendliness of the Scottish people

Did C2C in May, excellent trip which was well organised and ran very smoothly and according to plan.

Mickledore - perfect itinerary for what we were looking for. Excellent accommodation selected and smooth transfer of luggage between accommodations.

We were walking the whole of the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path starting at Amroth in the south to St. Dogmaels in the north. The landscape and scenery were absolutely fabulous which made the holiday one to remember. The walk is very challenging with constant changing gradients some of which were very steep. The route is well sign posted and terrain fairly consistent with clear paths and some rocky out crops. This holiday is a must for any keen walkers but you do need to be prepared for the challenging gradients especially if the weather is poor.

This is the fourth walking holiday we have enjoyed through Mickledore Travel. They provide us with excellent advice about our chosen walks and everything you need, to have a first class experience. Mickledore always manage to book excellent accommodation in ideal locations close to the walks. They also provide very reliable baggage carriers that transport your luggage between each stop. Their information packs include excellent maps and guide books and invaluable additional information such as where to eat, local facilities, transport links and other elements linked to the walks such as tides times etc...

With a large party of 14 we walked half of the Pembrokeshire Coast path. A great trail with superb views, some more or less challenging climbs, nice villages, friendly people and as usual perfect organisation by Mickledore

Mickledore offers excellent and personal service. We've booked several years in a row by now with Mickledore and the service has been flawless every time: detailed information, promptly answered mails, always helpful when you want to change something small or big or if you want something unusual. The B&B's are excellent. Mickledore anticipates on problematic conditions you might encounter, e.g. by pre-booking your dinner. They are very helpful if you need transportation to and from you starting point and finish. Perfect.

A walking holiday on Hadrian's Wall.

It's really important on this sort of holiday that you have great places to stay. Mickledore achieved that. A range of different accommodation but all of them good. Highly recommended.

A great walk from Creswell to Berwick along the beautiful Northumberland coast. Few hills, not surprisingly, and a varied walk with a good supply of cafes and pubs to help us along. Days ranged up to 13 miles and had plenty of time to visit the castles along the route.

A great walk made possible by the service that Mickledore provided. They booked B&B accommodation for the week and arranged luggage transfer each day. That way we didn't have to carry more than a day bag and had great places to stay where we wanted on the walk.Easy directions to each B&B were provided. We took an extra day in Seahouses to visit the Farne Islands - the birds, especially puffins, made this an excellent decision.

We have had many walking holidays in the Lake District, usually renting a cottage for a week and planning a series of circular walks. The Inn Way allowed us to walk from place to place and thus see the Lake District in a different way, somehow closer to the land. Parts of the walk are in places which are not easily accessible by car so we saw places we'd never been able to visit before. The places we knew were often approached from a direction new to us. Walking the Inn Way improved our overall understanding of the geography of the Lake District and greatly enhanced our appreciation of all that makes it so special Everywhere we went we met warm and friendly people who made time to talk and were genuinely interested in where we'd come from and where we were going.

Mickledore's arrangements for route planning, overnight stays and luggage transport were excellent and helped to make the Inn Way particularly enjoyable. We were impressed by the care taken by the company to ensure the safety of its clients. On a day that we were rather late getting to our B&B a member of Mickledore's team took the trouble to contact us to ensure we were safe. The company asks for feedback and takes seriously the comments and suggestions it receives. Highly recommended.

We had an amazing walking holiday in the Cotswolds, well organised and researched by Mickledore. A pack was sent to us, after booking, giving us necessary and useful information including advice, telephone numbers, restaurants etc. The accommodation was varied and of a good standard. The welcomes we experienced were always warm and the hosts accommodating. The actual walk was a manageable 10 miles a day, on average, which gave us time to explore places of interest on the way. The Cotswolds is quintessentially English, with pretty villages and rolling, green hills. We went at the beginning of May so it was fairly quiet and the countryside was coming into bloom. I would highly recommend this holiday.

I have used Mickledore twice now and been extremely happy with their organisation and preparation. Although the information packs that they send are comprehensive, they are quick to respond to any further questions and requests. We took the advice offered and made restaurant reservations in advance where suggested. The accommodation we experienced was of a high standard and varied and we looked forward to our overnight stays. Our hosts were warm and welcoming and understood the requirements of walkers. The walks themselves were clearly and accurately described and easy to follow. I feel that the holidays have been good value for money and I would have no hesitation in choosing Mickledore to organise my next walking holiday.